Volume 8 Issue 1
Inside: Pain and Gain Nicole Jenvey on injuries and prevention
Women on Water The women of BYC take on the state
Pacer Fleet Renewal A two year project comes to an end
Rules Quiz Know your rights and responsibilities
Rig Tension What it is and why it’s important
Commodore Will Sharp Vice Commodore Phillip Connard Rear Commodore Michael Brown Secretary Colin Symonds Treasurer Charmaine Smith
Committee Paul Hardie - Bruce Fraser - Peter Sharp Thomas Rüether - Connor Gallagher Susan Sharp - Dan Redman - Geoff Perkins Michelle Theron - Brigid Vaughan
Learn to Sail team Peter Sharp - Dan Redman Thomas Rüether - Lachlan Sharp Silke Weber - Jon Pulham - Mun Chin Ian McHugh - Peter Kemp - Rod Smith Phillip Connard - Conor Gallagher
Race Management Team Rod McCubbin - Lesley McCubbin Geoff Perkins - Chris Perkins - Mike Kenyon Charmaine Smith - Dick Adair - Mike Skinner Sally Gallagher - Pam Sharp
Contact Us! Email: colin@beaumarisyc.com Post: PO Box 16, Black Rock Vic 3193 Phone: 03 9589 6222 beaumarisyc.com facebook.com/beaumarisyc youtube.com/beaumarisyc twitter.com/beaumarisyc Past issues of The Reef: issuu.com/beaumarisyc
The Reef Editor Will Sharp Email: will@beaumarisyc.com
Contributors Michael Brown, Peter Kemp, Peter Sharp, Nicole Jenvey, Mike Kenyon, Michelle Theron, Stephen Whiteside, Susan Sharp, Tobi Moews
Front Cover Javelin 393 Razor at the 3193 Sailing Cup 2016, Beaumaris YC. (Photo: W. Sharp, February 2016)
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hy do I need a compass when I can see the marks I need to sail around?
That's a valid question, but there is a lot that a compass can do for you out on the water. If the forecast is for the wind to swing around to the south-east, a compass can tell you when it’s got there. If the race officials have moved the windward mark, they usually display the compass direction of the new position. And if you need to check whether the start line is true, a compass can show you whether the angle between the wind and the line is 90 degrees or not. Picking the wind shifts is the main reason people will tell you a compass is useful. When you're sailing upwind, the compass can tell you if the direction the boat is travelling is slowly changing, which infers the wind direction is also changing. If your boat is turning slightly closer to the windward mark then you're on a lift and you should keep going! If you're turning further away from the windward mark then tack. Surprisingly, picking these shifts can be just as important downwind, particularly in asymmetric rigged boats like Javelins. While you're busy dealing with the spinnaker and keeping the boat upright a compass can tell you which is the better reaching angle to the next mark, and hence also when you should gybe. All sailing compasses can do these things. But the modern electronic 'flux gate' compasses can help with the calculations you otherwise have to do in your head. They can present you with a single 'heading', regardless of which tack you are on. And they can hide the smaller wind changes and tell you when the wind direction has changed by enough that you should definitely tack. They can also double as a start timer. Most classes prohibit electronic devices including a GPS, but they do allow an electronic compass on board. Of course there are things that a compass can't do by itself. It won't tell you whether a windshift is part of an oscillating wind where you simply tack on the knocks, or if it’s a persistent windshift that will keep on knocking more and more during the race. During a persistent windshift the compass will tempt you in to tacking, but you need to hold off until you are out near the layline. - Peter Kemp
IMAGE: While far from the cheapest compass on the market, the TackTick Micro Compass is one of the best around and can really lift your game.
QUIZ ANSWERS: Q1 The boats are on opposite tacks, therefore Rule 10 applies and Red has right of way; Q2 Red, on port tack, has infringed on Rule 10 and should be penalised. Blue tried to avoid a collision (very late) and thus did not infringe Rule 14; Q3 Blue, on port tack, was obliged to keep clear and failed to do so, therefore Blue will be penalised. Red saw that Blue would not be keeping clear but took no action to avoid or minimise any damage and thus was in breach of Rule 14 and will also be penalised; Q4 The boats are on the same tack and overlapped, thus Rule 11 applies and Red - as the leeward boat - has right of way. Also Rule 14 required Red to avoid making contact if reasonably possible once it is clear that Blue is not keeping clear; Q5 Red and Blue are on opposite tacks on a beat to windward. Therefore Rule 18 (mark room) does not apply (see Rule 18.1(a,b)). In this case Rule 10 applies. Blue has right of way, and Red is not entitled to mark room; Q6 Yes, Blue is entitled to hold her course and prevent Red from tacking. There is no rule that forces Blue to tack but Red is allowed to luff until head to wind; Q7 The boats were clearly overlapped when they reached the zone. Therefore Red (the outside boat) shall give Blue (the inside boat) mark room in accordance with Rule 18.2(b); Q8 No. In accordance with Rule 16.1 Blue may not change her course so late because by this time Red no longer has room to keep clear. Blue should have luffed earlier if she wanted to close the gap. There is no rule that requires a boat to anticipate the actions of another boat even if this action is to be expected; Q9 The preamble of Section C states that Rule 18 doesn’t apply at a starting mark, but Rule 11 (boats on the same tack, overlapped) requires the windward boat (Red) to keep clear of the leeward boat (Blue). Blue is allowed to luff up head to wind but no further. Blue’s luffing is restricted by Rule 16 (ie. Blue must change course moderately enough that Red can keep clear.
25 December
New Commodore WILL SHARP welcomes everyone to the season and sheds some light on the activities behind the scenes.
