Despite the best efforts of Covid-19 to restrict us, it has been great to see such a lot of activity at the Club:

• Good numbers in club racing on Wednesdays and Sundays
• The first pursuit race of the season which was well-attended
• Summer sailing courses going well for kids
• Numerous coaching groups improving their skills
• Youth & Junior Friday nights active again
• More double-handers out sailing

And there’s more coming up with:

• Two more pursuit races in August (Sunday 16^th pm and Monday 31^st am)
• Laser Open Meeting on Saturday 8^th August (pre-entry only)

However, as it appears that we are getting closer to normal, there has been a bit too much relaxation of some behaviour with regard to the government and our own guidelines. As we are now in Phase 4b of our opening, can we remind you, for all our sakes:

• Don’t visit the Club if any risk you have or are carrying COVID-19 or have been asked to self-isolate
• Don’t visit the Club if you are ill
• Arrive changed, ready to sail & leave in sailing clothes; don’t use toilets to change in
• Follow the one-way system in the clubhouse
• Only 2 people at a time in toilets
• Observe social distancing: outside same household / bubble: 2 metres / 1 metre plus with mitigations
• Wear face coverings in the waterside reception / shop (also recommended generally inside)

These aren’t optional behaviours, they are vital if we are going to keep our site safe for us all. With test & trace, there is a real chance that if one of us tests positive, the rest of us will all have to self-isolate for 2 weeks – whether we have caught it or not, and the Club will face expenditure for a deep clean. So please stay safe yourselves and keep your fellow members safe.

We have also updated the poster for Phase 4b:

The Road Map and Risk Assessment have also been updated and can be found here

The RYA guidelines for sailing double-handed boats are here: https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/return-to-play-different-households-england.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2A9H1_CLK5P_xRpm_thw_o5gSkk-fdhsf0nfCtUoJKNV4wX1KhM6XWRE8

Phase 4 Opening

It has been fantastic to see so many boats on the water in our first Wednesday evening and Sunday morning races as a result of our Phase 4 Opening.  We also ran our first socially-distanced open meeting on Saturday which was a great success.

As you are all well aware, things are changing rapidly, and we will now move onto Phase 4A as of Friday 24^th April.

Face Coverings In Retail Premises

On that day it becomes a legal requirement for shoppers to wear face coverings in retail premises and this, of course, includes our own shop / Waterside Reception. Staff are not legally required to, but our members and visitors are.

Non-Household / Support Bubble Double-Handed Boats

Following a new instruction from the RYA we are adjusting our position with regard to non-household / support bubble double-handed boats.

It is important to stress that there has been no change in the government guidance on social distancing as it applies in this situation. What has changed is that the RYA has instructed that clubs are not responsible for enforcing these social distancing measures, it is the responsibility of the members concerned to ensure they adhere to social distancing measures when sailing together.

The full wording of the RYA’s position is:

Is it appropriate for people from different households to sail together in the same dinghy, keelboat or yacht?

The Government is trusting people to continue to act responsibly and follow the guidance on what they should and should not do. Therefore, participants will have to make their own decisions on whether they can sail their dinghy, keelboat or yacht whilst maintaining adequate social distancing. From the 4th July social distancing remains at 2 metres unless you use mitigating measures which will allow a reduction to 1 metre plus. On a boat, these mitigations could include (in addition to being outdoors) 1m separation marks on the deck, wearing face coverings, avoiding face to face contact, cleaning procedures, no shouting etc. The risk should be assessed case by case and with the correct mitigation in place, it may now be possible for up to 6 people from different households to sail certain boats.

It is the responsibility of the members concerned to ensure they adhere to social distancing measures when sailing together. Clubs should encourage safe sailing, but are not responsible for enforcing social distancing measures between members on the water sailing together in the same boat.

So, the onus is now on the people wanting to sail a non-household / support bubble double-hander to assess the risk, ensure they maintain adequate social distancing, have the appropriate mitigations in place and to justify their actions if challenged. The committee and staff will not authorise or offer any opinion on the measures taken by members.

In activity beyond the standard member activity, notably youth club, coaching, training and open meetings, non-household / support bubble double-handers will not be permitted to participate under the existing guidance.

The poster below summarises the new phase, and the Risk Assessment and Reopening Roadmap Plan have been updated.

