April 2016 - International Council of Yacht Clubs

April 2016
Get Involved!
From the Editor
Welcome to the latest edition of
the ICOYC Newsletter. With the
Copenhagen Commodores’ Forum
fast approaching, Inge StrompfJepsen has provided a handy
guide to all the different activities
planned, both formal and informal. Those attending the Forum
will be able to hear, in detail, from
Chicago YC Commodore Greg
Miarecki on the steps taken to
reinvigorate his club. In this
Newsletter, we provide a summary
of the steps taken so far.
Gero Brugmann’s report on the
European Regional Conference,
held in Malta earlier this year,
highlights topics of continual
interest to ICOYC member clubs
and gives a useful starting point
for further discussion at the Forum.
Those uncertain as to the value of
ICOYC membership and attendance at Forums need look no
further than Graham Rose’s article
on how his club has responded to
Council membership. He has
provided a fascinating article on
developments made at the Royal
Natal YC after attending the Auckland Commodores’ Forum.
Finally, we highlight three regattas
run by member clubs of the
ICOYC. As well as providing firstclass international competition, all
three clubs are raising their profile
by holding such prestigious
events.
Are you getting the full benefits of
ICOYC membership for your club
and its members? As entertaining
and fulfilling as being a Council
representative for your club can
be, that role also carries an expectation from both club and Council
to assure that a good part of what
is available in the way of beneficial elements is being delivered to
your club and fellow members.
Frankly, that expectation can only
be fulfilled by active involvement
in the affairs of the Council and,
to some degree, the club. An excellent principle, but is it realistic?
The above is merely my belief, and
one that I, hopefully, share with
you, but fulfilling that belief is
another thing entirely. Time and
energy have finite limitations,
and, like you, I have little of either
to spare so must set priorities and
find creative ways of getting the
desired results. The Council and
my club are both high priority for
me so that part is easy – they
always get their share. Given all
the other demands, such as family, business, church and boat, that
fair share is never enough to get
the results. Therefore, I have developed some means of sharing
the passion with others, which I
sincerely recommend to you.

Best wishes
Alison Boyd
Newsletter Editor
[email protected]

Inside this issue:
European Regional Conference, Malta
2–3
Preview of Copenhagen
Commodores’ Forum
4
How do you Reinvent a
Club?
5
ICOYC AGM
5
Fulfilling Inspirations
Event News


6–7
8

As a Club Representative, I
joined one committee, which
was interesting to me, and it
absorbed most of my available
time.
I made sure my Alternate
Representative did likewise
and kept him fully aware of
Council activities.
I enlisted other club members
to join Council Committees in
their areas of interest.
I made sure that every key
player in my club had website
login privileges and is aware
of the wealth of material that
is there. This ensures they are
kept current on Council activities and issues.
The ICOYC burgee/weblink is
displayed on the club website

home page, the membership
plaque is hung in the clubhouse foyer and an article
about ICOYC activities appears regularly in the monthly
club magazine, authored by
our representative or by me.
When the opportunity arose,
my club hosted an Americas
Regional Conference, which
truly brought the Council to
the members in a memorable
fashion.
These tactics, and a few random
others, have made the Council an
integral part of my club and a
valued element for the members.
That result was achieved by a lowkey steady effort over the course
of six years. The best part is that it
was done in every case by the
enlistment of fellow club members
in the effort. By slowly building a
crew of believers, we have overcome the limitations of one person’s time and energy, and developed a potential succession of
involvement as the years go on.
In some ways, this has been an
exercise in membership development, but one of involving current
members rather than adding new.
When I call out to you to ‘Get
Involved’, I’m not suggesting that
you personally increase your valued contributions to the Council,
but you use some of these tactics
to involve a few of your fellow
members, embed the Council in
the club culture and develop our
own replacements (possibly the
most important job). Here are a
couple of possible involvements.
The Interclub Committee Cruise
Planning Group, led by Chuck
Lowry, is in the early stages of
planning a couple of cruises in
Finland and the Northwest region
of America, and can always use a
few good people who may be experienced cruisers. They will also
be looking for future venues.
Chris Carlile is leading a task
group to design and launch a Club
Data Exchange, in which participating clubs provide operating
and other data for assembling and
analysis by the group. There will
be a final annual report showing
trends, techniques and results to
allow clubs to examine varied
ways of addressing mutual issues
and opportunities. Volunteers
interested in club finance, operating systems and long-range planning could have a fascinating time
in this group.
Aaron Young is in the early stages
of developing the ICOYC Youth
Exchange, which is developing a
program where the Council will
facilitate youth exchange programs among member clubs. Any
club member interested in youth
sailing would be an asset here,
especially with similar experience.
