Posted on

Membership Data Validation

In advance of the Membership Subscription Renewals being sent out for 2021 we are undertaking a data validation exercise. Over the period of 29-30 December a personalised email was sent from the Membership Secretary to confirm the details we currently have on record regarding your membership.

There have been a good number of confirmations and updates received so far. 

If you have received the email, but haven’t yet replied, we would be grateful if you could take a couple of minutes to check the content and confirm if it is correct, or provide any changes or additions as necessary.

If you don’t appear to have received it please check if it has been sent to your Spam/Junk folder for some reason. The Subject was of the form “CSC Membership Details Validation – <Membership Number> – <Name>” and it was sent from the address membership@carrickfergussc.org

it may also be the case that we don’t have a current email address on file for you. If so please send an email to membership@carrickfergussc.org so we can confirm the remainder of the records we hold.

Thanks for your assistance, Steve Atkinson – Membership Secretary

Posted on

AGM Results

Hello everyone

Our AGM was held on Wednesday evening by Zoom. This was a different way of doing things but we were delighted to have 42 members attend. The list of members elected to the committee is below and this will be further updated and circulated once any co-options are made by the management committee.

Andrea Windsor
(Outgoing) Honorary Secretary

Carrickfergus Sailing Club Management Committee 2021 – RESULTS

  • Commodore – Trevor McCaig
  • Vice-Commodore – Graham Skelton
  • Captain – Debbie Nelson
  • Vice-Captain – Bill Kavanagh
  • Honorary Secretary – To be Co-opted
  • Honorary Treasurer – To be Co-opted
  • Honorary Sailing Secretary – Richard McCaig
  • Assistant Honorary Secretary – To be Co-opted
  • Assistant Honorary Treasurer – To be Co-opted
  • Membership Secretary – Steve Atkinson
  • Committee Member (x 2) – Joanne Byers, Graham Zebedee
Posted on

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting is to be held on Wednesday 9th December 2020 at 19:30. 

Unfortunately this year we are unable to meet in the Clubhouse so it is the intention of the Management Committee to host this year’s meeting by Zoom. This is the platform already tried and tested by the RYA, RYANI and by other clubs in the Lough.

The invitation to the meeting will be issued by separate email ahead of the AGM. While this is not ideal, it is out of our control. Should you not be in a position to attend on Zoom we are able to send out all the relevant reports, including the Accounts. The Management Committee nominations are complete and once finalised the details will be sent to members, following the AGM.

The Agenda is noted below and, as ever, if there are any questions please send them to secretary@carrickfergussc.org ahead of the AGM, and by Friday 4th December if possible. This will also allow us to get any clarifications from the Auditor as he will not be in attendance.

Following our email request for nominations in  October,  there is a list of those nominated and seconded for Committee positions. There was more than one nomination for some positions, therefore a vote is required for those ahead of the AGM.

In preparation for this we have appointed two independent tellers to accept, count and verify the votes. Further information on the nominations and the voting process is available from the club secretary.

We appreciate this is a different way of carrying out our business but hope that you will be able to attend virtually and that we have a successful AGM.

Agenda
1. Welcome and Notice of AGM
1.1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous AGM
3. Commodore’s Report
4. Honorary Secretary’s Report
5. Honorary Sailing Secretary’s Report
6. Honorary Treasurer’s Report
7. Annual Accounts
8. Election of Management Committee
9. Any Other Business

Andrea Windsor

Hon Secretary on behalf of the Management Committee

Posted on

Carrickfergus Olympian Ryan Seaton resumes training in hometown

Ryan Seaton who is a member of Carrickfergus Sailing Club and who has represented Ireland in the 49 er Class at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics has been able to resume his winter training for the first time at his home club following the recent completion of the slipway widening project which was partly funded by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

In past campaigns Ryan has had to train away from home because the slipway at Carrickfergus was unsuitable to launch a high-performance dinghy. Ryan and his crew Seafra Guilfoyle are hoping to again qualify to represent Ireland at next year’s Tokyo Olympics. Qualification would see Ryan represent Ireland at three consecutive Olympics.