Christmas Day
4 February (Saturday) 3193 Sailing Cup 2017 Hosted by BRYC - no scheduled sailing at BYC on Sunday
Thursday evenings in February Twilight Sailing sessions from 6.30pm
5 March Championship Race 5 (Sharp Trophy)
11-13 March Labour Day weekend class State championships, no club sailing
2 April Championship Race 6 (Roger Fagan Trophy)
16 April Easter Sunday - no club sailing
30 April Closing Regatta (Eric Jones Sternchaser trophy)
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fter my heartfelt final
Sailing Report last issue, you would be forgiven for thinking it would be a while before you heard from me again. However the only real change is that I’ve moved one page closer to the cover and can write about a slightly broader range of topics. It’s a lot harder to get rid of me than that! Firstly, I would like to thank all our hardworking committee members past and present. Being on the committee of a volunteer organisation can have its challenges, yet also rewards. This season we have had a large change in the composition of the committee, yet while some faces have changed and positions are different, the dynamic is much the same. Your committee is comprised of people who are happy to put their spare time towards the operations and advancement of BYC. The position we find ourselves in today is not through chance but rather built on generations of volunteers working behind the scenes to ensure that they left the committee and the club in a better place than they found it. After that misty-eyed rendition of committees past, let’s now talk about the present and the future. As I write this we have recently wrapped up the most demanding part of our season – the promotion of the Club and the Learn to Sail programs in particular. As many of you will be aware, enrolments in last season’s Senior Learn to Sail course were well down on average which was a cause for major concern for the committee. I’m happy to report that this season we have two fully subscribed Learn to Sail courses and it appears that last season was simply a speedbump rather than a new norm. To all our new sailors, welcome to BYC and we hope you love sailing as much as we do. If you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask anyone, we all started sailing at some point and aspects of sailing and clubs can be confusing at times.
Of course the Learn to Sail programs require boats, and lots of them. For instance, did you know that BYC owns a fleet of seventeen sailing boats, virtually all of which are required to run the Junior and Senior Learn to Sail courses? When seen like this, it is clear that a well maintained fleet is vital to the Club’s interests and future prospects. Indeed, over half of the current Club membership can be directly attributed to our Learn to Sail programs. In many ways, teaching people how to sail is the single most important thing we do at BYC. For more information on the continuing investment in the BYC fleet, head to pages 12 and 13. On the topic of maintenance and improvements, the club has also been faced with some significant bills for maintenance on the rescue boats this season with more capital investment to come. Prior to the season and on top of the routine annual services, Mulloka had her gearbox fully rebuilt and Narina had her main engine bearing replaced. Both essential works, these cost the club approximately $3500 before the servicing was even started. On top of this, the committee has decided to invest in an electric anchor winch for Mulloka so as to reduce the risk for the crew when anchoring the boat to form a start line (I can hear sighs of relief from everyone who has ever had to sit on the foredeck while the anchor was being laid). The committee has also entered into discussions with council to replace the portable wooden ramps used for the rescue boats with a permanent concrete ramp, eliminating the risk of moving the ramps by hand each week. Both the winch and the concrete ramp will be significant investments in our rescue boats and are essential to reducing the risk of injury to those involved. Finally, I am pleased to announce that BYC will be registering as a Tackers Centre as of next season. Significant planning and preparation is underway for the transition from our current Junior Learn to Sail program to the Tackers model however the committee and the Learn to Sail Instructors are confident this will pose no significant issue for the Club. I would like to thank our new Club Coach Dan Redman for doing the bulk of the work with Australian Sailing so far. This is an important step in the continual evolution of our Learn to Sail programs and will form part of a long term strategy to encourage greater junior involvement with afternoon racing each week. There is still a lot of work to be done in this area but this is a significant first step. On behalf of the committee, I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas/New Year break. Good luck to everyone who is planning to compete in a Nationals over the next few weeks and I look forward to seeing you all on the beach in 2017.
Incoming Rear Commodore MICHAEL BROWN is focused on maintaining a smooth sailing program and getting to know the people who make Beaumaris Yacht Club.
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elcome members and friends to the 2016-
17 sailing season at Beaumaris Yacht Club! After ten years of dedicated service to BYC, Will Sharp has finally handed over the role of Rear Commodore to yours truly. I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating Will on his exceptional service to the Club – I can only hope to partially fill this big set of shoes! Fortunately, (for me), Will is as active as ever having taken over the reins of Commodore from Phillip Connard and is always more than willing to provide guidance as I settle into the role. As a relatively new member to BYC, I would also like to take this opportunity to particularly thank all of the immediate past and present Committee members for their support, friendliness and dedication to the Club. And to the members I have met and those that I haven’t had the pleasure as yet, I look forward to your continued support of the Club so that together we can continue the fantastic legacy of this very unique organisation.
Afternoon Racing We all look forward to the start of the sailing season and this season was no different, except that no-one remembered to remind the weather to improve! After being subjected to howling gales on the first two Sundays, the third Sunday saw a brave few souls venture onto a wintery bay only to run out of wind after only one race. My first year as Rear Commodore was off to a seemingly bad start, but fortunately with a fantastic take up of the Learn to Sail programs, the weather improved on cue, and the racing has been very enjoyable ever since. Whilst the Pacer fleet remains as the strong core of the fleet, the season has also seen, Sabres, Tasars, Laser, Mirror and Javelins, including a larger fleet of Javelins for two races of the Javelin State Titles. With the warmer months approaching, I encourage all sailors young and old, to hit the water and join in the racing. Racing on a larger course in a relatively small and very accommodating fleet, will develop your skills far beyond an intermittent casual sail. BYC is committed to providing an accommodating environment for all our sailors, including twilight sailing in February, shorter courses, and dedicated rescue boats for that little bit of added security. If you are new to the Club or new to sailing and looking to participate in the afternoon racing, please do not hesitate to contact me (details inside front cover), and we will assist to transition you to the race course as soon as you are ready.
