Inside: Clean Sweep
Peter and Lauren Kemp win both the National and State Pacer Titles
States Regatta 2014
A big weekend of sailing with three class championships at BYC
Men vs Wild
Stephen Whiteside takes on the Gippsland Lakes in a National E
Sailability
Mun Chin on what ‘sailing for everyone’ really means
Beaumaris Yacht Club is proudly supported by Beaumaris Community Bank Branch
Editorial Commodore Phillip Connard Vice Commodore Bruce Fraser Rear Commodore Will Sharp Secretary Silke Weber Treasurer Chris Neyland Membership Susan Sharp
Committee Paul Hardie - Peter Sharp Thomas Ruether - Connor Gallagher Geoff Perkins - Sarah McKinna
Learn to Sail Peter Sharp - Paul Hardie Thomas Ruether - Lachlan Sharp Ian McHugh - Bruce Fraser - Peter Kemp Phillip Connard - Conor Gallagher
Contact Email: silke@beaumarisyc.com Post: PO Box 16, Black Rock Vic 3193 Phone: 03 9589 6222
www.beaumarisyc.com www.facebook.com/beaumarisyc www.youtube.com/beaumarisyc Past issues of The Reef: www.issuu.com/beaumarisyc
The Reef Editor Will Sharp Email: will@beaumarisyc.com Phone: (03) 8819 0672
Where are the heroes? YDNEY HARBOUR IN THE LATE 80s and early 90s. It’s Saturday and the 18 Foot Skiffs are out again, sponsors adorning the boats and sails, crowds gathering on the headlands and filling the spectator ferries and Channel 10 filming the whole circus. This is Grand Prix sailing and it’s a ratings hit. It’s a long story which I won’t go into here but for a variety of reasons this Grand Prix series imploded in the early 90’s and despite several attempts it has never been fully revived. At its peak, the Grand Prix series was the pinnacle of professional sailing in Australia. The Sydney to Hobart had (and still has) the highest media profile with the prized Boxing Day timeslot; however it only occurs once a year. The 18 Foot Skiffs were regularly televised on Saturdays in summer for several years. This allowed fans to follow the racing and overall results – not unlike professional land-based sports. Close racing, plenty of capsizing, high speeds, collisions, headcams, swathes of 80s fluoro and knowledgeable commentary tying the whole package together made for great viewing even by today’s standards (search for ‘Nokia 18 Foot Skiff in heavy wind’ on YouTube to see what I mean). When Grand Prix sailing collapsed in the early 90s there was nothing that could take its place. The 18s were able to make the most of the whims of television production for two reasons: they were a virtually unlimited development class and they were almost entirely located in Sydney. This made class, rule and racing changes to suit television much easier than the other stricter, decentralised classes which could have taken the place of the 18 footers.
Front Cover
Football, cricket, soccer and other mainstream sports have elite level competition which is well organised, publicised, promoted and marketed. As a result there are posters of Buddy Franklin, Michael Clarke and Harry Kewell adorning the walls of countless teenagers’ rooms around the country giving constant inspiration to the dreams of sporting prowess that the future may hold (I recognise I have named three male sportsmen here but that is a reflection on our society – a topic for a weightier tome too).
Pacer 3011 Bebop - Peter & Lauren Kemp Christie’s Beach Sailing Club, SA (Photo: Roger Foster, January 2014)
It’s a lot harder to find a sailing poster. Aside from the Ronstan posters of 18 Foot Skiffs getting airborne and Tornado catamarans nosediving which adorned my walls while I
Contributors Phillip Connard - Peter Sharp - Peter Kemp - Stephen Whiteside - Lachlan Sharp - Mun Chin - Dan Redman - Ian McHugh - Ludovic Dellazzeri Mike Kenyon
OLD VS. NEW All States/AAMI in 1990 and Gotta Love It 7 in 2014. Is there room in the modern TV schedule for a revival of Grand Prix Sailing?
was growing up it is almost impossible to find a good sailing poster. Let alone a sailor with a household name on said poster. It is my belief that Yachting Australia needs to do more to increase the visibility and marketability of Australia’s top sailors. I appreciate that money doesn’t grow on trees, however when many of our top sailors are still working other jobs to fund their Olympic aspirations then something is amiss. All sports need an elite level of competition and elite competitors. Whether we admit it or not, it is this level many of us strive to attain and these idols we try to emulate. Australia lays claim to many of the world’s top sailors. Eight sailors featured in our medal haul at the London Olympics, five past Australian Olympic medallists featured in the 34th America’s Cup and Australians constantly feature in the medals at the five annual ISAF Sailing World Cup events. If Australian sailing had a professional, publicised, elite level competition then perhaps the sport would experience a reversal of its most worrying trend - the massive decline in participation rates for teenagers and young adults. If we don’t find a way to hold on to these sailors then where does that leave the future of the sport?
BYC Commodore PHILLIP CONNARD expands on a few of the highlights from the 2013-14 sailing season at Beaumaris Yacht Club.
June 9 Queen’s Birthday holiday
HE 2013-2014 SEASON AT BEAUMARIS Yacht Club has certainly been busy – here are some highlights and future directions for the Club.
Pacer and 125 State Championships The huge number of volunteers from the Club assisting on and off the water resulted in a fantastic regatta of which we can all be proud. While we would like to hold these activities as often as we can, the time and effort unfortunately means that they can't take place every year. An additional benefit to the Club is the financial boost that holding a regatta such as this can bring. The strong canteen, bar sales and regatta fees from the class associations have resulted in a clear profit of more than $3000. There was also success on the water for Beaumaris sailors with a total of nine BYC boats competing in the Pacer and Pacer Pursuit fleets. Peter and Lauren Kemp won the Pacer State Title and Jonathan Pulham and Silke Weber defended their State Title in the Pacer Pursuit. The Pacer Association has announced that the Pacer National Championships will be held at Chelsea Yacht Club from 28/12/14 to 3/1/15 in conjunction with the Australian Javelin Championship. With the Nationals being this close to Beaumaris, we hope a strong BYC contingent heads down the road to vie for the title.
