Supporting Cruising – have your voice heard

As the cruising season comes to an end, we are all winterising our boats and making plans for the 2023 season and beyond. Some will be planning to head south to the sun, join a cruise in company, or just enjoy a local potter with a mackerel line out the back and the kettle on the hob. Every cruising sailor masters their own ship, but we all support each other at sea or on the waterways. Irish Sailing are here to support you too, and that’s why we’ve launched a short survey.

Complete a short survey HERE, or below, to help us to understand the activities and needs of the cruising sailors of Ireland.

Did you know that the Cruising and Representation Policy Group is a key forum in the Irish Sailing policy group line up, and supports cruising sailors of crafts of all sizes, as well as offering representation for all boaters?

The Policy Groups are made up of volunteers with experience in the relevant fields with the purpose of:

•  Help connect the Association (the Board and the professional staff) with the members and stakeholders.
• Provide advice and expertise to the Board on specialist areas and points of contact for the staff.
• Help harness the experience and energy of volunteers to supplement the resources of the professional staff
• Ensure the activities of the association remain relevant to the membership
• Develop potential future Board members.

The Cruising and Representation Policy Group includes Vera Quinlan (Irish Sailing Board Member & Chair), Alex Blackwell (Irish Cruising Club & Ocean Cruising Club), Norman Keane (ICC Publications), John Leahy (ICC / CAI member), John Murphy (CAI), and Gail MacAllister (Irish Sailing).

The Cruising focus areas for the group are:

• Develop Irish Sailing's function in support of leisure boaters and policies to encourage participation in cruising activities
• Design, organise and run an annual Cruising Conference
• Take input from affiliated organisations of cruising sailors in Ireland, including clubs and cruising schools
• Support Irish Sailing's training courses up to Yachtmaster Ocean level
• Encourage and support the development of commercial and State strategies for the provision of marine leisure infrastructure
• Liaise with Irish Sailing on Cruising and Leisure Boating.

The Representation focus areas are:

• Consider requests for submissions issued by government and other authorities, decide if a response is required and respond as appropriate.
• Monitor government and regulatory issues affecting leisure boaters of all kinds and initiate and develop responses as required.
• Develop and draft strategies and tactics to address any regulatory and other issues affecting leisure boaters.

We invite you to have your voice heard and complete a short survey HERE to help us to understand your activities and needs, legislative or regulatory issues.

If you would like to receive up-to-date news and reviews from Irish Sailing please sign up for the News Round Up and we will send out a weekly Round Up by email HERE.

Go HERE to see details on all seven of the policy groups and to www.sailing.ie/cruising for a range of information and support pages.

Email Gail MacAllister on gail.macallister@sailing.ie for further any queries or support.