Volume 7 Issue 1
Inside: Vale Les Sharp Farewell to a true gentleman
Sarah Blanck Regatta Ten of BYC’s best get battered and bruised while having a great time
What Lies Beneath? The weird and wonderful below the waves
Sailing Instructions Jon Pulham finally reads the BYC SIs and fills us all in
Commodore Phillip Connard Vice Commodore Bruce Fraser Rear Commodore Will Sharp Secretary Silke Weber Treasurer Charmaine Smith
Committee Paul Hardie - Peter Sharp Thomas Ruether - Connor Gallagher Susan Sharp - Sarah McKinna
Learn to Sail team Peter Sharp - Paul Hardie - 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 - Cam Bromley Mike Kenyon - Charmaine Smith - Dick Adair Mike Skinner - Sally Gallagher
Contact Us! Email: silke@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 Nicole Jenvey - Stephen Whiteside Peter Sharp - Lloyd Sharp - Phillip Connard Mun Chin - Peter Kemp - Brigid Vaughan Judy Hardie - Jon Pulham Janette Connard - Mike Kenyon
Front Cover Laser 128530 Captain Puff (R Smith) and fleet Beaumaris Yacht Club, Vic. (Photo: W Sharp, April 2015)
HE TERM ‘ONE SAILING’ IS BEING used a lot in Yachting Australia and Yachting Victoria news recently, but what exactly does it mean? Basically it’s a realignment of the management structure and relationships between YA and the various state associations. The aim, as stated by YA is “the unification of sailing around the country and delivering better services and resources to ensure long-term success for the whole of the sport of sailing in Australia”. Sounds lovely. The detail of the plan is still being worked out by both YA and the states, however what is clear so far is that the intention is to centralise much of the administration to YA which in theory leaves the states free to focus more time on growing and supporting sailing within their respective states. Reducing duplication of services and streamlining processes sounds like a great idea, and if a more efficient management system is the ultimate result then every sailor and club should welcome these changes with open arms.
whether there will be staffing cuts at the state associations including Yachting Victoria. With a centralisation of services, there is a risk that some roles will cease to be necessary and if these people are simply made redundant and not utilised in other ways then we are unlikely to see much difference in the overall capacity of YV. Secondly, there is the risk of sailing becoming overly Sydneycentric if too much of the administration is centralised. As we all know, sailing in Melbourne is a completely different market to sailing in Sydney with its own unique challenges just like every other state. If the sport is treated with a onesize-fits-all approach then we might be in trouble. With the consultation process apparently not flowing as far down the chain as to reach us at BYC, we are somewhat in the dark and must rely on YA media releases and off the record comments from those in the know. So far it appears to be just glamourous branding of an administration realignment with potential benefits for sailing on a wider level. Let’s hope that’s how it stays. - Ed.
However… With much of the detail around the plan not yet finalised, let alone public, there are two potentially serious issues which may arise from this project. Firstly, there has been no statement as yet as to
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Commodore PHILLIP CONNARD with the big picture
December 13 End of year function and children’s Christmas party
ELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION of The Reef for season 2015–16. Welcome also to all our new members and those who have joined our Learn to Sail programs. We have been fortunate with the weather so far this season and have been able to get out on the water most Sundays. You need to make sure that if the weather is suitable you come on down and make the most of it. With some good fleets hitting the water, the season is off to a flying start. Yachting Victoria has recently been promoting the concept of Women and Girls in sailing and Beaumaris Yacht Club has been receptive to any way it could introduce Women and Girls sailing