3193 Cup The inaugural 3193 Cup - an inter-club race between Beaumaris Yacht Club and Black Rock Yacht Club – was held on 1st February, 2014 at Black Rock. The trophies and prizes were provided by the Beaumaris Community Bank Branch – a regular supporter of Beaumaris Yacht Club. While Black Rock won the event overall, Peter Kemp again kept the Beaumaris flag flying, winning the race overall on handicap. Next year the 3193 Cup will be held at Beaumaris so it will be a great opportunity to participate again in a large fleet and try to win the trophy for Beaumaris.
Junior Learn to Sail Reflecting the popularity of Optimists as junior boats, the committee has decided to expand the Club's fleet of Optimist training boats. This season the Club has paid off the loan for the two white Optimists acquired last year and has received a grant from VicHealth to purchase additional boats. This will enable several of the oldest Minnows to be retired after decades of
faithful service. Our target is for a fleet of six or more Optimists so that we have the option of delivering the Tackers learn to sail program in Club boats if desired. Several of the best Minnows will also be retained alongside the Optimists to provide a level of variety for the kids learning to sail at BYC.
Boat and Crew Matching This season we have been trialling a skipper and crew matching program coordinated by Sarah McKinna. The idea of this program is to facilitate pairing up of skippers and crews in boats for Sunday afternoon sailing. The program has been very successful this season and we hope to expand the pool of members participating next season. Please contact Sarah if you wish to be included or with any suggestions to improve the program next year. Please contact sarah@beaumarisyc.com for more details.
June 27 2014 Presentation
Late September Working Bee Clean Up Day
October 5 2014-15 Season Opening Regatta
Committee 2014-15 The committee is always on the lookout for fresh faces and new ideas so please don't hold back to either nominate yourself or another member to join. This is a great way to get involved in the running of the Club as well as helping to shape the future of BYC.
Oct/Nov BYC promotional displays at Beaumaris Concourse
Club Finances The Club has had a successful season financially and has ended up slightly ahead of its position last year courtesy of the Pacer and 125 States and the support that the members are giving the Club through the canteen, the Learn to Sail programs and social functions.
Presentation 2014 The Committee has decided to change tack this year with our approach to the Presentation and AGM. In the past we held a formal function on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon with a two or three course meal and guest speaker. Due to declining attendance levels and the inherent catering issues that this raises, this year we have decided to hold a much more informal pizza night on Friday June 27 at the clubhouse. We hope that a shorter, cheaper and far more casual evening will encourage a few new faces to come along and (hopefully) take home some silverware. Thank you one and all for your support and involvement this season and I hope to see all of you on the beach again at Beaumaris Yacht Club for the 2014-15 sailing season.
November 2 Championship Series Race 1 Commodore’s Cup
November 4 Melbourne Cup Day
November 16 Discover Sailing Day 2014
December 7 Championship Series Race 2 BYC Cup
Rear Commodore Will SHARP on what happened on and off the water during the season just been
NEW BYC MERCH New season BYC polos are available to order with new colours and logos on offer. We don’t have any celebrity endorsements to help sell them but now that Miranda Kerr is out of contract with Myer and David Jones we’re hoping she will sign on for the BYC range.
AILING FOR THE 2013-14 SEASON IS now well and truly over. 13-14 was one of the busiest seasons in recent years – starting with the madness of the promotion push, including several displays at the Concourse shopping centre which culminated in Discover Sailing Day on November 17 last year. Late in 2013 there were the usual Australian class championships and the success of Peter and Lauren Kemp at the Pacer Nationals at Christies Beach (see page 12 for more). In early January, BYC ran a January Tackers program for the second year with an increased attendance – this was a long, hot week for everyone involved with temperatures constantly in the high 30s. It was a big effort from those who sweated their way through Melbourne’s hottest week of the year ensuring that the program ran smoothly. The first weekend of February saw the inaugural 3193 Sailing Cup hosted in 2014 by Black Rock Yacht Club and proudly supported by Beaumaris Community Bank. This is a fleet event with results decided on handicap. The club with the greatest number of boats in the top ten finishers on yardstick wins the cup. Peter and Lauren Kemp in Bebop blitzed the fleet of more than sixty boats and were the fastest boat on the day on corrected time. The 3193 Sailing Cup will be hosted by BYC next season and we look forward to a big attendance from Black Rock YC to support this event. In March the Club hosted the Pacer, Pacer Pursuit and 125 State Championships. This was a huge three days for everyone which capped off almost a year of planning behind the scenes. There is a full report on page 8 but suffice to say we all pulled together to make it a great event and a showcase of what BYC can do. To everyone who competed or volunteered their time, you should be proud. It was our event, and it is our success. Closer to home and the saga of the moving reef marks appears (for the time being) to be resolved. New post marks have replaced the older ones which had a habit of disappearing every couple of weeks. They are now bolted in so hopefully this is the end of the dramas with shifting marks and edge-of-the-seat crosses of the reef. BYC sailors were also treated to a new addition to our waters in early March in the shape of a yellow and black pile marker signifying the edge of the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. These piles have been installed along the edge of the 115ha entire marine park
Contact Will Sharp for ordering info (but not about Miranda).
