HERRESHOFF HILL HEADLINES

60th Year Celebration.

The highlight of the year was the 60th anniversary of H28s sailing as a class division.

Club records show that a meeting convened by 12 SoPYC members on Thursday, February 28, 1963, resulted in a successful proposal put forward by Frank Corser and seconded by Loyal Weaver for H28’s to sail as a “class fleet.” The resolution saw the fleet commence sailing as a class division from the 1963/1964 season to the present day. Such a historic milestone surely deserved a proper celebration.

On Saturday, March 1, 2023, the largest fleet of H28s seen for several years, with 12 yachts crossing the start line, assembled. They included Aloha, Anna, Corella, Georgina, Mariner, Napea of Carrick, Swiftsure Saga, The First Jindarra, and Wynella, with visiting yachts, Bella, Manta, and Tehana. It was a very hot 38°C day with a delayed start, which finally saw the boats drift northwards on a very light, fickle easterly breeze to Sampson. The breeze swung to a light but more encouraging southerly.

Fastest on the day was Mariner, skippered by Kate Lammonby. 1st on handicap was Aloha, skippered by Andrew Minto, and the 1st visiting yacht was Manta, skippered by Geoff Barr. All three winners were presented with trophies marking the anniversary event.

Following the race results, over 90 members and associates of the H28 family moved to the Wardroom for a night of fine dining, fellowship, and reliving memories of the past 60 years. The evening began with a welcome by Commodore Troy Dalglish. Invited guests included Rear Commodore Victoria Blankensee and Vice Patron Len Randell.

Rick Steuart set the scene with a continuous slideshow of over 400 photos displayed on two large screens, depicting the yachts and many of the colorful characters crewing in the H28 fleet over many years. The Chairman of the Division, Ernie Little, acted as MC, and he opened his comments by congratulating Glen Stanley for his enormous contribution to the H28 fleet as Chairman for the previous 13 years. He spoke about the camaraderie within the sailing group, which has prevailed throughout the years, and was pleased to see so many representatives, past and present, of the families who have left their mark on the character of the fleet.

Many thanks to all members of the sub-committee formed to organize the celebration, to provide a special evening for all.

Keelboat Prize Night

Prominent night enjoyed by all at the 2023 Keelboat Prize Night. Perpetual sailing attendees Swiftsure Saga and Wynella were rewarded by taking out most trophies. Well done to Bill and Glen and their crews.

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival Hobart 2023

Some H28 sailors spent a long weekend at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival last February. They were invited by the organizers to represent the state of WA, and originally, the Herreshoff 28 was viewed as the representative class. When it was pointed out that the H28 was a Yankee design, the prime focus was quietly switched to Len Randall, a noted marine designer, and Vice Patron of SoPYC. However, the class still had its day, and with the assistance of a WA-built, Hobart-based H28 originally called Anita, we were able to show off the H28 class to the people of Hobart.

With 14 WA visitors from SoPYC, we were able to man a booth in the Wooden Boat Builders Marquee and kept the flag flying while accompanying Len Randall, who was a guest speaker at the symposium on Sunday. The assistance of the Club was most appreciated, and it was noted that several WA visitors who found us were delighted to have the Club represented at the festival.

John Pierzak.

Images courtesy of Rick Steuart

Iremember a time, many seasons back now, and before joining the Club, when I was walking along Jetty 7 on a weekend in winter and I would have been the only person around. All the boats lined up, some brand new and some needing lots of work. At that time, all was still and quiet, just the jetty, the boats and me.

My thoughts were focused around all these boats just sitting there and where was the life, or vibrance and love for watersport to keep this all going.

Move forward to our new summer sailing season, I’m an owner of a Spacesailer 22 on Jetty 7 and have been an active participant for quite a few seasons now.

My SS22 is all tidied up and ready to go again for another season as each season I get such generous help to get her ready like so many others in our fleet.

I also have many weekends of racing on the river to look forward to with two of my daughters and their partners on board. Quality time together and interaction on a very special level as we all work together to get the best out of our boat.

The SS22 fleet is very much alive at our Club and one of the best kept secrets around is the extraordinary level of support and comaraderie that takes place weekly between the boats, skippers and crew. I don’t just look forward to the competitive racing, I also turn up for the warm and friendly interaction with the other skippers and crew each week.

We all get an amazing amount of support and encouragement, and my crew constantly get tips after the race along with all the banter that goes with it.

It’s been like this for many years now and the boats on Jetty 7 certainly provide us all with the opportunity enjoy special times together as a team and as a fleet.

Looking forward to it.

