Members' Section

Dear Member

CLUB LAUNCH

Inevitably there has been a lot of discussion and comment regarding the Club launch and our use of the Flushing launch.  I write with a foot in both camps as a Member of both Clubs, but here I am putting over to you the RCYC line.

Firstly, RCYC pay for the Flushing launch to come over here on Friday evenings under a contractual arrangement with FSC over the past few years since the number of moorings were extended in the Harbour and our launch has traveled further between Kiln Quay, Custom House Quay and now up to Boat Co at Flushing.  We are billed by FSC every two months.  However, the RCYC launch has always run at no cost to FSC on Tuesday evenings so that RCYC Members can get on and off their yachts while competing in the Flushing races.  It has always been the case that many FSC Members have come to this side of the River and used the RCYC launch on Friday evening and on both evenings the vast majority of crews who use the launch are not members of either Club.

The RCYC launch did 30,000 man trips over last season. We installed a new engine last season and had serious work done on the gearbox with a new propeller and shaft this year. Last week I had to order another new propeller due to damage from flotsam. The cost of our launch service to this Club is now some £28.000 per annum as it runs for long hours with a full time Boatman and two Relief Boatman. The launch now is 28 years old and the Club has to make provision for replacement.  Replacement cost is not within the current budget figure of £28,000.

It is against these cost issues and escalation of fuel costs that the Flag Officers and House Committee have taken a decision that RCYC will only take its own Members in their launch at no additional cost, as of course the Members subscriptions here are currently funding the launch costs. The large number of guests and crew who are not Members will help RCYC meet the overheads here by paying £1.00 each way and help maintain what all visitors to this Club say is the best Club Launch service in the Country.

FSC only runs for some 4 hrs each week and cannot be compared with this side of the River where the launch is on duty 72 hrs each week. The FSC Commodore tells me that on Friday evenings when their launch is contracted here it will only transport RCYC or FSC Members as at the moment Flushing are not in a position to implement any charging policy.

Finally, if RCYC do not recover some of these launch costs our Members will pay in some way or another and question why we transport so many non- members at their cost.

I hope the foregoing gives you a better understanding of the situation.

Peter Collett

Hon Sailing Secretary