Dear Members,

As I write this we are about to enter a whole new experience of lockdown changes tomorrow, Saturday 4th July, particularly in the hospitality industry. I’ll explain below a few of the things we can now do at the Club, so please read them carefully. This is not straightforward and your general committee has worked hard to take considerate and conservative steps forward.

The main change in all our lives is the new one metre plus (1m+) guidance: this means that we should maintain social distancing of 2m whenever possible and not meet in groups of more than 6 people. However, if it is difficult to maintain 2m then the 1m+ rules require you to mitigate the increased risk as much as possible by actions such as:

1. Meeting outside if you can
2. Do not sit face to face
3. Wearing face coverings, particularly inside
4. Whenever possible maintain 2m social distance

• Swipe your card on entry

  Just a repeat from Bulletin 14 that we ask that every member to use their swipe card on entry to the Club, even if the gate is open for a car ahead. This is part of our responsibility to be Covid secure in support of Test Track and Trace: during the pandemic, you must be able to tell us who was with you in your car.

• Signing in visitors

  If bringing visitors, or members without a card, to the Club, they must be registered by sending an email to: signin@pooleyc.co.uk before arriving.

• Locking the beach gate

  We must all ensure that the beach gate is kept locked, please.

  We have noticed a number of members of the public wandering in through the beach gate, which puts our staff, members and Club reputation at risk. We must ask you to lock it behind you at all times, otherwise we will have no option but to padlock it until things settle down.

We are, as you know, using this time of “enforced closure” to undertake some maintenance work and upgrade in the Club House (Lounge) and we are planning to issue a fuller briefing on this aspect in the near future.

As we ease in gently to restarting the bar and restaurant service we will initially continue with the simple but tasty takeaway menu and system already in operation. Food and drink is served between 10:00 and 15:30, Wednesday through to Sunday for now. Consuming this on the patio is now officially possible in groups of up to 6 from no more than 2 households but please follow the one-way system to order and pick up, and dispose of your rubbish thoughtfully.

If you wish to consume on the balcony then this must be done in the marked area at the dinghy park end, with social distancing and leaving a clear access path to order food and drink.
The changing rooms and showers must remain closed until the Law allows.

There are no new changes to the Y&H with the launch service available until 19:00 at weekends (last service at 18:30); weekdays it operates from 09:00 to 16:00 (We are looking into extending the hours on weekdays and further advices will follow).

From Saturday 4th July you may meet outdoors (e.g. in the yard) in groups of up to 6 from different households but following the 1m+ social distancing rules.
You must be able to maintain social distancing and the rules on household contacts on a cruiser.
You may now stay overnight on your boat within these rules, from Saturday 4th July, but must notify the Club by email at signin@pooleyc.co.uk including your car number plate if so doing.

We will continue to work within The Government and RYA Guidelines. As soon as further easing is announced, we shall not delay in advising you.
Our current risk assessment of this activity concludes, until further notice:

Distancing is not feasible in a dinghy so you should stick to the same household teams.

There should never be more than 6 people on the slipway (or anywhere else) in a group at any time.

Some members are getting in contact with each other to arrange to rendezvous on the water. If you do this you must ensure there are no more than 6 people in any group in the yard or on the slipway to rig and launch.

You must stay in your group of 6 on the water and return to the slipway as one group.

You must not mingle with another group of 6 and no more than 3 groups of 6 sailors from Poole YC are allowed to be in the yard and out on the water at any time.

Additionally, solo sailors are allowed to rig and launch away from any groups and must not form or join groups on the water.

Breaches of this will be treated very seriously by the Flag Officers, when we consider our responsibility towards our members, the wider Community and our Club’s reputation.

Club singlehanded dinghies (lasers and fusions) are available for hire as are two of our Rigiflex boats. Please go on-line via the website to book and follow the guidance on social distancing and cleaning.

The youth team is working out how best to start training within the necessary very restrictive guidance on numbers. Youth parents of the Start Race Group will be contacted in due course ready for a possible first Wednesday night of training on Wednesday 15th July.

With limits on groups larger than 6 it is difficult to see how we can restart Club organised racing just yet, but your Team Sailing are working hard on this and we will keep you posted as soon as we are ready.

It is proving to be a challenge to find our way through all this, so that we can safely and responsibly enjoy the type of sailing we all want to do and, step by step, “return to a new normal.” We continue to be driven by balancing our desire to deliver the Club and organised activity back to you, whilst needing to operate within the evolving Guidelines and the Law during this pandemic.

Your comments are always welcome.

John
Commodore