As an ex-world dinghy sailing champion, I read with interest your article on the proposed changes to local beach bylaws ("Surfers' warning of blood in water", The Argus, October 19).
I understand that the new proposals have the intention of restricting beach access for sailing craft of all types, from dinghies to kitesurfers.
Unfortunately, because the proposals have been written by council officials who have no understanding of sailing and who have not consulted suitable organisations such as the Royal Yachting Association, these proposals effectively ban sailing craft from almost all of our beaches.
On Sunday, I watched the Brighton Sailing Club Sunday morning race, held between the piers. Given the westerly wind, the course set included a windward leg where the dinghies would inevitably tack towards the beach to get into the slacker current.
If these new proposals came into effect, these dinghies would then be breaking the law and the sailing club would have to set its courses much further out to sea, at greater risk to their sailors.
Dinghy sailing, windsurfing and kite-surfing are not offshore sports.
Also on Sunday, I saw several jetskis playing in the waves by the Palace Pier. Later, a joy-riding speedboat came powering in towards the beach to the west of the Palace Pier into an area used year-round by bathers from Brighton Swimming Club.
Under the new proposals, there is no new provision to actually protect swimmers from these more dangerous type of craft.
Not surprisingly, the swimmers are not happy with the new proposed bylaws either.
We are blessed with a long beachfront in Brighton and Hove and surely there is enough room for us all to enjoy the fantastic resources that the beach and sea offer us?
This is simply a matter of shared useage, where the right organisations, if consulted, could easily come up with a workable solution.
The council have unintentionally fudged this one and it should now make amends.
-Bill Short, Brighton
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