County Antrim Yacht Club
112th Annual Report
As this, my first year as Commodore of County Antrim Yacht Club is coming to an end, I find it
hard to believe that a full twelve months have come and gone so quickly. A lot has happened
over the past year and hopefully this report will provide you all with a flavour of the exciting
and productive year we have all had.
One thing I have learnt over the past year from visiting sailing clubs within the local environs
and in conversations with others is the excellent reputation CAYC has gained as a result of
our hospitality towards others. This has clearly been built up over many years of taking such
good care of all our visitors, be they sailors, members from other clubs or our own
membership, both on and off the water.
Whilst we are not perfect in all that we do, despite our best efforts, I am delighted to say we
do get a lot of things right and with that in mind I would like to congratulate all those
concerned within the club: Collectively we have achieved a great deal and I am more than
confident that in future years this will continue as a direct result of the determination,
dedication and enthusiasm of our membership.
Since taking up my new role as Commodore I have been keen to reinforce the primary CAYC
objective which is 'to promote, teach and encourage the sport of sailing'. I think it is fair to say
that the Honorary Sailing Secretary's report, which forms part of this document, provides clear
evidence that our objective is well and truly being met.
In addition, over the last number of years the club has expanded into other areas of activity
with the overall objective of offering a wider range of interests resulting in us having
"something for everyone”. This strategy seems to be working well and CAYC is determined to
be totally inclusive to all wherever possible, either on or off the water. Over the past 12
months the clubhouse and members have been as busy as ever and a brief overview of our
activities over the past 12 months include:Kayaking - in the past year the club organised a number of 1 star courses for kayaking
beginners, undertook the annual paddle to Portmuck and received a couple of visiting
kayakers. A number of refresher evenings also took place with enthusiastic participants.
(CAYC is included on the East Coast Canoe Trail as an official access point for visiting
kayakers as described on the Canoe N.I. website and literature).
Rambling - a number of local rambles around Whitehead, including the lighthouse, took place
this year despite some unfavourable weather conditions. By far our 'biggest' ramble took
place in Donegal last October with some 40+ club members rambling and relaxing over a long
weekend in Glenties.
Cycling - the cycling section meets on a weekly basis and enjoys both local and more
challenging runs - such as a cycle to Ballycastle and circuits of Islandmagee amongst
others.
Golf - the golfers enjoyed another busy year with the usual Annual and Boxing Day events.
Outings included visits to Whitehead, Larne and Cairndhu golf courses.
Book club - as well as continuing to cover a wide range of books and authors, the book club
members have undertaken a number of outings to the cinema and to hear visiting authors.
Craft club - newly established in 2014 the craft club continues to increase in numbers and in
the range of creative projects being produced.
The club has continued to organise and host a wide range of social events throughout the
year, including themed quizzes and International food nights such as a South African BBQ, a
French night and an Italian night. The year also saw regular events such as the airing of widescreen rugby fixtures, the midsummer BBQ, children's Halloween and Christmas parties, as
well as the 'grown-ups' Christmas dinner, continue to see the club-house bustling with lively
and sociable camaraderie. The club is proud to also have supported a number of local fund
raising events by hosting an Oriental night for the Banana Bunch, a quiz to raise funds for the
homeless, as well as the annual New Year's Day swim for charity.
The terms 'club' and 'membership' are really too generic when it comes to describing those
who plan, organise and give of their time so freely to ensure that all the sailing, training and
social events run both smoothly and successfully. It is testament to the commitment and hard
work of these individuals that the club is what it is today.
Clearly it is vitally important that we secure funding throughout the year in order for us to
finance the various activities and overall expenses incurred. This funding is generated by a
wide range of sources including amongst others:




Membership fees;
Event sponsorship;
Social events;
Donations; and
Grant aid.
Recently we have found it necessary to replace our oldest rescue boat engine which is
proving somewhat unreliable despite our best efforts. Our fund raising activities so far have
secured £3575 towards the cost of the replacement engine by way of some innovative
activities and events. General wear and tear on our rescue boats, club boats and equipment
means we are always focused on maintaining and increasing our funds: To this end, I would
encourage all our members to make good use of the club whenever possible and to bear us
in mind when looking for a venue to hold private functions.
The club has continued to seek out ways of improving its facilities and 2014 was no
exception; we were very pleased to take delivery of our new rib, mentioned in last year’s
report, giving us three safety boats in total, all of which were in continual use throughout the
season. We have dismantled one of the boat sheds and relocated it in order to provide us
space for a third shed beside the slipway which obviously improves accessibility for the safety
boats and therefore overall safety. However, by far the most dramatic addition to the club has
been the commission and erection of three beautiful mosaics on the sea-facing wall of the
clubhouse. The mosaic artwork came as a great surprise to the membership but had been
proposed to the General Committee in the winter of 2013. The artwork was designed by the
Artist, Desmond Kinney. Kinney Designs installed the finished work at the end of May. Shortly
after this Desmond became unwell and passed away a few months later. However, he was
able to make a visit to the Club with member Joyce Watterson who commissioned the work
and he was very pleased with the final outcome. The Club has a lasting legacy and these
mosaics now form the backdrop to many photographic opportunities, celebrating the many
events at the Club.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sponsors of our 2014 programme of events
as listed below for their very generous and ongoing support through this period of
development at the Club. I think it is fair to say without our sponsors it would not be possible
to provide the levels of resources required to support the racing, coaching and training,
especially for our younger members, which is at the heart of what this Club is about.
