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Return to Saiing 2020/Covid-19


Jen Hand

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Lincoln Radio Sailing Club made a return to informal/social sailing on Sunday 7th June 2020,  with measures in place to meet current Government Guidelines.

I was curious to know how many other clubs have also returned?

Take care everyone.

Jen Hand

 

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Can I ask, have you introduced any specific changes to enable sailing to recommence? Is so would you mind sharing?

Also, as I’m not familiar with your clubs environment, do you have any risks associated with mingling with the public?

many thanks 

Colin Newton 

Woodspring model boat sailing club 

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Initially we limited sailing to  2 members, then when Government ruling allowed 6 people to meet, limit to 6 members  from a rota of all members.  Sailing can be on multiple days a week if membership numbers necessitate. All boat rigging 2+ m apart. When sailing usual social distancing, no handling other peoples boats, transmitters etc.  When sailing  every member has to launch / recover min 2m apart and once sailing remain in a picnic chair min 2m apart to prevent walking when racing. All social contact minimised, but again usual distances. Yes there are members of the public walking around, but we sail from a point more than 2m from paths. Buoys which were normally placed for each days racing to suit wind direction have been placed permanently in lake to suit most prevalent wind direction, as we have to have two people in rescue boat, so were placed by husband and wife as otherwise 2m in boat was an issue. Boats that have electrical failures will necessitate patience and walking as no rescue boat is available, unless another member of sailors household present. Hope this helps. Not perfect, but gets us back on the water in a controlled way.

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Ripon Sailing Club, RC Yacht section returned to RC Sailing on Wednesday 10th June, the clubhouse remains out of bounds with the exception of the WC which has a one in one out policy managed by a revolving status sign, hand washing is supplemented by alcohol gel dispensers in key areas around the site. 
We are lucky in that access to the clubhouse/wc  is via an automatic door, removing a potential touch point and providing easy access.
We have placed 6 numbered control stations on the lake shore set just over 2m apart, helms are allocated a start position and then move on to the next numbered station after each race, this provides an equitable solution to start line, windward and leeward mark visibility, the start line is set close to position 3 with the helm on position 3 managing the start and finish lines.  Courses are set quite small so that marks are visible and no walking the lake shore is required or allowed.  The area behind the control positions is large enough to allow a one way system to be used when helms change control positions.
The course set, is a simple windward leeward one, again so that all marks are easily visible from all control positions.

A two person safety boat launch procedure has been risk assessed and implemented so that we can provide mark laying and dead boat retrieval facilities, the safety boat is manned by one person as this is our usual method of operation and therefore has approved risk assessments in place.  The safety boat control and touch points are fully sanitised after use.

The club managed full risk assessments for all of our return to sailing activity, both full size and RC, these were submitted to and approved by the clubs insurers, we comply with government guidelines on social distancing and outdoor group activity.

The RYA has produced a raft of useful information for clubs and has stepped up to the plate in providing guidance to clubs in all aspects of getting us on the water again.  Their website is providing a very good service to members and affiliated clubs.

A question I have is why is the MYA committee so inactive in promoting a return to sailing and helping clubs to achieve this within the current government guidelines for outdoor activity?  
For many this is far more important than the proposed constitution changes that appear to be centre stage at the moment.  Covid-19 is going to be with us for some considerable time so it is important that we address as many issues as we can that will allow us to regain some normality for the sport, it may not be sailing as it once was but it is still sailing.

Edited by Smiffy
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At Lincoln Radio Sailing Club we carried out a risk assessment.  The main points now in place:-

Skippers have to book in.  If we have more than 6 skippers we are lucky to have sufficient room to sail two separate groups of six, one on each bank.  We now park 'nose to tail" and the area to the rear of your car is your area for rigging and refreshment.  The club house is out of bounds except for the duty member of the day.  The toilet has a spray positioned outside,  handles and toilet area to be sprayed before and after use.  We have a hand sanitizer station and other hand sanitizers on the picnic table (out of bounds for picnics). We have various "keep two metre distance" signs, and although we have very few members of the public around, we do have a sign to ask them to  keep two metres apart.  We also have spray to regularly spray the handrails which go down to the water.  We have PPE equipment in the club with our First Aid kit.

We have scrapped our summer racing programme, so it is informal racing,  no results recorded .  Launching /retrieving is one at a time.  We are not using our starter gun, but a two minute countdown on a dictaphone.   When moving around, we have a strict one way system  with a row of cones down the middle.  Last Sunday was our first week back, and we were all  very aware of the rules, and always well spread out.   We have not used the rescue boat.  We make do with buoys where they are, and if we get a dead boat - well it will eventually drift to the bank.

