Newsletter January 2010

2009 saw my first year as Principal of the Trust and I knew it was going to be a challenging one having taken over the helm from John Elliott.

During last winter Rich and myself were busy carrying out the annual refit of the fleet after a busy summers sailing. In January Rich and his wife Elisabeth had a baby boy ‘Teo’ which made for an extra busy year for him.

The 2009 Summer term proved to be busier than ever with most schools on the island sending groups down to sail either on the model yacht pond in Oppie’s or in Havelet Bay in Pico’s and Sport 14’s. During this term we had some 1200 Students come sailing and with the help of Clare Chapple, we managed to see them all sailing safely on the water.

It was another successful year for the Trust’s Windsurfing programme. Lots of young people completed Start and Intermediate courses. The Windsurfing Club which was held every Friday morning throughout the summer holidays was a fantastic success, so much so that occasionally there were not enough boards to go around.

Once again our summer RYA courses were fully subscribed with around 300 students either learning to Sail, Windsurf or gaining the various Powerboat certificates on offer. During the year we had a huge increase in interest in Adult sailing and Powerboat courses, which for 2010 we plan to run more courses to fill the void.

This year we are hoping to phase out the Sport 14’s and to replace them with more modern RS Feva and RS Vision sailing dinghies, both of which are very durable due to their plastic construction. Their designs are very simple, but at the same time have an element of performance so as to cater for beginners to more advanced sailors alike. To add to the fleet we have also been donated a Topper Xenon which is very similar to the RS Vision. Currently the Sports are for sale and if you are interested in purchasing one please do not hesitate to contact us.

2010 looks to be bigger and better for our Windsurf Programme with the addition of a lorry to carry kit from the Trust to the beach and the start of our all new Team 15 club. Team 15 is an exciting initiative put together by the RYA, it’s designed to get young people windsurfing weekly in a safe and fun environment. If you would like to know more please visit our website or visit Team 15 at the RYA site

http://www.rya.org.uk/programmes/team15

The website is currently undergoing a revamp for 2010, if you would like to be kept up to date with the latest news then please email us and we shall add you to our mailing list.

The Trust is looking forward to another exciting season afloat and hope to see you out on the water!

Happy Sailing for 2010

Adam Reed
Principal