GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

Welcome to 2023 and I hope all Members enjoy the year ahead at Hillarys Yacht Club.

12 months ago the Club was still battling COVID restrictions with vaccination checks and restrictions on functions with numbers of attendees per square metre, no dancing, seated service only etc which led to the cancellation of the 2021 New Years Eve Event. Those times now seem a distant memory and it was pleasing that we had no such restrictions this Christmas and New Year with our Club events being very well patronised and plenty of fun times had by all.

Post New Year operations entered the usual lull with many Members taking the opportunity to holiday. Where possible, administration, hospitality and boat yard staff also took the opportunity to have a well deserved break before entering normal operations from mid-January.

In January, a new Club event being the Progressive Dinner with MAAC was a huge success with Members from both Clubs taking the opportunity to make new friends, and for some, to catch up with long time friends. A debrief with MAAC is shortly to occur to iron out some of the minor operational issues that were encountered, but also confirm what worked well, with a view to making next year’s event potentially bigger and better. A huge thank you to the 50 Hillarys Yacht Club Members who supported the event and welcomed and entertained our MAAC guests. A special thank you to Jon Tomkins who was our dedicated bus driver and made a number of trips to and from both Clubs throughout the night. I bet the last trip back to MAAC at 11pm with a number of partygoers on board would have been an experience not to forget!

Later in January was the Pot of Gold Regatta and Dash for Cash. Details and results from these events are covered elsewhere in this edition of Compass, but they cannot occur without our generous event sponsor support. Thank you to Mansfield Marine, Beneteau, Tilt Commercial, GHEMS, Fox Mortgages and First Class Accounts.

A reminder that the Club is now entering into the last couple of months before the end of financial year, and this also means that the November and February quarterly Food and Beverage levies will expire on 30 April. Please ensure you give yourself plenty of time to visit the Club and utlise your levy monies. On the second last day of the membership year is the Harbour Classic whereby all staffing resources will be focused on the event in the Marina Room, Wet Bar and Boardwalk with the Members Restaurant upstairs closed that evening. If you need to spend monies to meet your levy commitments, please ensure you plan ahead and not get caught short of opportunities to visit the Club.

A recent survey was conducted of our Members who forfeited their Levy monies in October 2022. It was interesting to learn than 40% of those Members did not realise that you can use your levy to book and attend a Club function. With the extensive function options on offer with our 2023 calendar, be sure to make sure you book function attendances using your levy monies to avoid any possible forfeiture of monies.

In December our Marketing and Communications Officer Qintha Yuansyah departed the Club for further opportunities and I’d like to thank Qintha for her hard work and commitment at the Club over the term of her employment. It has been a difficult exercise recruiting for this position both with the timing of the holiday period and the labour market generally. At the time of writing this email an employment offer has been made to the successful candidate and hopefully I can introduce a new staff member to Members in the next newsletter. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Club Member Erin Vickers, for her assistance over the last couple of months keeping the marketing at the Club ticking over.

Over the Christmas School Holidays, a Junior Fishing Clinic was conducted on Club boat Alibi. It is pleasing to note that there was a record number of participants with 15 juniors on board and all enjoying the event. I’m sure the increased capacity now available on Alibi, the sponsorship from

Shimano, the generous Club volunteers who make the event happen and the great weather encountered, all resulted in the high attendance.

Members may recall that in April last year the Club introduced a Club Sponsor recognition afternoon which gave Members the opportunity to thank our very generous sponsors for their contributions. The format of the event is being tweaked this year with details to following in coming weeks, however I encourage all Members to again come to the Club on Sunday 23 April and show your appreciation of our Sponsors.

If there are any Members who would like to discuss becoming a Sponsor of the Club to promote their business or just simply support your Club, please reach out for further information and I’d be more than happy to provide insight into the many advertising and promotional opportunities that are available across many different platforms.

Members will have seen via your annual subscription invoicing last April, the voluntary donation for the Ron Tough Yachting Foundation. Voluntary donations made by Members go towards encouraging participation and assisting excellent performance in the WA sailing community, with an emphasis on youth. I am pleased to advise monies donated from Club Members during 2022/23 financial year totaled $2,000 and these monies have now been forwarded to the Foundation. On behalf of the Management Committee thank you to all Members who supported this initiative.

There are many projects underway at the Club at present all aimed at Club improvements and these are largely covered under the Commodore’s article, but one of the main drivers for future success of the Club is the need for continual growth in our Membership base. Please be sure to talk to your family and friends about joining our Club and becoming entrenched in the Premier Club on the coast, as there are many affordable membership options currently available.

Members will have received the Notice for the upcoming Special General Meeting. The main agenda for this meeting aims to provide Management Committee the ability to set Nomination Fees based on moving economic demands and set strategies for membership recruitment and retention. All eligible and financial Members are encouraged to attend the meeting and vote on the proposed Constitution amendments.

There are exciting times ahead with the purchase of the Club’s new RIBS having now arrived in Perth. The RIBS are currently undergoing final fit-out, being registered and sea trials conducted before commissioning and handover occurs to the Club. These vessels will make a huge difference to our junior programs, our sailing school and general Club events. Keep an eye out for them as they should be in use by the time this edition of Compass is published.

Brad Dawson General Manager

A Special General Meeting (SGM) is hereby called by the Management Committee in accordance with clause 18.1 of the Constitution and details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday 22 March 2023

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: Harbour Room, Hillarys Yacht Club