programs. As our Women and Girls sailing representative on the BYC committee, this season Sarah McKinna created the opportunity for female sailors (and less experienced sailors) to gain more confidence by getting out on the water on Sunday mornings when the weather is often lighter and the business of racing is not underway. We advertised the program of Sunday morning casual sailing during the month of November and a small but enthusiastic group took part. It proved to be successful and is likely to be included as a fixture in next year’s sailing calendar. Thanks to Mun Chin for helping out by driving the IRB. Even after November, members are still welcome to get out sailing on Sunday mornings with the reassurance that there are rescue craft are on the water if the Senior Learn to Sail program is running. Check the sailing calendar to confirm. As a result of the interest in the Women and Girls in sailing program at the Club, a contingent of female sailors attended the Sarah Blanck Regatta at Westernport Yacht Club on November 7 and 8. Its purpose was to both provide coaching and race experience for all levels of sailors. The coaches included Olympic and champion female sailors. By all accounts this was a fantastic experience - details are contained in an article starting on page 8 of this issue. This is an example of what membership at Beaumaris Yacht Club can lead to. Looking ahead, the 3193 Sailing Cup regatta sponsored by Beaumaris Community Bank will be held on Sunday February 7, 2016 at Beaumaris. This is an opportunity to sail in a large fleet competing against Black Rock Yacht Club for a trophy. All classes and standards are accommodated and you would be crazy to miss it. Finally I must pay tribute to Les Sharp who passed away in July 2015. Les was a Life member, former National and State Pacer Champion, legendary boat builder and father and grandfather to the Sharp family. He made an invaluable contribution to Beaumaris Yacht Club holding many office positions including Commodore. He continued to build boats – both Minnows and Pacers - and sailed competitively well into his 80s. His influence lives on in the boats he has left behind and the families of enthusiastic sailors he touched.
January 11-15 Summer Tackers program
January 31 Short Course racing session 3
February 7 3193 Sailing Cup Championship Race 4 (Kevin Peterson Trophy)
February Thursdays Twilight Sailing
March 6 Championship Race 5 (Sharp Trophy)
March 12-14 Labour Day weekend Class State Championships (No BYC sailing)
March 20 Short Course racing session 5
March 25-28 Easter weekend (No BYC sailing)
April 3 Championship Race 6 (Roger Fagan Trophy) Junior Series Race 1
Rear Commodore WILL SHARP on what’s coming up and news from the season so far ELCOME TO THE 2015-16 SAILING season at BYC! I’m not going to start this report in the usual fashion by waxing lyrical about the weather; there are other goings-on at the Club which could make better use of the column inches:
Rear Commodore vacancy After ten seasons, four different Commodores, twenty -seven Duty Rosters and approximately two hundred and fifty briefings (as at the end of 2015-16), I have decided that it is time to step down from the positon of Rear Commodore at the end of this season. I have enjoyed my time in this role immensely. While the job has had its challenges along the way, by and large the experience has been overwhelmingly positive and I honestly feel that I am leaving the role of Rear Commodore in a better position than when I started. I believe it is not healthy to have one person occupying any role for too long, fresh ideas and perspectives are an asset, and the regular turnover of office bearers results in a greater depth of experience within BYC. So now the search is on to find the next Rear Commodore of BYC. Will it be you? Or perhaps you have someone in mind? Whoever takes on the job will have the full support of the committee as well as comprehensive training; they won’t be expected to know everything straight away. Please form an orderly queue and take a number… I expect we’re going to be swamped with applicants!
Learn to Sail programs It would be fair to say that BYC’s most important assets are our Learn to Sail programs. These programs are directly responsible for just under 60% of the Club’s current membership. With this in mind, I can confidently state that were it not for the Junior and Senior Learn to Sail programs then BYC probably wouldn’t be here today. So in light of this statistic, the smart thing to do is invest in our Learn to Sail programs – which is exactly what the Club is doing. At the beginning of this season the Club purchased three used Pacers from Sandringham YC and is progressively restoring them. They will enter service in the BYC fleet over the course of the season and will serve us very well for many years to come. More information and photos can be found on page 6. The Club is also continuing to lay the groundwork for registration as a Tackers centre next season. The most expensive part of this project is the acquisition of a minimum of six white Optimist dinghies which is a requirement for registration with Yachting Victoria. The Club is hoping to purchase an additional two
Optimists later in the season which will take us to six white boats and three grey boats. After some further training courses are completed by our instructors we will be good to go. Watch this space. Lastly, welcome to all our new sailors who have enrolled in our Junior and Senior 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, just ask.