All in all it worked well and we are thankful to be safe and well and back at the lake.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, I sail at the Gresford Sailing Club Wrexham which we share with the dingy sailors. As we are only one of two clubs in Wales we have had to wait for travel restrictions of 5 miles to be lifted before we start again. I see other clubs are restricting the number of people to 6. Is this an agreed amount for Covid 19 restrictions as a sports gathering or what? I see many fishermen in organised clubs far exceeding this number. We have implemented all of the necessary guidelines & hope to start sailing next week. It's just the numbers of people we can book in seems to be a problem. Our risk assessment allows us to cope with 10 people. Any advise welcome. 

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17 hours ago, Maxus2 said:

Hi, I sail at the Gresford Sailing Club Wrexham which we share with the dingy sailors. As we are only one of two clubs in Wales we have had to wait for travel restrictions of 5 miles to be lifted before we start again. I see other clubs are restricting the number of people to 6. Is this an agreed amount for Covid 19 restrictions as a sports gathering or what? I see many fishermen in organised clubs far exceeding this number. We have implemented all of the necessary guidelines & hope to start sailing next week. It's just the numbers of people we can book in seems to be a problem. Our risk assessment allows us to cope with 10 people. Any advise welcome. 

6 is the maximum number of people in England that can meet outside.  You need to look at the restrictions in Wales

Larry

IOM sailor

North Essex

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Hi Larry, thanks for the info which confirms what I thought.  I have just had a long conversation with the Welsh RYA who are still trying to clarify our situation. At present in Wales we can only have 2 households thus only 2 models in the water & in theory on site. They are querying  what the difference is to say fishing or bowls. Hopefully this weekend some of the restrictions in Wales will be lifted. Thanks again.

Edited by Maxus2
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Thanks Darin, I already have seen most of the advise & as a club we have implemented it. It's just the Welsh issue now made clearer since my first post. Hopefully we will have an amendment this weekend otherwise it will be just 2 of us at a time.

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I'm afraid I find the MYA seriously lacking in Covid 19 guidance.  As of today, local cricket is allowed with constraints, and that has been due to the governing body working with the government to come up with safe ways of playing.  As for the RYA guidance, the applicability to radio sailing is very tenuous.  Surely as our sport's governing body, the guidance should be coming from MYA rather than the resounding silence we are currently getting, with the major focus being on the changes to the constitution.  Will that encourage the development of the sport? I doubt it.  What about giving clubs guidance on Covid? Surely seeing boats sailing and racing again is what the Council should be concentrating on...

  

Larry

IOM sailor

North Essex

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I agree, a very disappointing response if reason. At very least we should be lobbying the RYA so that anything they might achieve takes into account radio sailing. If 22 amateur sportsman can stand in a field, then I see no reason why more than 6,if socially distanced, should not be able to do the same by a lake. I note that latest MYA Newsletter showing clubs returning to sailing has a picture of 7 sailors and an 8th chair (taking picture?). Does the MYA condone this?

 

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Hi again,  we are only one of two  Welsh clubs  thus we come under the Welsh RYA jurisdiction.  Once I contacted them it was made clear that they didn't really understand our needs. Despite this they made every attempt to help with as much as they could. It does seem we are a bit of a low priority in the RYA. We have had good support from our MYA district officers & again they can only act on what they can find out. I agree other sports do seem to have more government sympathy than us. 

Edited by Maxus2
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3 hours ago, Nigel Davies said:

I agree, a very disappointing response if reason. At very least we should be lobbying the RYA so that anything they might achieve takes into account radio sailing. If 22 amateur sportsman can stand in a field, then I see no reason why more than 6,if socially distanced, should not be able to do the same by a lake. I note that latest MYA Newsletter showing clubs returning to sailing has a picture of 7 sailors and an 8th chair (taking picture?). Does the MYA condone this?

 

 

9 hours ago, Guzzilazz said:

I'm afraid that's a poor excuse.  It should be simple to prioritise the important issues to be dealt with. Basic principle of management

Guys,

The MYA spoke to the RYA on Friday, and the announcement about team sports had come as a surprise to them and they were evaluating the situation as are the council.

Once the council has done this the RYA are our route to approval from the government for the resumption of competitive radio sailing in larger groups.

At this stage it is Still up to each club to assess its own risks and compliance with their national government’s guidance and the subsequent format and numbers involved.

Darin

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  • 1 month later...

Just an update from Gresford SC. We have been sailing now for about 6 weeks after the Welsh 5 mile restriction was lifted. We had a lot of help & advise from the RYA Wales staff who's very friendly attitude towards our minority Welsh sport being appreciated. We have managed social sailing without any problems & racing organised by Dave Bradley has been a welcome by all. We have standing/sitting area's marked out for us to socially distance in & up to 10 members have been able to race OK.  Only problem has been our retrieval 'O' boat & the 72 hours quarantine rule. This we have managed to overcome with members cooperation & some planning. Now looking fwd to some lifting of clubhouse restrictions as it's sometimes been too hot to stand out in the sun all day or getting very wet. We hope to organise some form of get together with outside members some time soon.

P1010236_edited-1.thumb.jpg.788a2722b10f917098b0641241268265.jpg

Edited by Maxus2
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