OTB Marine
New members Michael and Myles Brown on their Tasar, Funny As. from Quiet Corner to Table Rock. They replace the old yellow floating markers (that look exactly like our course marks) which had a bad habit of shifting and breaking loose in big storms. Hopefully Parks Victoria will pick up the remaining marker currently sitting directly off the Club which will end the confusion with course marks during racing (it’s a long way from home having dragged all the way from Ricketts Point in a storm last September). Back to club racing and it has been great to see several new boats appearing on the beach including Silke Weber’s and Victor Tse’s new Sabres. The committee is keen to promote a single handed class again and the Sabre is a perfect fit. We hope to see more arriving at the Club over the coming seasons. Another new addition to the fleet came in the form of Michael and Myles Brown on their Tasar Funny As. The Tasar is a fast, challenging one-design boat which has remained virtually unchanged since its inception in 1975. A design well before its time, the Tasar provides close, competitive racing with a strong Victorian and Australian presence. It is a great class for anyone who wants a faster boat for two adults. Finally, keep an eye out for the Sailing Calendar for next season which will be released soon. The Committee is planning a few changes to the way racing is run which will keep things interesting. Thanks to everyone who made the 2013-14 season such a success and I look forward to seeing you all at our Presentation event on Friday, June 27.
Official supplier to Yachting Victoria, OTB Marine is a specialist dinghy, skiff and SUP supplier stocking all manner of gear and equipment from the big names in sailing. Head on down and check them out! Showroom: 6/347 Bay Rd Cheltenham (next to the carwash) Phone: (03) 9917 2554 www.otbmarine.com.au
ISAF iPhone App Want to know the Racing Rules but don’t want to lug a blue book around? Get the new smartphone ISAF RRS app. Just 99c in the App Store, have the Racing Rules at your fingertips. Great for settling arguments and discussions quickly. Study the rules anywhere to know just where that boundary is and how far you can push it.
Shipmate iPhone App At a regatta and cant find a chandlery to replace broken bits and pieces? Get your hands on a Shipmate directory which lists all the chandleries and marine services in Victoria. They also have a great free iPhone app out so you have access to the entire directory anywhere. Visit www.shipmate.com.au for more information.
Laser Ten-time Australian Champion and seventeen-time Victorian Champion PETER SHARP on the importance of keeping a stockpile of spares handy. AST ARTICLES HAVE FOCUSSED ON the on-water skills and setups. But in order to get on the water in the first place the boat must be well prepared and in working order. How many times have you started rigging and noticed something is not working correctly, missing or broken? Not having the right gear to fix such a problem can turn a great day into a disappointing day very quickly. Fortunately there are chandlers open on Sunday mornings although a return trip from the Club to Sandringham will take about an hour and then the fix still needs to be attended to. However, if you are sailing at another location or in a State or National Title event, access to a chandler may not be so easy or there simply may not be enough time between races to go and buy what is needed. I know my box of spares is a bit over the top. But it has grown over many years and now it is just as easy to keep it all in one place as to decide what to cull. If starting your own box of spares from scratch I would recommend the following: Screws - Start with a few common sizes (8 and 10 gauge, pan head, 20mm and 25mm long). Pan head screws can be used instead of a countersink head. Expand over time to include countersink heads and particular sizes to suit the fittings on your boat.
Bolts - Common gauges are 3/16" and 1/4" although some fittings will accommodate 5/32". Start with some 3/16", 50mm long roundheads (they can be shortened). Check the boat for 1/4" (eg rudder pin) to determine appropriate lengths. Always use nylock nuts where possible. However a few standard nuts can be useful. Don't forget washers - oversize (spreads load better) and standard. Remember any exposed thread is a risk to slicing fingers and wetsuits so trim bolts so that threads are fully contained within the nut (also saves weight). Note - all screws and bolts must be good quality 316 grade stainless steel. NOT from Bunnings. Prices at a specialist fixing shop (eg Cost Less Bolts) will be about 40% less than a chandler - they also supply rivets. Rivets - Monel for aluminium spars and stainless steel for carbon fibre. The most common size is 3/16". However some 1/8" and 5/32" are useful sizes as well. Tape - Good quality 20mm insulation tape (eg Nitto), 50mm duct tape (eg Bear), selfamalgamating tape and spinnaker repair tape. Shackles – A common problem is dropping shackles and especially the pins in the sand. 5/32” and 3/16” standard Ds are the main ones to get. The range can be expanded to screw pins, long Ds, and twist shackles. Some blocks also take a special wide D, check your boat for which ones you need. Cord and shock cord - to suit any high wear lines which may fail. Some essential tools - Shackle key (spare), pliers, screw drivers (flat and Philips head), open end / ring spanners for fitting nuts, adjustable spanner, vise grips, file. Future additions could be a riveter, battery drill and bits, hammer, hacksaw etc. Some further thoughts – it’s handy to keep spare fittings that may be lost or fail when rigging. For example, rudder pin wing nut (Pacer), rudder box retaining clip, cam cleats, 20mm and 30mm ball bearing blocks and bungs are all good items to have handy.
Q: How many boxes to refit a boat? A: Several more than you would think!
These supplies will enable you to deal with most minor maintenance emergencies without spoiling your day.
Canadians Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce discuss the possibility of an affordable dinghy which would be able to be transported on top of a car and sold in the burgeoning camping and weekend recreation market. During this discussion Bruce Kirby sketched what would be known as “the million dollar doodle”, his initial plans for the Laser.
American magazine One Design and Offshore Yachtsman held a regatta for boats costing less than $1000, called the “America’s Teacup”. With just a few sail modifications, the Laser convincingly won its class.
The boat previously known as the “Weekender” is unveiled at the New York Boat Show and renamed the Laser.
The Laser becomes the men’s single-hander Olympic class dinghy for the Atlanta Summer Olympics. A special Olympic edition Laser is also released the same year.
The Laser Radial becomes the women’s single hander Olympic class dinghy for the Beijing Summer Olympic Games replacing the Europe class dinghy which had been used since the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games.
Australian Laser and Laser Radial Championships are held at McCrae Yacht Club. A total of 175 boats competed across several fleets and divisions.