Looking back over the twelve months I do feel it has been another successful year at CAYC.




Hosting the very successful 420 Ulster Championships with visitors from around Ireland.
We hosted an Open event to showcase the RS400 Class which continues to grow
throughout Belfast Lough clubs and Ireland as a whole.
Jenna McCarlie was crowned the Topper 4.2 British National Champion.
Manon Ellis was awarded a new Topper dinghy through the John Merrick Trust
Foundation which reverts to the Club after two years.



County Antrim Yacht Club won the RYA NI Club Trophy at the RYA NI Youth
Championships. A fantastic number of sailors from our junior and youth sections
competed which is amazing in that in comparison to many, we are one of the smaller
Clubs in N. Ireland.
Of significant importance we also have Junior and Youth Sailors in the RYANI Squad
system again 2014- 2015.
Several of our Members hold a number of key posts: Michelle Hill – Secretary,
International Topper Class Association. Alastair McCarlie – Chairman, Irish Topper Class
Association. Sheela Lewis – Chair, RYA NI Board.
The above are only a few highlights I wished to mention, the detail of the Sailing season is
clearly captured in the Honorary Sailing Secretary’s report.
2015 is already looking like being another busy year at CAYC. The Flying Fifteen East Coast
Championships are planned for 16/17 May and the Topper Irish National Championships for
3-5 July. A wide range of sail training and race coaching, powerboat, racing rules and other
courses are already being discussed. It is very hard to keep up with all the proposed activity!
In conclusion it just leaves me to pass on my sincere thanks to all the Officers, Post Holders
and Committee members for their support and commitment during my first year as
Commodore and to say a personal thank you to all the volunteers from the membership who
have helped both on and off the water - without whom we would not have been able to
provide such a diverse and exciting range of activities and events. Your contribution is
essential to the successful running of our Club and is much appreciated.
Our Sponsors & Contributors for 2014:Allianz Insurance
Eurotec Safety Services
Balmoral Estates
Plata Jewellery
Carrickfergus Borough Council
Ewing Seafoods
S.J.B Barbour Optometrists
Whitehead Dental Practice
DR Mitchell Ltd
DJ Systems
Stena Line
Mc Master Meats
Aqua Shak
Drinks Inc
David Jamison
Commodore
Annual Sailing Report 2014
2014 saw CAYC step up yet another gear moving forward with all things sailing. It has been
another thriving year seeing the Club and its membership grow in many areas. Looking back
on the year that has disappeared rather quickly I get excited when I sit down to my little pile of
reminders and notes left out for when I try to put together my report. To see an increase in
efficiency and passion from all who use the facilities has allowed our Club to positively commit
to becoming an encouraging feature not only within our Community, but on a regional and
national scale. Welcoming sailors from all over the country the feedback we have received
from visitors has been nothing short of inspiring. This has given CAYC the courage, skills and
in house expertise to take on one of the largest events the Club has seen in a number of
years. (Irish Topper Nationals July 2015).
Starting the season off with the spring series we saw a keen interest from the beginning from
all sailors proving the interest to get back on the water is still there. 2014 points racing has
developed immensely with some days attracting more that 20 boats to the water, forcing our
safety crews to ensure at least two safety boats being available at all times. For points racing
this has been an encouraging sign showing the amount of enjoyment everyone gets from the
regular racing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Safety Crew and Race Officers
who gave up their time to allow this to happen.
The Sailing Committee begins the year frantically and with difficulty trying to juggle dates for
all the events that fill the calendar during the year. 2014 was as busy as the rest seeing us
host two Regional events the Ulster 420 Championships in May and the RS Open in June
both events again completely run with in house members. Other events on the 2014 calendar,
Push the Boat Out / Try Sailing Day, Annual Swim & RNLI Raft race, Balloon Race, BBQ Sail
& Kayak day, Junior Regatta and not forgetting our world record Event - Bart’s Bash.
Sadly, 2014 again proved to be less than ideal for CAYC Regatta Day only allowing us again
to get the morning races away, with the first torrential downpour of the year deciding to hit
Whitehead drenching any hopes of running an afternoon regatta or attracting any visitors. All
of the above events where well attended and supported and I would like to thank personally
all who took part and helped in the organising of the year’s events.
While there was plenty happening in house this year our young athletes where kicking up a
storm and representing us far and wide achieving and excelling in a number of classes. Some
of 2014’s main achievements have been nothing short of pure class. Our young
representatives took to the road to compete in the RYA Youth Championships pulling out a
whopping 21-person team to represent CAYC. After beginning the season with some in house
race training which itself has proven to be a huge success the young squad started to rack up
some convincing results over other clubs. With 8 of our squad placing across various fleets
they gave themselves a nice surprise taking home the RYA NI Club Trophy. This was an
award we just missed out winning in 2013, its inaugural year. It was certainly a perfect end to
a great day. Well done to all and thank you to all parents and competitors for taking part. Let’s
see if we can keep the trophy on the wall for another year…..
