NEWSLETTER FREESTATE YACHT CLUB 2010 BY
JORRIE JORDAAN.

 

Good day all sailing friends; it is with shock that I realise it is already July 2010 and I would like to use this opportunity to give a short overview of our club affairs for the year 2010.

SAILING
During the year we had memorable sailing experiences and good strong competition from the regular sailors. It is with concern that we fail to attract our club members who currently do not sail regularly, please if possible join us on race days it is really memorable. New members feel free to ask for help /assistance we are more than willing to help, in this regard the weekend on 24 July 2010 is a prime example.

It started as all sailing weekends do. The regular checks with regards to the predicted wind and thus being winter the minimum temperatures. Anticipation as our days sped past until it was time to go on Saturday morning. I am privileged in that there are always young people who want to enjoy our sport with me and therefore we were six who left for Gariep early on Saturday morning. Our preparation there was as usual, and we enjoyed the camaraderie and fellowship of friends.

In this process we met a new member of our club Willie the new owner of Bleddie Lekka (Stadt 23), he was alone at the dam and sailed his boat only twice before of which the first one was with his wife and as normal they encountered a severe storm and had to be helped. On Saturday he was looking for a boat on which he could crew, but I and Anton persuaded him to use one of my crew to help him sail his own boat. A young man Dewan Pieterse who came with me agreed to sail with Willie and we helped him to fetch his boat and rig the boat to sail. For Dewan this was the first time on any other boat than mine and between the two of them they had a very steep learning curve before and during the race.

They sailed the boat like pros and were third at the turning point, with the wind which died on the leg back they really surpassed all expectations and in very little wind managed to catch and pass all the other boats and were leading up to the end when we called it a day at 1800

We all know how difficult it is to sail in basically no wind and their achievement in these conditions makes this story this much more special. I wonder if this was ever achieved prior to Saturday. I think we won two more sailors on Saturday.

CLUB RIGHTS AT GARIEP DAM
During the middle part of this year numerous activities took place in this regard in which it seems that we as club managed to assert our rights to ours club facilities with regard to the other role player’s ig; Forever Resorts and the Department of Water affairs. Although this has not been finalised we should be able to negotiate a rental agreement with the Department of Water affairs. The working relationship between the Resort management and the club has improved dramatically and we believe that it will only improve in future.

SKIPPERS LICENCES/ YACHT CERTIFICATES
Skippers of yachts 30 m and above will have to have a valid skippers license in future and the club has done a lot of work to help members in this regard please feel free to contact me in this regard if there is any uncertainty.

Yachts will also have to have a certificate of compliance, but once again the club will handle these arrangements and inform all members of the when and where.

SHUTTLE BOAT/BOSUN
Our Bosun Louis is currently leasing his boat to the club and is utilized as a shuttle service in the harbour area please feel free to make use of this opportunities , his contact number is as follow 082 404 4125.

The Bosun spent a lot of time at the club with tremendous advantages to us for which we are all thankful.

INFORMATION BOOKLET
This booklet under the experienced hand of Hennie Olivier should be available by end of August 2010 and will help a lot with club rules, regulations as well as our history.

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