February 2021 Scottish Club Chat

It’s February already but fingers crossed things are slowly starting to improve!

Current lockdown, and we are still following the extended lockdown measures introduced by the Scottish Government on the 5th January with the advice to ‘Stay at Home’. However things are beginning to improve and with any luck due to the vaccine and current measure options will begin to open up. If we are truthful, we think that the easing out of this lockdown will be ‘slowly, slowly’ however hopefully if the schools go back on 22nd February (for some) then March will see things gradually begin to ease. We will continue to update you as soon as we know about any changes, in the meantime our current additional information to support all boaters, clubs and centres is available on our website here. If you have any questions around it then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We are also aware of some clubs and centres being able to access ‘funding’ via the Strategic Framework Business Scheme – Temporary Closure Grant and Restricted Business Grants. However, the access to the grants seem to differ across the Local Authorities of Scotland with some clubs/centres being told they are eligible and some not. If you have been successful then please let us know and if you are struggling, then please also let us know so that we can see if we are able to help.

Planning for 2021 Continued

As we said in last month’s Scottish Club Blog, we are encouraging clubs and organisations to look at planning for getting out on the water this summer. There has been a variety of conferences and information from both RYA and RYA Scotland in January & February to encourage everyone to look to the future and connect with your current membership, past members, and potentially future members.

Discover Sailing has been launched for 2021 with those clubs/centres who have been involved in the past and it asks you to think about how to hold small successful events that encourage people – members and new people alike – to get (back) on the water. If your club has not previously been involved, or you have not received any information from the RYA (and have held events in the past couple of years) then do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

We are also looking to organise the Connect sessions again starting in February as well as monthly webinars/catch-ups on a number of topics such as Volunteering, Community Engagement, Funding, Facilities – getting them fit to open and Sustainability. However, we would like to know what topics you would be keen to discuss so please do get in touch with any suggestions!

There are also a number of online conferences coming up that may give you hints and tips for the season ahead:

Sailability Conference, Supported by Gallagher – 13th February

2020 has been a tough year and so the online 2021 Sailability conference will be a chance to regroup, restart and rebuild. The Saturday morning event (9.30 – 12.15) including a key speech by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomson will be streamed via YouTube, Facebook and our website. The conference is free of charge and open to everyone involved with or interested in the Sailability community. There are then several short webinar sessions in the 2 weeks to follow. More information and to sign up visit here

RYA Dinghy Show – 27th & 28th February

This year’s dinghy show has also gone online. Presented by Suzuki, the Dinghy Show will have talks from world class sailors – including our own Lorenzo Chiavarini – as well as interactive coaching sessions, the best deals from exhibitors and the opportunity to connect with the community. The event is free to attend and you can go to the show from the comfort of your own home.

The 2021 RYA Club of the Year Awards will also take place at the event, so good luck to Prestwick SC!

For further information and to sign up, please visit here.

Instructor Training Day, Supported by Gallagher– 13th March

To ensure that Instructors are fully up-to-speed and prepared for a new season as soon as restrictions allow, staff across the seven RYA Regions and three Home Countries are working together to host a free Virtual Instructor Training Day. The packed agenda includes inspirational workshops, addressing a variety of disciplines, as well as crucial updates from RDOs and RYA Training.

The full agenda of the day, including workshops and how to book is available here. This is for instructors at all levels across Dinghy, Windsurfing, Powerboat, Inland Waterways and Personal Watercraft Schemes so please don’t hesitate to sign up.

We hope to be able to follow up with some smaller on the water sessions as the season progresses.

Cruising Conference – 21st March

This online event has a packed schedule to interest regular and novice cruisers alike. The keynote speaker – Skip Novak of Pelagic Expeditions – will start the day with a talk on “How excelling in basic boating skills can enable you to accomplish your cruising dreams”. This, along with a variety of sessions on Current Hot topics and breakout sessions covering Electronics, Weather and Tides (to name but a few) will provide cruisers, new and seasoned, with a variety of great information. Further details on the agenda can be found here. Places are free for RYA Members and just £10pp for non-members. Tickets will allow you access to not only the live speaker sessions but also to the Exhibition Area where you will be able to visit virtual stands and chat with RYA experts. You can also learn more about the current trends in the cruising world by watching the pre-recorded presentations and videos. Register to book your online place here.

We are recruiting again!

Following a successful recruitment campaign, and the appointments of Georgia Moran as Regional Development Officer (East) and Robyn Phillips as Training Development Officer, we are looking for a Regional Development Officer to support the North & Islands communities. Further information is available here – please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the role!

We look forward to catching up with you all soon,

Take care and stay safe!

The Development Team, aka Robin, Georgia & Liza