REAR COMMODORE HOUSE UPDATE FEBRUARY 2021Hi All and welcome to our February update. As you are all aware, February is the month oflove and Valentines Day, so if you have not yet killed each other due to lockdown three, I hope you manage to have a wonderful romantic experience despite our current circumstances!Hopefully our more “mature” members will be getting vaccinated soon and I hope this goes well for you and that you are keeping safe and well in the meantime. To quote an elderly gentleman I meet out walking every morning “You don’t want to take a bullet at the end of the war” Wise words indeed!

Donal Hickey – Nominated for Volunteer of the Year!As mentioned on last month’s update, Donal Hickey, has been nominated ​Irish Sailing Volunteer of the Year​​Award 2020​. The below is an update from the ISA on how to join the virtual ceremony and further information. It would be fantastic if members could join to support Donal:From Treasa Cox Irish Sailing:Hi All I hope this finds you all very well. I’m getting in touch as the Irish Sailing Awards are taking place next Thursday evening – 11 February at 7pm, and it would be great to get as many of your members there as possible. I’ve outlined an email about the Awards below, and also included a little film about the Volunteer of the Year Award which may whet peoples’ appetites.Thank you in advance for any promotion you can do – and looking forward to seeing you there’s a Film of all the Volunteers here: ​https://youtu.be/fM-9q_MidFg

As you know, the 2020 Irish Sailing Awards are taking place online, but this year with a much more vibrant format . And while we may not be able to get together in person, there’s stil lmuch to celebrate – it would be great if you can join us next Thursday 11 February at 7.00pm: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/virtual-irish-sailing-awards-2020-tickets-132224195127

MC Justin Cullen of Skerries Sailing Club will steer us through the night, with interviews and chats with nominees and winners. We’ll have the usual categories like Senior Instructor of the Year, along with Training Centre of the Year, and Sailor of the Year. We’ll also be giving the Sustainability Award for those making a difference to the environment, the all-important Inclusion Award to someone pushing innovation and access, and the Youth Sailor Award forthe fantastic young sailors who represent Ireland on the international stage. But we’ll also have a new Leadership Award for someone with a long-term vision, and the re-introduced Volunteer of the Year which received dozens of nominations from everyone around the country.It’s important that this year the Awards focus on the good news that came out of 2020. It was a difficult year for so many, but we want to shine a light on the remarkable stories of people who made a difference – people who achieved extraordinary things despite setbacks,created communities in a time of loneliness, made sure that the more vulnerable in our society were looked after, and those who went the extra mile to make sure many of us got out on the water safely. As they say, not all superheroes wear capes.The awards present the perfect opportunity to show that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we were able to return to the water in a variety of different ways, and we hope to mark the end of a strange and difficult year with an optimistic eye on the future.Register for your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/virtual-irish-sailing-awards-2020-tickets-132224195127

Berth Holders AGM: A reminder that this year’s marina AGM takes place on Zoom on Thursday the 18​th​ of February at 19.00. To register your interest, please email ​brian@kyc.ie​. This time has been decided on to facilitate the Scora AGM which is on at 20.00.

Membership Dues: A massive thank you to all our members who have already paid their membership dues. We are encouraging where possible that people pay by bank transfer quoting their name or membership number. Should you wish to pay over the phone please note that the club is only manned from 9amto 1pm Tuesday to Friday mornings.If you have any queries or need assistance, please email ​brian@kyc.ieJunior Sailing Full details of this year’s sailing course are available online on ​www.kyc.ie Dates are filling up fast so should you have a junior who is interesting in participating, please apply as soon as possible.

This year’s junior organiser is Sinead Crowley, and she can be contacted onjuniororganiser@kyc.ieSovereigns Cup As recently published, Sovereigns Cup has reached its limit of 50 entries and a waiting​ list has now been set-up. Any boat interested should email Anthony O’Neill at ​regattadirector@sovereignscup.com​ stating Boat Name, Sail No., Rating, Owners Name and Club.Online Presentations:Your committee are currently working on a number of online presentations over the months ahead to whet your appetite before we are allowed back on the water again. Further details will be released shortly on ​www.kyc.ie​ and through the classes WhatsApp’s so stay tuned!That’s it for now, stay safe and well and HOME!

Sue