Murray McLean SS22 Scribe

2023 will mark the 50th year since the first Spacesailer yachts left the drawing boards and factory of the Swarbrick brothers, to grace not only the Swan River but the ocean as well. At our recent Association Prize night, stalwarts of the marque, Bob Beissell, John Hartley and Brian Saleeba, shared some reflections of what were both exciting and rewarding times as they fitted out their yachts and took to the water. It was also impressive to learn, that only 3 years after first launch, the Spacesailer 27 Association conducted its first State Championship series in the summer of 1986-87. The winner … Bob Beissell in Karina [SP191] … and he still has the trophy to prove it.

With the recent sale of several boats, support for the State competition was a little diminished compared to previous seasons. The average State Championship racing fleet was 8 boats while the biggest was 9 from a total of 14 registered for competition.

In the State Championship competition, Paul Rees and his crew on Karina [SP 191] cemented their own status as keen competitors, marking two in a row, as well as carrying on Bob Beissell’s considerable legacy. Congratulations guys. Abeelas [SP 20] skippered by Brian Saleeba, placed second, with Carrageen II [RF 190] skippered by Elise Manners placing third.

In the State Consistency competition, Mark Popham skippering Force Five [SP 21] placed first, with two RFBYC yachts, Iolanthe [RF 58] skippered by Malcolm Cronstedt and Carrageen II [RF 190] skippered by Elise Manners placing second and third respectively.

The Club Championship results were likewise, close fought in a well balanced competition.

Abeelas [SP 20] skippered by Brian Saleeba took the crown as Club Champion, followed by Karina [SP 191] and Force Five [SP 21].

The Saturday afternoon consistency results saw Random Times [SP 163] skippered by David Hanham, take first place, followed by Mark Popham’s Force Five [SP21], with Abeelas [SP 20] skippered by Brian Saleeba taking third place.

Meanwhile, out on the ocean, the intrepid Matt Rose and his crew of King Canute [SP330] put in a very creditable effort competing in seven of the Short Haul Ocean racing series races in Division 2. Proving yet again that despite their size, the Spacesailer 27s are a robust and seaworthy yacht.

Aside from our regular racing calendar, the Association again hosted the annual Parkinson’s Association Twilight Cruise. In February, some 45 guests and carers enjoyed a very pleasant evening cruise followed by dinner at the Club. Thanks again to Matt Rose of King Canute [SP 330] for organising and coordinating the event, which was again much appreciated by all. Congratulations everyone and enjoy the winter break. G

We will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary later in the year, so keep an eye out for updates as we thaw our way out of winter.

Both the SoPYC Spacesailer 27 Fleet and the SS27 Association enjoyed close summer racing competitions this season. Hosting of the association’s six State heats was again shared by four of the most prominent Clubs on the river. In both the Championship and Consistency competitions, the final places were only determined after the last heat.

S80 SoPYC Club Series Winner is Fair Game

Sat 15th April was the last S80 SoPYC Club Series race to decide the season winner. Billed as a shootout between equal leaders Fair Game (Dean Picot/Sue Game) and ShadowFax (Jim Gooding). The day saw a light and shifty NW breeze with 7 boats on the start line under a shortened course flag.

The first beat to Smith-Lucky saw boats on completely opposite sides of the river (with a graveyard between). When the fleet converged it was Grand Piano with the wily Tony Strickland who rounded the top mark first with ShadowFax and Fusion hard on its heels.

After quite a tussle ShadowFax crossed the finish line taking fastest with Don’t Panic!! a close second and taking out first place in both the S80 Association and the SoPYC Club Heat. Well done Mat who has only recently joined the fleet. Tension was high as the clock ticked down on Fair Game but with an excellent leg to the finish, Dean slipped inside the target and took out second place. Fair Game won the shootout and took the overall series Trophy and winner’s prize. Well done to all on board!

S80 Association Legends Race taken out by Skid Robins

The aim of the S80 Legends event is to connect current sailors with past S80 sailors and fleet legends. Wednesday 5th April saw SoPYC host another S80 Association Legends race with 13 boats and crews from Royal Perth and South Perth yacht Clubs hitting the water.

The day saw the hoped for moderate breeze arrive perhaps a bit stronger than needed for some, but skippers were left to choose which sails to fly. The event kicked off with a lunch in the wardroom where everyone got a chance to catch up with old friends and have a beer before getting out on the water, in true legend fashion.

The mid-river start saw the fleet get away with all boats hitting the line together in a tight start. Mark Robins on Abby Road (with a borrowed #1 genoa) made the most of the start and after some tactical moves found a clear lane.

