News & Membership

 

Pretoria Sailing Club – News and Membership

COVID UPDATE – 14 AUGUST 2020

Dear All,

Good news!  City of Tshwane has granted us permission to enter the Club again (following the delay by a municipal strike which prevented access to the Club).

From previous emails you will be aware that we have had to comply with a long list of regulations and protocols from Government and from SAS, and so it is important that you read and understand all the points below:

New security regulations have been introduced by the Rietvlei authorities. All paid-up members of the club will be issued with personalised magnetic tags which will allow them entry into the Angling Gate (the main gate). PLEASE USE THE LEFT LANE. The tags will be distributed to individual members when they are next on site.  In addition to the tag, you will receive a window sticker for your car, which should be placed on your windscreen.

To cover the inevitable cost, the Club will be charging R50 for each tag, and we would appreciate a cash payment on receipt. (Note that only paid-up members will receive tags, or be able to open the gate to the club with their cell phones).

Protocols:

  1. Initially, sailing will be allowed only on Saturdays between 11am and 4:30pm, and on Sundays between 11am and 3pm. (Exceptions may be allowed, but only if special arrangements are made.)
  2. To go sailing, you must be a paid-up member of PSC (and SAS).
  3. A Covid Compliance officer must be present whenever members are on site.
  4. Only a limited number of people will be allowed on site at a time.
  5. If you wish to go sailing on a specific day, you must send an email to the Administrator (shirley@addwyn.co.za ) requesting access. Places will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. You will receive a return email letting you know whether or not there is a place available on that day. If you have not received confirmation, you will not be allowed access to the club.
  6. On each visit to the club, every person is required to fill in and sign the Covid Declaration Form (Annexure C – link below). To save time and trouble, you should print the form, fill it in and sign it before visiting the club. On arrival you should hand it to the Covid Compliance Officer, who will also do the temperature-screening. 20200808 – SAS Covid – Annexure C
  7. Face masks must be worn, and social distancing must be practised at all times when on-shore.
  8. Only social sailing and informal racing (organised by the sailors on the water) will take place.
  9. No social activities will be allowed on-shore, and the clubhouse, verandas, braai areas and change-rooms will be cordoned off.  Additional people (families, spectators etc) will not be allowed. Two toilets (one male and one female) will be available, and sanitising devices will be placed nearby. The other amenities such as showers and change rooms will not be available.
  10. All the people on board a particular boat must be from the same household.
  11. Here are a few additional recommendations (adapted from the current SAS regulations):
    • ‘Get in, Sail, Get out’ strategy.
    • Arrive dressed to sail.
    • No eating on site and no sharing of water bottles and or towels and equipment etc.
    • Any tasks that can be done at home, should be done at home.
    • Persons identified as Vulnerable Persons (for example, persons over 60 years of age) should take special precautions.
    • The Disaster Management Act (DMA), its regulations, SA Sailing requirements and Club rules are binding, and shall be adhered to at all time.

At any time, SAS maintains the right to inspect the name-register and to come and observe the protocols we follow.  By not adhering to the above practices, you will put the Club and other members at risk, not only of potentially contracting the virus, but of having the SAS Clearance Certificate revoked.

We are hoping that it will be possible to relax these stringent conditions in the coming months, and we will keep you informed.

For as long as informal sailing only is allowed, we will delay the publishing of the racing calendar and the Blue Book.

Kind regards

David Humphrey

Vice Commodore

 

 

Membership

Pretoria Sailing Club (PSC) is striving to find ways of making our club more affordable to both existing and new members, with the aim of encouraging more people to be involved, whether they sail dinghies or radio-controlled boats.  In today’s world, where the choice of activities is significantly more diversified than it was 20 years ago, people have many options regarding their leisure time.  If sailing is to be an activity of choice, it needs to be affordable, particularly in the current challenging economic climate.

PSC is located within the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, and every member automatically becomes a member of the Friends of Rietvlei (FoR) organisation. Membership entitles them to various benefits, such as a number of free entries to the Reserve for themselves and their families. All club members also become members of South African Sailing (SAS), which entitles them to take part in all SAS-sanctioned events, and to be eligible for National and Regional Colours awards. PSC contributes to the running costs of both these organisations, and a portion of the club membership fees is allocated to them.

Following discussions internally, PSC is pleased to announce the following revised policy for membership and fees.  We have had to abandon the idea of monthly payments due to the administrative burden being too great unless there are exceptional circumstances.

  1. For all new members, we have decided to do away with the entrance fees for a trial period of up to 2 years.  This is to encourage new members, and thereby grow the number of sailors on the water.   Further:
    • All new members will be offered the choice of either full membership or taking up temporary membership for 6 to 12 months before they decide whether to become full members or not.
    • Temporary membership will be charged upfront based on the relevant membership category applied for, noting SAS fees are not payable whilst a temporary member.
    • If you decide on full membership (e.g. you are an experienced sailor) and to pay a lump sum up front, you will be charged the pro rata amount for the year for Club membership fees outstanding, plus the SAS (if not already a member) and FoR fees, payable on joining.
    • For new members who are inexperienced sailors, they will need to undertake a 2-day training course costing  R 1,000 per person – note: if you join as a family, then at least one person must take the course, and other inexperienced members of the family who wish to learn to sail will have to pay for their training courses as well.

2.  Membership Categories are as follows, and the 2020 full annual fees are shown below

    1. Family – available for husband and wife/partners plus their children up to the age of 18.
    2. Individual – available for adults over the age of 25.
    3. Cadet – individual youth sailors up to the age of 18.
    4. Student – individuals between the ages of 18 and 25.
    5. Country – family or individual members living more than 80km from PSC.
    6. Radio Controlled Yachtsman – available to those who want to use PSC for this hobby only.
  2. If you are interested in joining PSC on either a temporary or a permanent basis, please fill in the form below and we will contact you (also available on the downloads page).
  3. For experienced sailors, or if you are new to sailing but want to fill in the full form, please  download the following 2020 PSC New Member Application Form –  and return by email to the Club Administrator.
  4. If you are wanting to find out more and are new to sailing, see the following form  PSC joining inquiry form Jan 2020 and then please give one of us a ring to follow up.

 

NEWS

Boat Hire

At PSC we have been adding to the fleet of club owned boats that are fun to sail for both single and double handers.  We now have a choice of GP14, Dolphins, Lasers and Optimists/O9ers that you can hire.

Our aim has been to develop a suitable fleet of boats for hire giving you the opportunity to enjoy more time on the water and develop your sailing skills while in the process of deciding whether or not to invest in a suitable yacht of your own.

Please see the attached form you need to fill in before taking a boat on the water

2020 PSC Boat Hire Registration Form  

EVENTS