Each of these efforts is an opportunity for involvement for your
fellow club members. This means
the Council, as the Member Clubs,
can continue to develop membership and deliver to the Member
Club and their members. Each of
us must be part of that effort.
Sail on
John McNeill
ICOYC President
April 2016, page 2
European Regional Conference, Malta
Royal Malta YC, 15–17 January 2016
More than just a conference – this became
clear to the ICOYC delegates even before they
touched down on the history-soaked island
and Republic of Malta. From the air, Malta
shows that it is a multi-century old fortress in
the Mediterranean, all made of the honeyyellowish local limestone, and seafaring has
always been its curse and blessing. And the
Royal Malta YC, nicely situated in Ta’ Xbiex
and overlooking Marsamxett Harbour towards
Valetta, has made the best of the island’s history and qualities, and created one of the most
renowned offshore races in European waters –
the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
The taxi driver who picked us up from the
airport unveiled the secret of the pronunciation of ‘Ta’ Xbiex’ on the way to the clubhouse.
Royal Malta YC welcomed its guests with a
wonderful buffet lunch offering various local
specialties. The atmosphere of an island state
with a historically mixed culture between the
Arab and the European world quickly spread.
Attendance was extremely good given the
difficult choice of the date and the relatively
short time to plan. Out of the 11 European
member clubs in ten countries, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Malta (as host),
Italy and the UK were represented, and Seattle YC, with their representatives Jack and
Marion Sullivan, was warmly welcomed. Seattle has a history of attendance at European
Regional meetings, mostly through its member Bob Miller, the Council’s web administrator and IT mastermind. Royal Malta YC was
present with Commodore Godwin Zammit,
Vice Commodore Mark Napier, Rear Commodore Sailing David Anastasi, Honorary Treasurer Peter Dimech, Honorary Secretary Anna
Rossi and its sailing school head Trevor Millar
all in attendance.
The Saturday session commenced with welcome notes from Royal Malta’s Commodore
and the Council’s Regional Vice President,
followed by individual introductions by the
attendees. While well-known faces safeguarded continuity, we welcomed Pierre Bourgeois
as the new Commodore of Bruxelles Royal YC,
accompanied by his predecessor and ICOYC
veteran Alain Radelet. Graham Nixon, Rear
Commodore Sailing of the Royal Southern YC,
made his first appearance at an ICOYC event,
and with Ludovica Reggio, President of the
Young Members’ Group at Yacht Club Italiano, we had the voice and vision of the
younger yacht club members in the conference
room.
A report on the many and well-chosen topics
discussed at the Commodores’ Forum in
Auckland was followed by Royal Danish YC’s
Commodore Lars Ive on the planning of the
upcoming worldwide event in Copenhagen in
September 2016. The organization of the conference is well on track and, in addition, the
venues and opportunities for first-time visitors as much as returning visitors look very
promising.
ICOYC expansion
A report on global membership development
of the Council was followed by a discussion on
expansion in Europe. The attendees warmly
welcomed the application in process by Clube
Naval de Cascais in Lisbon, a primary club of
global standards which has hosted many international events, such as world championships and a Volvo Ocean Race stopover, and
that of Gstaad YC in Switzerland, a smaller,
but highly active, club with a global network
and a substantial on-the-water program given
that Gstaad is a land-locked city in a landlocked country. Further possible candidates
were located and individual approaches discussed.
The first session focused on the Council’s
work, organization and plans as usual for this
type of conference. This conference also
marked a change from a presentation and
Q&A format to panel discussions and extended room for open discussions of both. Topics
were taken from the program and spontaneously developed from the floor.
The intense afternoon passed quickly and the
delegates retreated to the Radisson Blu in St
Julian’s with a stunning seaside view. After
some rest from travelling and the first session,
the group gathered at the Gallery Restaurant
at the Royal Malta YC for dinner, drinks and
socializing with a large delegation of RMYC
representatives.
Youth
The morning of day two was all about youth.
Trevor Millar (RMYC Sailing School), David
Anastasi (RMYC Rear Commodore Sailing)
and Jan Rossi of the J70 Association Malta
reported on the various RMYC approaches at
engaging youth on the island. Moreover, Malta is marketed as a season and off-season
training ground with constant winds and mild
climate for teams from the more northern
parts of Europe that have difficulties finding
adequate wind and climate conditions in winter.
RMYC Commodore Godwin Zammit moderated the session and firstly introduced the Maltese case. Club fleet management needs a tight
focus on the limited numbers in the sailing
community drawn from a population of approximately 425,000. The choice of boats
needs close consultation to produce a critical
mass in any class introduced. Also, logistics
play an important role and become more crucial with the growing interest in joining the
Sailing Champions League. Introduction of
the J70 was a helpful step towards participation in the League, while the organization of a
national Maltese league may need some individual approach.
