All hands on deck!
The International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (IYFR) is recognised as the oldest, and possibly the largest of the Rotary Fellowships. It began in England in 1947 and quickly spread all over Great Britain, and then throughout the world. It now has well over 3,000 members in 44 countries, including Australia. The International Bridge (loosely meaning the location of the controls of the yacht–or in this context, the main Administrative Body) has a World Commodore as its leader, a Vice Commodore and a Rear Commodore. Members from all parts of the world hold these positions for two years and then each person moves up a position in succession.
There are approximately 126 ‘Fleets’ throughout the world designated to three geographic areas: Europe, the Middle East and Africa; The Americas; and, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Membership of this Fellowship is open to all Rotarians, Rotaractors and their spouses/partners. Only an active interest in boating, from kayaking to large yachts and motorboats, is needed to join. However, a fleet with boats does add considerably to fellowship outings and activities. The Fellowship is well organised and has a newsletter known as Rotafloat.
There are fleets in every State of Australia with Victoria having two, and currently covers the Port Philip and Westernport Bay regions, whilst the Gippsland Lakes Fleet includes members from Sale eastwards to the NSW border, as well as some members residing between Berwick and Sale.
The Fellowship, like many others, supports Rotary service activities. A very important project for the membership is Plastic Free Waters. Every day, through human negligence and our over reliance on plastic, many thousands of tons of plastic enter our oceans with dire consequences for the sea and its ecosystems. The Fellowship is dedicated to creating awareness of the problem and protecting the oceans from plastic pollution by advocating for its removal, promoting recycling of the recovered plastic and insisting on the proper disposal of plastic waste in general.
In 1997, the IYFR celebrated its Golden Anniversary of 50 years of great sailing and fellowship.
To find out more about this fellowship, go to: http://www.iyfr.net/new/