Clubhouse Opening times

We are only opening the club on the Sunday and Wednesday’s in order to leave the clubhouse empty 72 hours before using again. Covid guidelines suggest that if the club is used everyday, for example, then a deep clean has to be actioned. Please be assured the clubhouse is being cleaned on a regular basis.  However, the Deep clean, as you will appreciate, will incur extra costs.

We need to be sure that the club is making the revenue in order to open up the Friday and Saturday times too.

We would like your views about opening up more hours, so please do reply to this email and we will bring it before the committee to discuss a new way forward.

This is always work in progress.

General committee Request

We still looking for the following posts to be filled. We need volunteers to sit on the committee and help run and manage aspects of the Club.

There are two ways we need your help.

Bar Committee Chairman – Volunteer position
The responsibilities will include chairing the small Bar Committee and overseeing the administration and management of the bar and staff. Initially this will be with volunteer and some paid staff until the bar can be viable for us to employ a Bar Steward. This will be a Voluntary position initially and will require liaison with the experienced bar persons and with help from members skilled in technical support activities for the bar services.

Social Secretary – Volunteer position
To arrange social events for the club, throughout the year. Job description available upon request. It would be really good to get some fresh ideas either in the club or online.

To apply please email; volunteer@ffsc.co.uk

Email from one of our volunteers

I would like to convey my most sincere thanks to Ann White and Angie Crean for their help in making the curtain swags for the Lounge Bar. I feel it makes the Club more inviting and ‘user friendly’.  I have felt for many years that it has looked very dull and in need of some t.l.c.

A big thank you, also, to those who took their time to say thank you and to give us their support, it was humbling but very much appreciated.

This is a great time to instigate more changes to make the entrance to the Club a more inviting space.  I know we cannot undergo any high capital spend initiatives, but I am sure if we all gave careful thought to any possible small changes we can instigate and complete  them on an organised, voluntary, d.i.y. basis.  I am sure that we must have some members who might have the skills needed.  Being a member of our recent volunteer team has been a great deal of enjoyable hard work coupled with good humoured fun.

The dining area is the next phase as this would not need vast amounts of expenditure.  In order to give this more character, personality and made more inviting for it to be used for the purpose for which it was intended.  Again, I envisage, maybe, blue gingham curtain swags.  These would soften the edges of the windows and make it look more like a dining area.  The north wall should have a colour on it to warm up the atmosphere and ambiance.  This would also enhance the display of cartoons which, at present, are pushed into the background due to the lack of wall colour.

This would be a great time to effect more changes to make the club a more inviting place to enter.  So, please put forward any ideas you may have, they will be more than welcome.

Maybe next year we will have a whole new beginning.  Lots of fresh faces and ideas to push our Club forward into the future for the good of us all.

Maggie Owen-Smith

Message from the Yacht Captain

Friday 21st August and Saturday 22nd August

Not the Ipswich Maritime Festival Cruise, to Ipswich Haven Marina.

Our next short cruise hopes to attract plenty of members, by boat or by any other means.

This cruise was booked originally to provide a great base for exploring the Ipswich Maritime Festival, which sadly cannot happen this year. However, by popular request, we will still cruise there to enjoy the interesting and convenient marina location, and the many culinary delights of Ipswich.

To book, or to confirm an earlier expression of interest, please contact the WhatsApp cruising group, email me on lynjskelton@hotmail.com or text me on 07881813599.

Please confirm crew numbers, boat name, length, beam and draught if you haven’t already done so recently, so that I can ensure an appropriate berth in the marina. Please pay berthing fees on arrival.

30 people max for each night.

The Marina is fully open, showers and toilets available.

Dining: I will not be making any bookings in advance, but please feel able to make your own arrangements according to social distancing needs.

Colin and Victoria Lister will be hosting a social gathering on or near the pontoons, for early Friday evening. Many thanks to them.

Thursday 3rd September

For your diaries:
Cruise to Walton and Frinton Yacht Club (or Titchmarsh Marina).
Details to follow

Your General Committee

We were asked to prepare a web page showing who the committee are and a short bit about each member. To view please click here.

Powerboat 1:1 Training Courses

We have managed to adapt ‘Carl Giles’ to offer 1-2-1 tuition for our RYA Powerboat levels 1 & 2 courses. So if you or someone you know would like to get your certificates then please do get in touch with training@ffsc.co.uk 
PPE & hand sanitiser and gel supplied and social distance of 1m+ exercised.
Please note there is a waiting list already!

Club shop

Are you looking for a nice birthday present for the sailor/boat person in your life? Percentage of the profits go to the club!

Stay safe and well
Enjoy your sailing!
Jane B & Jane W