[Rod:] Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen my name's Rod I normally masquerade as the Chief Racing Coach for the Royal Yachting Association but I'm not here in that capacity this afternoon but the coordinator rather a grand title for the Year of Youth Sailing and I've been asked to give you a short ten minutes or so briefing on where we're up to with th this project this year erm I know there are many familiar faces around so I apologize to those of you that may know some of this information already. We're already eleven weeks into the year and er so my talk's gonna centre on what we've done so far and what we expect to happen. The idea came in nineteen ninety two, the early part of nineteen ninety two er from Doctor Frank er who was er sitting on the Race Training Committee who [cough] approached it from the point of view we need to obviously broaden the triangle on the competitive side. And very quickly talking about it amongst the staff and er the other committees it would seem that [cough] it ought to have a far broader remit than just on the racing side so the first thing that I'd like to emphasise is that this year of youth sailing is involves all the outgoing grass roots divisions of the R Y A, that is windsurfing, racing, training and the development divisions and the regions and the clubs and the recognized teaching establishments, so it really is an all encompassing er er scheme. All types of sailing boats as well, I know that it's easy to think of that we're only dealing in optimists and toppers er but all types of sailing boats and all abilities, both disabled, youngsters and all types of organizations. The aims which I put up there, I won't go through each one, I think are hopefully fairly self explanatory, the, some of those are going well and some of them still need a hard push, a hard push from us and a hard push from the clubs and the teaching establishments. Those of you that have children or er are involved in education in any way at the moment will be well aware of the cut and problems that are going on er within reorganization within education in this country at the moment and I learnt to sail through the National School Sailing Association a long time ago er and thousands and thousands of youngsters have done that over the years. That Association in common with outdoor education centres are under severe pressure. My view is and it's a widely held view within the association and, and the informed clubs is that if we let that situation go on and do nothing about it we will have a decreasing er number of people going and number of people going sailing. Not now, not next year but in the next twenty years so there are a problem with schools, there are problems, I think, with changing leisure habits er people, the way that people take their leisure has changed over the last twenty years and not always have clubs, organizations and sailing schools taken account of that in, in their programme, especially with youngsters and I have to say I also believe there is apathy in some clubs and other organizations, not every club has an active youth sailing scheme and I believe that any club that doesn't either must be extremely popular because of its er prices of beer or, or some other reason or it may not exist perhaps in twenty years' time, so I think it's an ext extremely important topic brought about by the maybe, without being melodramatic, some of the stuff that we're reading in the papers about youngsters these days but looking at it from a purely selfish sailing point of view if we're to get more youngsters into the sport even if we're to hold our ground we've got to make a big effort over, over this year and, and it's important make sure that it runs on for future years.... Okay how we're going, how have we attempted to deliver the goods to the population at large? As you can see, so far six hundred organizations have registered with us and what we've done is put them in a rather, rather flash booklet and the idea is that youngsters, their parents, teachers, youth leaders, scout leaders, anybody, gets hold of one of these booklets and in it, it tells them how to go sailing. There is one basic thing that they need to do, they or their parents, that is pick up the telephone and ring a contact, that's all they have to do because within here there are people ready to receive those er t telephone enquiries and get the youngsters on the water. Many of them free but not all. There are, different clubs have different policies and we haven't laid down what way they should go. We've, we've got the erm, we've got the six hundred organizations running so far about three thousand events, probably a few more if you count every single er course that some of the [LAUGHTER] training schools [] are running but in terms of key events I'm very confident in being able to say there are three thousand events running around the country about half of which are new and that's the important thing so about fifteen hundred new and inaugural events that didn't go on last year or the year before... Belinda the R Y A Public Relations Officer has been coordinating the public relations campaign and these days to get the young pe young people and those young people whose parents don't sail because it's to get at the people whose parents do sail, you've actually got to get in the media and er we've been on Blue Peter, we've been on Going Live another children's programme on a Saturday morning and [clears throat]
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Rod:] and we have done other things that you see up there already and we aim to do more and get into specialist magazines like the Young Telegraph. The probe problem is having had a big initial launch the reality is that we're now going to drip feed the P R throughout the year and there are several good stories coming up which I'm not gonna tell you er [clears throat] that we hope the, the national and local press will pick up on. It's obviously very important that some stories are big enough to break if you're lucky in the national media but more important each of the clubs and sailing schools can get it in their local events because they're only too happy to take er provide [LAUGHTER] the stories []. Ha the information that we've put out so far were our second reprint of the er of the black booklet of which there'll be twelve thousand, they are quite an expensive item and, but our feeling was that er in order to sell the thing you've got to do it properly and er spending money doesn't come easily but er er in order to market the thing er thought that was the, the way to go and we've done other things, stickers and badges and posters and so on and so