Phew!! The weather was kind and our ‘trial’ day and first ‘return to sailing day’ went well. Thank you to so many of you for your thoughtful consideration for each other and for your feedback. We are learning all the time. Thank you to all the Committee, with a special mention for John Smalley and Andrew Jones; without whom……..

It is lovely to see boats on the water, but we are NOT back to normal. Everything looks the same; the lake as lovely as ever, the grass beautifully cut by Guzz, boat park spaces gradually being cleared (well done), but the badly kept ones are even worse!
The clubhouse and undercover boat store remain closed, except for a few toilets open during sailing times only .

We must not cut corners. There are new procedures for limited sailing in pre-booked slots only. It is essential that you read and re-read the Instructions for sailing and the linked guidance on Preparing your boat and Knowing your limits.
CVLSC Coronavirus Members Instructions

A separate email for booking the next lot of sailing slots will be released tomorrow afternoon. If you have already had the chance to sail, please hold back to let others get on the water.
If you have only just renewed and therefore not received your membership card and boat sticker, please wait for these to arrive before you book.

Boat park and site tidy

A huge amount of work has gone on already and will continue. Simon Chapman and Andrew Martyn-Johns assisted by Nigel Appleton, Chris Goldhawk and Phil Pemberton have done a sterling job of strimming and clearing some of the undergrowth. The best way we can thank them is for every member to tidy their boat park space as soon as possible.

They have cut back some small trees and pulled out masts and road trailers from the NW bank between the signing in hut and the sewage hut so that the bank can be thoroughly strimmed by Guzz. The good marked trailers are in the old children’s play area, the ones that look like scrap are on the pile waiting to be scrapped.
You are reminded that trailers should be stored under your boat or off site and if on site they should be clearly marked with your name and membership number. The scrap will be scheduled for removal towards the end of June.

Helen Martin, Commodore@chewvalleysailing.org.uk

Virtual Racing Update

Thanks to the expert hosting of Andy Jones and Josh Preater, 30 or so of us have been able to enjoy the thrills and spills of competitive racing, in a whole variety of yachts and dinghies, as an admittedly poor substitute for what we have missing on the lake. The site has proved every bit as thorough as our own Keith Harris at spotting premature starters, though less consistent at penalising some of the Solo sailors when they crash into marks on the port layline – no, I am not naming names!
However, with the return to normal sailing on Sundays and Wednesdays, the virtual world seems less relevant. Whilst there is hope that some of the group may continue on Thursday evenings, (and who knows if the trend for relaxing of restrictions on our lives will continue or reverse), but in any event we are planning to go out with a bang at 6pm on Sunday 07-Jun-20. (This coincides with a Class Race Day in our sailing calendar).
Sailing AIDs will be allowed for all and it would be good to see some new faces join the fray. There will be prizes – eventually!
If you want to join us, first step is to register on the Virtual Regatta Inshore phone or tablet app or desktop website and then you will have a boat to race. It’s free and there are lots of ‘how to’ type guides on their site to help you get going.

John Smalley, vice-commodore@chewvalleysailing.org.uk