As three of our Pursuit Races in April and May were cancelled due to Covid-19, the Committee have decided to run them in the coming months…

To comply with the current social distancing guidelines, these races will be for Club members only and not open to visiting clubs. Please also note the changes to some datums.

• John Siggers Pursuit Race

  August 16 @ 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm

• Air Ambulance Pursuit Race

  August 31

• Brass Monkey Pursuit Race

  December 26

Dear Member,

Q&A For Members
Having gone through several phases of the reopening plan, we are inviting members to join us for a Q&A session via Zoom on Monday 13^th July at 6.30pm.  This is an opportunity for us to hear feedback and to answer your questions ‘in person’.
Click this link to join the meeting, and the password is: DWSC Q&A 

Phase 3 Opening
It was good to see a good number of members enjoying our Phase 3 opening last weekend, with the Wet Bar and Bar being used. Saturday was the better and busier day, but that’s the weather for you!

Our thanks to Dave and his team for getting everything ready for such an important milestone in our gradual return to normal.

Phase 4 Opening
But just as we were going into Phase 3, new guidelines and a change in the law (about gatherings) has allowed us to move swiftly onto Phase 4 – as from Monday 13^th July.

This is a big step forward as we are now not restricted to gatherings of 6 on the water. But please remember that we still have to obey social distancing on the water as well as on land (2m distance or 1m with mitigation outside households / bubbles) and only 6 people / 2 households can meet together onshore.

As a result, we will be re-introducing:

• Club racing on Wednesday evening and Sunday mornings – run by staff, so no duties required – no food on Wednesday evenings.
• Youth Club – initially on Friday nights only.
• Regional, Saturday-only, open meetings.

We will also be extending our water opening hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to 20.30 (as always, this will go back to 20.00 on 27^th July).

We will continue to allow members to bring members of their household to the club as guests (with no limit on the number of times) – this will last until at least the end of August – and use the club SUPs free.

The changing rooms remain closed and it remains against the law to use them or change in the toilets.

The poster sums this all up and the updated road map and risk assessment are available here.

Double-Handed Sailing
While we are delighted to have made great progress opening up the sailing club, responding as quickly as we can to the government’s changing regulation and guidance, the area we have not been able to progress yet is sailing double-handed boats outside a household / bubble. This is a bitter disappointment to us, particularly with half our Covid-19 group and over half of the Committee being double-handed sailors.

We have tried to compensate this as much as we can, allowing double-handed sailors (helm and crew):

• To sail with members of their household even if they are not members
• To use the club boats (& SUP boards) for free
• To register a single-hander at the club for free

However, as a Committee we have a responsibility to operate within the regulation and guidelines from our landlords, the government and the RYA. Clubs which use water which is not privately owned (for example coastal clubs or those in the Lake District) don’t have the additional requirements of a landlord and some have (in our opinion) decided to risk bending the rules. We sail on a water owned by our landlord and a condition of using it is that we follow the guidelines.

It is very frustrating, with widespread breaches of guidance and regulations, but the current guideline is that, outside your household / bubble, you must maintain 2m distance, which can be reduced to 1m if you adopt addition mitigating measures. That is always maintaining a distance of 1m – when launching, recovering, tacking, gybing, hoisting the spinnaker and on all points of sailing. There is no room for a reduction in the distance from 1m – this isn’t subject to a risk assessment, it has to be maintained. We do not believe this is feasible in the boats that are sailed at Draycote.

If it is, the mitigating measures to allow the 1m+ distance are likely to include:

• Wearing face coverings
• Marking up the boat to ensure that the 1m distance is kept
• Cleaning any equipment that is used by both people between each person using it
• Not facing each other at any stage
• Not shouting

Again, it is the Committee’s considered opinion that this would not be possible in boats sailed at Draycote.

We want double-handed sailing to start as soon as it can within the social distancing guidelines and the announcements on Thursday suggest that there might be some movement on this, but we have to wait till this is followed through with detailed guidance. The Covid-19 group spend many hours a day monitoring the developments and will continue to do so.

In Conclusion
The Committee will continue its drive to see a complete return of all activities and facilities at Draycote when allowed by the guidelines and regulations.

We hope you enjoy the increasing opening up of the sailing club.

The Committee

It has been great to see so many members benefit from the changes we have recently introduced allowing double-handed sailors to use club boats for free, members’ households to use our facilities and our SUP boards available free. Double-handed sailors please be aware that we have a range of boats to suit different sizes and abilities.