forth, the normal sort of things but we've really tried to spread these around the country and get the message that it's a vibrant young er interesting fun thing to be involved in for young people. We tested this out by taking it around the office and the people in the office thought it was a bit boring we er thought it was great for the youngsters who probably like it so er erm [LAUGHTER] and the merchandise we've actually, we've made up certain things, T-shirts and, and, and wacky items that again er relate to, to young people so that they get into the, the, the theme of the thing and the, the whole year carries forward on a, on a certain colour theme and, and, and so on, so er we've done our best as sailing coaches [LAUGHTER] not only learning to be marketeers []... again the money, where's the money come from? Well we were lucky in that we've been able to do, have a, a very good relationship with a company called well known in the marine side and they put in forty five thousand pounds into er the scheme and promised that before Christmas and that was reading the paper one day in November the, the Robert the National Heritage Minister saying that they may be, may, if you're lucky, going to put some money into sport and er so we contacted them and we were one of the first sports to get, had money doubled as they say in the bingo hall, so we er we now have ninety, ninety thousand pounds and which I wh has been distributed or will be distributed in the, in the following way... so that's how we're gonna spend it [LAUGHTER] and er these er, the administration represent we were basically overwhelmed with enquiries and s we took on a person in order to, to do it, the normal R Y A staff had already got enough on so we took on a girl called Sara who answers all the queries on the Year of Youth Hotline and erm we are also running the boat shows, the four or five N B L challenge which is the flagship event for our sponsors which is er I won't go into the, the details but is a, a talent fight, talent spotting event for under sixteen year olds around the country and it provided fleet of dinghies, the prize for which is a dinghy which is not, not a bad prize I think you'll agree. Information and promotion I have spoken to you about and the most important thing probably for the users besides us being able to promote what they're doing for nothing and that is grants, so we are about to write and er you will be able to hotfoot it back to your clubs if they are already registered. We are about to write to every club that's registered with us, tough on those that haven't, er that to er to, to, to come and er er fill in a form and get grant aid. We're talking about hundreds, not thousands here because there are six hundred clubs, so we're talking, but I think though we, we hope to be able to give significant amounts of money to pay for perhaps safety boats, perhaps instructors, perhaps rescue boat fuel, enough to kick-start these courses off which is important and those forms are going out at the end of the week and when the money's gone we'll stop giving the grants out. [LAUGHTER] Okay.... So what's the message we're trying to get across, what's the message you're trying to get across? Cos that's the important thing I think. So often we at the National Authority seen to be selling something which may or may not be you and the clubs er and the Class Associations round the country thinks important. I hope you think that this is important [LAUGHTER] more important to you as it were than it is, is to us because you the clubs and the sailing schools really really must take these sorts of messages on board, not perhaps all of that list there but I would pick out erm that the message that we want to get across to young people, I would pick out the words fun, the words challenging, the words safe, alright. Many people who have not been sailing before, many parents are worried about their youngsters, think that it's dangerous and whatever and we have all this information, we have all these checks, we have a wonderful education scheme er within our own organization in this country and we should go out and sell that and I think we, a lot of it's going on already and I don't decry that and we need to just market that a little better to get more youngsters on the water because once we get more youngsters on the water the pyramid gets wider, the building gets higher, so that's an important issue... [clears throat]
[speaker002:] [cough]
[Rod:] well okay well just to wind up, I mean I've been involved in this and people within the R Y A and the office for a good six months now and we fell well down the line, the reality is hardly any courses have started yet and there's hardly any youngsters been on the water. I thought driving up today would have been a good day but the reality is that it is not going to start until Easter time. We've done a profile of the courses and guess what they all happen in the school holidays, so this isn't, this isn't over yet in fact for all the user groups, for you, the clubs and the organizations, it really does need a push from you, you must by and large are the deci decision makers, the club officers and I would ask you urgently whether or whether or not your clubs already got its name on the list, to actually support the people within your club that are laying these things on. If there isn't anything being laid on, chase it and perhaps get something laid on this summer in the holidays and whatever. Erm I think it's, I hope you'll agree, that it's absolutely essential and, and I hope that you, your reward will be the [LAUGHTER] smiling faces of the youngsters [] when they come off the water during the year. Thank you very much.
[speaker002:] [clapping]
[Rod:] Commodores, Ladies and Gentlemen before we commence the business of the Annual General Meeting I'd like to remind members of the very great honour that was bestowed upon the Association at the end of last year when we were granted the right to wear the red ensign defi defaced with the crown. This is a quite unique privilege as the list of clubs and organizations granted the right to wear special ensign was closed several years ago. The Secretary of State for Defence reopened a list as an exception to allow the Association to mark the fortieth anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty the Queen, our patron, to the throne. The ensign is flown at R Y A House and can be worn by vessels directly employed on R Y A business. I would now ask Her Royal Highness as our President to mark this very special award by unveiling our ensign to you the members of the R Y A at this A G M. Your Royal Highness...
[speaker002:] [clapping]
[Rod:] Thank you Ma'am....