Learn to Sail programs. We hope you enjoy sailing as much as we do and if there is anything we can do to help you, please just ask. With the restoration of the three Pacers purchased from Sandringham Yacht Club, the BYC Pacer Fleet is now complete thanks largely to Paul Hardie and the Sharps. Bruce Fraser has enlisted support from the local Bendigo Bank for two new Pacer mainsails that will see the retirement of the “handkerchiefs” with the SYC symbol at the top. Peter and Lachlan Sharp with the assistance from a variety of BYC skippers, continue to provide high class coaching to the Senior Learn to Sail program. The new sailors are already tacking and gybing competently – I wish I had this level of coaching when I was learning! Peter Kemp, Dan Redman, Connor Gallagher and Thomas Reuther, are also providing high class coaching to the Junior Learn to Sail participants. It is great to see the kids competently sailing off the beach and beyond the reef in the Minnows and Optimists. Throughout the rest of the season, Peter, Dan, Connor and Thomas, will continue to lay the groundwork for registration as a Tackers centre which is on track to commence next season – keep up the great work!
Upcoming Events Many of our sailors will be starting to prepare for the upcoming National Titles to be held for various classes in January 2017. Best of luck to all those competing as follows: Pacer National Titles – Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, ACT. Inland lake sailing can be a challenge at the best of times, but Lake Burley Griffin in January is the most challenging of all! You may well find yourself at the back of the fleet, but then before you know it, you seemingly have your own private breeze and you are in the lead! Javelin National Titles – Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club, Paynesville, VIC. Although technically an inland lake, the proximity to the 90 mile beach and Bass Strait generally mean that the SE sea breezes are very steady in January. Seeing this is where I learnt to sail and have competed in many State and National Titles here, I do have a soft spot for the Gippsland Lakes and like BYC, the left side of the course generally pays dividends in a SE wind – famous last words... Sabre National Titles – Black Rock Yacht Club, Black Rock, VIC. Arguably Australia's most popular one design single handed class, the Sabre National Titles at Black Rock will attract a big fleet, possibly 100 plus boats. Seeing it’s just down the road from our club, this would be well worth a look!
Afternoon racing does not take place without the continual input from the Tower Crew, led by Mike Kenyon, and the on-water Race Management teams of Rod and Lesley McCubbin, and Geoff and Chris Perkins. They all do a splendid job of setting the race courses, conducting and recording the racing, whilst looking out for our safety. A big thank you to all of you.
Tasar National Titles – Port Stephens Sailing and Aquatic Club, Port Stephens, NSW. Although right on the east coast of NSW, the sailing will take place in the bay of the Karuah River – probably a good idea seeing just offshore is Shark Island! With predominantly NE winds, flat water and large one design fleet, the racing should be as good as it gets.
Learn to Sail programs
3193 Sailing Cup
Our Learn to Sail programs are once again fully subscribed, which is testament to the efforts of all involved. A combination of the delivery of flyers to schools and on public noticeboards, new banners in prominent locations, the dedication to set up the display at the Beaumaris Concourse, and the extraordinary effort to conduct the Discover Sailing Day, has been the key to the success of recruiting for the Learn to Sail programs.
Just a reminder that on Saturday 4 February 2017, Black Rock Yacht Club is hosting the annual 3193 Sailing Cup, an inter-club regatta between BYC and Black Rock YC. (No racing at BYC on Sunday 5 February 2017). As BYC currently holds the Cup, it would be great to have as many BYC boats as possible participate in this event, to hopefully retain the Cup. Start planning for a Saturday sail now!
Welcome to all our new sailors who have enrolled in our Junior and Senior
See you on the water!
Winners and Grinners 2015-16 Results Club Champions Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Club Championship - 2nd Peter, Lauren & Eliza Kemp
Commodore’s Cup Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Lee McMillan Trophy Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Beaumaris Yacht Club Cup Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Kevin Peterson Trophy Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Sharp Perpetual Trophy Peter, Lauren & Eliza Kemp
Roger Fagan Trophy Peter, Lauren & Eliza Kemp
Pacer Champions Paul & Judy Hardie
Javelin Champions Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Eric Jones Trophy Martin Cottrell & Jon Pulham
Short Course Champions Peter & Lachlan Sharp
Shattock Trophy Susan Sharp
Hardie Perpetual Trophy Leo Jaszewski
Bruce McKitterick Trophy Myles Brown
Rod McCubbin Trophy Michael Skinner
Race Management Team Rod McCubbin, Lesley McCubbin, Geoff Perkins, Chris Perkins, Cam Bromley, Mike Kenyon, Michael Skinner, Sally Gallagher, Dick Adair, Pam Sharp, Charmaine Smith
Ten-time Australian Champion and seventeen-time Victorian Champion PETER SHARP shares his knowledge about the dark art of rig tension.
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hat is rig tension? Basically rig tension is a measure of how tight the forestay and sidestays are when a boat is fully rigged on the beach and ready to be launched with no pres-
sure in the sails. Optimum tension will vary between classes and to a lesser degree between individual boats.
