Clywedog Sailing Club

STRICTLY NO BBQs OR OPEN FIRES DURING THIS HEATWAVE

I know I’m banging the same drum again, but clearly the message still isn’t getting through, so here it is as plainly as I can say it: if you sail at a club, race in a class, take your children to training, turn up at open meetings, enter championships, use safety cover, eat from the galley, park your boat, look at the results, you’re relying on volunteers.

And I’m not saying this from one afternoon chasing people at my own club, I see what’s happening at clubs up and down the country. I’m in many clubs and classes WhatsApp groups and email chats, I read the Facebook posts, I see the event pleas, the last-minute panics and the same names stepping forward again and again.

The message is clear.

There’s a small group of highly dedicated volunteers chasing a much larger group of people who want to sail, race, train, socialise and use the club, but don’t give enough, or anything, back.

That isn’t sustainable, and frankly it isn’t fair.

Sailing doesn’t happen because someone puts a date in a calendar. Club racing, junior training, open meetings, national championships, world championships and even the Olympics all depend on people stepping up. Someone has to set the course, drive the safety boat, stand on the committee boat, launch the fleet, recover the fleet, make the food, sort the results, answer the messages, repair the kit, organise the entries, deal with the paperwork and pick up all the little jobs that most people never even notice.

The problem is that those jobs are too often being done by the same people again and again, while others treat organised sailing as something they simply turn up to and consume.

So here’s the blunt bit.

If you benefit from organised sailing but rarely volunteer, you’re part of the problem. If you expect racing, training, safety cover, galley food, open meetings, junior sailing and a functioning club, but you don’t put your hand up often enough, then someone else is carrying your share.

And parents, this absolutely includes you.

If your child’s on the water, someone else is giving their time to help keep them safe, teach them, encourage them, rescue them, launch them, recover them, coach them and make sure they want to come back. Sitting on the shore working, chatting or scrolling while other people look after your children isn’t good enough.

You don’t need to be an expert, and you don’t need twenty years of experience. Most clubs aren’t crying out for heroes; they’re crying out for people who are willing to help with ordinary jobs, learn as they go and stop leaving it all to the same exhausted few.

Ask what needs doing, put your name down, turn up and do your share.

Because if people don’t step up, the result is obvious. Events will be cancelled, racing will shrink, training will suffer, volunteers will burn out and clubs and classes will become weaker. And when that happens, it won’t be because sailing lacked sailors; it’ll be because too many sailors were happy to take from the sport without giving enough back.

Massive congratulations 🙌 to all the runners (including 4 legged ones) taking part in the Heart of Wales Ultra Marathon (HOWUM) today. Great to see everyone at Checkpoint One and we look forward to seeing you again next year👊. Special mention to local running legend and friend of Clywedog, Heather Pugh and all the other Llani based runners 👍👍 And congratulations to ultra running for another fantastic event.

We’re back up and running at Clywedog for another year and it’s great to see boats, paddle boards and kayaks back out on the lake again.

Today was a chance for volunteer members to refresh powerboat skills and knowledge in readiness for the season ahead.

We look forward to welcoming new and returning members again this year.

CSC

Storm Darragh has taken its toll along the Dragon’s back…

Clywedog Sailing and Paddlesports club was delighted to welcome back the Classic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association (CVRDA) for their annual visit over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

CVRDA is for boats built before 1990 and of a class designed before 1965.

As always this was a great weekend of sailing, in challenging conditions at times, along with a social programme and the Association’s AGM.

We look forward to hosting the Association again in 2025.

It was the turn of the bigger boats this weekend as the cruiser fleet and Flying Fifteens took to the water for our annual Cruiser Day⛵️It was great to see so many sails on the water and we were blessed with great weather ☀️ as we journeyed to the far end of the lake. Then back in time for a BBQ and cake 🎂. Thanks to all the members and guests that took part and made it a brilliant day.

Stunning views over Llyn Clywedog this morning. Has summer finally arrived?? ☀️⛵️🛶

Greybeard here.

Word has got about that admiral Longshanks has left Lieutenant Anderson in charge at Port Clywedog with only CPO Bertie at his side

So I call all Pirate comrades to assemble on Sunday 29th July when we shall retake Port Clywedog for the pirate cause. We shall plunder the barbeque and make that scoundrel Anderson walk the plank

Death or Glory

Greybeard