Some more individual achievements throughout the year, Andrew Mitchell has taken the
plunge into the Laser 4.7 fleet and has settled in perfectly taking 3 rd overall in the RYA NI
Youth Champs. Emily and Jocelyn Hill proving their worth in the 420 class 1 st overall in the
RYA NI Youth Champs and still multitasking well campaigning their Lasers as far as Largs for
the UK Nationals. Taylor Black taking 1st place 4.2 Regatta Fleet RYA NI Youth Champs,
Rory Williamson 1st Place 5.3 Regatta Fleet, Ellen McCarlie 3rd place 5.3 Fleet and Jenna 8th
in the same Fleet at RYA NI Youth Champs. Results RYANI Youth Champs
Jenna McCarlie was the 2014 Topper 4.2 British National Champion.
Again I have to mention the time and effort all the parents and competitors put into their
travelling to be able to represent themselves and the Club is truly inspirational. The time
management between school work and sailing is very mature across all ages and I feel the
need to commend the junior members for their participation throughout the year.
Training and Development
I am happy to say that we have had great success again in this area.




9 weekends of RYA Club Race training (Fridays & Saturdays), 2 Powerboat L1 & L2,
5 Weeks of RYA YSS, 2 Weekends of RYA YSS refreshers,
1 day RYA Race Coaching & Mentoring, 1 Day RS Feva taster session,
2 (2 x weekends) of Adult National Sailing Scheme, 1 Canoe Course.
Combined over the course of year CAYC has awarded over 100 qualifications and
achievements across more than 20 different levels & skills. It continues to be an ongoing
success story inspiring and driving young and old along the CAYC development pathway. A
massive thank you to all Coaches, Instructors and Members who work tirelessly behind the
scenes to put such a great training and development structure in place.
2014 also saw CAYC acquiring a new Safety Boat and hopefully, soon to be, a new home
beside the Club’s other two RIB garages. This was secured through a first class grant
submission and the strategy of a focused fundraising effort. Our Membership, as ever, got on
board ensuring items such as this are available to the Club in times of growth. Without this
new equipment I don’t think the Club could have functioned so smoothly with such a busy
calendar. This little section is to thank our Club Principal (John Lewis) and all members
involved in the grant and fundraising efforts during 2014.
I think it’s only fair I end this 2014 report by again thanking all Sponsors who continue to
support us at CAYC. Thank you to all Committee and Members for their time and efforts
creating the productive and inspiring atmosphere that is CAYC.
Many thanks to everyone for a fantastic year at CAYC; I’m looking forward to 2015.
Ben Ferris
Hon. Sailing Secretary
(Link to Captain’s PrizeGiving – RYA Certificate & Points Racing Awards)
http://www.cayc.co.uk/sailing/captains-prize-giving-2014/
Annual Report: Membership Overview of
2014
31 December 2013
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
31 December 2014
Total
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
Total
FAMILY
63
FAMILY
62
FULL
56
FULL
60
LADY
6
LADY
6
LADY PENSIONER
12
LIFE
3
LADY PENSIONER
LIFE
11
3
OVERSEAS
28
OVERSEAS
31
PENSIONER
27
PENSIONER
26
SING. FAMILY
4
JUNIOR
74
SING. FAMILY
JUNIOR
2
66
ASSOCIATE
4
ASSOCIATE
4
U25 / Student
19
U25 / Student
15
Grand Total
296
Grand Total
286
63
add 2nd Family member
Subtotal
359
No .of children in Family
Overall Total
82
441
add 2nd Family Member
Subtotal
No .of children in Family
Overall Total
62
348
82
430
The Family and Full membership saw a few resignations at the beginning of 2014 season as
the Fees were due. However, new members joined throughout the year and as the year
ended we had gained 4 additional Full Members maintaining the balance in these categories
similar to 2012 and 2013.
As per the statement last year, some have modified their memberships to Full for the male
participant only. A further audit of juniors has taken place, removing those that did not pay
membership this year and did not sail at the Club. Many of these places have been taken up
by a new influx of juniors taking part in the courses and these were well attended by existing
children in the Family membership space. There has been a slight drop in the number of
U25s.
There was no significant drop in active members as the Club events were well supported
throughout the busy season. There have been several resignations in good faith prior to the
end of 2014, citing a change in circumstances and wishing the Club well.
Amendments that occurred during 2014 that are not captured in these tables will be reflected
in the 2015 status as the Club Fees will recognise: 4 Full members altered to Family
Membership / 1 Family altered to Full / 1 Single Parent Family altered to Full Membership.
Numbers that Joined in 2014
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
FAMILY
FULL
JUNIOR
PENSIONER
Grand Total
Total
2
9
29
1
41