Is rig tension important? Forestay - for boats carrying a jib, forestay tension is critical to ensure the jib performs optimally. However, it is virtually impossible to eliminate forestay sag in all conditions - nor is it desirable. Sailmakers have an excellent understanding of forestay sag and allow for this in the design and shape of a jib luff for a boat sailing in its design wind speed (nominally around 12 knots). Below this design wind speed rig tension is reduced to enable the jib luff to conform to the sailmaker's luff curve. Conversely as the wind speed increases higher rig tensions are required to reduce (not eliminate) jib luff sag. A loose forestay (excessive sag) will result in loss of pointing. However, a cat rig boat (Sabre, Impulse) does not rely heavily on rig tension for pointing ability. Often these boats will have quite loose forestays when sailing downwind. Sufficient rig tension to keep the mast as vertical as possible normally all that's necessary. Side stays or shrouds - on the beach with no pressure in the sails both stays will have equal tension. However, as soon as sails are set tension will increase on the windward stay and reduce on the leeward stay. You will notice this on a windy day when the leeward stay goes slack when the boat is close hauled. Main reasons for the rig becoming loose are, as wind speed increases so do forces on the rig which in turn cause:
increasing mast bend which reduces the distance between deck and hounds;
wire stays to stretch; and in some cases hulls to bend. The combined effect is a progressively loosening rig. For a boat with an unsupported mast (Pacer) there is
a point beyond which any further tensioning of the rig simply induces increasing mast bend (generally sideways) without significantly reducing forestay sag. Boats with spreaders rely on windward side stay tension to control mast bend and can therefore carry quite high rig tensions.
How is rig tension measured? The images below show two common gauges for measuring tension. Both gauges measure tension by converting the force required to deflect stay wire from a straight line. As noted above the right tension varies between classes and with individual rig setups. The best starting point is to ask someone at the front of the fleet what tension they use in various conditions, apply this information to your own boat and do some experimenting to determine your optimum tension settings. However, settings do not stay the same forever and will require minor adjustment over time as rigging and sails stretch.
How is rig tension adjusted? Most adjustments are made through the forestay (or jib halyard for a Pacer). Once you have determined your optimum setting(s) put some marks on a convenient spot on the mast (Pacer) or hull so rig tension can be reliably repeated every time the boat is rigged for the given conditions on the day.
Tackers Centre Registration This season the Club has begun the process of registering as a Tackers Centre in time for next season. This was made possible by a relaxation of the regulations from Australian Sailing regarding the use of grey Optimists in the program – previously only white boats (and a minimum of six) were permitted to be used. BYC currently owns a fleet of seven Optimists, four white and three grey, which can now be used to deliver a Tackers program. Tackers is a junior sailing program not unlike our current Junior Learn to Sail course and as such will initially simply replace the existing course in the calendar. The main benefits of Tackers is that it is a well-resourced program with significant support from Australian Sailing. The Club would also benefit from years of advertising which has made the Tackers ‘brand’ foremost in many people’s minds when it comes to junior sailing. As anyone who has spent time staffing any of our Concourse displays would know, the first question parents of prospective junior sailors ask is usually “do you do Tackers?” We aim to capitalise on this name recognition. The transition to the Tackers model is intended to be the beginning of a change in our overall approach to junior sailing. Currently we have very few juniors transitioning to afternoon sailing and the committee is looking at several methods to change this. We anticipate over the next few seasons seeing a different structure in the junior sailing/Tackers structure with plans to incorporate a Green Fleet in time as well.
The Principal’s Office As of this season, Dan Redman has taken over the role of Discover Sailing Centre Principal from Paul Hardie who has held the position since its inception. The DSC Principal is primarily responsible for ensuring our Learn to Sail programs comply with all current guidelines and regulations and is the main conduit of information from Australian Sailing. It is a big job and as it’s almost entirely behind the scenes can be thankless at times. Well done Dan for rising to the challenge and taking it on.
Displays and Promotion In October and November the Club held our usual two displays at the Beaumaris Concourse shopping centre. While we had some weather issues with the first display, the second display on the Saturday before Discover Sailing Day was a success. The committee is currently investigating holding one of these displays at either the Beaumaris or Hampton Farmer’s Markets next season to take advantage of the large numbers of people at these events. Assisting our promotion this year were the addition of two large Learn to Sail banners the Club purchased in early October. One currently resides on the gate at the end of the Club carpark and the other was until recently on the fence of the old Beaumaris High School. The BHS site banner was removed for safekeeping while building works are underway at the site. In addition to the banners, the Club utilised paid Facebook advertising for the first time this season. While we are still examining the effectiveness of each method, the effort as a whole was effective.
Learn to Sail Programs This season we are fortunate to have two fully subscribed Learn to Sail programs, with twelve Seniors and fourteen Juniors. Several of the Juniors are returning from last season however all the Seniors are new to the Club. Please welcome our new sailors to the Club and make them feel at home. The Learn to Sail programs are vital to our Club’s future and are an integral part of our culture. They require an enormous amount of resourcing, support and hours to run. Thank you to all those people who make these programs happen. The Club is well placed to deliver our Learn to Sail programs with the addition to the fleet of three fully refurbished Jim French Pacers this season. While these boats were purchased from Sandringham YC eighteen months ago, they only entered service this season after extensive work was carried out on them. This was done with the generous support of Beaumaris Community Bank and Hampton Rotary Club. For more information on these boats head to pages 12 and 13.
JUNIOR SAILING Minnow 622 “Willow” Minnow 622 "Willow" has done several tours of duty through the Sharp and Angus families, and its now with the Kemps. It was (re)launched on Sunday 4th Dec and Eliza Kemp proudly steered it through Beaumaris harbour and out to the unforgiving testing ground which is the advanced junior Learn to Sail course. It proved its seaworthiness once again with flying colours. Eliza's only complaint has been it is still missing bottle-holders... something Dad needs to rectify. The Minnow association now has available many Minnow accessories including beach cradles, moulded rudders and centreboards, toe straps, machined spar fittings and even complete boats. This is helping to compete with other classes, in particular the Optimists. A few of these accessories have been fitted to Willow. Willow will be joining its stablemate Sparkle at the Minnow National Championships being held at Blairgowrie on Jan 8th - 13th. Hopefully with bottle holders.