With the next phase of the government’s easing of lockdown on Saturday 4th July it is exciting that we will now be opening the wet bar and bar with restricted options and hours for takeaway and limited table service. The team have worked hard to allow us to do this according to the government guidelines and it is important that members continue to respect those guidelines to allow us to do this. Equally well, we are aware that some members will have concerns about using these facilities at the current time – that’s fine, there is absolutely no compulsion to do so.

We will also be introducing limited RYA Courses again (in groups of 6 including the instructor) so that we can offer a much reduced version of our summer holidays training programme.

The situation as from 4th July is summarised in the poster below. The road map and risk assessment have also been updated and can be seen here:

Phased Reopening Road Map
Phase 3 Risk Assessment

While it is great that we have been able to expand our offering for members in this way, we do need to remember that this is only possible if members’ following the guidance. In particular, please remember:

– Social gatherings are limited to 6 people or 2 households

– Keep 2 metres apart from people outside your household / bubble

– Do not use the changing rooms for changing in (this is a legal requirement, not just what we are asking you to do.

If you have any questions on this, please do not hesitate to speak to Dave, the Club Manager, or contact the Committee via the office.

DWSC Committee

Dear Member,

It has been great to see our members using the water again and we will continue to cautiously make more activities available. We have seen:

• 25 windsurfers out at the same time, which hasn’t happened for a long time
• Informal racing being organised by groups up to 6
• Formal coaching (by Steve Irish) for groups of 5 using Zoom for the onshore briefing and de-briefing – Toppers two weekends ago, Lasers last weekend
• The Stig Lap started with our first times on the board – Richard Pye currently holds the lead – but for how long?
 

However, we are very conscious of one particular group which have difficulty getting on the water: those who sail double-handers (with someone outside their household) and have no access to a single-handed boat.
 
We are also very aware that while everything is ‘household’ focussed and activity with non-household members is difficult, those on an individual membership may want to enjoy the water with members of their household.
 
So, until further notice:
• Those with registered double-handed boats without access to a registered single-hander can use the club boats free of charge (subject to availability)
• Those with registered double-handed boats without access to a registered single-hander can bring a single-hander to the club and not pay an additional boat registration fee
• All members may bring members of their household to use the water with them in their boat, a club boat or SUP (signing them in as guests, obviously, but not restricted to the 4 visits a year)
• All members may use the club SUPs for free (subject to availability)
 
In addition, following the successful introduction of small group coaching, we are beginning to start to offer (with appropriate social distancing) individual SUP and windsurfing lessons.
 
We have modified the poster slightly to cover these changes:

DWSC Committee

As formal Club racing is still on hold, why not race against the clock – and against each other in a very socially distanced way – with our Stig Lap!

Pop into the shop and collect a GPS tracker in a dry bag, sail around the outermost buoys, and then return the tracker to register your time and be displayed on the board.

Use either your own boat and relevant handicap, or the club Fusion.

Wearing of the Stig mask is optional!

The Committee have agreed that we can now move to Phase 2 of reopening the Club. Please see the links below for more information.

• The phases we are anticipating are here
• The risk assessment for Phase 2 is here

DWSC Committee

This week’s Committee Focus turns to one of our newest Committee members, Robin Warren…

How did you get into sailing? I started at school in 1969 through an after-school club travelling to Butterley Reservoir in Derbyshire. It was only about 50 acres. A few basic instructions from our teachers but largely left up to ourselves to learn through play. Initially oversubscribed but after a couple of weeks there was only a handful of us. Tuesday night was climbing, Wednesday night was canoeing and Thursday night sailing. State schools are not like that anymore.

How did you join DWSC? I went to Warwick Uni and sailed at DWSC with them. After Uni and starting work in this area it was obvious to continue. I started with a laser for a short while before getting a new GP14, but always had trouble with regular crews so when the GP fleet declined I moved over to the Miracles which were easier to sail single handed if necessary. Eventually ending up with a Solo and now have the opposite problem of not being able to take anyone out for a sail.

Why did you go on the Committee? Apart from a spell as fleet captain of the GP14s I had not done a great deal to help the club, always being a bit busy with other things and then children came along and doing any extra became impossible, but I always felt a bit guilty. Now my excuses have finally run out with said children going off to Uni., so I volunteered at the last AGM.

