## **Commodores Report 2025**
As we close out another year, I continue to be amazed by the sheer commitment and pride our members show in keeping this club moving forward. We are a volunteer club through and through, and nothing happens without people giving their time, energy, and care. Thank you to every single one of you who has helped this year, whether on the water, behind the scenes, or as part of the growing teams that keep our training, youth sailing, racing, and facilities running smoothly. It all matters and it all adds up.
This year saw a significant change in the Committee following the EGM. I would like to give my sincere thanks to Peter Hallitt, Steve Walker, Jerry Hannabuss, Ed Corteen and Lawrence Seed. They have each given years of service to the club and their work has shaped the strong foundations we continue to build on today. Their time, effort and commitment to Pennine SC have been invaluable and on behalf of all members I thank them for everything they have done.
A special thank you goes to the committee who, every fortnight without fail, give up their Monday evenings to tackle the jobs, decisions, and planning that keep the club steady and on track. Our mission remains the same: to offer a safe, inclusive, and friendly place where people can learn, race, volunteer, and enjoy their sailing with confidence.
We also mark the retirement from the committee of Josie Gentry and John Hollis. John has served the club for around 25 years and has held the roles of Commodore, Treasurer and Secretary, always bringing calm judgement and a steady hand. Josie has given more than forty years of service, helped build the clubhouse, played a key part in the move from Underbank, and has been central to the running of the club ever since. Whether driving things forward from the front or guiding from the back seat, she has shaped the modern club more than most.
We lost John Coulton this year, another figure from those early pre-Winscar days. John was an exceptionally kind man who supported people, children and the club with quiet generosity and warmth. His presence made the place better and he will be greatly missed.
## **On the water**
2025 has been another packed year with a busy programme of racing, training, open meetings, and community activity. We continue to deliver a wide range of RYA training, from Levels 1 to 3, powerboat qualifications, safety boat, instructor development and junior stages. Our training programmes follow the highest standards of safety, instruction and progression, in line with the policies set out in our Training Centre mission and objectives.
Kids Club has gone from strength to strength. The growth in participation and the enthusiasm of the young sailors are exactly what our Junior and Youth Mission sets out to achieve: a safe, fun learning
environment where confidence can flourish and where young people can develop the skills they need at their own pace. Thank you to every instructor, helper, beach team member, and welfare supporter who makes these sessions a highlight of the week for so many children.
We also ran another successful Kids Week, and both programmes now play a central part in our longterm goal to grow membership and boost participation across the club.
This year’s racing programme has continued to build well, with strong engagement from regular racers and newcomers alike, with over 150 races taking place across the five main series and the winter months. Participation has been excellent, with well over 70 different boats, sailors and rig combinations taking part, and a huge spread of ages and abilities represented. The depth of youth and junior sailing has been a real highlight, with sailors like Olivia Nixon and Agnes Walker pushing into the top results, and a large group of juniors turning out regularly on Thursdays and across the series. It has also been encouraging to see some double handers back on the water, and to watch the Fevas, the RS200 and the RS400 racing competitively and improving fast.
Performances across the year show a club that is thriving competitively, from consistent frontrunners, to improvers, and to sailors making their mark on the wider circuit, with PSC boats appearing at national, European and major regional events. Above all, the racing season reflects a club with a strong volunteer spirit and an active, growing racing community. The duty teams have done a superb job, and without them none of this would happen.
Our open meetings were a mixed bag, with the ILCA event having 26 boats but others not as well attended as they could be but visiting sailors consistently comment on how welcoming the club is and how well organised the race management and safety cover are.
A word of thanks also goes to our friends from the universities, Sea Cadets, and Cliff House. Their support keeps the water lively and the club diverse, which is very much in keeping with our wider community objectives.
The low water levels have been a challenge for all of us throughout the season. Launching, recovering, race management and training have all needed more care and planning than usual. I am hoping to have a report from Yorkshire Water for the AGM to give us a clearer understanding of the causes. That said, we have had a much better relationship with Yorkshire Water this year, with more open discussion and clearer communication. This has been helped enormously by having a senior YW manager as a member, which has given us a far stronger working link than we have had for some time.
On a disappointing note, we have seen less of some members, with the reduced sailing area putting a few people off and the long pull up the slipway proving a step too far for others. We very much hope to see them back over winter as the water rises, and we look forward to a wetter and more settled 2026.
## **Off the water**
This year has seen continued improvement of the club facilities and assets. The bosun team, along with many volunteers, has taken great care to keep our equipment safe, maintained, and ready for use. This is essential for meeting our safety and asset management goals.
We have kept up the momentum with the dinghy park, clubhouse improvements, and general maintenance. As always, there is more to do, but we are in a strong place with well cared-for boats, reliable powerboats, and a neat and tidy site that reflects well on us as a club.
The welfare team (Karen) has worked quietly and effectively to keep our young sailors and vulnerable members safe, updating the guidance laid out in our safeguarding and changing room policies.
We have also formed a new IT team this year, led by Phil Tenney, which has already begun to make a real impact. They are introducing Sailing Club Manager which will bring us a new website, an integrated race results system, a modern membership database and a far better payment platform. Alongside the exciting bits, the team is also getting stuck into the less glamorous but essential jobs such as file storage, club wifi improvements and securing a more reliable broadband connection. This work is long overdue and will set us up properly for the future.