Women in Sailing Program This season the Club has been busy ensuring our members have the support and skills to take BYC into the future. The BYC Women in Sailing initiative is continuing due to additional funding from the Australian Sports Commission. Since the last issue several people have benefitted from this program. Sarah McKinna and Sally Gallagher have both completed courses on social media strategy and effective use of Twitter which will help with BYC’s online presence in the social media marketplace. Alex Dempsey has completed the Yachting Victoria Powerboat Handling Course through as well as a Sports Leadership Development course. Charmaine Smith has completed her Radio Operator Licence as well as a Race Officer course which she attended with Pam Sharp. If you would like to know more about the BYC Women in Sailing program please contact a committee member. You never know, there could be funding available for you…
Learn to Sail 2013-14 Adults 2013-14 Rachael Alexander Martin Cottrell Ludovic Dellazeri Alex Dempsey Brian Doig Phoebe Gallagher Susie Groves Nicole Jenvey Ken McLennan Jurgen Moews Dermot O’Sullivan Elaine PlumridgeMoews Catherine Powell Dan Redman Gleb Shinkarsky Justine Walden Stephanie Wood
Juniors 2013-14 Isabella Ciobo Georgia Gallagher Rachael Hood Leo Jaszewski Eliza Kemp Lauren Kemp Angus Macauley Lachlan Macauley Chris Moews Tobi Moews Carlos Reynolds Remus Reynolds
Once again BYC had both junior and adult Learn to Sail programs filled to capacity. Despite some ordinary weather during the season which meant a few more onshore sessions that usual, the programs were very successful with twelve kids and seventeen adults learning to sail at BYC. As the season progressed we saw ever increasing numbers of sailors from the programs trying their hand at afternoon racing. The weather wasn’t always on side and a few instances of ‘character building’ (unintended swimming) resulted, but then swimming never stops being a part of sailing. We hope that everyone who was part of the Learn to Sail programs in 2013-14 enjoyed their time with us and we look forward to seeing many of you back next season at BYC.
Hot days, fast sailing and rubber chickens My son Ethan participated in the Tackers 1 holiday program at BYC earlier this year. Nothing helps learning to sail like hot weather, and we got that in January with an average temperature during the five day course of 40 degrees. When I ask Ethan what was the highlight of the program, I get two answers. First is “sailing fast” and the second is “chasing a rubber chicken”. Who would have thought that the key to a successful junior sailing program is investing in a $3 dog toy? The kids were hooked. Even on the way to Tackers 2 at Albert Park, Ethan asked if they had the rubber chickens ready. Having now completed my role as a father and getting him hooked in sailing, I look forward to watching his development. It’s only a matter of time before he is giving me lessons in picking wind shifts and advanced racing maneuverers. Dan Redman.
Weird and wonderful bits and pieces from the strange world of sailing
RIGHT: Ricketts Point, 1936 This photo from the archives of The Age shows a very different beach to the one we know today. It appears that it was taken from the hill which was excavated in order to construct the BYC clubhouse. The southern end of the reef is just visible in the background. The familiar sandbar and shallows in the foreground don’t appear to have changed much in the interceding seventy eight years either. Thanks to Mike Kenyon for unearthing this historical gem.
LEFT: Dream Garage Ever wondered where the fastest, most exclusive sailing craft are stored during the off season? This is a photo from inside a warehouse in Sydney. On the left is Bob Oatley’s 100ft supermaxi Wild Oats XI, seven time line honours winner and race record holder of the Sydney to Hobart. On the floor covered in white sheets are two America’s Cup World Series AC45 catamarans, the rearmost is the new Team Australia training boat and in front is one of the Oracle Team USA boats. And hanging from the rafters over them all is the current JJ Giltinan 18 Foot Skiff champion boat Gotta Love It 7. Talk about a dream garage.
Druids and bluebottles Long have I known that you change a boat's name at your peril. I've changed the name several times in the past, ignoring this threat, and no doubt been punished by always remaining in the middle of the fleet. However with a magnificent new Jim French Pacer Pursuit, I had to follow the rules. The naming of Jim's boats usually occurs around the kitchen table and is generally based on books read. Apparently this time ideas were a little slow until Jim's wife, Leanne, suggested Akura. An internet search of the name provided several different meanings. ‘Gentle Warrior’ was one. However this was not a name that suited my no doubt delusional self-image, so I gained Leanne's approval to change. Wife and crew approved the new name of Bluebottle. The last few Easter holidays have been spent camping at Waranga Basin near Rushworth with Jonathon Pulham, his parents Chris and Pam, Jim
French and family and assorted Albert Park YC sailors. The facilities are excellent, they have a good club-house and we sail fairly relaxed races generally each afternoon. This year three Pursuits, two scow Moths, two Sabres and a Pacer provided variety. A suitable location then for the re-naming, especially as Akura had been registered at Albert Park Yacht Club. The internet revealed that the ceremony should be in two parts. Only once the boat had been purged of all traces of the old name could the new name be applied. Decisions on whether the ceremony would be Christian or pagan was easily solved by Roy, who being Welsh, insisted it be Druid, and that he, as a deputy assistant Druid, would officiate. Decked out in his Druid Easter apparel, holding a broom (a Nelsonian touch of sweeping the seas?), with Avril's mum's carving fork as a trident, Bluebottle, of Beaumaris Yacht Club was christened. Ian McHugh.
