House Report

Michael Cook

Vice Commodore

What a tricky few months we have had, with other states locked out of our lovely WA for not taking COVID seriously.

Then we too had a lockdown for not practicing what we preached and sadly missed out on the traditional Australia Day Sky Show. But never fear; Troy Daglish and Alan Sharpe put together the Coffee Point SUP Challenge and made it a fun family day on the Centreboard Lawn and out in the pond.

Although we missed the fireworks that night, we made up for it with an awesome fireworks display of our very own at the 75th Anniversary Cocktail Party.

This was a truly memorable evening for our Club. After being postponed from February till April due to COVID, the team involved in our 75th celebrations did a magnificent job. The Friday night cocktail party was a huge night of fun, with amazing food and entertainment, while the Sunday afternoon reunion with afternoon tea was a lovely way for some of our more senior members to get together to reminisce about the past. The memorabilia display put together by the archive team was extra special and a great conversation starter. The archive team has also been contributing lots of interesting stories and photographs to our weekly newsletter.

Another great night at our Club was the Power Section Pre-Season Cocktail Party. The menu created by the Food and Beverage Team and Power Section included our own Clubproduced canapes, a spectacular grazing board and Nunzio's Pizza and with live music as entertainment, everyone had a wonderful night.

Live music is about to be trialled in the Quarterdeck on Friday nights after work to guage interest. Please let us know your thoughts.

As we head into the cooler months and begin our kitchen renovations, we will again be moving into the Ballroom for cosy winter dining. Those who experienced this last year will agree it was a nice change. The F&B team will be doing its best to ensure that the transition is a smooth one.

Regarding the menu, many members have asked to include some more simple foods at reasonable prices for those who just want to share a snack and a drink. Something like a return to the Bar Bites options. Other popular requests include the BLT, a Pizza of the Day and the Salt and Pepper Squid. I have taken these requests to our F&B Manager as he finalises the winter menu.

Speaking of food, I would like to mention what a great effort the Goolugatup team did to feed the many volunteers and sailors involved in the week-long regatta back in January. Well done to Stephen Grover and his team of helpers. We used M&Ms as a part-time start boat for a few days and I can definitely say we didn’t go hungry or thirsty.

Coming up soon is our Mess Night, a combined event with Fremantle Sailing Club. I’m really looking forward to this as our guest speaker is Dr Helga Weaving. Dr Weaving supports many offshore yacht races and was sadly present in the tragic race which cost the lives of Rob Thomas and Paul Owens sailing on Finistere. Don’t forget Mess Night is now open to women too. So come along for a night of fun and tradition, and don’t forget to bring some gold coins for the numerous fines that may be issued.

One of my favourite past events was the hilarious Faulty Towers night. Due to popular demand, it’s back on the calendar for late August, assuming we don’t get cut off from the rest of the country again.

The Ladies Lunch is still motoring along but following some feedback from the group, our F&B Manager is revamping the menu to better meet their needs. There have been some good suggestions and well-received speakers which means it will continue to be a popular event for members and non-members alike.

Chase the Ace is still a Club favourite on Thursday nights and it is good to see a few more sailors and social members getting down to mingle with the regular Power-heavy crowd. We thank our sponsors for their continued support of what is a great social night and a fun way to start the weekend early and perhaps even win a few dollars.

Finally, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but we continue to have to remind some members of dress requirements. Please, before you come down to the Club, think for a minute about what you’re going to wear. Thongs will not be tolerated and please remember to remove your hats. If you have guests with you, it is up to you as the member to ensure they understand the dress requirements.

And when results are announced on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons just remember they don’t go for long, so please respect those who have gone out and competed on the water. In an ideal world and with that extra million we don’t have right now, I'd love to action the project discussed by members for years to extend the concrete pad from the Wardroom over the Quarterdeck to create an amazing new space. We could then keep downstairs for eating and drinking and do the results upstairs. Until then, be respectful of results; we are, after all, a Yacht Club.

So, until next time, keep remembering.

It’s not what the Club can do for you, it’s what you can do for the Club.

Michael Cook Vice Commodore