I don’t know about you, but I’m confused about May 24th, Bermuda Day. Without getting into politics, this year the 24th is now the 28th but I suppose it does give us a consistent long weekend at the end of May. All good you might say, but it does play havoc with the most important date in the sporting calendar, which is of course the opening day of the Fitted Dinghy racing season, which has traditionally been sailed on the 24th for decades.
As it happens this year, due to a number of factors, the opening day has been postponed from Sunday, 23rd (closest day to the 24th) to the 30th for a number of reasons, primarily weather and allowing crews to get boats ready post-lockdown. All of that said, our Elizabeth II crew have been out practicing this week and the dock chatter is very positive. Stay tuned for more detail on the schedule changes and location of races. We do use Facebook a lot for current information, I know it’s not “down with the kids” but please do check for news.
Still on the subject of sailing, the move out of lockdown to Phase 2 and the “return to play” guidelines issued by The Ministry of Youth & Sport have allowed us to resume some of our sailing activities, most importantly the coaching program. We are running a full program of classes, all under Government COVID-19 protocols.
You will have heard by now the sad news of the cancelling of the 2021 Marion to Bermuda Race. We’d worked hard with our sister clubs in the U.S. to make this happen, but ultimately it was too much too soon with the CDC still categorising Bermuda at Level 4. 2023 planning starts now!
Wednesday Night Sailing, the favourite event for all sailors, is up and running but with the 8pm boating curfew presenting a timing challenge. We’ve moved the start forward 15 minutes and with some clever work by The Race Committee Team we can get a solid two hour race organised. It’s not ideal, but hopefully we’ll be able to revert to regular timings in Phase 3.
Are you a non-sailor but would like to get involved? We are going to organise some race management workshops and we’d be keen to extend the franchise somewhat and get more club members on the water and part of our sailing community. Let us know!
The oft postponed RS21’s “taster day” will be re-scheduled as soon as we understand what and when Phase 3 looks like. We have two teams entered in Wednesday Night Racing already, and I can tell you from first hand experience that these little boats have a very high fun-factor. My team maxed out at 12.6 knots on May 19th, while still learning how to get the best out of the boat. As before, stay tuned, and keep your eyes on Wendy’s weekly “What’s Happening” emails for up to date information.
Even more sailing news is that we are delighted to report that two of our young sailors are heading to Mexico with the Bermuda team to compete in the Optimist North American Championships. We’re very proud of them, and indeed the rest of the team. Best wishes to Kipling Rossouw and Isaac Wickramage. We know they’ll represent Bermuda and The RHADC well. Sail fast, high and in the right direction boys!
The gradual reopening of The Club is welcome and the team at The Club are doing a super job managing the challenges of Phase 2. I’m encouraged to see members taking advantage of our spectacular vista, still the best place in Bermuda for a sundowner. We are having a Thursday dinner, ahead of the holiday, and I would encourage reservations to avoid disappointment. The new menu will be rolled out Thursday too!
Around the property some updates of note – the former tennis courts, now the boat park are ready to accept member boats. The areas have been tidied and cleaned. The approved solar panel project is still waiting for planning approval and we’ll advise as soon as that has been gained.
With Summer coming, warmer weather and a relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions, I sense a renewed vibrancy around The Club, with great food, service and company. We’ll all be getting on the water more, but I do note that we have a number of members who don’t use The Club regularly. I don’t know why that is, perhaps they had a bad experience, but I would like to find out. We’re going to dig into the numbers more deeply, but do you know members that haven’t used The Club for a while? I’d love to feedback as to why and encourage them to come into Mangroville.
Fair winds,
Neil Redburn
Commodore
May 25, 2021