The session made an interesting and emotional detour when the discussion came to disabled sailing and the recent decision by the
International Paralympic Committee to drop
sailing from the 2020 Tokyo Games. While
the decision itself was reportedly a technical
one, it was generally seen as astonishing that
disabled sailing should not have a worldwide
reach. All clubs present were able to report on
their own disabled sailing campaigns, equipment, budgets and other substantial support.
Moreover, from the past nine Commodores’
Forums, there was ample evidence of clubs
worldwide that strongly foster disabled sailing
up to Paralympic level. David Mead of the
Royal Southern YC introduced the Wetwheels
project, which provides disabled and disad-
April 2016, page 3
European Regional Conference, Malta (continued)
vantaged people access to the sea through
fully accessible powerboats. While not focused
on sailing, the project provides an intense
experience for people that are usually blocked
from access to the water. Those present in the
room were unanimous in their view that water
sports provide extreme challenges to the disabled that are unlikely to be offered by any
sport entertained on dry land.
The discussion also revealed another view on
Paralympic and Olympic sailing. Sailing is –
positively and negatively – unique in its division into numerous classes and events. Every
class has its own championships on a national,
regional and, usually, world-class level. Big
boat sailing adds the factor of rating systems
to the mix. There is no overall world champion in sailing, and, for most classes, the Olympic sailing events do not help clarifying the
situation. Independently of sailing being
Olympic or Paralympic, the question was
raised of what added value Olympic sailing
has for our sport. Expectedly, a lively discussion followed this spikey question and revealed the inhomogeneity of ways to pursue
the sport of sailing. While some see the global
visibility of Olympic sailing as a decisive factor
for the future of our sport and campaigning
for the Olympic Games as one of the most
deserving and challenging tasks in a sailor’s
life, others see the enormous cost and effort of
an Olympic campaign as not a healthy relation
to the impact a medal in the Olympic Games
may have to the sailing community outside the
individual classes that are chosen to be Olympic.
Ludovica Reggio and Carlo de Thierry from
Yacht Club Italiano joined the panel to report
on ‘Gruppo Giovani’ – YCI’s young members’
group formed out of the need to give younger
members and prospective younger members
their own platform to organize social activities
created for their age and to better participate
in the club’s activities. Ludovica is the group’s
president and reported on her efforts to give
those younger a voice in a club that pursues
long-standing traditions. There were many
questions asked and examples given how other clubs walk the line between tradition and
attractiveness to a young generation that nowadays has more choices than it ever had and is
harder to catch for voluntary work. The success of Gruppo Giovani showed that clubs
need to address the younger generations’ interest and approach at social activities and
sports to get them interested in a highly modern sport that is largely fostered by yacht clubs
– outspoken traditional organizations with a
rather high age average in their membership.
The floor applauded Ludovica for her efforts
and success and many spontaneously offered
their support.
As the session on youth crossed into many
management questions planned for the afternoon session, the program was quickly regrouped to allow for items being discussed
where they best fitted.
Club management
On club management, Mark Napier (RMYC
Vice Commodore) chaired the panel and started off with a report on RMYC’s organization.
A club with so many herculean tasks had so
far worked perfectly with an enormous personal effort by the flag officers and their staff
but without a general manager. The attendees
had many examples to report on. Voluntary
versus employed management quickly turned
into a hot discussion. Like some and unlike
others, RMYC has managed to keep a strong
base of volunteers and relies on non-paid
individuals in many key positions.
Communications
The discussion on modern means of communications focused on the use by yacht clubs of
websites, Facebook, Twitter and the like. Their
value, especially for reaching the younger
generations, has been embraced by most clubs
nowadays and with rising professionalism.
When the same topic entered the agenda of a
conference some years ago, it had sparked
more doubtful looks and questions than it
does today.
Social events
Exhausted but happy, the delegates returned
to their hotel to refresh for a breathtaking tour
of Malta’s inland fortress, the Mdina. It served
as Malta’s capital from pre-Roman times
through Arab and Norman rule to the 15th
century, when the Knights of St John decided
to move the capital to the coast. An outstand-
ing storyteller and actor guided the group
through centuries of history to finish in the
age-old limestone walls of the Medina Restaurant, where the conference concluded with a
dinner in great style.
The voyage into history continued on the Sunday morning with a trip to Valetta and its
magnificent secular buildings and breathtaking churches.
This conference broke some records, and the
one unseen to most, but most challenging to a
few, was the timeline of organization. The date
had only been fixed at the end of November
and, with the Christmas break in-between,
there were only a few weeks for preparation.
However, the club staff and its Commodore,
experienced from many Rolex Middle Sea
Races and other international events, produced a full program, delegates’ information
pack with biographies, branded giveaways and
other helpful items in short time and seemingly no increase of blood pressure along the way.