[speaker002:] Well good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen I am delighted to welcome you to the R Y A's Annual General Meeting if I may call the meeting to order and may I propose that for those who's convening the meeting printed on the front page of the annual report and accounts ninety, ninety one ninety two to be taken as read. Thank you. During the course of er this meeting you will hear from the Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer and we may well cover an enormous amount of the grounds that is relevant to you as commodores, members and officers of the Association and it might be worth, I am going to avoid what he's trying to avoid most of that area because I believe they cover it in greater detail and give you more of an opportunity to find out precisely what's been going on. This of course is post-Olympic year. Now there are occasionally criticisms from members that there is too much concentration on the elite end of sport in the Sports Federation in this instance the R Y A but what is important about the is an effort to produce a very high standard as a finished product so to speak to go to the Olympics but it also helps to concentrate minds on the bit that is missing before and help to recycle everybody's concentration into the training area and Rod has just been talking about the year of youth and of course it follows on very naturally in a post- olympic year to launch that year of youth. Not all of those people by a long way have any olympic ambitions but is nonetheless an important part of the perspective and indeed at the triangle that we need to support. That's the overall and rather special context of this year in, in the year of the youth but every year is an important from the point of view of commodores and clubs and the amount of work that ac goes on on the ground through supporting causes and the effort to recruit membership and it's in that rather mundane day to day part of R Y A membership that I would like to congratulate you first... I think all of you have worked extremely hard and the reports reflect the success achieved and I would particularly highlight the increase in membership, now that obviously hasn't been easy and this does require a huge effort of, a consistent effort and it's not something you can just apply every now and again. Members don't tend to respond very well from that basis. This is a continuity and causing support for your members and that increase reflects enormous credit. I'll come back to that in a moment because we still only enrol a rather tiny proportion of those active in our sport... but to go back to the point about training. Can I also highlight the fact that over a hundred thousand people attended R Y A training courses of one sort or another last year. Now it is something that you could find out for yourself but on the other hand it is there and I would like to highlight it and bring it to your attention. The other thing that tends to happen in post-olympic years is people look at rule books and different types of competition and there is a sort of atmosphere of I think we ought to change things. Well change is fine as long as it's done sympathetically and actually has some purpose. Erm it's a difficult balance, change is very rarely popular and quite often it's only ever talked about but sometimes it happens and even then it's not popular but a balanced and open mind is required to approach change but perhaps more important, and this isn't always mentioned, suggestions about change tend to come from rather specific areas and there are rather specific interest groups which may start the process of change [cough] the point about membership is that you ought to be able to comment on those suggestions of change and get involved with them on a broad basis. Er those sort of reactions, if we don't get them changes might happen anyway and you won't like them. It is very necessary to exercise membership, particularly in, in those areas, change can just as easily be motivated from your members not just special interest groups and it is important to look at it in, in the broader sense. Your officers has members from all over the country will try to apply a broad view but there are changes that will be necessary but they will attempt to do them in the most sympathetic and most broadly based way. Competitions are an important part of club activity obviously. For your younger members often very important but competition is part of the process. It is also part of the process of learning because it again concentrates their mind on what they need to do better... fine. Take it on past, the sort of club competitions to major regattas and you come up against sponsorship. This in turn creates its own difficulties. At a local level sponsors so often are involved in the club on a more direct way but it isn't always seen as a problem and can be enormously beneficial to both parties. Sponsorship on a wider basis is much more difficult to manage. Sponsorship should of course be the icing on the cake, there should be enough in, in competition in regattas and themselves but people are interested enough to go and to support and that sponsorship actually allows you to do things that you wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. The danger of course is that sponsorship for itself, in itself becomes more important than the actual regattas. Th we must be able to learn from this period, particularly a partial austerity mm but these events are sound events in themselves and that we're not just doing it for the sake of the sponsor or attracting a sponsor and that it's not, in itself, completely necessary to have a sponsor otherwise the competition wouldn't exist. This is a difficult balance. It's going to be difficult for everybody but I believe that this is a period when again it rather highlights er the priorities in terms of what clubs and members actually want and what they are prepared to work for. On a slightly different theme, left to our own devices and left to the club's devices this Association and membership have always been very proud of our own record of educating and not legislating and that we have an ability er to instill in people a need to gain information and training along the way. From further afield there are going to be pressures to change that situation, particularly from Europe in either actual or proposed legislation. Th that for most of us would be very sad and it is your Association and it is the only substantial body that there's representing you as individual sailor but is attempting to fight off that unnecessary legislation. I need hardly say that that's not going to be done with courtesy of the odd telephone call. This requires real attention to detail and some concentration on, on that problem with experts who know how to deal with lobbying process in Brussels. There are a few people who claim even to know about the lobbying process in Brussels. [LAUGHTER] I would have think it's probably still acclaimed [LAUGHTER] but it does highlight a need and I'm not going to tread on the Treasurer's toes in this instant but certainly that will add to the financial burden of running the Association but if its to increasing its lobbying power and authority over those in positions of influence, then above all we do need a very large membership. Er it has been brought to my attention that the R S P B erm which I think you all know that, for one reason or another, can call upon the membership of eight hundred and seventy thousand individuals and our sport was something between two point five to three million active participants, slightly depending on the definition, has only about two percent as personal members of the R Y A contributing directly. I mention those figures, the need for a large membership is self evident and I know that you are making tremendous efforts to increase that membership. Some suggestions a that membership should be mandatory for those holding R Y A positions and appointments, well, that is certainly up for future debate but I do look forward to the day when our membership is truly representative at the individual level as it is currently at the club level and we w shouldn't forget that the R Y A is its membership. Well it doesn't exist by itself. Can I close by thanking Rod our Chief Racing Coach for what I thought was a very excellent presentation of the R Y A Ye Year of Youth Sailing and I have great pleasure in launching that initiative for ts er this year's Earls Court Boat Show... again it seems horribly self evident that it's only through increasing the involvement of the young that we assure thriving clubs and associations and classes for the future but nobody up here is going to say that it's easy and I believe though that the work that the official, the officers and the R Y A put together will make it easier than it once was and I hope that the literature that they have put together and the programme that they have put together will be a help to all of you so please make use of it. That is one of the roles of your Association and it is what your membership fees go towards and it is there to be used and they've done their best so I hope it will come in very useful for you for this year and I wish you a very good year. [clapping] well item one is the minutes of the A G M nineteen ninety two... if there are any... queries, may I have them now or I will take them as read and sign them.... Thank you. To receive the report for the Council for the year ended thirtieth September nineteen ninety two. Can I ask Peter as Chairman of the Council to propose a doctrine of the report.