Race Management team
Winners and Grinners 2014-15 Results Club Champions Michael & Myles Brown
Club Championship - 2nd Phillip & Janette Connard
Commodore’s Cup Peter, Lauren & Eliza Kemp
Lee McMillan Trophy
First and foremost, I would like to welcome Chris Perkins back to the Race Management team this season. Chris was away working in Queensland all of last season and his return has had a positive impact on all of us – not least the extra regular rescue boat skipper allowing the Club to run both boats almost every week. Having both rescue boats on the water makes for a safer and more efficient racing environment. He joins the usual rescue boat team suspects: Rod and Lesley McCubbin, Cam Bromley and Geoff Perkins.
Peter, Lauren & Eliza Kemp
There are also several new faces in the Tower this season, Mike Kenyon has written an article on page 13 about the activities upstairs and introduced all the key players. Next time you’re wondering who is up there and what’s going on, climb the last flight of stairs and say hi (but maybe not during racing).
Javelin Champions
3193 Sailing Cup Last season BYC hosted the second annual 3193 Sailing Cup, an inter-club regatta between BYC and Black Rock YC. Unfortunately we didn’t get the race in as planned due to the horrendous weather so we have another chance this season – 7 February 2016 is the day and we hope that things go somewhat better than last season. Further information will be available on the BYC website and we will be distributing more information and Sailing Instructions closer to the date. We are hoping for a fleet of fifty to sixty boats so put it in the diary and please make sure you come down to represent BYC on the day.
Sailing Instructions update Finally, a reminder that the BYC Sailing Instructions have been revised for this season. The revisions mainly take into account the changes in race scheduling and series formats which have come into effect since the previous update in 2013. Please take the time to read them, there is more information in the Sailing Instructions than many people are aware of and a thorough read may answer some questions about sailing at BYC. Jon Pulham has written an excellent article about Sailing Instructions on page 14. See you on the beach!
Sharp Trophy Michael & Myles Brown
Roger Fagan Trophy Michael & Myles Brown
Pacer Champions Paul & Judy Hardie Michael & Will Sharp
Division 5 Handicap Ian McHugh & Conor Gallagher
Division 3 Handicap Andrew Ryan & Michelle Theron
Shattock Trophy Charmaine Smith
Hardie Perpetual Trophy Nicole Jenvey
Bruce McKitterick Trophy Lauren Kemp
Rod McCubbin Trophy Cam Bromley
Learn to Sail Team Paul Hardie, Peter Sharp, Thomas Rüether, Phillip Connard, Lachlan Sharp, Peter Kemp, Conor Gallagher, Dan Redman, Ian McHugh, Silke Weber, Jon Pulham, Mun Chin, Brian Gale, Rod Smith
Race Management Team Rod & Lesley McCubbin, Geoff Perkins, Cam Bromley, Mike Kenyon, Charmaine Smith, Mike Skinner
FAMILY MAN, A RESPECTFUL MAN, A COMPASSIONATE and kind man, an unassuming man, a man who would do anything for you – one of life's true gentlemen. Les was born in Colac on the 20th of June 1920. His father, a train driver, was transferred to Sandringham in 1927. He built the family home at Bayside Crescent in Hampton, where Les lived until he married Pam on the 15th of May 1948. When Les was 11, he and his brother Jim had their first taste of sailing. Their father had built a thirteen foot canoe for them, which was stored under the family bathing box at Hampton. It sounded like a pretty rough affair – built out of packing case timber and house lining boards, the canoe had to be soaked before use so the timber would swell and tighten the joins. Otherwise it would sink. It wasn’t too long before they worked out that paddling was hard work. So they scavenged a piece of wood for a mast, some old clothes line for stays, mattress ticking for a sail and wooden planks for lee-boards mounted either side of the hull. Les said it was “so unstable you had to part your hair in the middle”. But Les was on his way – sailing was a passion he held for his entire life. Les and Jim became members of Sandringham Yacht Club in the 1930s – SYC was just a shed back then. They raced a Cadet dinghy – Les’s first Red Jacket –and then a Star every Saturday until Les joined the army and Jim the air force at the start of World War Two. Les didn't sail again until 1968. In the intervening period he was working and raising his family