A big thank you especially to Maria VellaGalea and Alana Muscat who took most of the
load.
Royal Malta YC was a superb host and the
archipelago, that lies closer to the African
coast than to any major European city,
showed that it can as easily convert itself to
the capital of European yacht club life for a
weekend as it can host major offshore events.
The Council extends its gratitude to RMYC, its
Commodore Godwin Zammit, the flag officers
and staff for turning the fifth ICOYC European
Regional Conference into a landmark event
and for being so welcoming and caring for the
delegates.
Gero Brugmann
ICOYC Vice President, Europe
April 2016, page 4
Preview of Copenhagen Commodores’ Forum
fleet, dinghy racing, youth sailing and last, but
not least, one of the best sailing schools.’
The clubhouse in Rungsted Havn, located
north of Copenhagen, will set the frame for
the Forum. Sessions and accommodation,
however, are being provided at Rungstedgaard, a hotel and conference centre within walking distance of the Club.
The Royal Danish Yacht Club is the host of the 10th
ICOYC Commodores’ Forum
Invitation
The Commodores’ Forum will be back in Europe again after having gathered in Hong
Kong in 2013 and Auckland in 2015. From 19–
23 September the Royal Danish YC (KDY) will
be the host for this international event organized by the International Council of Yacht
Clubs which typically attracts thirty of the
most prominent yacht clubs from around the
world.
Commodore Lars Ive and his team are busy
planning not only the ICOYC’s 10th Commodores’ Forum but a year filled with special
events to celebrate KDY’s 150th anniversary.
Commodore Ive commented: ‘The members,
and here I mean the sailors, like to see the
Club changing with the times, i.e. a growing
demand for match racing and highperformance yachts. We try to accommodate
the changing needs but are, at the same time,
very conscious of long-standing traditions and
do organize regattas for all including classic
yachts. Our facilities have been upgraded in
tandem with demand. In 2007 KDY opened a
new clubhouse at Tuborg Havn which was
developed together with a marina to replace
the old industrial port. KDY was appointed
managers of this new facility. The Clubhouse
in Skovshoved has, since 1997, become the
Danish match-racing centre and hosts a myriad of events for the world elite of match racing. Since 2000 the Clubhouse in Rungsted
has developed into one of Denmark’s most
active clubs providing very popular sunset
racing during the summer, a big Optimist
Forum proceedings will take place at Rungstedgaard
Forum program
The Forum theme ‘Reinventing the Club’
should prove very interesting and topics will
include the following.
 How to attract sponsorship
This topic will feature two presenters – one
from the sponsor side and one from the yacht
club side. Items to be covered include what we
can offer, what is asked for by a sponsor and
how we can build long-lasting relationships.
Nyhavn is a picturesque port district in Copenhagen
and was once the home of Hans Christian Anderson
discussed amongst the delegates, partners are
invited to participate in a very different program. Culture, castles, modern design, food
and shopping will feature strongly during the
outings in Copenhagen, one of Europe’s oldest
and most beautiful cities. The Partners’ program can be found on the ICOYC website.
 Strategic thinking
All planning takes its cue from the world we
are living in. There will be a presentation from
an outsider on what is happening around
yacht clubs and other sport’s clubs, and on
what we should plan for.
 Volunteer management
How do other organizations plan to attract,
keep and develop their volunteers? This session includes a presentation from the Danish
Sports Association.
 Creating value for the membership
What is value for members and how has its
meaning changed over the last 5–8 years?
 Making full use of social media
Mads Ehrhardt of RDYC will give a presentation on the use of social media in general and
at KDY specifically.
A special presentation by Chicago YC will take
place in one of the planned sessions – see
opposite for preliminary details. Undoubtedly,
there will be a much wider range of topics
discussed before, during and after the sessions. Speakers are currently being approached to present specific subjects of current interest. The last session on the ICOYC’s
future and the value the organization can give
to it’s membership should provide useful
guidelines for the coming years.
The initial delegate schedule can be found on
the ICOYC website under ‘Forums/Next Commodores’ Forum’.
Partners’ program
While the business of yacht clubs is being
The historic Tivoli Gardens in the centre of Copenhagen will be the location of a memorable Forum
evening
Social events
In its planning, the Royal Danish YC has not
omitted social events. The planned evening in
Tivoli Gardens will be an unforgettable experience. Tivoli is the second oldest amusement
park in Europe having been established in
1843. Georg Carstensen, the founder, was
granted an area of 15 acres outside the old city
walls by telling King Christian VIII ‘when
people are amusing themselves, they do not
think about politics’. The park still has many
of the old garden features, but it has also renewed itself by adding new roller-coaster
rides, featuring the world’s tallest carousel,
pantomime theatres, an aquarium, the Tivoli
Concert Hall and renowned restaurants.