[Peter:] Thank you Ma'am. Your Royal Highness, commodores, and members of the Association, may I begin my report by thanking you Ma'am for the time you have given to our sport, for being with us at our Annual General Meeting and for the address you have just delivered. We have a President who is charming, gracious and what is more important to me, a fellow sailor. We are indeed fortunate....
[speaker002:] Hear, hear
[Peter:] Ladies and Gentlemen I will not waste your time by repr repeating my printed annual report to the Association which is on page four of your agenda papers. If you haven't read it you will have ample chance to read it at a later date and if you have, you would know what I was going to say. Our President has covered one or two major issues that concern us now and which will continue to concern us over the next few years. I can only emphasise the point that Her Royal Highness has already made on the requirements for us to have a much larger membership to allow us to speak with strong voice in the many debates we find ourselves involved on behalf of our sport whether it be windsurfers, dinghies, offshore sailing craft, motor cruisers, powerboat racing, anything that virtually goes on the water we look after. This must be the major object of the Association during my chairmanship is to increase our individual membership which we need so much to re to our representation at a high level. Her Royal Highness has also highlighted the R Y A year of youth sailing which she launched at the Earls Court Boat Show. The youngsters are our sea call of the future and we must grasp the initiative with both hands. As my hair turns grey and falls out I must also put in a plug for senior sailors with earlier retirement
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] alleged increased time and affluence, it beholds us to pay attention to this influential body of citizens, perhaps next year Rod can organize a year of geriatric sailors.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] Our sport is for all... this is not a slick statement of jargon but a fact, thanks to our boats sailors of all ages and all eligibilities can participate. Many people never race, just enjoy themselves pottering. We must look after not all of the sport, the high flyers, the starters, the beginners and those who just go out for enjoyment and potter. Your council occasionally suffers comments about the age of some of its members but the fact remains that to a man or woman your council members are current sailors or actively involved in the sport and this must be good for sport. Over the past twelve months it has been my great privilege to become more closely involved with those with disabilities, I have seen the enormous efforts being made to encourage participation at a very high competitive level as well as tremendous strides being made at many clubs to bring disabled people into sailing at all levels. This is an area where we can make much more progress and I'm delighted to see the advances that have already taken place. Those of you who have not yet started the programme for the handicapped, please join in and spread our sailing skills to all. Mention of sport for all reminds me of the tremendous debt owed for the volunteers of our sport. Over three hundred individuals give their time freely to support the R Y A where they are experienced on one central committee or another. At least a similar number give the same service to the sport in our thirteen regions nationwide. If one then adde adds the volunteers who man and manage the clubs, organized regattas and ordinary races, the bosuns, the rescue crews, the and other sailing schools and instruction that goes on all o all over place, the end the list is endless. The dependence of our sport upon these expert volunteers is clear for all to see. I would like to thank you all at this time on behalf of the Association and the sport we represent for all your efforts you make for us in an unpaid capacity and time given voluntary to all. May th the Corinthian spirit continue in our sport for many days to come. Our President has referred to many of the problems we currently face and will continue to come up against in the future. I will not dwell upon them but will re-emphasise what has already been said and ask you to give us all your support. We need an undivided sport, there have been a few occasions, sadly, when clubs and associations have followed marginally divisive lines as we attempt to represent the sport similar bodies which does not help our cause. We also need a large membership to further and strengthen already a very effective lobby within government, Europe and the sport. May I close by thanking Her Royal Highness, my colleagues on Council, all my friends in our sport and our Association as well as our very loyal and hardworking permanent staff for all their efforts on behalf of the sport. Before I propose the adoption of my report, willing to take any important questions or comments.... As there seems to be no questions Ma'am, may I propose the adoption of the report.
[speaker002:] Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have much pleasure, not only seconding the adoption of the report but complimenting Council on an excellent which I did read. [LAUGHTER] The equivalent meeting. Hear, hear Anyone against? Thank you. Right item three which is to receive the accounts for the year ending [clears throat] thirtieth September nineteen ninety two and report of the auditors. So before this motion is proposed may I ask Mr John of to read the auditors' formal report.
[John:] Your Royal Highness, Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen. Auditors' report to the members of Royal Yachting Association. We have audited the accounts set out on pages eight to fourteen in accordance with auditing standards. In our opinion the accounts give a true and fair view of the Association's affairs at the thirtieth of September nineteen ninety two and of the surplus and cash flows for the year ended on that date and have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act Nineteen Eighty Five and that report has been signed Chartered Accountants, registered Auditor.
[speaker002:] Thanks very much indeed. So may I call upon Chris, the Honorary Treasurer to move the adoption of the accounts.
