Dear Fellow Members,

As 2024 comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect on a fruitful year for our club. We are proud to share that East Down Yacht Club is not only financially sound but also has maintained its commitment to enhance our facilities for the benefit of all members. This success is largely attributable to our dedicated volunteers, whose efforts save the club money and ensure its continued operation.

This year, we have made significant progress. We have a new committee boat ready for its facelift, and a new engine has been installed on our Osprey. Major renewal work has also been completed on Holm Bar and the ladies’ changing rooms. Looking ahead, I urge all members to be diligent in maintaining and looking after our club’s excellent facilities for the future.

Our on-the-water activities continue to grow and innovate. At this year’s AGM we celebrated fantastic range of passages, events, and activities that had been successfully completed and created lasting memories for all involved. Looking to the future, we have even more exciting opportunities planned, both on and off the water.

In particular, I encourage you to take advantage of our in-house training sessions. These are designed to improve your knowledge and skills while familiarising you with the waters around our club, our own rescue equipment and our own safety procedures. Be sure to keep an eye on your communications for upcoming dates and check the club calendar once it is released.

Our membership has seen a particularly strong increase in female participation over the past number of years. This success is thanks to the diligent and selfless efforts of the Committees and their support teams.

Looking ahead, our challenge is to continue developing these opportunities, while also expanding our social activities in the coming year. As the RYA’s “Women on the Water” initiative puts it, we aim to support and empower our members in all aspects of our club.

As a club, we also spare a thought for those less fortunate this Christmas. We are indeed a fortunate community. This year, we have lost a number of members who were good friends and who contributed greatly to the club. Their spirit will remain with us and in the club.

To all members, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Let’s look forward to fantastic opportunities and challenges in 2025.

Yours in sailing,

Liam Kelly

EDYC Commodore

21 December 2024