Registration forms and additional conference
and hotel information can be found on the
ICOYC website in the section under Forums/
Next Commodores’ Forum. The Early Bird
Discount ends on 1 June so get your registrations in early.
Inge Strompf-Jepsen
April 2016, page 5
How do you Reinvent a Club?
Read some of the steps Chicago YC has taken to
In 2015 Chicago YC doubled down on its
reinvigorate its whole offering to its members. Dis-
‘youth movement’, electing Miarecki as the
cover more at the Copenhagen Forum in September.
youngest Commodore in the Club’s history,
and also electing Vice Commodore Leif Sig-
One would think that Chicago YC, having been
mond and Rear Commodore Lou Sandoval –
founded in 1875, is a traditional yacht club –
both aged under 50. All three Commodores
reluctant to upend the proverbial apple cart.
are active racing sailors who have built win-
But, in reality, Chicago YC is rather obsessed
ning programs on the water and who have
with innovation. In its signature Race to
deep experience in building successful events.
Mackinac, Chicago YC introduced a multihull
division, pioneered a new, simpler set of safety
This new team launched an aggressive effort
The Club’s ‘Women on the Water’ program includes
regulations and added a Cruising Division. In
to refashion Chicago YC as a family-focused
educational and social activities for Chicago YC
2008 it named a relatively youthful sailor – 34
group of members obsessed with being on and
women
year old Greg Miarecki – as chair of the 100th
near the water. For example, Chicago YC re-
race. Under Miarecki’s leadership, Chicago YC
cently launched a ‘Women on the Water’ se-
being sold out and a substantial increase in
engineered a once-in-a-lifetime event, attract-
ries of events, which includes both educational
membership engagement.
ing over 462 entries and putting them in the
and social events for Chicago YC women. A
unique position of having to turn away en-
new Family Activities Committee was formed,
Members love the energy. Chicago YC enjoyed
tries.
focused on providing new and exciting ways
a record year in terms of activity and Club
for families to enjoy the water. The Club re-
usage. And these changes – while executed
cently doubled the size of its Sonar fleet and
with great speed and enthusiasm – are all part
purchased a fleet of paddleboards and kayaks.
of a carefully crafted strategic plan. Now, with
The signature Mackinac Bar was completely
several championships and the America’s Cup
renovated and now hosts weekly live music for
World Series on the horizon, Chicago YC is
members and guests. And the list goes on and
poised for another record-breaking year.
on.
Come learn how and why this is done during
Amongst the innovations at the CYC was the inclusion of a multihull division in the Race to Mackinac
– the longest annual freshwater race in the world
the Forum in Copenhagen this September.
The pace of change at Chicago YC has been
proceeding at a dizzying speed, and it has
been producing results! These include a substantial increase in operating revenues, a 50
per cent reduction in resignations, a significant increase in membership, more events
ICOYC AGM
AGM at 1300GMT on 20 April 2016 via Turbobridge teleconferencing. The notice, agenda
and supporting documents are available on
the website home page to logged-on members.
Please make sure that your Club will be represented at this brief, but important, meeting
by a voting representative.
What’s your story?
The tales in this Newsletter of ‘How do you Reinvent a Club?’ and ‘Fulfilling Inspirations’ suggest there are other
similar stories just waiting to be discovered among Member Clubs. These tales, often supported by detailed
Forum or Conference discussions, offer valuable insights into the results that are possible from involvement in
the ICOYC, when applied actively in any club. Of course, they also serve to effectively demonstrate the unique
Once a year, it is the responsibility of every
Member Club to assure their participation in
the important business of the Council, including elections, financial review and planning,
and governance actions. All Representatives,
Alternates and Commodores of Member Clubs
have been sent an email notice of the ICOYC
value of Council Membership, and they are excellent examples to those who would seek understanding of the
Council and its importance to the Member Clubs.
We would like to publish more such articles, and thereby ask, ‘What’s your Story?’ Have you been doing some
reinvention of your own, or simply adapting a few things learned from the Forums or Conferences? How has
Council membership affected your club? Send a quick note or rough draft to [email protected] and we’ll help
work it into an article. After all, we’re still ‘the leading YACHT CLUBS … working TOGETHER … sharing EXPERIENCE!’
April 2016, page 6
Fulfilling Inspirations
The Royal Natal YC is the oldest yacht club in Africa,
having its foundations in 1858. The Club is the only
ICOYC member based in Africa and is a founding
member of the Council. It hosted the Commodores’
Forum in 2008 — the year of its sesquicentennial
anniversary.
Here, its Commodore, Graham Rose, provides a
fascinating insight in the value the Club has gained
from being a member of the Council.
