Page 5 - Yachter Autumn/Winter 2022

FROM THE BRIDGE
As I sit to write these words for the latest edition of The Yachter, I am minded that this is the first one since I was elected to the post of Commodore.
I said at the time it is a tremendous honour to be entrusted with the reigns of our Club and I thank you for putting that
trust in me. Of course, it takes more than
a Commodore to run our Club and I am thankful I have a team around me that are supportive, able, and willing, and actually
do roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. I am therefore delighted to offer my thanks to my fellow Flag Officers,Virginia Boyle (Rear Commodore House), Bill Roper (Rear Commodore Sailing), Dave Martin (Rear Commodore Finance), and of course Tina Daniel (Rear Commodore Facilities) for putting themselves forward for election. Equally, Linda Sign and Nathan Hamilton who have stepped up to the plate to take on the important roles of Captain of Racing and Captain of Cruising respectively.
The day-to-day management of the
Club falls to our General Manager, Lauren McCann, who has now been with us for over three years. It is extraordinary to think that during her tenure she has had to cope with some of the most unexpected obstacles you could ever imagine. Essentially, she has
not really had a ‘normal’ year yet. Firstly,
the redevelopment of Gins following our withdrawal from OceanVillage left us temporarily with no Clubhouse to use, and then barely a year goes by and COVID-19 made an unwelcome appearance which once again forced us to temporarily close the doors.This created a problem with recruiting staff when it was all over, and in many ways this continues to be the case today. Lauren has worked hard to find solutions to these problems but because
she is good at it her efforts sometimes go unnoticed.An example of this is when our Chef, Greg, took his holiday in July.This would have left us without a chef, however, Lauren’s proactive approach was to invite the Chilli Chain, a Mexican street food vendor, to become Gins’ first ever pop-up restaurant. As Ian Dury would have said, reasons to be cheerful!
I feel that it would be remiss of me not to remind you all to take sensible precautions when visiting the Club, as instances of COVID-19 appear to be on the rise. In fact, both Rebecca and I tested positive for
the first time in July. Let me tell you, it was a real bore! Wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance, and if you have any symptoms, please do not visit the Club.We have so much to look forward to over the coming months and we don’t want to run the risk of having to shut-up shop again. I am so keen to see you all enjoying Gins and all the activities the Club provides, both on shore and on the water.
For now though, the autumn beckons and there is much to do. I look forward to seeing you all at Gins at some point and wish you good health and fair winds as we approach the end of the year!
Robin Funnell Commodore
FROM THE BRIDGE 5