Dear Member,

Welcome to 2024 and the 75th Anniversary year here at MYC ! By the time you read this 2023 will be long gone, and many of us, as is tradition, will be contemplating the new year diet plans that we will “Definitely” stick to this time !

Its not only Christmas and new year celebrations of course, there is also the inevitable, comforting delve into the biscuit barrel ,as we wonder how to cope with those dark, cold and wet days before we can get our water based passion, in whatever form, ignited once again, only to discover that all of the previous seasons sailing gear has mysteriously shrunk !

Having completed my first year as Commodore many things have changed that affect the role.With the onset of more readily accessible technology, social media and all those things that were not such an influence my first time around some 22 years ago! Many things whether good bad or indifferent are still there at our committee meetings bringing the same discussions ,debates and hurdles to clear, plus all the new things that go with them !

There was a lot to consider and discuss in 2023, and 2024 promises to be equally as challenging for the committee and its officers ,therefore the non- programmed part of our season is still quite a busy time, and we have lots to do if we are going to be ready.

I would like to take this opportunity and extend thanks to all of the committee members ,Officers and Trustees, who take the time and responsibility to keep our club running, of course there would be no point without our clubs members, so i would urge everyone please to support the club ,the committee ,and our activities both on and off the water whenever you can, and hopefully we will all have a bumper year to look forward to in 2024 ! There will be regular updates through the season to keep an eye out for.

Like many other clubs, we have ,and will need to continue changing with the trends of the twenty first century, and above all ,hold on to our most wonderful and unique position on the River Blackwater, no other club has an aspect quite like it !

I wonder if our founding members and pioneers of MYC ever imagined the Club would still be here 75 years later ! Thanks to the very first Commodore Mr Ron Werhli followed by Mr John ‘Mac”McKinlay (the man who introduced the Snipe Class Sailing dinghy into the Club) which had many successful seasons both at home and away representing MYC. 1956 was Mr Eric J Kempton and also my birth year! I was a cadet member by the time Mr Douglas W Catt took on the role in 1964, and not to forget my Grandfather Mr Lesley Eric Lancaster 1960 -1964, the first of four occasions that he held the role and still the only person to achieve this thus far, but then he, along with my Grandmother, Louisa “lou” Lancaster ,did live and breath MYC for fifty five years until old age finally had the last say . Mr Eddie Wetherell has three visits to the office and always provided top class leadership.

Whether MYC can last another 75 years remains to be seen, but for now let us say a big thank you to those founder members in the best possible way and reward them with a great season on and off the water at MYC !

Hope to see you all there for good sailing and happy times

Ian R Varney Commodore