with Pam at their house in Haldane Street, Beaumaris. Les’s long career in knitting with Sutex, Crundells and finally Slade Knitwear didn’t finish until he retired in 1995 at the age of 75. He always wanted to get back on the water though. He finally did so when he bought an eleven foot fishing boat – complete with a two horsepower motor. We think his real motive was to get all of his kids into sailing. So during the 1960s he’d often anchor right in the middle of the sailing course at Beaumaris, and it didn’t seem to matter if we weren’t getting a bite – or getting in the way. It all became clear in 1968, when the whole family joined Beaumaris Yacht Club. We started in a twelve foot Heron called Aquarius - and soon the family was spending every Sunday at the Club, including during winter working on the clubhouse extension. At 48 Les was a very happy man. Les had a real sense of community that fitted hand in glove with his passion for sailing. He immersed himself in Club life and over the years held the positions of Membership Officer, Maintenance Officer and Commodore. The phone at home was always ringing, and Les was often down at the Club meeting someone or fixing something. All that
PHOTOS FROM TOP: Les, Pam and Lloyd at the launching of Silver Fox in October 1984; Lloyd, Les and Peter at the 1985 Pacer National Championships at Paynesville; Pam, Peter and Les at the 2013 Pacer State Championships at Parkdale.
while working twelve hours a day in the knitting mill. He loved it, and loved the friends he made. Les was made a Life Member of the Club in recognition of his years of service and dedication. While Les loved racing sailing dinghies, it was his principles of fair play that are best remembered. Always finish the race, unless your boat was unsafe or damaged. Always shake the hand of those that finished ahead of you. Basically do nothing that could diminish the feeling of accomplishment for the other competitors. And do what you could to help them get better for next week. Les' crowning glory was winning the Pacer Travellers Trophy, Victorian and Australian Championships in 1981 in Red Jacket, the first Pacer he built. Les sailed competitively until he was 83. After his retirement from work, Les loved nothing better than renovating or building boats from scratch. In the end over sixty Pacers and Minnows were sold out of the garage in Haldane Street, fondly remembered by many as Sharp’s Shipyard. That and investing on the stock market, something that Les discovered he had a knack for. He used to carry a pager (which was very high tech back then) that delivered his stock prices every 30 seconds or so. These stock prices were regularly entered into an exercise book in the kitchen over coffee. It was a well-worn path between the garage and kitchen for many years. “You have to have a reason to get up in the morning” was one of Jack Adshead’s sayings that he used often. His love for Pam, his family, sailing and his friends were all that mattered to him. On everything else he’d just make do. Rest in peace Dad. - Peter and Lloyd Sharp
Earlier this year, BYC purchased three well used Pacers from Sandringham YC for use in our Senior Learn to Sail program. The boats had seen better days so they were stripped right back and repaired before being prepared for painting. As we go to press, one of them has been resprayed and fitted out and the other two are due to be completed after Christmas. By the end of the season, the Club will have five matching fibreglass Pacers (with two other yellow boats which almost match), allowing us to sell two older Pacers and refresh the fleet. It was (and is) a huge effort from all those involved, special thanks must go to Paul Hardie who did the bulk of the repair and preparation work will be making new trolleys for each boat, as well as Peter Sharp who is designated painter for the project.
Due to the success of the Summer Holiday Tackers programs the Club has hosted for the past three seasons, a decision was made by the committee at the beginning of this season to begin preparations to register the Club as a Tackers Centre for the beginning of the 2016 -17 season. This will entail the Club purchasing an additional two white Optimist dinghies and ensuring several of our Junior Learn to Sail team complete various Tackers courses which are provided by Yachting Victoria. Keep an eye out for the new boats – hopefully there will be some concrete news and targets by next issue.