The rest of the fleet were left to tussle with each other up the first beat. Abby Road rounded the top mark in first and Mark Robins held his lead around the rest of the course to the finish, to take line honours and the trophy – for a second time. John Hassan (another prior Legend winner) on Shadowfax finished second with Les Marshall on The Fifth Element a close third. Phil Slee (from Bunbury) finished fourth on Rum Runner, and Bill Quinn was fifth on Fusion Greg Tonnison on Glasgow Kiss and Geoff Bishop on Fair Game were only seconds off.

Back at the Clubhouse one of the highlights of the presentation was a retrospective and memorabilia display of the S80 fleet over the years, kindly provided by life member John Holder. To commemorate Alan Tough’s legacy, his sister Diane Airey and her family were present for the award of their perpetual trophy to the race winners.

Overall, the S80 Association Legends Race was a terrific event that brought together past sailors and legends of the S80 fleet for a chance to catch up with old friends and enjoy a race on the beautiful Swan River.

As the summer sailing season closes and we congratulate all the winners and champions, we should pause to say thank you to all the skippers and crew members for participating on the water this season. So, thank you to all.

It has been a busy time with good comradeship between the RW crews and good teamwork. The Red Witch called Shenanigans, skippered by Kelvin Uren has won the RW Club Championship with Witch Doctor second and Oracle third on countback, making Bewitched fourth place, Escapade fifth place, Madge in six place and Hornblower in seventh place. The overall RW Club Consistency results were similar with Shenanigans finishing in first place, Witch Doctor in second place, Bewitched in third place, Escapade in fourth place, Madge in fifth place, Hornblower in six place and Oracle in seventh place.

The winner of the Jeff Claflin Tri series was Escapade, skippered by Isaac Wyatt. This three-race event is based on handicap results. Proving Isaac can sail very well when the pressure is on.

Comradeship

What to do when your opposition (fellow competitor), finds cracks in his rudder blade ... You roll up your sleeves and offer to fix it for them. Such was the situation for Witch Doctor. It was discovered after the 30-hour sailing event, called Swanabout, and the rudder blade was found to be flopping around in the rudder box. So, after a lot of grinding and gluing it back together with epoxy glue, then applying four layers of woven fibreglass matting with epoxy resin, the blade was strong again. A couple of coats of primer and top coats, the rudder blade is now ‘scout proof’ and looks awesome (if I say so myself).

Red Witch called Striker

You don’t often get asked “If I can borrow your boat trailer”. Firstly, we must welcome new members Peter and Candice, and their children, to the Red Witch fleet after purchasing the Red Witch called Striker.

The previous owners, Paul and Burke, had taken the yacht home for the winter to tidy her up before selling it.

Peter, the new owner, was towing it to his house when the old trailer decided to collapse in the middle of Flinders Street. Luckily, it was Saturday afternoon and not peak hour, but a yacht lying in the middle of a busy street is always going to cause a traffic jam.

The Red Witch fleet had just finished their Saturday race and I was met on the boat ramp with an urgent plea, “Can I borrow your RW boat trailer”. So, after organising a crane and tow truck, in amongst contending with traffic jams and police assistance, we now welcome Striker back to the Club, albeit with a modified paint arrangement on her port side, plus a brand-new RW trailer.

Check your wheel bearings on your boat trailer

The Daniel Wyatt Memorial Trophy was won by Shenanigans. Daniel Wyatt was a dedicated and patient leader who shared his passion for sailing with his crew (son’s) and many other people.

The Red Witch crew person for the year was Johann Lasmana.

The wind strength since Christmas has been pleasant and enjoyable. This has allowed us to bring on four new crew members and fit them into our existing teams of crew members.

It was only two weeks since hearing a strange sound coming from the trailer wheels, that the wheel bearings actually collapsed. This prompted us to check all our trailers and indeed change out both wheel bearings on Shenanigans’ and Hornblower’s trailer.

So, a lesson for us all, especially if you’re dunking your trailer in the river every week. Check your wheel bearings regularly.

Sunsets

Sunsets always look better when you’re looking at them across the water. Always amazing.

The SoPYC Women’s Squad has developed under the leadership of some of our most experienced female members. Maria Lowry, Sonja Vlaar, Victoria Blanckensee, Wendy Jorgensen, Christina Heydon and Kirsten Norris are names many of our members will recognise as generations of Club families. Added to the strength of the teams are regular keelboat crewmembers Bridget Bell, Debbie Swain, Fiona Lyons, Amanda Watson, Melissa Baines, Tess Trouchet, Tonia Joyce, Deb Conroy and Rachel Beveye. Jenna Everett from our youth squad juggled study and exams in order to compete with the squad. Many of the women’s squad started their sailing journey as crew, and are still regulars, with the Spacesailer 27 fleet. The squad acknowledges the skippers for encouraging women into their crew.

