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Dear Members
As of the recent AGM I have the honour to be your Commodore and it will be my task, along with the Flag Officers and Committee to maintain the progress the CYC has made for the last few years.
The social side of the CYC is currently very successful and it is the support of our members to our events that is making the difference for the survival of the Club. For those of you who are not regular attendees, I would encourage you to come and try one --- I'm sure you will enjoy the evening.
Thanks to the current recession, the breathalyser etc. the licensing trade generally is suffering. We are seeing the closure of many public houses recently and, of course, we are not immune from this trend. We are seeing a gradual decline in our bar sales which, although offset by our social events, is nevertheless still a concern. Interestingly, something like 80% of our members live within walking distance of the Club. So, if all those members popped into the Club once a week for a drink our sales figures would be a lot healthier!
The area which is my main concern as Commodore is our sailing activity. Traditionally, CYC has provided racing for Cruising yachts, the Conway One Design yacht and various random classes over the years. We realise that many of our members, especially with cruisers and motor boats are not into racing and our programme will provide some events were they can join some Club activity.
Actually, the Cruiser racing is on the "up" with more boats now taking part. Conwy River Festival last year got good support from CYC boats so we know that the interest is there.
The COD fleet has been somewhat in the doldrums in recent years. There are too many boats sleeping all year round in barns and garages when they should be out on the water. This has to change and we need a plan for that!
For those unfamiliar with the COD fleet, fourteen wooden boats were built between 1929 and 1946 and two fibreglass ones were built in 1988/9. Miraculously, all sixteen of these boats survive although four are in a very poor state. My goal is to get 100% of the fleet back on the water for our 100th anniversary in 2011. This will require a lot of effort from a lot of members and any help will be appreciated.
Enjoy your year with the CYC, whether its sailing, golfing, snooker or just socialising in the Club.
Vic Edwards
Commodore January 2010
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