[Chris:] Thank you Ma'am. Er your Royal Highness, Chairman, Commodores, Ladies and Gentlemen, the accounts have been circulated and they are to be found on pages eight to fourteen with the report and there are copies around the room. I believe that the accounts, whilst complying as John has just told us with the Companies Act, do give, I hope, as full and an informative picture as possible and therefore I don't intend to talk about them in detail. The incoming expenditure account on page eight contains good news and bad news. The good news is that the surplus of a hundred and ninety three thousand six hundred and eighty seven pounds after tax is the largest ever in the Association's history. The bad news is that there were two hundred and thirteen thousand pounds' worth of non- recurring income items to reach that and this means that the Association's routine activities ran at a deficit of twenty thousand pounds or thereabouts. This is a small amount in relation to our subscriptions which reached one million pounds for the first time but it does pose problems. Firstly, there is an extremely long lead time before a subscription increase works its way through to our income and expenditure account. If there was a resolution on the agenda today to increase the subscription, and I hasten to add there isn't, but if there was then that increase by convention would take effect on the first of January nineteen ninety four but the full value of the increase would not reach our income and expenditure account until the year nineteen ninety five to ninety six and this means that we are not well placed to respond to short-term financial problems.... The Chancellor yesterday very kindly did not put V A T on books and periodicals but had he done so that would have the effect of taking more than one hundred thousand pounds out of our accounts in the current year without us being able to do anything about it... and it does seem to me that we should be considering asking the members in general meeting to pass to the Council of the Association the right to set and increase subscriptions and having properly advised the members thereof to fix the effective date of such increases, otherwise we are very badly placed to respond to short-term problems. However, the major problem, and you Ma'am have already touched upon this as well as the Chairman and I am sorry to be repetitive but we do serve all yachtsmen, two and a half to three million of them whilst being financially supported by only sixty five thousand of them. The only satisfactory long-term solution must be to secure a hugely increased membership of the Association. The R Y A doesn't need an enormous subscription income and so if we could increase personal membership to say four hundred and eighty thousand, which happens to be the aggregate membership of our member clubs, this could be at a very much lower individual subscription and this in turn would facilitate selling membership to the nearly two million yachts persons who are not members of clubs. I believe that we have got to go for this strategy if we are continue to fight the freedoms which are the root of our yachting. The alternative of higher personal subscriptions does not, I believe, hold out the likelihood of sufficient income to meet the mounting costs of protecting yachtsmen and their rights. Coming back to reality Ma'am and the balance sheet. The R Y A is financially strong, following from the good results of last year, the reserves passed one million pounds for the first time and those will enable us to continue with our work for yachting while we deal with the problems that I have touched upon. There is no need for any concern at the present time but the problems have got to be addressed because they won't go away. So Ma'am I have pleasure in composing the adoption of the accounts and I'll endeavour to answer any, answer any questions on them....
[speaker002:] Right, thank you very much er Chris fo and the proposal is from th the Treasurer, can I have a seconder please? Ma'am, may I have er pleasure to second the adoption of the accounts? May I have the approval of the Meeting? Anyone against? Thank you.... report to you. Ma'am.
[Peter:] Commodores, members, I have a great announcement to make, there have been no other nominations for President of the Association.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Peter:] I am pleased to say, therefore I would like to propose that her Royal Highness be re-elected with acclaim, President of the Royal Yachting Association.
[speaker002:] [clapping] Thank you very much Chairman and thank you all very much and I do hope your members realize what you are doing up here. [LAUGHTER] It's your fault. No it's... I might, I would, take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate your hospitality when I have the opportunity to visit the clubs er it d they are always very enjoyable occasions and I much look forward to them. As you realize six hundred clubs, the chances of my getting round all of them, ha five hundred. Yes ar are not that good but I'm working at it on a sort of regional basis erm but you may have to keep me here for a very long time in order to achieve it. I don't suggest that I think I should keep going on a year by year basis. [LAUGHTER] Thank you. Item five erm I'm also pleased to say that er Chris was the only person nominated to be Honorary Treasurer and it would give me great pleasure er to propose that he be elected Honorary Treasurer and may I have a seconder for that proposal please. Your Royal Highness South West Region. It gives me the greatest pleasure to second the nomination of Chris as the Honorary Treasurer. Thank you very much. May I have the approval of the meeting please?... Thank you. Item six is the announcement of the results er the Council Election and I will ask the Secretary General to announce those.
[speaker006:] Ma'am the four elected by the life members of the order, Mr P J, P A, L M, and M. Er in the club's East Midland Region there was an election and Mr Garth was elected as the representative for the year. Er the remainder of the regional representatives are in the agenda and I suggest they can be seen there and not repeated here and if I may then go on Ma'am, Council asked that we would in fact announce the results of the windsurfing committee election at the A G M and again in alphabetical order a Mr, Mr, Mr, Mr, Mr and Miss [tape change] Bill North West Region. [clears throat] I have pleasure in proposing that Messrs be appointed Auditors and the authority is delegated to the Council to fix the remuneration of the Auditors.
[speaker002:] Thank you and a seconder.
[Frank:] Dr Frank Weymouth Sailing Club, I would like to second the proposition that Messrs continue in office. Thank you.
[speaker002:] Thank you, can I have the approval of the meeting.... Anyone against? Thank you and may I add my thanks to for, for their work, very much appreciated and I know the Treasurer would agree, thank you.... Item eight, may I ask Richard the Chairman of the Develop Divisional Committee to introduce and put the resolution to the A G M?
[Richard:] Thank you your Royal Highness.... Your Royal Highness, Mr Chairman, Commodores, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am not absolutely sure whether this microphone system will work if I stand what I do know is, however, that I would be a larger target for you and under the circumstance I will, if I may remain seated. Historically, the minimum subscription Association's affiliated organizations and clubs has been set that twice the personal member's subscription and after a period of two years' grace it's the Council's wish that this balance is re-established so that the relativity returns to that which existed prior to the increase in subscriptions that was proposed at the A G M in nineteen ninety one. Are there any questions of this erm resolution before I put it to the meeting?... Thank you very much then I would ask and would put the ordinary resolution that the minimum annual subscription for member clubs, past associations and other affiliated organizations be increased from twenty four to thirty two pounds. Thank you Ma'am.
