REYC(O)/02_02
31 Mar 15
REYC(O) Committee Members
Copy to:
Commodore REYC
REYC Committee Members
REYC Website
ROYAL ENGINEER YACHT CLUB OFFSHORE DIVISION STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN
References:
A. The Royal Engineer Yacht Club Constitution, Rules and Bye Laws dated 25 Mar 11.
B. The Army Sailing Association Strategy and 2013-2014 Management Plan dated Feb 13.
INTRODUCTION
1. Reference A states that the principal function of the Royal Engineer Yacht Club (REYC) is to “promote sailing and seamanship amongst its Members and hence the Corps of Royal Engineers”. Whilst the Offshore Division of the REYC (REYC(O)) currently provides good competitive sailing opportunities, support for RE unit Adventurous Training (AT) and the facilities for individuals and groups of Members to sail for personal and welfare purposes, the take up for unit AT is relatively low and novice sailors are not recruited and retained in sufficient numbers.
2. The Army Sailing Association (ASA) has been charged by the Executive Committee of the Army Board to lead on all sailing matters in the Army and provides the regulatory framework and guidance for Army sailing activities. Reference B sets out the ASA 5 year plan for all sailing in the Army. The first line of the intent of Commodore ASA is “to develop sailing in the Army by encouraging maximum novice participation”.
3. The purpose of this plan is to provide: direction on REYC(O) activities; measurable outcomes on which to gauge progress; and highlight management procedures and priorities in order that REYC(O) can gain momentum, improve its outputs and thereby increase its contribution to operational effectiveness in the Corps of Royal Engineers.
MISSION
4. REYC(O) is to provide offshore sailing opportunities and training to all Members of the REYC and the Corps of Royal Engineers in order to improve sailing and seamanship, thereby contributing to the military effectiveness of the Royal Engineers.
EXECUTION
5. Concept of Operations.
a. Intent. I intend to improve sailing and seamanship in the REYC and Royal Engineers by: promoting novice participation in offshore sailing; retaining interest in sailing by providing support to unit AT and running and entering competitive events; contributing to military efficiency by providing unit team building events; providing training and experience to improve seamanship and skills; and improving morale within the Club and Corps by providing sailing opportunities to Members and their families.
b. Scheme of Manoeuvre. REYC(O) will continue to run 3 yachts: one optimised for novice sailing, one for fast cruising and one for racing. Helping to train and develop crew skills by supporting unit AT should be the bedrock of the Club’s activities and will be promoted heavily. Adventurous Training Instructors (ATI formerly known as Corps Bosuns) will facilitate unit activities and retain records of all who show promise or enthusiasm so that follow up activities can be offered to build broad foundations of qualified personnel for the future. Training activities that complement or supplement other Service sail training will be provided, in particular an RE Sail Training Week annually. Competitive sport sailing will generate the challenge for promising sailors of any experience – inter-unit sport will be developed, competitive Corps and Club entries into representative sporting regattas will be made, individuals will be nurtured for Army level crews and entries will be made into national and international events. The maintenance of morale within the Corps and Club will remain both a priority and an opportunity for revenue generation to fund maintenance of the hulls, by giving opportunities from irreducible spare capacity for Members and their dependents to engage in social sailing.
c. Main Effort. Training and development of novice sailors into qualified crew and skippers.
6. Five-Year Development Outcomes. The 5-year development outcomes for REYC(O) are:
a. Encourage and facilitate an increase in the Corps’ pool of qualified skippers such that any RE major unit can skipper and crew 2 Corps or Joint Service Adventurous Sail Training Centre yachts offshore.
b. To have created a Corps crew, with reserves, capable of competing in intra-Army competitions with a routine expectation of being placed in the top 3 of the fleet.
c. To provide at least one member of crew each year to the Army’s offshore yacht racing team (British Soldier).
d. To provide a sail training week each year for the Corps and wider Sapper community.
e. To enter at least one yacht into every Fastnet race.
f. To have sailing as an event in any Sapper Cup.
7. Committee and Tasks. REYC(O) shall have a Committee as detailed below that will meet at least 4 times a year, with tasks for each member of the committee as specified:
a. Rear Commodore (Offshore) (RC(O)). RC(O) chairs the Offshore Committee and racing Sub Committee with responsibilities as detailed in Reference A.
b. Offshore Secretary.