Above: Deputy Assistant Druid Roy in his traditional ceremonial attire Below: Bluebottle with crews past and present. L-R: Bronwyn McHugh, Silke Weber, Avril McHugh
Photos: Will Sharp Words: Will Sharp and Peter Kemp
HREE. Three classes. Three fleets and three different starts. Three clubs involved in the race management. Three quarters of a year of planning. And three big days of sailing to bring it all together. Planning for the 2014 Pacer, Pacer Pursuit and 125 State Championships began at the Pacer and 125 States at Parkdale in March last year when BYC approached the respective associations and offered the Club as a potential venue for the following season’s regatta. The offer was formally accepted within weeks and from then on planning began in earnest. It’s a big task to bring together all the elements of a successful regatta, more so when there are multiple classes and several of the most important elements are being brought in from neighbouring clubs. BYC’s long-time Principal Race Officer Rod McCubbin was unavailable for the March long weekend so we had to look outside the club for a suitable qualified/experienced person for the job. After a false start and a late withdrawal, Bob Ford from Parkdale YC came on board at the eleventh hour and ran the event for us.
which is very rare on the bay, even more so in March) the race management team were faced with a choice – set the course as the wind currently was and risk a massive shift during the race, or bet on the forecast southerly shift. As is often the case, there were no right answers and the course was laid, changed, changed again, then completely moved for the second race of the session. The breeze had swung through 120 degrees in the space of two hours and caused much tearing of hair and creative swearing on the course boats. Light, shifty winds and warm to hot temperatures proved to be the norm for the remainder of the regatta, resulting in tense, tight sailing where every inch counted. Two people who revelled in the challenging conditions and certainly made the most of it were Peter and Lauren Kemp on Bebop. Fresh from their Australian Championship win at Christies
The other issue was rescue boats. We have two boats at BYC in use most weeks, and we also have access to Rod McCubbin’s personal powerboat for large events which is extremely useful. However with a fleet of 50-60 boats expected, we were somewhat short of an acceptable rescue boat to sailing boat ratio. It was decided to contact Hampton Sailing Club in the hope we could utilise their two rescue boats for the weekend. HSC assisted BYC when we last hosted the Pacer States in 2010 and once again they agreed to send both their boats and several people up for the weekend. This was a great help for the event and a great example of the smaller sailing clubs working together.
THE SAILING As usual, we faced three days of ‘regatta weather’ – weather that we would never normally see at that time of year, if at all. The first session of sailing on Saturday afternoon proved to be challenging. With a persistent easterly blowing all morning and seeming like it would continue into the afternoon (a breeze
The Race Management team faced some weather challenges over the long weekend
of the fleet at the first mark but were eventually bettered by Murray and Anna O'Brien in Pocket Rocket and the Kemps. In the second back-toback race Molly Ford and Jack Challends in White Illusion smoked the whole fleet off the start line and were clear ahead at the top mark. Despite being in the non-spinnaker division they held on to finish with a sensational fourth place.
MOMENT OF TRUTH: Peter and Lauren Kemp crossing the line to take out the 2014 Pacer State Title Beach in South Australia, Peter and Lauren were the boat to beat for the series. Two boats from Christies Sailing Club made the drive across from SA to compete at the Victorian States. It says something about the depth and quality of the Victorian Pacer fleet that the interstate crews of Marc and Georgia Read and Chris and Ella Dean made the effort to compete, even when they were technically ineligible to win the title. After some tight racing with several lead changes, Peter and Lauren took out both races on Saturday with Murray and Liam O’Brien from McCrae YC hot on their heels in race one and Marc and Georgia Read from Christies SC close behind in race two. In the Pacer Pursuits, Jon Pulham and Silke Weber in Spray capsized while ahead of Jim French to allow Jim though to take the flag in both afternoon races. After the race Jonathan was heard to mutter, "I worked so hard to get ahead of him, and then I go and throw it all away with a capsize". However Jon and Silke's good form was to stand them in good stead for the rest of the series. In the 125s both races went to Josh Gallard and Leroy Addison on Black Pearl after some solid tussling with Stuart and Michael Johnson on Beyond Expectations and James Robinson and Sue Farmer on Blackbeard. The 125s sailed the same courses and races as the Pacers all weekend as they are similar in speed and configuration. This made for some interesting comparisons between the classes with regards to tactics, relative speed and sailing angles. Saturday evening was the traditional welcome night social affair with large serves of lasagne and a fantastic array of salads put on by the BYC members, followed by a fruit platter and a picturesque sunset with drinks on the balcony. An acoustic guitarist added a great atmosphere to the evening. Sunday morning brought a strong, gusty northerly and a forecast for poor conditions the following day. This necessitated a change to the Sailing Instructions in an effort to fit in more races on the short course, in the event sailing was blown out on the Monday. In the Pacers the Riley boys on Sharpshooter were at the front
Contrary to the forecast, Sunday afternoon saw the northerly breeze slowly drop. The fleet bunched up at the bottom mark half way through the race as the wind died. Murray O'Brien demonstrated his ability to make his boat move forward in the absence of any wind and pulled away up the middle of the course while those boats inshore struggled to get back into the race. Eventually the wind did fill in. Louis Chapman and Tom O'Brien in Speedy took advantage and recorded an excellent third place. However the 6th race of the series had to be postponed until Monday. In the 125s Josh Gallard and Leroy Addison on Black Pearl took out the two morning races comfortably while the afternoon race saw a change in the usual order with James Robinson and Sue Farmer on Blackbeard winning and Black Pearl coming third behind Stuart and Michael Johnson on Beyond Expectations. The wind may have momentarily reached the forecast 30 knots mid Monday morning but it quickly abated. While hugging the shore didn't pay off for Brody and Corey the day before, it certainly did this time and when the wind dropped further they raced to the front of the fleet and eventually finished a close second. Jim French finished off his series by neatly detaching himself from his Pacer Pursuit trapeze wire and getting an unintentional dunking right near the finish. Jon Pulham and Silke Weber won the rest of the Pacer Pursuit races to successfully defend their Pacer Pursuit State Title, and the Kemps continued their form from the recent National titles at Christies Beach to take the flag in all six races. Murray, Anna and Liam O'Brien took second place overall, and Brody and Corey Riley took third place as well as the junior skipper / junior crew trophy for the third year in a row. Paul and Judy Hardie won the Veterans’ trophy. Josh Gallard and Leroy Addison on board Black Pearl took out the 125 State Title comfortably, seven points clear of second placed James Robinson and Sue Farmer on Blackbeard. Stuart and Michael Johnson on Beyond Expectations rounded out the top three.