[speaker002:] Can I have a seconder? Ma'am I would like to erm second that resolution, I believe that the traditional two to one relationship is a reasonable reflection of the costs and that it would be sensible to restore the balance to that which it was before. May I have the approval of the Meeting? Anyone against? Thank you very much. now. Right... as you know presentation of the R Y A awards. Is that in the way, I'll just move it out of the way.
[Frank:] A citation for an R Y A award, Major Tom. The name of Tom has been synonymous with sailing in Weymouth longer than he might wish to remember. He inherited the same tradition from his father a founder member of Weymouth Sailing Club and its Commodore in the late nineteen twenties. Tom has been a member of Weymouth Sailing Club since nineteen twenty eight and has served in it and in many other clubs in almost every role imaginable. I understand the roles include bar steward, cleaner of the heads, layer of moorings, boat builder and commodore. His sailing background includes membership of the Royal Engineer Yacht Club, the Mombasa Nivasher Yacht Clubs in Kenya, sailing in Austria in the early fifties including building nine one design sailing dinghies with the help of Austrian carpenters. It didn't say whether they sold them or not, the Royal Singapore Yacht Club in the mid nineteen fifties and then back to Weymouth. From nineteen seventy three to nineteen ninety two he was Chairman of the Charities Committee of the Yacht Clubs of Weymouth and played a leading part in organizing forty eight championships including fourteen R Y A Weymouth olympic weeks as well as twelve world and European championships. He has been a member of the Royal Dorset Yacht Club for the past twenty three years and is now an honorary life member. The list of boats he has owned and sailed includes Weymouth One Design, Falcons, ex boat, victory class, sharpees, scripts, Achilles, R N S A dinghies, Yachting World Day Boat and enterprises. In recognition of a lifetime of service to sailing and in particular distinguished service of the national sport through Weymouth Olympic Week and various world championships... the R Y A Award is presented to him, Ma'am, Major Tom.
[speaker002:] [clapping]....
[Frank:] A citation for the R Y A awards, Staveley, Staveley has roots that are more linked to the sea and the water than most of us. Born in the Clyde, not in it, with a seafaring background, he's messed about in boats from the start. His proper racing career began in nineteen thirty four as a regular crew on a twenty eight foot milne design. Apart from a short break for the war years, when he served in the Royal Navy, Staveley has sailed and campaigned throughout, presently racing in his Dragon. Following the War, Staveley also branched out into sailing administration. He is one of those individuals who has put even more back into the sport than he has taken out of it. He has served as Commodore the Cove and Sailing Club and of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club. He's been Commodore of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club and Vice Admiral of the Mud Hook Yacht Club. He led in amalgamating the Royal Clyde with the Royal Northern. He has been associated with the Clyde Yacht Club's Association for a quarter of a century and headed the team which organized the nineteen seventy three Clyde and National Regatta, the largest event of its kind ever held on that famous stretch of water. He was a founder member and later Chairman of the Scottish Council of the R Y A, played the leading role in the nineteen ninety one R Y A You World Youth Champions and is a past President of the then National Flying Fifteen Owners' Association. As well as years of service to the R Y A,Scot di R Y A Scotland, Staveley has twice served in the R Y A Council and has been a distinguished member of the Yacht Racing Divisional Committee. He is currently a member of the Racing Rules Committee, he's Chairman of the National Judges Committee and is an R Y A U international judge. The R Y A award is presented for this impressive record of service on so many different sailing fronts. Ma'am, Staveley.
[speaker002:] [clapping]...
[Frank:] A citation for the R Y A Award, Philip, Philip is a past Chairman of the R Y A Powerboat Divisional Committee as well as a past member of the Central Management Committee and of the R Y A Council. Although he's no long he no although he no longer competes, he drove hydroplane at an international standard, was highly competitive and had many wins and top level events to his credit. He has been the national drivers' champion, the first national driver to exceed a hundred miles an hour with a five hundred C C hydroplane on Lake Windermere, won the B class championships seven times, the C class champion six times, the D class three times and the F class once. He has also represented Great Britain internationally on many occasions with conspicuous success. In the powerboat world his balance is a very active competitive career with service at club, national and international level in administration. He has been the Commodore of the Essex Hydroplane Club and Chairman of the R Y A Hydroplane Committee. Philip has been a member of the U IM 's Sports Commissions for many years and was the R Y A's delegate, the U I M, the international body for a similar period. He is Chairman of the UIM's Personal Watercraft Commission including Jenskies a particularly hot seat if ever there was one. He is still a very active member of the Powerboat Divisional Committee and is now in his twenty first year of continuous service to R Y A powerboat racing. Philip is an outstanding competitor and a very devoted and dedicated servant to his sport, who has given sterling service over many years. His record makes him an outstanding candidate for an R Y A Award. Ma'am, Philip.
[speaker002:] [clapping]... [LAUGHTER]... Right my item ten of course is Any Other Business.... Is there any other business? I have to, I have to make it er perfectly clear that it is not part of the official business of the meeting. You're welcome to bring up wh c
[Bob:] Your Royal Highness, Bob Blackpool Sailing Club. I think my question will make it clear that I do understand that. What I wanted to say was that when I read the Annual Report I was rather surprised to find that there is no reference to the er report of the committee under the chairmanship of Bob, Bob on the organization of the R Y A and then I realized that it probably didn't come to the Council till after the end of the year that we have under consideration but it did seem to me that it has some contentious and some very interesting and rather good points in it and I wonder if we could be told how the consideration of it is getting on. Thank you.