Ryan commented, ” Carrickfergus and Belfast Lough is one of the best sailing locations throughout UK and Ireland. But unfortunately, due to its lack of suitable slipway access I was unable to complete my journey to professional sailing success at my home club. The new CSC slipway is a game changer when it comes to launching and retrieving my Olympic class 49er. It means I can complete some of my Tokyo 2021 training in home waters for the first time. 

The Club had two National and one European event in the diary for 2020 following the slipway completion but unfortunately due to Covid restrictions the events had to be cancelled.

A spokesperson for the Club advised that they were hopeful that these events would be held next year, conditions permitting and afford sailors from clubs both in Ireland and Great Britain to compete in Carrickfergus and Belfast Lough.

In the meantime, the club has benefited from the new slipway since restrictions eased in July with regular junior sailing and training hoping to find another Carrickfergus Olympian amongst them. Sailors in the Rs 400 dinghy class have also been racing at the club.

The Club would take this opportunity to thank MEABC for all their assistance and financial support in making the project a reality for all sailors at the club Olympians or otherwise.

Media@carrickfergussc.org                                                    Photography Ryan Wilson

[rl_gallery id=”736″]

Posted on

Remainder of Autumn Series Cancelled

Dear All

Further to the updated advice provided by the RYA we have taken the difficult decision to cancel the remaining 2 Sundays of the Autumn Series. Both the General Committee and the Sailing Committee are in agreement that organised racing presents an increased risk to competitors, safety crews and the battery team.

This is very disappointing especially given the great turnout of boats and the enthusiasm shown by everyone to get back to racing. Our focus to date has been to keep members as safe as possible and we believe that the decision is sensible given the current circumstances.

Open sailing will be available for anyone who wants to book a session via the website and go for a sail, however no safety cover will be provided and members should consider the conditions and their experience before deciding to go out on the water. Please review the advice on the website; https://www.carrickfergussc.org/back-to-sailing/back-on-the-water/

We would recommend that only single handed boats and same household crews participate and everyone adopts a cautious approach.

Thank you to all those who have helped to make the shortened series a success, especially the Safety and Battery teams.

We are very hopeful that 2021 will be an extremely busy year of sailing at CSC and are speaking with various classes who intend to hold Championship events at the club.

Thank you for your support in 2020

Posted on

Club Closure

Dear Members

In line with new Government Covid-19 Rules we will be closing the clubhouse bar tonight at 11pm for a minimum of 4 weeks.

We will still be contactable on social media and emails.

We hope you and your families stay safe.

Best wishes 

Carrickfergus Sailing Club Committee

Posted on

Sailor of the month is back!

It’s been a while since the club has been represented at an open sailing event. On 19th & 20th September 6 of our sailors represented CSC at the RYA Youth Championship held at Ballyholme.

The team performance was excellent and a credit to the hard work of the sailors, coaches and parents in this very challenging sailing season. 

Conditions proved extremely tricky, but Mateo Moore put in an outstanding performance and secured 3rd place in the Topper 4.2 fleet of 17 boats including a race win. Also making him sailor of the month for September!

Well done to all of the team who took part:
Matthew McLernon 
Louise Leonard 
Lucy Marshall
Chloe Craig
Roma Moore
Mateo Moore

Our Junior sailing is going from strength to strength and it’s fantastic to see so many sailors having fun on the water.

Posted on

Bar Opening – Important Update

Further to the email issued only 2 days ago, the Executive has announced that new legislation now means that “no more than 6 people from TWO households in NI will be allowed to sit at the same table in a pub or restaurant.” Unfortunately this puts some restrictions on our intended seating plans for our first weekend of normal opening and it will mean we may be a bit further apart from our friends than we had hoped.

So for clarity, here are the updated mandatory requirements…for now:

The venue will be required as part of its risk assessment process to identify the number of people who can safely be accommodated in line with social distancing requirements, and must clearly display this figure in the premises (60);

Hand sanitisation stations must be in place;

The venue will be required to collect customer details to assist with the Test, Trace, Protect contact tracing programme;

All service will be seated at tables. There will be no standing and no service at the bar;

Customers must remain seated once in the premises, apart from using the facilities;

Dancing will be prohibited in hospitality venues;

A maximum of six people from 2 households can be seated at a table in a hospitality venue.

Face coverings should be worn to enter and leave the venue and for movement inside. They are not required once seated.

