3rd October 2012

Dear Members and Friends,

The Board of Directors, Flag Officers and Member Representatives, sitting together have created a new Strategic Plan for the Club for the 5 years to 30 June 2017. This plan is an evolution of our previous strategic plan.

In the past ten years the Club has achieved expansion and renewal of its facilities along with the creation and improvement of services to members.

This period has seen the demolition of the old timber marina and its replacement by our new floating marina, the refurbishment of the Sand Bar, Commodores and Quarterdeck Rooms. The entry, reception area and Members Bar have been totally revamped and are far more presentable than ten years ago.

The dinghy rigging deck has been constructed, the old Shores restaurant refurbished and now occupied by Cala Luna Ristorante. The worn out and dilapidated back of house infrastructure including plumbing and wiring has been replaced.

The dilapidated areas of the Club have been refitted at significant expense by the Australian Sailing Team to create a permanent headquarters for the team.

Our Juniors have been re-launched and the Division has grown so remarkably that revenues generated by centreboard sailing are equal to our regular keel boat entries and regatta fees.

Over the past Winter our Volunteers have repainted, repaired and transformed the common areas of the Club and fixed a 'raft' of maintenance problems in the floating marina.

Yet year after year our Club still struggles to break even. The problem is perennial and has not changed for more than 10 years.

This is a stark reality, and faced with it, your elected Flag Officers and Directors reached a unanimous conclusion that the Club will not survive unless it changes. The business model of a sailing ONLY Club trying to provide a decent food and beverage service to its Members is slowly passing away.

Our Club is not alone and single purpose clubs around the country are similarly struggling with declining membership bases and the fierce competition from private sector entertainment, food and beverage outlets.

However, the Flag Officers and Directors unanimously agree that by broadening our vision and our activities, we can revitalize the Club and endow it with a renewed vitality; a vitality and regularity of activity that will lift net cash flows and ensure the continued success and strength of this remarkable Club.

While sailing will remain forever as our core activity and our prime reason for being, our vision is to see the Club facilities utilised seven days a week and not just during the peak racing periods in Summer occurring on Wednesday afternoons, Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

We have the facilities, staff, and volunteers who together with willing stake holders like the Australian Sailing Team will:

1. Create Australia’s leading centerboard sailing centre from youthful beginners through to Olympians.
2. Create an active Paddling Division utilising the Club facilities outside the peak sailing periods
3. Expand our services into the provision of wellness and training squads including activities run by professional trainers such as Tai Chi, Pilates, Fitness Training, Jogging Squads and Yoga
4. Expanded yacht racing fleets facilitated by a 33% increase in number of marina berths (subject to fund availability)

The Strategic Plan document is simple and succinct. Click here to view.

The plan has commenced and changes you will see unfurled this Summer include:

- replacement of the balcony and balustrade to make a unique and attractive venue
- the extensions to the marina (subject to fund availability)
- the launch commencing Wednesday 10 October of our new Paddling Division and Wednesday evening paddling
- the launch of the Tuesday Social Twilight Sailing
- competitive yacht racing fleets with some very interesting brand new and revamped older yachts joining our fleet
- commencement of our fitness and wellness activities

Centreboard sailing will continue to grow with the most recent success being the addition of boats from Redlands joining MHYC Juniors.

In the coming days you will receive notices about the new Paddling Division, a survey of Members gathering data for our wellness and fitness activities and an update on the marina expansion and its funding.

The Club will also be holding a gala dinner for Members where these exciting changes will be further discussed and also featuring a silent auction to raise the final $40,000 to complete the $120,000 balcony & balustrade replacement project.

Finally we note that a plan as ambitious as this would be at risk without the vigorous support of our volunteers. The undersigned are just a small selection of members in full support and already engaged and working to bring this vision to fruition.
Signing

John McCuaig on behalf of all Flags

Commodore                                            

Nigel Smyth on behalf of the Board of Directors

Chairman