[speaker002:] Your Royal Highness, it follows to me er Council have debated the Riding Report er a lot of it they did not accept, many of the ideas were referred back for further reconsideration and that is in the hands of the Central Management Committee at the moment and we are proposing to develop the ideas and come back to Council and the wh whole report is not forgotten. In the meantime... organization changes of a management kind have been put into action at Eastley, so that certain, certain changes very quickly can be made which reflect the spirit of the report for improved management but your officers and Council are still considering the items that they feel n er should be reconsidered refined and developed. I don't the membership will want a revolution but what we do require is that evolution considered carefully so we don't stand still and keep our head in the sands and I give you insurance that is what is, is happening. Thank you. Who was that? Geoff Suffolk Water Sports Association, probably manage, is that better? You'll be on the record that way Geoff. Oh dear [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER] I'm into this not famous [LAUGHTER] er rubbish []. [LAUGHTER] Er Ma'am I think it would be helpful to pick up a point you made in relation to the R Royal Society of Birds, Royal Soci R S P B. I think many of us in the hall here er realize that we're probably the second largest users of the waters after the feathered variety and it's very encouraging to realize that er there are some, may I say, green members of Council and its committees er who are very foresighted. At a recent meeting of the, I believe the, first of the Estuaries Management Committee Meetings for the Orwell and the Stour I was approached by the R S P B representative and was delighted to be asked, how soon is the pamphlets that we're jointly publishing coming out and I said, oh that's a jolly good idea, what's happening, and he tells me that the R Y A's name is to be published with the R S P B and this can do nothing but help our image as we will all appreciate in here, perhaps we need to remember that the gun clubs call themselves, the Gun and Convers Conservation Societies, the wide wise wild fowlers call themselves the Wild Fowlers and Conservation Societies, perhaps we should be the Royal Yachting and Conservation Society and join in with that R S P B publication for I believe quite a very small sum relative to the total outlay. Thank you Ma'am. Thank you. So do No send, I think Chairman and erm cruising general purposes. cruising general purposes may have. Thank you Ma'am, I did er put this with, this request before Council and it is going through the er proper channels, shall we say, and we'll be going ahead. Thank you. Your Royal Highness, it is, it is, it is interesting that when I attended the Annual General Meeting last year of the Boats Organization, the fact that I said that yachtsmen was a Con Conservation Body as well surprised them and since that time we have having collaboration with them er more and more and this is to be welcomed because we all want to sail in nice surroundings. Hear, hear
[Rod:] Roger Tollersbury Mud Club and I kid you not erm
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rod:] we are a group of beach crawlers [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rod:] [clears throat] it's following on from what Geoff was saying er and I think it's perhaps worth mentioning something about coastal zone management and estuary management. Erm in the last year or so, erm, one has been confronted with this idea which has been promoted from certain quarters that the water space is entirely unmanaged. All these people that tear about on the water on a Sunday don't know what they're doing and are in desperate need of someone to manage them. I have, however, pointed out that there are things like nautical charts, voyage systems, harbour regulations etcetera etcetera which is a form of management albeit self management. I will give you an example of what one might be confronted with in the future from, from a piece from the Environment Committee in the House of Commons' Report on Coastal Zone Planning and Management and it says here, [reading] we fail to see what is impractical about treating the seabed as submerged land an opinion shared by the Royal Town Planning Institute no less and if planning authorities can deal with issues like public rights of way, aggregate extraction multiple use on land, they should be able to cope with rights of navigation and extraction of sea []. Now I have considerable respect for the House of Commons' Environment Committee but I think on this occasion they must have been tired and emotional when they wrote that.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rod:] [clears throat] The point of issue is that estuary and coastal zone management is a reality and what seems to be happening is all sorts of different plans are popping up on various estuaries and Geoff knows them well now because he's been involved with the one on the Stour and Orwell and what is happening is that these are starting at local level so the first contact with sailors may be from a local authority or someone at local level. So it may be the Regional Association or perhaps the local estuary er Sailing Association is first contacted and what will happen er when one is contacted is that you will come into contact with environmentalists and conservationists and not all environmentalists and conservationists are quite as af affable and conciliatory as I am, some can be quite confrontational and therefore there will be the need for a considerable amount of lip biting and self restraint. Er in fact I think John perhaps ought to introduce a, a course of self restraint for estuary management negotiators erm so that they can have er some pre-training before they go into this forum. I of course will be, be available to er hurl abuse at these people
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Rod:] so that they are fully trained and ready to handle the problems that might arise erm there is, however, cause for some er optimism and I refer specifically to the recreational page from the Estuaries Consultation Document from English Nature and in one of their er proposals and objectives they say encouraging self regulation and observance of Code of Practice by local clubs and groups to avoid clon conflict with and or disturbance to other users including nature conservation interests. Now if that is really saying to the water users that it's down to you, there are genuine concerns of conservation and I think they are, there is a real problem in some areas. The important thing is for people to listen to the genuine concerns, sort out the, the real issues from the power politics and then hopefully go forward in, in a, in a manner of conciliation. Perhaps in closing erm I would just er repeat with your permission Ma'am er a piece from your nineteen ninety er presidential address and it says, [reading] as yachtsmen we must care for the environment, it is fair to say that most do but images are created by the bad news. People who have grown up with the sport when the pressures were not too great perhaps do not always think of others. Our craft are mostly environmentally friendly and those with craft that are less so will have to think seriously about improving them. I feel that if we are not careful, outside pressures with no understanding of people's responsibility in their own areas would get involved which would be a shame from everyone's viewpoint []. I think that's extremely true and extremely sound advice and I hope we can go away today bearing that in mind. Thank you.