The Royal Natal YC is a founding member of the
ICOYC
Value of ICOYC membership
One often hears the question ‘What is the
value of being a member of the International
Council of Yacht Clubs?’ This is, of course, a
question which is particularly relevant to the
Royal Natal YC and one which is asked frequently by members and, perhaps, more frequently by members of other South African
yacht clubs. The short answer is ‘they simply
do not understand’. However, the true answer
is really as clear as day and even a blind man
can see it.
The Royal Natal YC is a founding member of
the council and, as the oldest sports club of
any kind in Africa, the only ‘Royal’ club in
Africa to have retained both the Royal Charter
and Warrant granted by Queen Victoria in
1891. Having been established in 1858, the
Club is amongst the most historic yacht clubs
in the world. As the continent’s most senior
yacht club, the Royal Natal YC has the responsibility of setting the example for other younger clubs to follow.
However, we are the only ICOYC member club
from Africa and are certainly one of the poorest cousins living in one of the most challenging social and economic environments. Balancing the annual ICOYC subscription, paid in
dollars with an ever depreciating South African Rand, against the value of ICOYC membership is always a heated debate amongst the
ordinary club membership, especially as they
question the relevance of ICOYC membership
in the African context.
No doubt, this type of debate also exists, albeit
to varying degrees, in other clubs around the
world, and the intensity of the debate is, perhaps, directly proportional to the available
resources of the particular club. But one can
also argue that there is an inverse relationship
between the available resources of the club
and the value of ICOYC membership. Simply,
the more limited the resources, the greater the
value and benefit obtained from exchanging
ideas and adopting the best practice of peer
clubs. Perhaps the greatest source of inspiration is to be found at the annual ICOYC Commodores’ Forum and the 2015 Auckland Forum was no exception – especially for the
Royal Natal YC. One year later, we are still
enjoying the fruits of the inspiration of Auckland.
portant and seeing that the current local racing program is deficient in its promotion of
this discipline of the sport, we entered into a
memorandum of understanding with the historic Clube Naval de Maputo, our sister and
most senior yacht club in neighbouring
Mozambique, to establish an annual Maputo
to Durban International Yacht Race. The
event has already been endorsed by the Premier of the Provincial Government of KwaZuluNatal who has agreed to be the Patron of the
event. The race is part of our wider commitment to the KwaZulu-Natal government’s
Integrated Maritime Strategy aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the Indian
Ocean for the benefit of the province and simultaneously developing closer relations with
our neighbours.
While the financial resources of most of the
clubs represented in Auckland are, possibly,
the equivalent of the gross domestic product
of some of our neighbouring countries, the
Royal Natal YC was welcomed as an equal and
the reception provided can only be described
as humbling. Over the course of the following
few days of the Forum, the exchange of ideas
and various presentations revealed that, despite being worlds apart, our circumstances,
as ICOYC member clubs, are all little different.
Some clubs simply have more resources than
others with which to weather the headwinds.
The real value in ICOYC membership lies in
the camaraderie, generosity and enthusiasm
with which information is shared, together
with new ideas and some old ideas viewed
through a different paradigm.
It is hoped the event will promote this highly
undeveloped region as an international investment opportunity with great economic development potential. Our representatives have
recently visited Maputo and been in negotiation with representatives of Clube Naval de
Maputo and their local government officials.
The inaugural event is scheduled for 2017.
Groundworks
On returning to Durban, the inspiration of
Auckland has slowly been transformed into a
reality and each project carefully researched
and the results measured against the best
practice of our peers. Realizing that our Ndongeni Lawns are a valuable asset, we immediately embarked on a small reclamation project
and repairs to the seawall, which, through the
generosity of members, has seen an additional
150m2 of lawn added immediately in front of
the clubhouse for the enjoyment of members
and spectators following sailing on the bay.
Following the example of the Royal New Zealand YS, we erected a number of flagpoles
along the water edge and these now fly the
flags of one of our sponsors whose monthly
sponsorship fee helps to pay the salaries of
two members of staff.
New ocean race established
Recognizing that ocean yacht racing is im-
Widening appeal
The difficulty of promoting sailing and the
yachting lifestyle, in an environment where
social and economic barriers have historically
prevented the majority of the population from
participating, is perhaps one of our greatest
challenges. Especially where, on the one hand,
there is no interest or desire to participate as
the marine environment is completely foreign
and most of the population are fearful of the
water as they simply cannot swim. While, on
the other hand, there is political pressure to
transform all South African sports with the
introduction of quotas to ensure that participation in all sports reflects the demographic
profile of the general population. The merits
of the South African government’s official
Sailing opportunities at the
Club will be
widened with
the inaugural
Maputo to
Durban International Yacht
Race in 2017
April 2016, page 7
Fulfilling Inspirations (c0ntinued)
policy and the Transformation Charter for
South African Sport are a matter for an entirely separate debate. Unfortunately, we are
forced to work within this environment until
such time as circumstances change, certainly
if we wish to obtain security of tenure over our
clubhouse and facilities. Couple this with the
challenge of promoting a ‘Royal’ club with a
long and proud 158-year-old history within a
society which views most things as colonial,
and one immediately understands the value of
ICOYC membership which resonates with the
‘Embracing and Sharing Innovation’ theme of
the 2015 Auckland Forum. It is perhaps best
summed up in the commemorative booklet
produced for the Forum:
‘Clubs must evolve to maintain their relevance
and position, to keep pace with a constantly
changing world. In a time of changing demographics, a changing regulatory environment and a more competitive arena for pastime activities, Clubs need to find creative
ways to change as well, while preserving and
leveraging tradition and recognizing the historic lineage of each club. That need will require clubs to embrace change and create an
environment relevant to new generations by
seeking innovative ways of effecting evolution.’