Paul and Judy Hardie in Limelight
THE WRAP These events could not happen without the fantastic level of support received from club members. It requires a vast amount of time and effort to set up and run an event like this and it is a credit to the members and friends of Beaumaris Yacht Club that we pulled it off yet again. Fifty four people volunteered their time to make this series work. They included BYC members, ex members, friends and more. The Club made over $4000 in profit from the weekend and this is a result of which we can all be proud. There are two people who were key to making this series a success and deserve a special mention. Bob Ford from Parkdale YC and Stewart Simmons from Hampton SC performed the roles of Principal Race Officer and Race Officer respectively and were instrumental in ensuring this regatta was a well organised, professional event. Stewart was the man in charge on the water, running all the starts and finishes in a role which was foisted on him at late notice due to changes in personnel planning. He performed admirably in challenging conditions and ensured that the sailing ran as smoothly as possible. Bob came on board at late notice after our initial Principal Race Officer had to withdraw from the event in late December 2013. He walked in to a regatta where he knew very few of the key personnel but despite this ran the series in a calm, professional manner and was well received by all the sailors and volunteers. To all the sailors and volunteers – thank you. This was your event and you should all be proud of what we achieved. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Rod Smith and David Von Felten on Spun Out in Race 5
Words: Lachlan Sharp Photos: Perth Dinghy Sailing Club
HIS BEING THE FOURTH REPORT I HAVE WRITTEN about a Javelin Nationals in Perth, I will dispense with the colourful allegories and attempted lyricism. Suffice to say we went there, the wind blew really hard, boats fell over lots and various pieces of boat and crew found themselves in states of disrepair. Oh and it was an absolute blast.
Not a bad old tub. Brian Kerman’s 52 foot cruiser was an excellent place to watch the racing, with a glass of bubbles in hand of course.
Five Victorian boats made the trip across the Nullabor, two from Chelsea, one from Cairn Curran and two from Beaumaris: Dad and I and Rod Smith and crew-to-bedetermined. A lesser man, suffering a bung shoulder and a lack of someone to sail with, would have put the cue in the rack, but not our Rodney. He packed up the fibreglass armchair (that, quote, ‘just gets the job done’) known commonly as Spun Out, the perpetually for sale boat you will probably see an ad for on the back page of this esteemed publication, wheeled it into the container with the glue on its new foredeck drying, popped a Voltaren, and prayed like hell there would be someone over in the West who had the appropriate amount of limbs and had perhaps seen a trapeze harness before. The racing was a mixed bag. We had more wind than you thought anyone was even going to try and fly a spinnaker in - right up to the weather mark when those mad Westies start pulling them up all the same. Remembering you
have life insurance, you invariably hoist your own, then realise that it doesn’t cover suicide and contemplate your family’s impending ruin all the way to the leeward mark.
IMAGES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Russ Hanrahan and Chris Woodward, National Champs; You know it’s windy when reaching looks like this; Where there are thrills, there are spills; Lachlan and Peter Sharp heading upwind; Big gusts are a Swan River specialty; CST Composites cruising; Don’t get caught on the second row at the start.
One thing that has become clear to me over the years is that West Australians really don’t like abandoning races. They just hold the wind anemometer a little further behind the windscreen of the committee boat, tell you it’s just a moderate breeze and mention some dubious dietary recommendations involving concrete and teaspoons. But conditions such as these force you to push the envelope harder than is necessary (or intelligent) at club level, and some of the memories one takes away from windy championship series are truly special. Perhaps my less than positive spin on the series so far could be attributed to the loss of a dearly held ornament that once adorned my mantelpiece. Yep, we didn’t defend the title, the trophy going back west to Russ Hanrahan and Chris Woodward in Racing Red. Dad and I finished up a respectable fourth, and Rod and his crews, the Von Felten brothers, in thirteenth place. If only we had more concrete…
Christies Sailing Club, Christies Beach, South Australia
HE PACER AND PACER PURSUIT NATIONALS were held on Adelaide's beautiful southern beaches at Christies Sailing Club, South Australia over the 2013/14 Christmas - New Year period. Many club training boats, trainees and juniors competed in their own divisions, including a non-spinnaker category. There were representatives from Victoria, Canberra, and several South Australian clubs including Christies and Port Augusta. This was our first drive to a Nationals in a long, long time, and it brought back fond memories of doing the very same thing many times as a kid. We rigged up high off the beach in front of the clubhouse with fabulous views of the Gulf St Vincent. The breeze was up and unfortunately the first sailing session was blown out, however the afternoon wasn't wasted. Christies Sailing Club put on a great welcome dinner, they raffled prizes, and we met the CSC locals including the resident cockatoo 'Fluoro'. The following day we squeezed in four races in a slowly increasing offshore south easterly breeze. The locals were heard to say something like the proverbial “it's never like this�. However it didn't seem to slow them down much and they regularly beat us all to the first mark. The wind coming off the land resulted in shifty conditions making it more like a northerly for the Beaumaris crews on their home waters.
Strong tide was a big factor and even the start boat was dragging its anchor. Upwind capsizes from the gusts were common. In the battle for the top of the table between Peter and Lauren Kemp in Bebop, and Murray, Anna and Liam O'Brien in Pocket Rocket, several races were very close, with the lead changing many times. Even having to avoid the finish line during every other leg except for the last became a tactical consideration, forcing a separation between boats both upwind and downwind.
