Hi all IRC members, racing sailors and interested parties, Compliments for the season to you all, may this year be a good one for you.

We've all heard about the retirement of both Vineta and Gumption yachts from the IRC fleet in the South Atlantic Race! If you haven't, consider yourself informed! Both had issues with masts. The good news is that everyone has returned safe and sound and a certain SA IRC Vice Chairman has failed in his escape plan!! (Along with a couple of others I know of!)

I have yet to be informed of the Western Cape IRC Fleets intentions for the sailing of the WP IRC Provincials. Our WP Rep and IRC VC is languishing in Walvis Bay looking at broken/missing masts, so I'm still assuming they will be held as part of Table Bay Week?

News from Durban......we have had a problem in the weighing of 5000kg + boats for the past 3 months. The Navy has always assisted us with their 50 ton crane, but this crane has been sent to Simons Town. Durban Navy has been left with a 15ton crane that will only lift 5000kg at the lift angle required. This did present us with a challenge for weighing heavier displacement yachts, but all is not doom and gloom. Both Sandy and I bumped into members of SAS Council at RNYC this past Saturday morning prior to one of their meetings. I "subtly" raised the Durban IRC weighing dilemma. I am pleased to announce that the SAS Council members present indicated that they would favourably consider assisting the IRC Class in the cause of promoting sailing. It was felt that the keelboat fraternity typically gets disproportionately less put back into keelboat racing in contrast to what we actually contribute.

Another possible solution mentioned by one of the SAS Councilors, is that he knows a fellow sailor who is involved with Crane Hire nearby Durban harbour. Introductions will be facilitated, and I shall keep you all informed of developments to this end.

Other than the above, our Class Association presently stands at 70 members (and that is only accounting for the owner of each IRC rated yacht. If we were to assume an average of 5 crew per yacht...we're accounting for 350+ active sailors with a further 30 yachts that have not revalidated as yet this season. Another 150 odd sailors? Further to IRC Class membership, I am of the opinion (and this was discussed at the AGM) that we should consider amending the SA IRC Constitution to state that the helmsman/skipper (if not the owner) should also be an IRC Class member for entry into IRC provincial and national events. This is the norm in most class associations and the extra cost is not prohibitive to major campaigns, and this action will actually strengthen our membership data/input base into this rating system by "sucking in" more of our top sailors.