The Women’s Squad came together for a short 5 week training program earlier this year in preparation to compete in two annual Swan River Racing events, with a focus on participation and inclusion and a drive to enter two teams of female sailors with a mixture of skill levels in the Women’s State Keelboat Championships. April 1st 2023 saw the event take place, this year hosted by SoPYC. Les Swinton the Race Officer and the team marked a short course on Melville Water West to stage six windward/leeward races in light wind conditions. One of the SoPYC teams, skippered by Kirsten Norris, finished first in two heats, which was enough to win the trophy on a countback from the young RFBYC team skippered by Lucy Aldersen. The second team, skippered by Mara Lowry, won the final heat.

On 22nd April, the Interclub Championships were hosted by Mounts Bay Sailing Club, with one combined team competing in the Women’s session. The team, skippered by Mara Lowry, finished in 3rd place in the category after four races contributing to a 4th place combined result in the overall championship. Mara Lowry’s team won the Women’s category last year in 2022

The Women’s Squad recognise and thank Ian Stewart and Cliff Lawrence for the vital practice sessions, coaching and midweek racing on their Foundation 36s, R2D2 and Skywalker. Peter Vlaar, a proud and committed Dad, was on hand offering assistance.

The squad thanks the Club coaching staff for on water coaching, training and skills sessions with Head Coach Denis Jones, and the incredibly patient coaches Niall Morrow and Richard Maher.

The women’s squad have a social gathering planned in July at the Heydon’s home where we plan to open and share the winning wine, to celebrate the successful season and strengthening of the squad.

In recognition in part for her efforts with the Women’s Squad and in her broader role as Sailing Vice Captain, Wendy Jorgensen was awarded the SoPYC Keelboat Sailor of the Year at the recent Keelboat Prize Night.

Many thanks to Ric Steuart, for the on-water photography and write ups after the events.

The Women’s Squad plan to undertake further social and training activities in the future and welcome any and all female members of the Club to participate.

Sailability at SOPYC continues its mission of providing people with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of recreational sailing. The programme is also run at other Yacht Clubs in WA and around Australia. Sailability actually originated in the UK and has been replicated not only in Australia but also in many other countries. It is designed to be a self-funding, ‘notfor-profit’ charitable organisation that offers opportunities for people with disabilities regardless of their ability, mobility, or personal circumstances.

A variety of vessels are utilised for Sailability at SOPYC, from stable 2-person dinghies to 20-foot and larger yachts and power boats under the control of experienced volunteer skippers and crew. Hoists are available to transfer wheelchair participants into the boats. The sailing areas are in safe, protected waters, and all activities are supported by a safety boat and trained volunteers, many of whom have first-aid certification.

The SOPYC Sailability programme this past season had 25 possible days (always Wednesday), and only 5 of these days had to be cancelled due to weather, predominantly excessive wind.

On average, 34 volunteers turned out to assist each week from our pool of approximately 60. This commitment equates to around 120 direct volunteer hours with at least another 100 hours of boat maintenance, sponsorship liaison, participant and volunteer administration, and other general activities each week of the season.

Importantly, we managed to get our participants, and sometimes their carers, out on the water for a grand total of 729 hours! Whilst this impressive performance may seem to be a lot of time and people on-water, there is certainly plenty of scope to take on more if we can increase the pool of Volunteers. Think about it!!! Sailability is possible not only because of our volunteers and the provision of Club support and services but also because of the generosity of our sponsors. We would therefore like to acknowledge the following sponsors who have contributed to our success throughout the season just gone:

• Healthways - Act Belong Commit grant;

• Bunnings Melville (Hollie Boyce) for assistance with the sausage sizzle fundraiser and equipment such as fibreglass kits, marine ply, rust remover;

• N Signs (Guy Skinner) for sign writing on the Windrush, Wildfire yachts;

• Port Kennedy Tyrepower (Alan Marshall) for our trailer tyre repairs;

• Parker Black and Forrest for our square reader and padlocks;

• Boating Hardware (Murray Smith) for support in purchasing rigging;

• Wayno’s Welding (Wayne Merry) for a generous labour discount;

• Coles Melville (Liam Bodey) for our discount on the delicious sausages for the SIZZLE;

• Officeworks O’Connor for a generous voucher;

• Jason Poutsma for the Etchells sail, and;

• Matt Rose for his kind donation. Thanks one and all. Thanks also to SOPYC, Sailability’s volunteers, and most of all our enthusiastic participants.