(1) Deputise for RC(O) in his or her absence.
(2) Run the forecast of events and calendar.
(3) Promote and advertise REYC(O) activities.
(4) Maintain records of decisions made and activities undertaken.
c. Offshore Racing Secretary.
(1) Coordinate entries for racing events.
(2) Allocate crews and advise skippers for racing events.
(3) Manage and control resources for offshore racing in coordination with the Treasurer.
d. REYC(O) Treasurer.
(1) Run a fund to facilitate REYC(O) activities in accordance with Reference A and direction from the REYC(O) committee.
(2) Produce an annual budget to be agreed at the end of one season in preparation for the next.
(3) Provide accounts to the REYC Treasurer and Vice Commodore on request.
(4) Seek to run the account in accordance with Service Rules and Regulations pertaining to Service Funds.
(5) Produce and maintain a 5 year forecast of out-turn for REYC(O) (at Annex A).
e. Charters Secretary.
(1) Be responsible for taking charters for REYC yachts, whether the bid is from units, racing teams or individual Members, in accordance with the rules laid down by Reference A and the REYC(O) Committee.
(2) Control collection of revenue from charters in coordination with the Treasurer.
(3) Maintain a record of all charters and a predictive charter schedule.
f. Captain of Boats.
(1) Be responsible for the REYC(O) hulls’ maintenance, management and seaworthiness.
(2) Manage the Corps’ Boatswains, including provision of MS responsibilities as first reporting officer.
(3) Maintain a maintenance schedule with predicted costs identified to the REYC(O) Treasurer to be included in the 5 Year finance plan and forecast of out-turn.
(4) Control expenditure on the hulls in coordination with the Treasurer.
g. Training Officer.
(1) Organise sail training events within resources.
(2) Co-ordinate REYC(O) support, both practical and advisory, to Unit AT.
h. Boatswains. As per the REYC ATIs’ Job Description (at Annex B). In addition, they are to keep a record of the details of all persons who sail on the Corps yachts and note talent or interest so that activities can be pushed at relevant individuals.
i. Retired Member. Represent the views and experience of the retired and wider Membership of the REYC to provide continuity, guidance, liaison and advice to the REYC(O) Committee.
j. Co-opted Members. RC(O) should co-opt REYC Members onto the Committee for any purpose the Committee sees fit in order to enhance outputs.
8. Co-ordinating Instructions.
a. Priorities. Generally, it is assumed that yacht bookings will be placed on a first come first served basis, but where a conflict occurs that cannot be resolved amicably by the Charters Sec, the following priorities should be followed:
(1) Entries into representative competition.
(2) Unit AT.
(3) Sail training events.
(4) Other racing events.
(5) Welfare bookings.
(6) Private charter.
b. Forecast of Events. The latest 2015 FOE is at Annex C. The Secretary is to regularly post and email the FOE to all Members and sailors within the Corps as well as advertising events ad hoc as they come to his attention.
c. RE Sail Training Week. REYC(O) will lead on running an RE Sail Training Week annually. The purpose of this week is to promote junior soldier sailing, increase junior skipper confidence and experience and develop aspiring skippers.
d. Unit Sport. Sailing that lasts for less than 48 hours can be classed as sport as opposed to AT. ATI are to continue to engage with nearby units on a regular basis to offer sailing excursions mid week to generate interest in racing and provide opportunities for novice sailors, whilst minimising paperwork and planning times. The aim is that once a regular cohort has been enticed into racing, then inter-(sub)unit low level competitions can ensue and any myths about the sport being exclusively officer targeted can be removed. Ultimately, the aim is to create a base layer of competent and enthusiastic sailors that will sustain RE sailing and provide the next generation of yachtsman for the Corps and REYC.
e. Unit AT. RC(O) will routinely write to RE Commanding Officers to promote sailing as an activity that can genuinely challenge individuals, help to build teams and offer leadership opportunities in a different environment to that personnel may be used to. The aim is to provide opportunities on modern yachts for units to conduct increasingly challenging AT.
f. Crew and Skipper Qualifications. Crew and skipper requirements are set by the REYC(O) Ctte and published in the REYC Year Book. They may only be relaxed on the authority of the RC(O) or, in his absence, the Secretary.
