By Sharon Bell, Cruising Captain
The Lonely Life of a Cruising Captain During COVID-19
We have been “hit” with many obstacles this year in life, work, economy, leisure activities, and health that are new to all of us. The impact of the “must-do” (things we don’t want to do) and “maybe” (things will get back to normal soon) is profound for all of us.
Your AYC Board of Directors desires to provide a safe platform for our members, and we have been holding off on scheduling any non-racing sailing activities secondary to the ever-changing viral mandates and threats against our health. We mourn the loss of our member families who are personally hit by illness this year, and no matter how sad or impatient we feel, we do not want to create a situation that will result in sacrificing any member’s health.
That said, this does not look like it is improving any time soon. We are seeing a significant spike or perhaps a second round of COVID-19 in health-care settings this month. It is time to get creative as a group and “do well” despite these obstacles – but safely. At the end of this club year, we hope that everyone says…this was a different year AND we are closer as a group for many reasons.
The Governor’s Cup will be held at Lake Pleasant next month but we are cancelling our annual camping weekend. Camping reservations needed to be made far ahead of the weekend and we are still under state safety mandates for large group gatherings
Now on to some meaningful activities!!! The AYC Cruising Class will be a new addition to our repertoire of non-racing activities. For any member who wants to get out on a boat during races (but not to race), we have a few volunteers who are offering ride-along spaces on a first-come, first-serve basis. Our first “Cruise” will be during the Governor’s Cup, and then we’ll adjust this as needed to create fun and interesting games, workshops, and challenges. Let me know if you are interested in becoming a part of this new group!
Stay tuned as we cautiously ramp up on non-racing sailing activities within the AYC! Well, maybe.
Contact Sharon by text at (623) 398-4814 or by email.