As we do every season, the Club held two displays at the Beaumaris Concourse shopping centre in late October and early November. These displays are essential to building awareness in the local community about the Club’s Learn to Sail programs, Discover Sailing Day and the Club in general. While a little quieter than previous years, the displays this year still generated interest among many local families and individuals who subsequently attended Discover Sailing Day and enrolled children in the Junior Learn to Sail program. Thank you to everyone who assisted for these displays, it’s a busy time of the year but the extra effort really does pay dividends in the long run.
Hot day? Ordinary week at work? Why not unwind with a pleasant sail as the sun goes down? It’s on again! This February the Club will be open on Thursday evenings for informal twilight sailing. Sailing will occur between 6.30pm and dusk and the actual activities will vary depending on attendance and what the sailors wish to do. Hopefully the weather is kinder to us than it has been in recent years, with some of the windiest Thursday evenings in recent memory all seeming to occur in February!
NE HUNDRED PEOPLE WAS THE TARGET FOR THIS SEASON’S Discover Sailing Day at BYC. We were on track to beat that number last season before the weather closed us down, and came oh-soclose the season before, so it was with a little self-imposed pressure that we set about organising the 2015 Discover Sailing Day. Discover Sailing Day is a nationwide initiative whereby sailing clubs around the country open their doors (and in some cases gates) to anyone and everyone who wants to try our sport for free with no obligations. Over thirty-five volunteers covered twelve boats, a sizzling BBQ, a friendly and happy registration desk team and sailor safety with experienced tower and rescue boat crews. We had ten knots (and occasionally zero knots), 22 degrees and sunny weather… Could it have been any better? Well, we could have found another thirteen people to go for a sail which would have taken our total from eighty-seven to the round one hundred but really, who’s counting? It was a great day with an excellent vibe around the club and there were plenty of smiles on show. Discover Sailing Day continues to be a fantastic showcase of our club and our sport. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time for the day. Whether you coordinated, BBQed, managed, sailed, drove powerboats, supervised from the tower or above all, those of you who came down to BYC to give sailing a try, thank you and well done.
FUN FACT: In the past four years, BYC has taken two hundred and ninety-nine people out sailing on Discover Sailing Days. Not a bad effort!
PARTICIPANT STATISTICS: GENERAL NUMBERS
AGE BREAKDOWN
Total particpants: 87 Proportion male: 54% Proportion female: 46%
0-10 years: 11-20 years: 21-30 years: 31-40 years: 41-50 years: 50+ years: Unknown:
MARKETING Participants heard about us from: A friend: 27% Local signage: 36% From a website: 11% Something else: 26%
21% 17% 1% 2% 25% 11% 23%
GEOGRAPHY Proportion local: 57% Proportion not local: 43%
The Sarah Blanck Regatta is a coaching event for women and girls of all ages and skill levels. The aim is to encourage the involvement of women and girls in all aspects of sailing: participating, coaching or as an official. The event comprises both on and off water coaching sessions as well as racing suitable for novice, intermediate and advanced sailors. On the weekend of 7-8 November 2015, ten of BYCs female sailors headed down to Westernport Yacht club in Balnarring to take part. Judy Hardie, Brigid Vaughan and Janette Connard report back.
Setting up camp next door to Silke is easy with both she and Sarah helping. Mike and Christine Kenyon have loaned me a wonderful tent. Perfect for the purpose. Those of us who stayed Friday night enjoyed a lovely meal at Ting Tong Canteen - the obligatory campsite Gin and Tonics first! It rained during the night. Not happy Jan.
OUR PM, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2015. I am about to head off to Westernport Yacht Club in Balnarring. I am nervous about participating in the 2015 Sarah Blanck Regatta, the women and girls coaching regatta. I hear that it is fully subscribed, some sixty boats. Lasers, Sabres, Optis and Pacers are the classes this year. The coaches are meant to be brilliant. Mostly Olympians. I imagine the mayhem. I worry about smacking into a Laser and since I have never towed a trailer, it is wise to have reserved a WYC Club boat. My car is packed to the gunwales. You need the same amount of stuff for two days as you would for a month of camping. My Operations Manager, Paul Hardie has seen to it that I have all the things I need. Our Beauy group have reserved spots on a non-powered site, right beside the Club. Lovely and natural. I worry about charging my ailing phone.
