The Sailing Report

Season Summary

We’re almost at an end to our sailing year with our final two Summer season races and our Alkimos Long Race left to go before our annual Presentation Evening in May.

The 2022/23 North Coast Series against Hillarys Yacht Club has ended, with Ocean Reef taking on first place overall across all three divisions. An amazing victory and a great series that hosted lots of fun for all. A big thank you to Hillarys for hosting another year and a huge mention to the start crew for making it all happen. We’re hoping for a rematch later in the year and look forward to another series against our next-door neighbours.

We have also held our annual Ladies Skippers Race which saw some healthy competition between the female members of the section. A big congratulations to Kate Phipps on Venomous for reclaiming her title for another year and a mention to Sarah Phipps on Leda and Hollie Hodkinson on Whim a Way for coming in second and third along with the other skippers for making a tough competition and a great day on the water.

The Walpole Regatta in the Trees has come and gone once again, which saw a huge turnout from Ocean Reef this year with four Windrush catamarans competing. The weekend was nothing short of eventful, with a combination of sinking and capsizing boats, but most importantly, a whole lot of fun for all and a great weekend away. Another congratulations to Sarah Phipps and Dylan Hess for claiming second place in the large dinghy section.

Off the back of the Walpole Regatta, the Windrush sailors will be starting a Dinghy Section to operate within the sailing section and will begin their first race in late May, with races to operate monthly around our existing sailing calendar. The races will be hosted off Pinnaroo Point – an homage to the origins of our current sailing section which started as catamaran racing from Pinnaroo Point and our Windrush sailors are keen to kick-start this new series.

The end is fast approaching, but not without an action-packed end to the year and plenty of new and old things to look forward to in the coming months with our new sailing year.

VALE-ROGER ANGEL

Roger came to our club when he and his wife Alison arrived in Perth during the 1990s.

They joined the sail section and Roger was Rear Commodore Sailing for six years, after which he was elected as Club Hon. Treasurer for a year.

Roger, Alison and crew sailed “Moonraker” a space sailer 22 in many club events. The yacht was sailed by transferring a block of beer from the belly of their “Moonraker” to others, which helped balance the yacht.

Roger and Alison moved to Bowen QLD arriving 26 January 2019.

Roger and Alison joined the Northern QLD Cruising Yacht Club and settled well into the QLD lifestyle.

Roger passed after a short illness in QLD on the 23rd of April 2023.

A good Man and Sailor taken too early.