- Peter Kemp
Our major promotion push for the season turned out a little differently this time
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iscover Sailing Day is supposed to be a bright, sunny day with lots of BYC skippers in Pacers taking out happy groups of new sailors on short fifteen minute(ish) sails. Our hope is always that we will have heaps of new members sign up to join the Learn to Sail programs or as regular club members. Well that is what has happened for the last five years anyway!
However, 2016 was going to be quite different. The day started off cool, cloudy, grey and windy - not very inviting for anyone sailing in a small dinghy for the first time. But the brave and resilient BYC club members all turned up as planned and did what they were asked to do. This included welcoming people, cooking and serving on the BBQ, staffing the Tower, driving and crewing the rescue boats, and of course being a skilled and friendly skipper ready to take the public out for a sail. As the day wore on, the NW breeze began to moderate ahead of the forecast SW change and we managed to get a couple of hours of sailing in before the breeze died completely. While our numbers were down for the day – we managed to get around 20 people out for a sail – we still attracted a large amount of interest and as a result of this (along with other enquiries) we managed to completely fill both out Junior and Senior Learn to Sail programs. Discover Sailing Day is always a big operation which relies on the majority of our members to make happen. It is the single biggest and most effective marketing opportunity we have during the season and this year proved to be no different. Thank you to everyone who helped to make yesterday the success it was. We put on a great show and like most years, we have the new faces in the Club to show for it. Thank you to all the BYC members who willingly helped out on this day and welcome to our new members who have begun their sailing journey. Susan Sharp Discover Sailing coordinator
WORDS: Nicole Jenvey PHOTOS: APYC, WYC, Nicole Jenvey
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hilst the BYC season had a slow start due to far too many blow-outs, the women participating in the Women on Water regatta at Westernport YC and CitySail at Albert Park YC made the most of the challenging conditions and coaching opportunities early in the season, to set themselves up for the season ahead. They were rewarded for their efforts, in more ways than one. th
On the 10 and 11 September, Albert Park YC hosted the inaugural CitySail, a new event designed to encourage greater female participation in sailing. The regatta was composed of on and off-water coaching sessions, afternoon races and delicious catering! Michelle and I sailed in my Pacer Banana Split and were coached by the knowledgeable and supportive Glenn Collings, who also intervened with naviga-
tional advice and towing on the second day, when we decided to go the wrong way around the course. Silke, sailing her Sabre Erna, was amongst an impressive and at times vocal Sabre fleet that held their ground on the course. After many close races Silke came third in the Sabre division, matched by Michelle and I as we took away a bronze medal in the Pacer class. It was a friendly event, handled with professionalism and warmth by the volunteers at APYC. The second event on the calendar was the Women on Water regatta, held at Westernport Yacht club for the third year running, minus Sarah Blanck who will be hosting another regatta in Sorrento in March 2017. Silke returned for her third year along with Michelle and I who returned for a second time. The event had the same layout as previous years, however the greater attention bestowed to sponsors this time around gave it a slightly more formal and commercial feel.
PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pre sailing tips and techniques at APYC; Pacer fleet start at APYC; Silke enjoying herself; Nicole and Michelle picking up their silverware at WYC; Silke receiving her award for the Most Improved sailor at WYC; group photo od the Women on Water Regatta sailors
On the first day the wind howled consistently above 30 knots, so competitors received on-shore coaching in their class groups, and were privy to a lecture about sailing preparation by Olympian Kayrn Gojnich. The day was completed with a memorable welcome dinner accompanied by beautiful wines supplied by the vineyard that had jumped on board as the main event sponsor. Emerging from the campsite on Sunday morning, the BYC girls were keen to get out on the water. Thankfully on Sunday the strong winds abated, with the exception of stronger gusts of about 25 knots which made the conditions both exciting and challenging for all competitors. There were plenty of upturned boats during the morning session, but in the afternoon most competitors were able to withstand the conditions. The dolphins, as if on cue, surfaced as the boats lined up at the start line; an omen of good things to come. Four races were run in the session, on a course that was at times challenging. The rolling starts meant that on the downwind leg, Pacers were heading toward a fleet of Hobie cats flying upwind towards them. The gentle appearance of their colorful, butterfly-wing like sails was at odds with the power and ferocity their sailors displayed on the course. The windward mark was also a place of chaos particularly when the 420s dominated with their size and speed, forcing the Pacers to take evasive action. The races were enjoyable and pushed the competitors to step-up to the conditions at hand. Michelle and I managed to come second in the Pacer division and Silke was awarded “Most Improved- Open” award for her sailing over the weekend. Once again, the race team, support crew, coaches and volunteers put on an awesome event that is one to put on the calendar for next year. It seems that female sailors are spoilt with an array of events designed to meet their coaching and racing needs. Both events so far this year have provided opportunities for the women involved to not only improve their sailing skills, but to deepen their friendship and delight in some excellent food and wine! We’d love to see some more BYC ladies at the events next year as we defend our trophies. If not for the sailing, then at least come for the catering and campsite frivolities– they can’t be beaten!
Last year the Women on Water Regatta was run as the Sarah Blanck Regatta at Westernport YC. The 2017 Sarah Blanck Regatta is scheduled to be held at Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club on 4 and 5 March 2017. For more information head to sscbc.com.au
We’ve all been injured sailing, but the question is: what do we do to treat those injuries and how do we prevent them in the first place? NICOLE JENVEY sheds some light on the best approach.
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he topic of sports injuries feels like a bit of a taboo, however the frustrating reality is that we all suffer injuries at some stage. So, with this in mind, I’ll throw on my ‘osteo’ hat and start a conversation about sailing injuries and how to avoid them.
