Pretoria Sailing Club – News and Membership

COVID UPDATE – 19 JUNE 2020

Dear All,

As you will all be aware, since lockdown began in March we have not been able to visit or sail at PSC because of the various restrictions that have been put in place by the Government.

It looks as though lockdown restrictions could be easing soon, and with the ability to re-enter Rietvlei Nature Reserve and the sailing club itself.  When that happens, members will be informed by email and the whatsapp group as to the procedures and processes that we will follow in order to allow sailing to resume in a safe manner.  If you have any questions, please call or mail either Franci, the Commodore or Shirley, our Administrator – you will find their details on the Contact page of this website.

As to last season, lockdown started after Series 3 completed, and Series 4 just started.  Series 4 is cancelled.  Lockdown also prevented the return of trophies from 2019/2020 season to be engraved in time for the annual prizegiving, and with it the end of season get together to celebrate!  I will try and arrange for a ‘late but better than never’ prize giving as soon as circumstances allow!

So as we get going again, we will do our best to conclude the 2019/2020 season, and then get up to speed on the new 2020/2021 season.  We will publish the sailing calendar on the assumption we can start ‘formal’ sailing with the Finn Winter Challenge in the last weekend in August, and then club racing from the 1st of September.  Of course if lockdown rules prevent that we will have to adjust accordingly.

We know that these are frustrating times for all of us who are used to being able to sail when we want at PSC, but please be assured the Committee are doing all they can to resume sailing safely as soon as we can.

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

4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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