What do you do on the Committee? My role so far has been to shadow Chris Silver the Rear Commodore House. This has involved mostly checking procedures and having an input to the various issues that come up at the monthly meetings. Probably more issues at the moment, but even so, not very onerous work.

What’s your best sailing experience? With over 50 years worth of sailing experience there have been many. Up there with the best must be cruising in perfect weather off the west coast of Scotland, or powering down the Portuguese coast on the way to Gibraltar, beam reach, warm sunshine and realising that everyone else was having a siesta and I was on my own, on deck, marvelling at the power of the yacht as it ploughed through the waves.

My worst sailing experience was the first day of my first big boat cruise heading from Lymington to Weymouth in misty conditions with a quartering run. It was not just the sea sickness, it was finding out that what I had always wanted to do was awful. Fortunately just before Weymouth it was noted we were about to loose the life raft overboard and the ensuing panic instantly got rid of the sea sickness and I was OK afterwards.

And at Draycote? No specific event comes to mind but anytime there is some close demanding racing and I come out on top, the feeling is hard to beat.

What is your most embarrassing sailing experience? Sailing has a habit of tripping you up if you don’t take care, so not the best sport if you are easily embarrassed. Winning the solo capsize trophy for the second time might be one, but then if you don’t capsize occasionally you are probably not trying too hard.

Who would you like to swap places with for a day? I would love to experience some Southern Ocean sailing on in a Volvo round the world race, but I know I could not stand the cold for a whole day.

Which 4 individuals (living or dead) would you love to have dinner with? Ellen McArthur would be top of the list. We went to the same school (a generation apart) and knew some of the same people. In her first book she said she was inspired by reading Sir Francis Chichester’s book which she took out of the school library, and was amazed that only one other person and taken the book out. Well guess what. I too was inspired by Chichester after reading his book, also borrowed from the school library and I was surprised that I was the first to take it out.

Robin

Over on Facebook, there has been a Sunday Racing Rules series. the first 4 episodes were added to our website and can be read HERE

Below are the next two episodes in the series…

Episode 4 of our Racing Rules: When Boats Meet at Marks – Definitions

It has taken 2 episodes to get through the right of way rules and general limitations. We now turn to the tricky subject of boats meeting at marks. This will also take 2 episodes. Firstly, we need to be clear of the definitions and that is what we will cover in this episode.

Mark room is room to:
• Leave a mark the required side
• Sail to the mark
• Round the mark

It is not room to tack round the mark or to sail wide round the mark.

The ‘zone’ is the area around a mark within 3 hull lengths of the boat nearer to it. A boat is in the zone when any part of her hull is in the zone.

An ‘overlap’ between 2 boats is when any part of a boat’s hull / equipment is in front of a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull / equipment. In both cases the hull / equipment needs to be in its normal position.

(see image 2)

Those are the key definitions for when 2 boats meet at a mark.

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Episode 5: When Boats Meet at Marks – Rules

Remembering the definitions from the last episode, we now get onto mark room (or ‘water’ as those of a certain age will remember it!) – refer to the last episode for the definition of ‘mark room’.

Mark room applies when 2 boats are required to leave a mark on the same side.

However, mark room does not apply:
• At a starting mark

• When on opposite tacks on a beat (this is often mistakenly thought to mean that mark room does not apply on a beat – it only doesn’t apply on a beat if you are on opposite tacks)
• When on opposite tacks when the proper course is for one boat, but not both, to tack
• Between a boat approaching the mark and one leaving it
• If you tack in the zone (check definition in last episode) to be on the same tack as a boat fetching the mark (see below)

Mark room (definition in last episode) is given:
• By the outside boat to the inside boat if they were overlapped (definition in last episode) when the first boat reaches the zone (definition in last episode)
• By the boat clear astern if the boat was clear aster when the first boat reaches the zone

There are, however, 2 limitations:
• You are not entitled to mark room if you got your inside overlap from clear astern or tacking to windward and the outside boat is unable to give mark room (you can’t just barge in there!)
• If you tack in the zone to be on the same tack as a boat fetching the mark (see above) you cannot luff above close-hauled or prevent the other boat from rounding the mark and you have to give the other boat mark room if it gets an inside overlap – so, if you tack in the zone, there’s a lot you must and cannot do – you should only do it if you know what you’re doing!

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The next episode will look at 2 boats meeting at an obstruction.