According to an article published in Sports Medicine Journal in 2009, injuries suffered by sailors fall into two main categories: acute contusions and overuse injuries. Overuse injuries tend to strike elite sailors most regularly, whilst recreational sailors tend to enjoy their fair share of contusions due to contact with the boom or other parts of their boats. Whilst some injuries are unavoidable, there are some things that can be done to minimize their occurrence. These factors, which I’ll term ‘force minimization factors’, will become clear once we’ve discussed how injuries occur in the first place.
minimize the stress on the joints and surrounding tissues, reducing the stresses at play. Alternatively, a boat rigged with plenty of pulleys can also effectively displace load from the body, and on to the boat itself, thereby reducing the risk of injury. And so, it may be worthwhile to reflect upon your technique and work out ways in which you may modify your technique (or your boat) to make body movements more easeful and efficient. Not only will improvements in your technique decrease your risk of injury, but they will also improve your sailing overall.
When considering sport-specific injuries, it is important to think about the areas of the body that are under stress in a particular sport. In sailing, this can include the arms (think shoulder, elbow and wrist), low back, upper back and the knees. Secondly, the mechanism of injury must be considered. Typically injuries occur when a region of the body is under prolonged sub-maximal or repetitive stress over time, the consequence of which is fatigue and strain. Alternatively, injuries may result from a singular force that exceeds the body’s capacity to healthily absorb and compensate for that force, resulting in tissue damage.
The risk of injury may also be reduced through good preparation. There are well-chronicled calls for ensuring mental and physical ‘preparedness’ for physical activity, in order to reduce injuries. For some sailors, this might mean ensuring that they are well rested, well hydrated and well fuelled before getting out on the water. For others, being physically ready might mean ensuring that they’ve done a warm-up that takes their body through the full range of motion required for sailing, whilst still on-shore. Physical readiness can also mean cross training to ensure core-strength and to overcome any muscular weaknesses that might prove to be a limitation on the water. Physical and mental readiness may also relate to knowing your limits. Limits change over time and can safely be pushed over time through additional training and drills that eventually equip the sailor with the skills and associated physical fitness (strength, endurance, flexibility etc) required for sailors to sail in tougher conditions more comfortably and safely. Each sailor is personally responsible for knowing their own limits and working towards overcoming them if that’s something they desire.
In sailing, it is the “time under tension”, (holding a position of strain for a long period of time), such as is encountered when grasping sheets or hiking, that may cause stress and eventually lead to injury. Correct technique and good limb and joint alignment, can however,
Despite good preparation, sometimes injuries still occur. If you are in the unfortunate position of sustaining an injury, then it’s important to note that good management is the key to successfully recovering from the injury. The key to good management is diagnosis, because
Good wrist alignment This photo demonstrates good wrist alignment. If you run a plumb line through the elbow and wrist, you’ll notice that the hand and the forearm are aligned along the same axis. This is a ‘neutral’ position and reduces the forces present in the ligaments and tendons that are supporting this position of the wrist. It is therefore an efficient, low-stress and comfortable position.
Poor wrist alignment Notice the wrist position in this image. If we run the same plumb line through the elbow and the wrist, we will see that the hand deviates away from the axis indicating that there is increased tension forces on one side, and reciprocal stretching forces on the other side. This is therefore a less efficient ad more stressful position for the wrist to maintain. It’s OK to move through this position occasionally, but it shouldn’t be held like this for a long period of time. Notice also how the shoulder hikes upwards to maintain this wrist position, possibly predisposing this skipper to a shoulder strain as well.
without a diagnosis, treatment cannot commence. This does not mean consulting Dr Google! Searching on google is a sure-fire way to diagnose yourself with 100 terminal conditions, far removed from the injury at hand. Another thing to consider is that diagnosis does not always mean having expensive clinical imaging such as MRI or CT scanning. Most of the time, the clinical history and clinical signs are the most important aspects in the diagnoses of sports injuries. It’s only when the signs are unclear that further imaging is warranted. Therefore it is imperative to find a health practitioner who takes the time to conduct a thorough clinical history (about the mechanism of injury and your general health) so that they understand exactly what is causing your pain, and can arrive at a diagnosis. It’s important to keep asking questions of your health practitioner until you know exactly what tissues are injured, how long they take to recover, and what you can and can’t do to assist with the recovery. Injuries are incredibly frustrating, particularly when they take many months to heal. The truth is however, that they do affect everyone at some stage in their sporting journeys. In the meantime, it is important to do everything to avoid injuries in the first place through good preparation, good technique and risk minimization. If a dreaded injury does occur, perhaps it is an opportunity to determine if there are any bodily weaknesses that can be remedied off the water so that once healed you can come back as a stronger and better sailor.
Spine alignment Notice how this skipper sits with a neutral spine; shoulders are above the hips and the spine is lengthened. This is the position we should aim to maintain in the boat, whether we are a skipper or crew. This image also demonstrates good wrist and shoulder alignment.
A multi-year project to set us up for the future. WILL SHARP reports.
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ver the past year and a half, the Club has been in the process of refurbishing three used Pacers which were purchased from Sandringham YC in mid-2015. These three Pacers were acquired to complete the process of replacing our entire Pacer fleet which we started in early 2011 with the initial purchase of two yellow Jim French Pacers.
The final of the three ex-SYC Pacers was resprayed in September so as to be ready in time for the start of the current sailing season. This concludes a large project spanning several years which has resulted in us having a fleet of six boats in excellent condition in which we can teach people how to sail. There were a number of people involved in the effort to restore and refinish the three new boats, however special mention must go to Paul Hardie and Peter Sharp who did the bulk of the work preparing the boats for painting. Paul also made up three new stainless steel beach trolleys for them so we can safely and easily move the boats around as needed. The Club was also fortunate to have received assistance from Beaumaris Community Bank and Hampton Rotary Club which helped ease the financial burden significantly. Of course these new boat needed names, and any old random names weren’t going to cut it. They needed names with significance to the Club and so the committee decided on three names, Rush II, Dilemma II and Red Jacket II. These names were all references to past boats sailed at BYC with various levels of Club, State and National success. On 20 November we had an informal naming ceremony on the beach with representatives from the families of the original sailors present. On behalf of the members of BYC and those in future Learn to Sail courses who will benefit from these boats, thank you to everyone who has played a part in the upgrade and replacement of the BYC Pacer fleet. We now have a fleet to be proud of and one which is the envy of many clubs around the bay.