Peter, Lauren and Samantha Kemp with the silverware after winning eight out of nine races in the series
While leading one race comfortably the O’Brien’s were slammed by a strong shift during a tack in the tricky conditions, putting them in the water. Here we were thinking he was just washing off any remaining dust from the drive over. But unfortunately the capsize meant losing the lead and according to the crew it took Murray a while to stop cursing their luck so it became apparent their swim wasn't intentional. Monday was one of two lay days and the club had organised a winery tour of the best of McLaren Vale. We left our kids under the care of local sailor Marc Reid (not the Chopper one) who thrilled them with rescue boat rides and beach activities. The Tuesday racing turned into a drifter which resulted in an abandonment. However the calm weather made for a pleasant new year's eve for the Beauie crews at the Kemps’ canvas chateau.
Ian McHugh and Liam O’Brien in Spray hot on the heels of Graeme and Harry Cox on
Contagious
Thursday and Friday were very windy but the conditions looked worse than they really were. The southerly breeze came in over the gulf and this was the first experience of real swell for us bay and lake sailors for a while. Phil and Janette Connard on Wildwood broke their stainless steel gooseneck fitting but managed to keep the boom attached with a velcro strap and hang on to finish. Janette seemed pleased that when the chips were down that little velcro strap really knuckled down and showed the gritty determination of everyone else on Wildwood (Janette has a record
of MacGuyver-esque exploits in State and National events – most notably in the 2013 Pacer
L-R: Ian McHugh, Jim French and Phillip Connard
Phillip and Janette Connard on Wildwood (pre gooseneck and Velcro saga) States when she plugged a leak with a copy of the Notice of Race. Apparently soggy paper works surprisingly well – Ed.) Even though Peter and Lauren Kemp had taken the title already, the windy final race was still fought hard and was very close. In the washup, 1st and 2nd placings hailed from Victoria, with South Australian crews taking out the next six placings. The Connards placed a credible 10th and Ian finished a close 3rd in the Pursuits, winning the final race. Jim French kindly trailered over the Kemps’ Pacer as well as the Pacer Pursuit that Ian sailed with various crews. Ian enjoyed the Pursuit so much he has now bought the boat. The next nationals will be held at Chelsea Yacht Club along with the Javelins over the 2014/15 Christmas - New Year period.
The rigging area in front of Christies Sailing Club
A weekend travelling in a 15 foot dinghy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. STEPHEN WHITESIDE recounts a few interesting days on the Gippsland Lakes in a National E. ACK IN FEBRUARY I EMBARKED ON A FABULOUS holiday sailing and camping in the Gippsland Lakes with my son, Thomas, and two of his mates, Alex and Daniel. We established a base camp at Emu Bight in The Lakes National Park, east of Lochsport, on Sperm Whale Head. The plan was to head off to the Mitchell River silt jetties. These are an amazing geographical phenomenon, whereby the Mitchell River, over countless years, has carried silt into deep out into Lake King, creating so-called ‘jetties’ that create the effect of river banks in the middle of the lake. (If you go to Google Images and search for “Mitchell River silt jetties” you will see some great aerial views.) I had visited them very briefly many years ago, and thought they would be a great place to camp. (Little did I know…) The day got off to a wonderful start. It was hot and still, and a pod – perhaps eight – of the local dolphins swam past the calm waters of Emu Bight. They were a fair way off – perhaps a couple of hundred yards – yet because of the quietness of the bay, and no doubt due in some way to how sound travels over water – we could hear their blows as they surfaced. Then they put on a stun-
THE PLUG Stephen Whiteside is a long time BYC member and lifetime sailor. When he isn’t sailing his next passion is poetry. He has written somewhere in the vicinity of 2000 poems and has compiled his best work in his new book, The Billy that Died with its Boots On, which is being published by Walker Books in May. For more information go to www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
Inhospitable, rocky shores greet weary travellers in Tambo Bay ning aerial display for us, leaping repeatedly out of the water. It was utter magic. Eventually they moved on, and we got down to the serious business of rigging and packing the boat, and setting sail. We set off with a light breeze, which soon dropped, leaving us becalmed in the middle of Lake Victoria. It didn’t take long for the gang to realise this was a golden opportunity for a swim. Eventually Thomas returned to the boat, and I decided to have a dip myself. There is nothing like having a whole lake to yourself – especially when it is about 10km long! Eventually the wind picked up a little, and we continued on our travels. The only real navigational decision to make was whether to go the long way around Raymond Island, or take the short cut through the very narrow McMillan Strait that separates the island from Paynesville. There was no particularly strong argument one way or another, so I made the executive the decision that we would take the long way round. I think I just liked the idea of sailing in open water. It was indeed a long way, but eventually we rounded Point King, at the north of Raymond Island, and could just sight the silt jetties on the horizon. As we approached them, we heard thunder and saw rain clouds behind them. It was a little unnerving, and we briefly toyed with the idea of heading west to the mainland. The situa-
tion seemed to improve a little, though, so we plugged on when, suddenly (“out of the blue”, so to speak), we were hit by a massive northwester that we really didn’t see coming. It was one of the strongest winds I have ever sailed in. There was no way we could beat into it. The best I could manage was a broad reach, with all four of us hiking out hard. We were literally being driven before the gale! I quickly realised we had no hope of making the silt jetties, and would eventually have to make a landfall in Tambo Bay, to the east. Unfortunately, this was not close, which meant a long and nail-biting ride trying to make sure the mast kept pointing towards the sky as we rode the tempest. The next cheerful little discovery was that most of the coast seemed to be lined with rocks, but eventually I spotted a small stretch of sand, and made for that. Finally, with a huge sense of relief, we made landfall. Tambo Bay, just to the south of the mouth of the Tambo River, is a particularly cheerless stretch of coastline. It has a very wild, abandoned, unloved feel to it. It looks like a dumping ground of sorts, as though we are by no means the first to have been washed up on its shores. It also looks very flood prone, and as though it might have once been cleared for farming, but ultimately abandoned. We couldn’t resist this opportunity for a shot of the boys watching ‘local tele’ (See bottom of page, Thomas left, Alex middle, Daniel right).