g. Accidents and Incidents. As the governing body for all Army sailing, the ASA requires all safety incidents at sea to be reported to their Chief Instructor, specifically all collisions and groundings. All skippers must report incidents of this nature to the ATI on return of the yachts, who will complete the required report for staffing to the ASA under the guidance of the Capt of Boats.
h. Hull Replacement Plan. It is proposed that REYC will replace one hull in 2015/6. It is envisaged that the Corps will replace another hull after 5 years. A 15 Year Hulls replacement plan is to be developed by the REYC(O) Committee and submitted to the REYC Treasurer and Main Committee for consideration.
i. Sail Training. Formal sail training will be conducted in accordance with the RYA Sail Training Scheme within the auspices of the ASA as the principal registered RYA training establishment for Army sailing. REYC(O) courses will be certificated by the ASA. Sail training events should be notified at the start of the season, or as soon as practicable, to the Chief Instructor of the ASA.
j. Reporting. The RC(O) is to report to the REYC Main Committee at each Main Committee meeting and to the AGM of the REYC. He is also to report on activities to the ASA annually.
k. British Soldier. The REYC has agreed to the Army’s racing yacht, British Soldier, being maintained by the RE Corps Bosuns, managed by the Capt of Boats. This is a limited agreement between the ASA and the REYC to assist the ASA and is due to last no more than one season. Details will not be covered further in this document, but this is seen as an opportunity both to support wider Army sailing and also to provide easy links into representative racing for the Corps.
Service support
9. G4 Management. The Equipment Care plan for REYC Offshore is at Annex D.
10. Health and Safety. Sailing is by its nature a challenging activity that generates hazards. The rules, guidance and responsibilities for health and safety to ensure risks are mitigated to acceptable levels are contained in Reference A. Of note, the skipper is legally responsible for the safety of their vessel and crew until he/she relinquishes command of the vessel, i.e. when he/she hands her back to the ATI and is cleared off the yacht.
a. Safety Equipment. The Captain of Boats will ensure safety equipment is provided and maintained as required, but responsibility for ensuring it is adequate remains with the Skipper.
b. Place of Work. The ASA holds responsibility for Health and Safety at the Army Offshore Sailing Centre (AOSC). The Corps ATI will abide by all rules and guidance of the AOSC whilst on duty there.
11. Berthing. The REYC yachts will be berthed at the Dolphin Marina at Fort Blockhouse, Gosport. The AOSC will be the primary place of work of the ATI when not at sea and where collection of yachts and equipment is administered from.
12. Finance. The 5 year forecast of out turn and finance plan is at Annex A.
13. Boatswain Manning. The REYC ATI are held on strength at Regular units in the Corps and detached for their duties at AOSC. They are answerable to the Capt of Boats, who is to develop a plan for their rotational replacement to ensure capability is not lost.
COMMAND, CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS
14. Command. The Rear Commodore (Offshore) exercises command of the REYC(O) on behalf of the Commodore of the REYC. He or she is to act as 2RO for the REYC ATI as necessary and to provide inserts to the chain of command of the REYC Committee Members.
15. Control. The REYC(O) Sec is the 2IC to the REYC(O) Rear Commodore and the Capt of Boats is next in the chain of command.
16. Communications. The REYC(O) Secretary leads on communications but is tasked with identifying a communications officer for the committee if he feels it is necessary.
a. Marketing. The REYC(O) Secretary leads on Marketing for the REYC(O). A marketing plan is to be developed by the REYC(O) Committee under his guidance to promote REYC(O) activities and increase awareness and, thus, participation.
b. Communications. The principal method of communication with REYC Members is via email using a distribution list that Members and interested parties opt in to. Unsolicited emails have been deemed to be an infringement of privacy and undesirable, as well as potentially compromising data protection legislation. A web site has been developed that contains event information and contact details. The website is to be developed still further and advertised widely in units. Facebook provides a forum for exchange of news and opportunities and is a prime method of communication.
c. Sailing Officers. The Rear Commodore (Offshore) is to encourage Commanding Officers of all units to appoint active Sailing Officers and re-establish formal links to promote sailing in units. The REYC(O) Secretary is to maintain a list of all Sailing Officers and add them to the events mailing list.
d. Data Capture.
(1) REYC(O) Activities. The Capt of Boats is to record the details of all personnel who sail on REYC yachts and provide a summary of that data to the Rear Commodore (Offshore) biannually.