The Guernsey Yacht Club (GYC) has been announced as a regional finalist in the Royal Yachting Association and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year Award.
It is now down to a public vote to crown the winner, with the club hoping for lots of support from the Bailiwick community in its bid to come out on top!
With this year marking the GYC’s 130th anniversary, its newly appointed Commodore, Anna Rivers, said the award would be the icing on the cake on what has been a challenging yet equally rewarding twelve months. “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted as it recognises what the club has achieved against the odds this year. We face tough competition from the other nine shortlisted clubs across the UK. Obviously we are very much hoping to win as on top of everything else it will really shine a light on the Channel Islands as a sailing destination”.
Despite having had to close its doors during the local lockdown in the spring, the GYC has seen a surge in its membership this year from eighteen hundred pre-Covid to more than two thousand. This was among many achievements during 2020 which impressed the judging panel.
“It has not been the year that any of us expected, but we feel we tackled all the challenges of 2020 head on and have come out thriving,” added Mrs Rivers, who took over as club commodore at its AGM earlier this month.
When the club had to close in March it was quick to embrace technology to ensure member participation and enjoyment was maintained in a virtual capacity. “We wanted to do all we could to keep the club spirit going and help ensure none of our members felt isolated.”
It replaced its spring series with Virtual Regatta fixtures and used Zoom for briefings and prize-givings. This appealed to all age groups with racers and cruisers alike picking up tips and becoming fiercely competitive. Plenty of off-island GYC members also took part, including Weymouth-based Paul Outram, a former Guernsey resident, who went on to represent the GYC in the RYA South E-Series final, finishing second overall.
Mr Outram said: “It was a great means of entertainment during the bizarre times of lockdown. It reminded us of the buzz of sailing and racing before we could finally get back out on the water for real this summer. And for me is was way of keeping in contact with friends from Guernsey as I haven’t been able to visit them or my family at home all year.”
Although fully re-opening in June, it was far from a typical season with none of the large regattas and visiting yachtsmen bringing business to the club. Mrs Rivers said they made the most of what they could do locally, staging events for the whole community, “Our open day felt like a mini boat show, with have-a-go sailing and a Rib dealership present.”
In August it staged a sail past of Castle Cornet and the club house, with a flotilla of more than eighty yachts, windsurfers and dinghies creating an incredible spectacle in the Little Russel.
Mrs Rivers said: “We have capitalised on the opportunity that islanders have been unable to go away on holiday this summer which has led many to reappraise local recreational opportunities. We have successfully promoted the joys of sailing and the social scene that goes with it. Post lockdown we registered two hundred members in three months, compared to just twelve during the same period last year.”
Among the new members are Phillip and Lisa Eyre and their two daughters Beatrix and Matilda. The young family joined after purchasing a new yacht this year, seeing it as a means to socialise with likeminded sailing enthusiasts and gain new experience. Mrs Eyre said: “We particular enjoyed the sail past – it was wonderful seeing the variety of boats that took part. The club is so welcoming to our young family.”
The summer dinghy racing series saw bumper numbers on the water, with some returning to sailing after many years away and lots of new members taking courses and learning to sail. Dinghy and yacht skippers have taken out new members and many are now looking to purchase boats in the future.
Membership participation the GYC’s its social events has also been really well supported with some selling out within twenty four hours. The club was also commended for retaining all its staff during lockdown.
Mrs Rivers concluded: “Our longstanding staff and dedicated volunteers put so much in to making it such a great club. Being shortlisted for this award is something all of our members can be really proud of.”
To vote for the club visit the RYA website. Voting closes 25th January 2021.