Somehow it all goes in. Tent, bedding and food for four, all in 15 feet of E We had a bite to eat while the wind died down, and then decided to make the final push for the silt jetties. We reached them without great difficulty, but they turned out to be a huge disappointment. The main problem was that rocks had been placed all around their shores to stabilise them. This made it very difficult to find a place to launch our boat. Eventually I found a muddy bank inside the mouth of the Mitchell River itself, but by this time the boys had decided the whole area looked thoroughly uninviting. We eventually resolved, therefore, to try to make a dash for Duck Arm before daylight failed us. We had spent a lovely day beside this beautiful patch of water at the end of the Banksia Peninsula in Lake Victoria the previous year, and it seemed to make perfect sense to spend the night there again. But did we have time? Duck Arm is south west of Paynesville and Raymond Island, so the island needed to be negotiated once more. This time, however, there was no real option other than facing the shorter route through McMillan Strait.
Landfall on Raymond Island. It’s a pretty tight parking spot!
Unfortunately, we reached it to find the wind was pretty much on the nose, so we would have to tack all the way up it. It was hard work
The Raymond Island campsite in a brisk breeze and narrow water, but we very nearly made it. Alas, however, another huge gust of wind towards the end forced us to make for shore once more. This time, the shore was very close but again, it was mostly rocks. Once more, I spotted a patch of sand, and we made another safe landfall. The environment was essentially suburban, with no obvious camping options on offer. Fortunately, a very kind local gentleman gave us permission to camp on the nature strip beside his back gate. Here we are, tucked in cosily out of the wind. The wind continued to rage throughout the night, and we wondered if we would have to spend the next day holed up on Raymond Island. Fortunately the next morning, though cold and grey, brought a much more gentle breeze, and we woke early, packed and headed off as soon as possible, before the wind had a chance to build once more. We passed through the remainder of McMillan Strait without incident, then struck out across Lake Victoria to the passage of water that runs between Banksia Peninsula and Sperm Whale Head. Once through here we were becalmed once more for an hour or so – which allowed for another swim in the lake – before at last returning to Emu Bight at about midday.
Local TV on the Gippsland Lakes. There isn’t all that much on… but then there aren’t any ads either.
It had been a fabulous twenty four hours – dolphins, swimming in calm waters, running before gales, and simply enjoying sailing the lovely waterways of the Gippsland Lakes. Next year, though, we might make life a bit easier, and simply head for Duck Arm in the first place!
Sailability MUN CHIN on what ‘sailing for everyone’ really means OW ARE YOU DOING, COOKIE?” Cookie shifted besides me and grunts. I guessed he was doing ok. We were sailing on a reach. The wind gusted; with me on leeward and being heavier than Cookie, the dinghy heeled. Cookie stiffened. I tacked around, flattening the boat. The day was cool, light winds with the occasional gusts. Cookie's grunting increased. "Shall we go back?" Grunt. I tacked again and brought the boat alongside the jetty. Peter and Stuart saw me coming in and moved to hold the boat while Cookie stood up and tried to climb on the jetty. Cookie's carer pulled him up and Cookie disappeared into the bus. "Cookie was making noises and I thought he had enough." "Oh, no, it means he was happy." I was aghast. I had come in early and shortchanged Cookie. No time to ponder. Eve was waiting in her wheelchair. The carer and another volunteer hoisted her onto the boat. She was tiny and looked smothered by the life jacket. A shove off the jetty and we were away. I was at Lysterfield Lake, volunteering for Sailability which organises sailing for the disabled. The boat which looks like an overgrown bath toy is of the Hansa (previously Access) class. The club has five 2.3m two seat boats and one 3.03m two seat boat. The seats are side by side and low slung. There is a 20kg removable keel which makes it hard to capsize. The single sail can be reefed by winding the mast. The rudder is attached to a joystick sited in front of the two seats. The boat is surprisingly lively but can be difficult to tack in strong winds unless the sail is reefed. With only the mainsheet and rudder stick to worry about, and the boom passing comfortably overhead, sailing these boats is comparatively easy. The day started at about 8.30 and we
Mun about to take off from the jetty with a client
The 2.3 metre, two-seat Hansa dinghy could host up to eight or nine groups before we finish up at 3-4pm. There would be four to five sailors and a coordinator/rescue boat operator although sometimes visitors can be pressed into service. The boat is not only for the disabled; we frequently host school children who take the boats out by themselves after a (very) short introduction. The disability groups book for half hour sessions and comprise both intellectual and physical disability, including quadriplegics. Each person (or client as we call them) pays $5 for the session, gets fitted with a lifejacket and paired up with a sailor. Even though we would offer the mainsheet and rudder to some clients, they are usually content to sit back and let the sailor sail the boat. Sometimes they fall asleep. Others like Eve would trail their hand in the water. With most clients, it is not about sailing fast but having a comfortable time on the water. After their sail, some would have a big smile. My last session was with Dan. He was quite talkative, asking about everything on the boat. Then he wanted me to sail past a couple of girls sitting on the banks. And again. And again. Where he tried to chat them up (unsuccessfully). I felt like a dating agency. He was having a good time. So why do we do this, keep coming back to volunteer our time? Everyone has a right to the pleasures of life. And watching them enjoying the pleasure of sailing, if only for a short while, is priceless.
FOR SALE BYC POLO SHIRTS NEW SEASON STYLE CONTACT WILL SHARP (03) 8819 0672 will@beaumarisyc.com
WANTED USED PACER, SABRE, MINNOW AND OPTIMIST SAILS FOR THE BYC TRAINING FLEET. CONTACT PAUL HARDIE (03) 9583 3363
FOR SALE JAVELIN 367 ‘Spun Out’
$ 6,500 ONO
Minimum weight Good racing record CST mast Irwin sails in good condition Aluminium beach trolley Registered road trailer
Phone Rod Smith 0409 172 583