[speaker002:] The questions. Was there a question? [LAUGHTER] I was rather flabbergasted that anyone had paid any attention to what I had said. [LAUGHTER] Excuse me for that er actually erm and I am grateful to you for pointing out really an area which is always going to cause erm a degree of difficulty. I rather like your idea of a course. [LAUGHTER] I think it would come in useful for people in, in all sorts of areas [LAUGHTER] erm particularly with planners but there is no doubt, and I, and this is no joking matter, that there are an awful lot of agencies of one sort or another who are finding that they are actually having to get on with other agencies. In some areas this is called multi-disciplinary which is a good word but it, it's a bit formal but it does, it's just as difficult for them, everybody's been used to w functioning in their own little areas under their own headings, not least of course the bureaucrats who are particularly good at it because it makes life easier. The exercise of cooperating with the other people, even though they're in the same relative area than in this case it may be use of facilities for leisure, is not very easy and there may be a very very good cause to have a proper course in how to get on with other people, in these sort of cooperative ventures, so thank you for, for drawing our attention to it, it is an interes would be an interesting exercise to. Was there another hand up over... Your Royal Highness, Chairman, Commodore, Commodores, Members, I'd like, if I may, to say a few words on behalf of the R Y A Seamanship Foundation. Now this is your charity, it's called the R Y A Seamanship Foundation and it does have close links with the R Y A but it is independent and is d is dependent upon raising money from donations and other sources like that. We have had a very good year, thanks to the indefatigable Bugs sitting behind me, who is either fitting the boats out or going to New Zealand to win races or taking Guide Dogs for the Blind sponsored trips round greek flotillas er everything comes to him readily. We have had a wonderful year. In New Zealand er our team got a gold and a silver medal in the World Blind Sailing Competition and if you think of what that is in that was involved in achieving that er it is a very great matter. Much thanks to John and many others in the R Y A who helped with training and preparing er that er expedition and then in the World Disabled Championships in Barcelona, Kevin who has one of our Challenger catamarans, in which he's been national champion seven times. He won the gold medal there thanks to and a rather curious operation of the rules. I think it's fair to say he's the first one to acknowledge that but he did win the gold medal and as a result he became yachtsman of the year and at a time when there is very a much heightened interest in the problems of disabled and people with visual impairment it was a real boost for sailors who have those problems that we did so well during the year. Another very important factor was that at the Boat Show the R Y A announced that it was taking responsibility for the national coordination of all activities er for sailors with special needs, that's blind, deaf, disabled and there are many organizations who are working in this field but the R Y A is the coordinator. Now the trouble is that we have been the victim of those successes. The charitable world as a whole, as I'm sure many of you know, has been severely hit by the recession er our donations received this year are dramatically down on last year's and we operate on a shoestring but the provision of teams to go round the world, the provision of training, even with all the help we get from the R Y A still costs a lot of money. It would be absolutely disastrous if after the excellent work that's been done this year we were not able to maintain that. So what we have done is we have started something called Sailathon which is a word that Bugs made up erm and what it is is it's, it's an attempt to get yacht clubs, sailing clubs all round the country to do something themselves for the Sea Mission Foundation. We don't mind what it is, it might be a parent race, it might be a barbecue, it might be an auction. I hope it will be in all your club bars one of our bottles, we have distributed special bottles er sailor proof bottles I hope they are er which you put money in er very simply without any impediment and I do hope that all clubs will use those bottles and, and gather lots of money. Now we've distributed to over a thousand clubs. We don't need all that much from each club to keep us afloat but if we don't get your help, I am very concerned that in the present recession we shall not be able to keep up our work and in conclusion Your Royal Highness perhaps I could just say that the Seamanship Foundation is very grateful to the R Y A, to the Treasurer, Chris and particularly to the Senior Managers who have done everything they can to help the foundation, thank you. [clapping] Thank you very much well it's always a pleasure to hear of about the Seamanship Foundation and I'm sure that, as you might be saying, and er the need for the foundation's fundraising will be rather heightened this year as a result of last year's drop but I'm equally sure that you will get a tremendous amount of support from the members and on that note which I think is er also is an important method of concentrating our priorities and on the basis of we're extremely lucky to be able to pursue a really very enjoyable pastime with relatively few problems and that if we can get those opportunities to many more, who would otherwise not be able to enjoy and in fact frequently don't get to enjoy any other pastime, we should endeavour to do so and consider ourselves lucky that we can. Thank you. There are no more questions. Your Royal Highness sorry, Your Royal Highness er before we, we ask you to close this meeting I would like to ask our members to show their appreciation for the wonderful way you have chaired this Annual General Meeting, for your presence here and the gracious way you support the sport throughout the season. Will you join me with acclaim for our President. [clapping] Thank you all very much indeed and thank you particularly for making an effort to come and join us at the A G M, apart from the fact that it would be tedious in the extreme to look at an empty room, I do understand [LAUGHTER] that it's easy and it's never quite the right time for everybody and this is er tremendously widespread. We do appreciate the efforts you make to come to the meeting and in case you were worried the bar will be open in the Oak Room now. [LAUGHTER]