## **Membership**
Membership remains healthy, and we have continued to increase engagement across all groups. Our objectives for community volunteering and wider involvement remain central to our future plans.
Unfortunately, we have lost the Remote-Controlled sailors this year as the persistently low water levels made it too difficult for them to operate safely and consistently. It is a real shame, as they brought a different energy and a friendly extra community to the club. We wish them well and hope the door remains open should conditions improve in future.
## **Training centre**
Under the leadership of Lawrence and then Nick, the Training Centre has had another outstanding year. Our training work has expanded again, and we continue to deliver high quality, safe and engaging teaching aligned with the RYA ethos of safety, enjoyment and structured progression.
We have integrated more video feedback, introduced clearer progression pathways, and continued to develop our instructors with support for those working towards senior qualifications. This fits directly with our mission to build future racers, instructors and volunteers for the long term.
## **Looking ahead**
Our mission and objectives give us a clear direction, and 2026 will see further focus on:
- Boosting Thursday racing numbers.
- Strengthening our volunteer base and expanding involvement opportunities.
- Continuing to grow youth participation in line with our Junior and Youth objectives.
- Supporting our instructors with training and progression opportunities.
- Maintaining and renewing assets so the club stays safe, sustainable and modern.
- Improving our galley provision so that events and racing can be properly catered for.
- Growing the Training Centre and exploring more links with local organisations.
- Raising the profile of the club to strengthen membership and community reach.
We will keep listening to member feedback and using it to shape our decisions.
## **Final thanks**
We are a club defined by the people who give their time to it. It is too easy to overlook how much goes into keeping the doors open, the boats maintained, the reservoir safe, the young sailors supported, and the place welcoming. Thank you to everyone who has played a part. Whether you have pulled boats up the slipway, coached, raced, instructed, served on committee, supported an event, kept children safe, tidied a store, fixed a tap, or simply shown up with a good at ude, it matters.
Pennine remains one of the most welcoming and vibrant inland sailing clubs in the North. We have good assets, strong finances, excellent water, a committed community, and a clear mission for the future. We should be proud of where we are, confident in where we are heading, and grateful for the people who make it all work.
Thank you again for your support throughout 2025. I look forward to the year ahead and to continuing our work to keep Pennine SC thriving.
## **Pennine Sailing Club**
## **Accounts for the period 1 November 2024 - 31 October 2025**
|**Income**
Membership Income
Glossop Sailing Club
Group subscriptions
Subscriptions
Berths
Winter Subscriptions
**Total**
Variable Income
Interest
Kids Week
Kids@pen9
Training
Open Meetings
Boat Hire
Donations
Extension Fund
Grants
Clothing
Insurance claims
Gift aid income
Miscellaneous
**Total**
**Total Income**|Year to Date|
|---|---|
||2024/25
2023 / 24
774
956
3,021
2,564
14,276
15,330
2,700
2,475
70
35
**20,842**
**21,360**
928
656
3,882
2,559
2,878
2,596
8,965
8,033
1,526
1,236
576
333
2,316
3,537
114
100
120
1,440
454
**22,744**
**19,505**
**43,585**
**40,865**|
**Expenditure** Fixed Expenditure
|Lease
Gas
Electric
Telephone
Cleaning
Club Insurance
Rates (Water and Council)
Bar Licence
**Total**
Variable Expenditure
House Consumables
Bank Charges
IT Systems & Software
Annual Prizes & Trophy Repair
Rescue & Race Management
Boat Fuel
Club Boats
RYA Subs
Engine Service
Committee/Support Boats
Dinghy Park & site management
House Repairs & Renewals
Training
Sailing Equipment
Miscellaneous
**Total**
**Total Fixed/Variable Expenditure**
**Surplus/(Deficit) of Cash pre Cap ex**
Capital Expenditure
Site Development
House Development
Sailing Development
**Total**
**Surplus/(Deficit) of Cash overall**
**Total Cash at end of Period**
Cash in hand
Virgin Money Bank Current Account
Virgin Money 95 day notice account 3.26%
Virgin Money Deposit Account 4.15%
Floats
**Cash Balances**
**Asset Balance**
Accrual lease for 6 months
Grants Received not Spent
**Reserves available for the club**
Debtor, Sheffield uni Shuffle Food (invoiced in
November '24 & '25)|1,134
1,311
1,746
1,393
541
573
3,058
1,760
4,342
3,923
1,156
1,055
70
70
**12,046**
**10,086**
448
217
611
535
1,851
471
204
161
84
1,176
1,830
600
1,344
590
565
2,206
3,137
5,609
458
935
1,248
1,421
2,042
4,870
3,359
220
234
400
175
**21,569**
**15,433**
**33,615**
**25,519**
**9,971**
**15,347**
105
5,511
23,809
3,415
7,673
**9,031**
**31,481**
**940**
**(16,135)**
**38,932**
**37,992**
3,723
16,946
15,145
18,939
18,156
410
410
**38,217**
**35,512**
715
2,480
**38,932**
**37,992**
(1,210)
(1,210)
(1,955)
**37,722**
**34,827**|
|---|---|
**Auditors Report**
We have examined the Income and Expenditure Account which is in agreement with the book of accounts, and have obtained all the information and explanations which we consider necessary for the Audit.
In our opinion, these Accounts show a true and fair view of the club's Income and Expenditure for the year ending 31 October 2025 in stating an excess of income over expenditure of £940.
Elizabeth McNamara
Lawrence Seed