Dear Member,

I would like to bring you up to date with a proposal put forward by Yachting NSW (YNSW) to change the method of collecting the annual YNSW subscription fee and subsequent changes required to the constitution of YNSW.

In 2007 YNSW proposed a system which allocated each club into a banding table.  The annual subscription fee varied depending where on the banding table your club was allocated.  Nine bands were proposed with clubs allocated into band 1 paying an annual subscription fee of $65,000 to band 9 paying $500 p.a. 

Currently the annual YNSW subscription fees are collected by each yacht club on behalf of YNSW.

YNSW have determined the CYCA will fall into band 1 of the banding table and as such will be charged a subscription fee of $65,000 per annum.  This is substantially more than the $28,210 paid in fiscal year 2007/08 which was made up of the CYCA affiliation fee as well as the individual subscription fees collected from members of the CYCA on behalf of YNSW.

It is important to note that in return for the increase in subscription fees YNSW do not propose any increase in services.

Your Board is strongly opposed to this proposal.

We have repeatedly asked YNSW to explain why the CYCA will be charged $65,000 when other similar clubs will be charged vastly different amounts, and to date have received no acceptable response.  YNSW have advised there is no formula backing the amounts to be charged to each individual club, it appears to be on a capacity to pay basis.

YNSW does have a funding issue as a result of declining membership and non-compliance by people who are racing and are not members of YNSW.  Whilst your Board supports YNSW in addressing the non-compliance issue, it is not equitable to put the burden of declining membership on the shoulders of a small number of larger clubs.  This burden should be shared by all those who participate in the sport of sailing in NSW.

Whilst the CYCA support YNSW, if the proposal is accepted it may lead to a substantial increase in your membership subscriptions by us as well as other yacht or sailing clubs of which you may be a member.  Your Board has had the policy of keeping membership subscriptions as low as possible.  Since 2002 the normal subscription has only increased by 3%, thereby after inflation of some 22% there has been a substantial reduction in the real cost of being a member of your Club.

We have proposed to YNSW to charge each member of each Yacht Club in NSW a flat fee similar to most sports.  If this approach was to be adopted it would result in a charge to the members of less than $7.00 each.  We feel this proposal would be a more reasonable, transparent and a fair way of raising the revenue required for YNSW.  YNSW have resisted this proposal.

Currently the CYCA has no representation on the Board of YNSW.  CYCA member Roger Hickman is the President of YNSW but is nominated by the Double Bay Sailing Club.  Vice Commodore Garry Linacre sits on the Members Advisory Council of YNSW.

I encourage members who would like to discuss the above to contact myself or to voice your opinion to any member of the CYCA Board.  If you are a member of another yacht or sailing club you may wish to ask members of that Board  which way they intend to vote on this important matter.  The Special General Meeting of YNSW will be held on the 24th February and I will inform you on the results of that vote.

I look forward to seeing you at the Club or on the water in the near future.

Matt Allen
Commodore