While recognizing these challenges and drawing on the experience of our international
peers, we realize the need for reinforcing our
relevance within the society we find ourselves.
To this end, and with the help of fellow ICOYC
member clubs, we are working to finalize the
establishment of the Royal Natal Yacht Club
and King Goodwill Zwelitheni Charitable
Trust with the King of the Zulu nation as the
Patron. The aim of the trust is to raise money
for the education and furtherance of maritime
studies of less fortunate children.
Junior fleet
It is pleasing that building on the Auckland
Forum we have been able to double the size of
our Junior Fleet and now have over 30 children enrolled in our sail-training program. In
addition, and with the support of the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, a local
entrepreneur from a previously underprivileged background and the local chapter of
the German Chamber of Commerce, we are
currently investigating the possibility of harvesting the plastic waste material which often
litters the bay and recycling it to produce our
own junior sail-training dinghy to be known
as the RNYC Ingane (the Zulu word for child).
This project is currently receiving much atten-
tion as a result of its potentially positive impact on cleaning the environment, creating
employment and providing educational opportunities for the youth to become exposed to
the maritime industry and yachting lifestyle.
Charitable work
Realizing the wider role of a historic yacht
club in society and using the insight gained in
Auckland based on best practice, the Royal
Natal YC dedicated the current Wednesday
Evening Funsail Season to raising funds for
the Cancer Association of SA (CANSA). Although fundraising and yacht racing is a foreign concept, the local yachting community
have eventually begun to embrace the importance of the initiative and our social responsibility. This includes the promotion of a
healthy lifestyle, especially raising awareness
of the dangers of the harsh African sun.
Most significantly, the Club recently hosted a
luncheon attended by over 100 ladies who
raised over R30,000 – while not an enormous
sum in international terms, it is a pleasing
first effort. Hopefully, this initiative will become a feature of future Wednesday evening
sailing seasons.
Keelboat fleet
The most significant development for the Club
since the Auckland Forum has been the generous donation by a Club member of four onedesign keelboats. The 27ft Pacer sport keelboats were kindly donated following numerous presentations on the value of a clubowned fleet using the example of many fellow
ICOYC member clubs and the success of the
German Sailing League. The fleet has now
been assembled in Durban, and we are in the
process of commissioning the boats before
implementing a sailing program modelled on
successful programs already operated by
ICOYC members. We are looking forward to
inviting ICOYC members to participate in a
series of International Challenge Regattas to
be sailed in the warm Indian Ocean waters of
offshore Durban.
As part of the Club’s developments, a fleet of four
27ft Pacer sport keelboats have been donated
The Club is
leading
efforts to
restore the
Vasco da
Gama
Monument
and Clock
Maritime heritage
Part of the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s commitment to the preservation and promotion of the
maritime heritage of KwaZulu-Natal is our
ongoing effort to relocate and restore the Vasco da Gama Monument and Clock. This wonderful cast-iron structure was donated by the
Portuguese people to the people of Durban in
1897 to mark the 400th anniversary of Vasco
da Gama’s first sighting of the land he named
‘Natal’ on Christmas Eve 1497. The domed
monument was designed and manufactured
by Walter M Farlane & Co in Glasgow, Scotland, and is of regal Victorian baroque design.
Sadly, the monument has not been maintained for several years and the delicate ornate
structure has recently suffered serious damage
at the hands of vandals and scrap-metal
thieves. Despite the Royal Natal YC offering to
restore and protect this valuable piece of history, we have been unable to secure permission for the restoration project from Amafa,
the provincial heritage conservation agency.
We are hopeful that, with the support of our
fellow ICOYC members, we can bring sufficient pressure to bear on Amafa and the
Ethekwini Municipality so that common sense
might prevail and we save this unique maritime treasure from destruction.
Finally...
One would doubt whether these developments
and several others, which, unfortunately,
space constraints restrict further elaboration,
would have even been possible without the
inspiration from the 2015 Auckland Commodores’ Forum. The answer to the question
about the value of membership of the ICOYC
is simple ‘it is priceless’.
