Promoting sailing throughout the Highlands

 

NEWSLETTER - WINTER 2005

 

Please feel free to distribute this newsletter amongst those you think would be interested, or print it off and pin it on the club noticeboard. If you have received this newsletter through a friend, and would like to receive it directly, then please email; Jane.scott@rya-online.net to be put on the list.

 

NEXT MEETING OF GS

THE NEXT MEETING OF GS WILL TAKE PLACE AT INVERNESS SPORTS CENTRE, IN THE BOARDROOM ON MONDAY 23RD JANUARY 2006, AT 6 30PM. ALL CLUBS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MEETING. THE AGENDA WILL BE SENT OUT IN EARLY JANUARY 2006.

 

HIGHLAND SAILING SEMINAR REPORT

This event could not have taken place without the financial support of Gael Force Marine, Caley Marina, Coaching Highland, and RYA Scotland. 44 participants came along to the Highland Sailing Seminar (HSS) which took place at Dingwall Mart on Saturday 12th Nov 2005. People came from all over the Highlands to attend, and the feedback has been very positive. Workshops from a variety of topics were available, including Electronic Navigation aids, Weather, Sail trimming for dinghies and cruisers, diesel engine maintenance, club development and aspect of volunteering. Most of the participants came from cruising backgrounds,and therefore the workshops were of great interest, however, some also took away new information about other aspects of the sport by having to attend one of the final workshops in the afternoon! Great thanks need to be given to not only those who supported the event financially, but also to the workshop leaders – Oli Ludlow, John Highcock, Jamie Hogan, Dagmar Heyer and Ian Bloomfield. Thanks also to the venue for putting up with the many and varied requests.

Next year’s event is in the planning stages, so if you have a topic that you think should be included, please do let us know. Contact details available at the end of this newsletter.

 

GAIDHEALTACHD SAILING WEBSITE

The website is now operational, and has the latest news concerning the organization and it’s  work. For more information go to

www.gs-online.org.uk, and you should find information on all aspects of GS as well as relevant links.

 

COACHING HIGHLAND WEBSITE

Coaching Highland, the sports initiative in the Highlands also has a new website, detailing all their work, providing you with downloads and forums. Try www.coachinghighland.co.uk. There are 3 main parts of the site which you may find useful: 

1. They are now offering funding for coaches of ANY sport under the funding section and you can access the forms on the site.

2. The coaches discussion forum and events calendars are extremely useful for sharing information but only if the members make use of them.  Please ask questions, advertise sporting events or start a discussion on a random coaching / sporting topic.  They need to populate these sections of the site to make them as useful as possible!

3. If you know of any coaching courses, they would love to hear about them so that we can add them to the coaching courses list.

Registration on their site is easy, and only requires your name and email address – and to date no spam has come out of it!

 

Race training in clubs 2005/6

No doubt you will all be familiar with the North of Scotland Sailing Squad, which has sent a number of top sailors to take part in both Scottish and GBR Squad activities over recent years. They are keen to encourage the development of regular race training in clubs outwith the normal NOSSS activities, and to that end wish to help each club in the Highland area to have a race training weekend during the winter months initially, and then in the summer months. You don’t need to have lots of sailors taking part, but you do need to have access to a rescue boat and somewhere dry to hide if the weather becomes inclement. Ideal numbers are about 6 sailors, as they then get quality training, and it doesn’t have to be a whole weekend, it could just be a day if that suits you better. If you and your club are keen to get activity of this nature going, then please contact Paul Bartlett on 07989 605035, or email; paul@thrumster.fslife.co.uk. This is a great way to keep your club going through the winter, but also to improve the skills of those taking part in sailing activities, who will then go on to take part in racing activities – you can’t help but win!

 

SEA SAFETY DAY – 5th MARCH 2006

Prevention, Equipment and What’s next….

This day is open to anyone who has never seen an inflated liferaft, or who has never seen a flare set off, or has no idea what happens during a rescue situation on the sea, or better still would like some experienced advice on avoiding trouble in the first place! So, pretty much everyone who goes out on the water is eligible to attend – and should attend! Children must be accompanied by adults and can only attend if they are 12 years or older. The event will take place at RAF Lossiemouth, with Michael Avril, RNLI Sea Safety Scotland Co-ordinator, Mike Armitage, Sector Officer Inverness Coastguard and there will be flare demonstrations, life raft demonstrations, DSC Radio simulators and information on how to look after yourself. Costs are being kept down, to encourage as many people as possible to attend, and information will be made available through this newsletter and the website once available. Put this date in your diary to be sure of a place!

 

CLUB EVENTS 2006

GS is very keen to support all club events in 2006, and to that end would encourage you to email; jane.scott@rya-online.net with the dates of not only your regattas, but also your Open Days, so that they can be put on the GS website, and advertised as widely as possible.

 

SHORE-BASED TRAINING COURSE AVAILABLE AT CHANONRY SC

Chanonry SC is running a RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster shore-based course at Fortrose with Maritime Connections over the winter and still have some places available. For more information please contact Richard Jenner via the training link at www.chanonry.org.uk

Interest has been stimulated in cruising type courses, and GS would be more than happy to support clubs who wish to set up courses of this nature, by advertising them as widely as possible throughout the Highlands, and trying to access funding if required. So, please do let GS know if you would like to run a course – please email caroline.sterritt@highland.gov.uk with your ideas, and we’ll take it from there.

 

Contacts for GS;

Chairman – Brian Stirling - brian.stirling@btinternet.com

Vice Chairman – Caroline Sterritt – caroline.sterritt@highland.gov.uk

Treasurer – Richard Jenner - r.h.jenner@btinternet.com

Secretary – Donald McKenzie – Donalct@aol.com

RYA Scotland Development Manager – Jane Scott – jane.scott@rya-online.net

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