These new rules will take a bit of getting used to but we all must follow them, we all have to play our part in stopping the spread of the virus. Please DO NOT come onto club grounds if you are feeling unwell, if you have symptoms of covid-19 or have been in recent contact with anyone who has.

Thank you all again and hopefully see you in the Club soon.

The Management Committee 

Posted on

Return of Summer Sailing, Junior Training, Catering, and Bar Opening

Hello everyone

Thank you all for your patience and support as we continue through this difficult time. We appreciate that not all facilities have been available to members but we continue to review everything continually and within the constraints of guidance from the Executive and RYA. We thank you for following all the rules as we opened up the club grounds, the bar and the club racing.

Since the easing of restrictions, and with the availability of our new slipway we were able to recommence some sailing activity during July and we were pleased to accommodate some training for our junior sailors in August, as well as a short summer series for the Dinghies and Keelboats. We had a great Members Regatta day 29th August with over 30 boats on the water followed by our first social event since lockdown. Our Autumn Series commenced on 13thSeptember and we had a good turnout of Juniors, Dinghies and Keelboats. Typically the winds were not kind on the first race day but we had a good turnout last Sunday and will continue the series until 25thOctober. If you still want to enter, you can do son on the Website. Last weekend we had brilliant results from several of our junior sailors at the RYA Youth Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club.

We have issued an advertisement for a new caterer to join us on a franchise basis and hopefully we will find someone suitable soon. Meanwhile, the Executive has announced that “wet bars” can open from today 23rdSeptember. Last month the Environmental Health Officer called and we are pleased to advise our bar received a 5 star hygiene rating. We have updated our risk assessment and are excited to announce that we are opening the indoor bar facility once again from Friday 25th. While we have restricted our hours this week we are looking forward to welcoming our members back to a more normal schedule from next week. We hope you can come down and continue to support the club while meeting up with your fellow members and friends.

Opening Hours this week:

Friday 25th          17:00 – 23:00

Saturday 26th     14:00 – 23:00

Sunday 27th        14:00 – 18:00   

From week commencing 28th September, we intend normal opening hours Tuesday to Thursday 19:00 – 23:00, but for now we will remain closed on Monday evenings.

We need to see how things go over the first few weeks and so all of the above will be subject to review.

Things will look a little different at first, so we ask you to be patient and compliant with the mandatory requirements set out by The Executive, which include:

  • The venue will be required as part of its risk assessment process to identify the number of people who can safely be accommodated in line with social distancing requirements, and must clearly display this figure in the premises;
  • Hand sanitisation stations must be in place;
  • The venue will be required to collect customer details to assist with the Test, Trace, Protect contact tracing programme;
  • All service will be seated at tables. There will be no standing and no service at the bar;
  • Customers must remain seated once in the premises, apart from using the facilities;
  • Dancing will be prohibited in hospitality venues;
  • A maximum of six people from any number of households can be seated at a table in a hospitality venue. Children aged 12 and under will be discounted from the total. More than six will be permitted if they all belong to a single household.
  • Face coverings should be worn to enter and leave the venue and for movement inside. They are not required once seated.

In line with these requirements we have identified through our risk assessment that we can safely accommodate 60 across our upstairs rooms. On entry you are required to sanitise your hands and sign in as part of the track and trace programme. The sign in book will be placed just inside the entrance door to the bar. Please note there is a one way system and you should enter the bar area by the usual doorway and leave again by the door in the function room area. You should wear a face covering on entry and until you are seated. The maximum number at any table is 6 (unless from a single household). Tables and chairs have been set out bearing in mind the 2m social distancing and furniture must not be moved. There will be tables with sanitiser and disinfectant spray and wipes on tables in each area. You must remain seated, moving from your table only to use the facilities or to exit the clubhouse. When you do move from your table you must wear your face covering. You cannot order your drink from the bar and the bar staff will provide table service. Please leave empty glasses and bottles to one end of your table to enable staff to collect easily. The bar staff will be wearing a face covering or visor. Please be patient as we follow these new procedures, they are new to us all and the bar service may be a little slower than usual.

These new rules will take a bit of getting used to but we all must follow them, we all have to play our part in stopping the spread of the virus. Please DO NOT come onto club grounds if you are feeling unwell, if you have symptoms of covid-19 or have been in contact with anyone who has.

Thank you all again and hopefully see you in the Club soon.

The Management Committee