IMAGES THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Peter next to the final boat prior to spraying; The finished undersides; The finished topsides; Mid spray during the primer coat; Masking up prior to spraying the topsides; The finished product‌ And it floats!
IMAGES OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: Ron Richardson sailing Dilemma in 1969; Les Sharp sailing the original Red Jacket at Wallagoot in the 1981-82 Nationals; The naming ceremony on the beach at BYC
RUSH Rush was a two-time State champion Pacer sailed by Peter and Alison Kemp in the 1999 and 2000 Pacer States. While being one of the oldest boats in the fleet at the time, Pacer 599 was also the fastest Pacer in Victoria for two seasons, signalling the end of Peter Sharp’s decade of domination in the class. The Kemp family has a long history with both the Pacer Association and BYC, going back to Peter’s father Russell’s time in the 70’s and 80’s when he was a force to be reckoned with in his two Pacers, Finesse and Yellaballoo. Rush’s original skipper Peter Kemp is still a very active member of BYC and Pacer sailor. Peter can be found most Sunday mornings on the beach teaching kids how to sail in Minnows and Optimists (including his own two eldest daughters Lauren and Eliza). Peter also somehow finds the time to be the reigning State and National Pacer Champion with Lauren and Eliza. Needless to say, it won’t be long before Peter’s youngest daughter Samantha is out on the waves as well.
DILEMMA Dilemma was a Heron built and sailed by BYC Life Member Ron Richardson in the mid 1960’s. The Richardson family were early BYC stalwarts; Ron, together with his wife Joan and their four sons Peter, Robert, Greg and Jeff were very active members and involved in many aspects of club life. Ron was also a talented boat builder with an eye for detail. By the time he built Dilemma, Ron had already built two other Herons for use as Club boats. A company called Bottrill was the best professional boat builder at the time, turning out some of the nicest timber dinghies in the country. The quality of Ron Richardson’s Herons was widely regarded as being as good as or even better than Bottrill boats. He later built the first Javelin sailed at BYC, then the first Monarch. His wife Joan will also happily tell you how they were all built in the living room at home in the space between the couch and TV. This was because there was too much dust and mess in the garage to do a good job, and the lounge room was also warmer in winter which helped glue cure properly. One boat he did build in the garage was a large trailer sailor which, once completed, required the garage to be dismantled around it in order to get it out. While a very talented boat builder, there was another type of building which Ron is perhaps better remembered for. A builder by trade, Ron was primarily responsible for the entire southern extension to the original club building. This extension encompasses the male changerooms, the southern boat storage area and of course the Ron Richardson Room on the first floor. There is no doubt that this extension fundamentally changed the club and set it up for success for generations ahead. In the 1960’s the focus in the Club was less on State and National level events and more on Club level sailing. With Sunday fleets well in excess of one hundred boats it’s easy to understand why. The Herons usually had around thirty boats in their fleet each week, and Ron Richardson and Dilemma were always up the pointy end. He was someone people aspired to sail like, and on top of his enormous contribution to BYC he was also a thoroughly nice bloke. He has left a lasting legacy at BYC and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.
RED JACKET Red Jacket was the first Pacer built by Les Sharp in 1981. It was a beautifully built boat and was very quick. Straight out of the garage and barely wet, Les sailed Red Jacket to victory in both the State and National championships in the 1981-82 season with his crew Sandra Downie. Les was an unshakable feature of both BYC and the Pacer Association for many decades, being awarded Life Membership of BYC over twenty years ago in recognition of his decades of service to the Club, not limited to his time on the roles of Secretary, Membership Officer and Commodore. Les was also the inaugural Life Member of the Victorian Pacer Association in 2003. The Sharps were, and still are, very active members of BYC. All three of Les’s children: Peter, Lloyd and Meredith sailed at BYC and Les’s wife Pam is still up in the Tower most Sundays. Peter was awarded Life Membership of BYC last year in recognition of his forty-seven years of service including two terms as Commodore. Three of Les’s grandsons continue to sail at BYC with the current Commodore (yours truly) the third generation Sharp to hold the position.
While the golden season of 1981-82 was Les’s on State or National level victory, he was always a highly competitive sailor who was a regular feature of the fleet’s top end. He conducted himself to the highest standard of sportsmanship and always ensured he congratulated his fellow sailors after the race. I will never forget him telling me many years ago, “It doesn’t matter what happened on the water, you always shake the hand of the winner because it’s the right thing to do.” After he retired, Les took to restoring old Pacers (and building the odd new boat here and there) in his garage at home. In the end, over sixty new and refurbished boats emerged from Sharp’s Shipyard in Haldane St and a good proportion of the timber Pacers sailing today are only doing so because of him. He was someone who always, no matter the situation, made time for other people. He was always approachable, kind and generous with his time, his knowledge and his expertise. He was a true gentleman.
MIKE KENYON has some questions about sailing and they need answers
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ur Sailing Instructions (SIs) specify the racing procedures peculiar to Beaumaris Yacht Club, but the detailed rules, as referenced in the SIs, are to be found in the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing. The SIs do not repeat information from the Rules book; those two documents operate in tandem. A copy of that Rules book is kept in the Tower, but it is readily available on-line, free of charge, and is worth ploughing through. After all, you are required to abide by those rules (and the SIs) when participating in a race. Some Rules are very straight forward, once you have learned them, but others can be more difficult to interpret in certain circumstances.