Graham Rose
Commodore RNYC
April 2016, page 8
Event News
grown considerably since those early days and
last year’s race saw 211 yachts at the start line
and more than 150,000 spectators watching
the boats as they left the centre of Stockholm.
Member clubs of the ICOYC run many prestigious
events throughout the year. Here, we highlight two
new regattas that are currently in the final stages of
preparation and another that began in 1937.
Royal Southern YC: Hamble Classics at
the Southern
The Royal Southern YC (RSrnYC) will host
and run the inaugural ‘Hamble Classics at the
Southern’ Regatta on 24–25 September 2016.
Designed as a late-season extravaganza of
classic yachting, the Hamble Classics Regatta
is set to welcome all styles of classic yachts,
with racing formats to suit each type. Metre
classes, classic racers and cruisers, spirit of
tradition yachts, plus old gaffers and dayboats
will enjoy the superb facilities at the Royal
Southern, with first-class race management
and a social program to match.
Royal Southern Yacht Club member and classic dayboat owner Jonty Sherwill conceived
the Hamble Classics idea, explaining:
‘With so many beautiful classics residing in
the river, it’s high time that Hamble hosted its
own full-on classics regatta and I’m delighted
that the Royal Southern has embraced the
idea. For classic events to deliver maximum
enjoyment for visitors, it’s important to match
the sailing to the variety of boats entered.’
Hamble Classics at the Southern will feature some
beautiful yachts. Photo: Paul Wyeth/
pwpictures.com
The Notice of Race and entry details are on
the Royal Southern’s website at www.royalsouthern.co.uk
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein: Atlantic
Anniversary Regatta
In 2018 Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV)
will be celebrating their 150th anniversary. As
part of their celebrations of this momentous
event, the club is jointly organizing the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta. Its co-host, Yacht
Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), one of NRV’s
Royal Bermuda YC is the start of the eastbound
Atlantic Anniversary Regatta
reciprocal clubs, will be celebrating their own
50th anniversary in 2017.
YCCS will host the westbound program, starting in November 2017, from the Canary Islands to Virgin Gorda, BVI, with the finish line
in front of YCCS’s Caribbean clubhouse. Once
there, participants will have the opportunity
to participate in the existing regatta circuit
around the Caribbean. The popular Newport
Bermuda Race will bring the entrants to the
Royal Bermuda YC in Hamilton (another one
of NRV’s reciprocal clubs) where, in July
2018, NRV will host the eastbound regatta
back to Hamburg.
All seagoing yachts able to cover 3200 nautical miles in three weeks are invited to take
part in the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta. The
event is intended to be attractive to the professional high-tech sailor as well as the seagoing
amateur cruiser. Therefore, as well as the
overall rankings, there will be various other
prizes available. Soon after the plans became
public, an impressive list of pre-registrations
were made for the event.
An AAR Offshore Workshop has been announced to assist potential participants with
their preparations. All owners and their crew
members are invited to join regular workshop
meeting so they can share their knowledge
and discuss subjects such as crew planning,
logistics and safety. An online forum
(www.anniversary-regatta.com) will enable
participants to exchange views, find relevant
information and prepare for this demanding
challenge.
For more information see www.anniversaryregatta.com
Royal Swedish YC: ÅF Offshore Race –
Round Gotland Race
Royal Swedish YC (KSSS) have been running
the Round Gotland Race since 1937, when 42
yachts from Sweden, England, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and the United
States of America participated. The event has
This year’s race will begin on 3 July, when the
sun hardly ever sets in Stockholm. It starts in
the centre of Stockholm from the island of
Skeppsholmen and will take the competitors
on a 350 nautical-mile course through the
breathtaking beauty of the Stockholm archipelago and out to the open sea around the
island of Gotland and directly back to the
finish at the Royal Swedish YC’s yachting
centre on the island of Sandhamn on 6 July.
Racing is open to yachts with valid rating
certificates from ORC International or the
Swedish Rating System (SRS).
As well as the main race, the ÅF Offshore Race
Classic is sailed parallel to the ÅF Offshore
Race, but on a different course of 250 nautical
miles. Also, the ÅF Inshore Race 2016 is sailed
on an approximately 20 nautical-mile course
in the heart of Stockholm.
Competitors taking part in last year’s ÅF Offshore
Race – Round Gotland Race. Photo: Oskar
Kihlborg/KSSS
For the Notice of Race, entry and additional
information, please visit www.ksss.se
The ICOYC is active throughout the world, but is
formally registered as a Canadian corporation.
The registered office is:
International Council of Yacht Clubs
3811 Point Grey Rd
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6R 1B3
Canada
www.icoyc.org