Following are some examples of some simple and some more subtle situations that you might like to try and interpret from your understanding of those Rules. They are taken from a web site: http://game.finckh.net/indexe.htm which includes many more examples in glorious animated colour. Good luck with the quiz. Answers are on the inside of the front cover. No cheating!
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Which boat has right of way?
Which boat should be penalised in a valid protest?
Which boat should be penalised in a valid protest?
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Is the red boat entitled to mark-room?
Is the blue boat allowed to hold course?
Which boat has right of way?
TOBI MOEWS goes sailing with his family on the Gippsland Lakes Question 7 Is the red boat allowed to refuse to give room to the blue boat?
Question 8 Is the blue boat allowed to close the gap like this?
Question 9 Which boat must keep clear?
D
uring
the
Easter
holidays this year, and after a long drive, we finally pulled into Metung. A company named Riviera Nautic lent us the boat called Happy Days. Now the next few days were happy days. We spent them passing safety tests (not the happy part) sailing, power boating, sailing, docking, eating, sleeping and, well, you get it. The long version is, on the second day we left the harbour to travel to Barriers Landing. On the map (and on the sea) there are markers to plot the way, that helps with the navigation and steering. The main jobs were Papa on the wheel, Mum navigating and my brother and I were looking out for the landmarks. It took us a few hours but we made it before dark. We ate inside the boat and slept in either the bow or in the room at the stern. In the morning it was full steam ahead again to get to Duck Arm because it was pretty far away. The long journey showed us a million jellyfish all hiding in the lake. Because this trip was through the wider part of the lake, all our skills were used finding navigational markers, finding out which is the one we are looking at, and using that to plot our course. After a while we swapped jobs so everyone got a go at the wheel. We spent a lot of the day sailing but finally we located our destination and pulled in. We had to find a buoy that was in a good position for us and out of the way of big boats. Then the hard part was catching the buoy with the buoy-catching stick. Once we had tied the boat to the buoy, we had dinner, watched the sunset and went to bed. The next day was our last day so we had to pack up and head to Metung. Sailing in the Gippsland Lakes was an amazing experience and we'd love to do it again next year.
IMAGES FROM TOP Barrier Landing after pouring with rain all night; Scenic photo opportunity; Near the end of a long sailing day; Tobi at the helm; Duck Arm at sunset
The Scarcely Believable Tale of Horace “Schnapper” Williams
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t is extraordinary the degree to which the currents of the sea can move sand.
One hundred and fifty years ago, if you stood at the top of the cliffs behind where the clubhouse now stands, on a clear day, roughly in the direction of the Bellarine Peninsula, you could just make out a small collection of buildings on the horizon. These rough wooden structures were the home of Horace “Schnapper” Williams, who had landed his boat on a large bank of sand in the middle of the Bay one day, and decided to stay. “Schnapper” managed to eke out a living from the sea for the best part of forty years, living all the while on his gentle mound of sand. His 16-foot clinker-built dinghy with its squat mast and gaff-rigged sail became a wellknown sight to dwellers on the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay between Melbourne and Mornington. Once a week, he would sail (or, if there was little wind, row) to Sandridge Market (near modern day Port Melbourne) to exchange his catch of fish for some fresh butter or eggs, a hunk of cheese, or a box of fruit and vegetables. Mostly, though, it was fish that kept the wolf from “Schnapper’s” door. Exactly where “Schnapper” found the wood to build his home has always been something of a mystery. There are several theories. Most of them centre around certain wrecks known to have taken place in the vicinity at around that time. These all seem rather unlikely, though, as he was close enough to Melbourne for the professional salvagers to have beaten him to the punch. More likely, he simply picked up a few spars here, or a length of decking there, as the remains of various tiny craft – too small for their demise to attract much attention – passed by, or simply washed up on his doorstep. Alas, the end came with the spectacular storm of 1896. Needless to say, “Schnapper” was pretty good at predicting the weather, and on more than one occasion he had sought shelter overnight in the ti-tree around Sandringham, half expecting his home to be blown away in the night. So why did he get caught this time? Perhaps it was a freak weather event that more or less blew up out of nowhere and caught him off guard. Or perhaps poor “Schnapper” was just getting too old, and didn’t have the energy to make a last minute dash to the shore. Whatever the case, the storm took
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s a result of the 2013 Betrayal of Trust Parliamentary Inquiry, the Victorian government has implemented compulsory standards for organisations that provide services to children to help protect children from abuse. As such, these standards will apply to Beaumaris Yacht Club from 1 January 2017.
Child Safe Standards include aspects such as instigating a culture of child safety as well as having a child safe policy and code of conduct in place. These documents will establish clear guidelines and expectations for how we work with children. Strategies to identify and remove the risks of child abuse will also be put in place. The BYC Child Safe Subcommittee has been formed to ensure that our club meets these standards. The Child Safe Standards will result in a number of measures being implemented at the beginning of 2017. The committee therefore asks for all members’ support and understanding in implementing these important changes. - Michelle Theron “Schnapper” with it. By morning, there was nothing left of the tidy little settlement he had spent so long creating. “Schnapper” himself was never seen again. Pieces of wood believed most likely to have come from “Schnapper’s Bank” (as it became known – it even features on charts of the Bay as late as the 1950s) were reported washed up on beaches as late as 1937. It was an ignominious end for a remarkable man. Then again, perhaps that is how he would have wanted it. He chose a life pitching himself against the elements, and it was inevitable that they would have the last word. Better that than ending his days in some squalid boarding house in the city. Now, of course, there is no trace even of the bank upon which “Schnapper” chose to build his home. Such is the power of the sea. Fact or fiction? You decide…
- Stephen Whiteside