BELOW: The BYC contingent in high spirits. L-R: Sarah McKinna, Nicole Jenvey, Lauren Kemp, Judy Hardie, Silke Weber, Claire Parkinson, Janette Connard, Michelle Theron, Justine Nikiciuk (absent: Brigid Vaughan)
By Saturday everyone has arrived. Sarah, Silke, Nicole, Brigid, Michelle, Claire, Lauren, Justine and Janette. After registration, we check out the YA hire boats. A nice shade of purple and quite bereft of fittings. They do have self-furling jibs though. Hmmm, might be handy! Claire says we are in the Intermediate Division. The pit in my stomach rises again. I am a novice! Luckily I have Claire that day. She is more than competent to handle the winds averaging around 20-23 knots S/SW. Our coach, NSW sailor Karyn Gojnich (470s – 1988 Seoul Olympics; Ynglings - 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics), launches straight into training. The pit in my stomach grows. Our class is not for novices. I fess up when there is a quiet moment. She seems unconcerned. Reluctantly, we head out into 20+ knots to have our skills assessed. Claire is at the helm. I relax. Boats all around us seem to be capsizing. We hang on by margins! Cannot get the water out of the boat with one self-bailer. There are venturi-type drains, running out the back of the boat. Neither of us have the courage to lean out over the back to open them. Later, we discover that they work well. I cannot stay put on the boat. It is so slippery. I repeatedly crash into Claire and everything else. My newly mended, “up-market shorts” are blamed, but rolled up, things do not improve. Claire keeps apologizing too but only one other Pacer has stayed up right. (The novice group does not venture out at this stage.) Downing a quick lunch and we are back on the water for four or five races in heavy winds. Skipper Claire does well except that we can never find the finish boat and forget that they change the particular course with each start. There are so many boats and RIBs that it is quite daunting. I think of Lauren Kemp. The whole thing is run by women. The courses are well managed. No mucking around. We have a mishap with the tiller extension getting stuck. Never mind we will sort that out later. Our Coach keeps us calm. On Saturday night the BYC girls have a lot of fun at a nice Club dinner. It turns out the novice group did actually go out to test the waters. So brave!! Justine with her injured knee had been on Committee boats all day so she did not miss out too much. Peter Kemp is the sole male, there to support Lauren.
Continued on next page T WAS SUCH A DELIGHT TO join Sunday. The breeze is a light N/NE. I the Beaumaris ‘girls’ attending the Sarah Blanck Regatta at Westernport Yacht Club at the start of November. A whole weekend of sailing – coaching in the mornings with Olympic sailor Karyn Gojnich followed by afternoons of racing and great company was a treat! After assessing our abilities (no we could not sail four Pacers in a line together!) Karyn concentrated on helping us develop better starting skills. We had plenty of opportunity to put these into practice in the four afternoon races each day. Identifying and getting into the ideal position while timing an approach to cross the line at full acceleration in a fleet (even our little fleet) was quite a challenge! I had the pleasure of sailing a Pacer with Orla, a young woman who had travelled from Canberra with her mother Tricia to participate. Saturday morning was cold and the winds were blowing hard – a coffee on the balcony could have been a gentle start to the weekend, but Orla had travelled a long way and her mum excitedly surveyed the winds announcing that Orla is an adrenaline girl - gulp - so off we went! Standing on the beach I was wondering how we would go in strong winds, but as soon as we hit the water all hesitation disappeared and we set to enjoying a vigorous sail. Planing along with water blasting our faces was a hoot. Orla was the skipper and she did a great job! Calmer weather on Sunday set the scene for a gentler sail and the treat of dolphins. One joined us under our bow during the final reach of the day topping off an amazing weekend of sailing. Congratulations to Sarah Blanck and the organising committee whose vision came to fruition in an exceptional weekend of sailing for girls and women. With the support of fabulous coaches, on-water start and rescue crews, and land and canteen crews a friendly professional event came to be. An enormous amount of fun was had, new skills learned, and on-water confidence built. The smiles are still shining – thank you! - Brigid Vaughan
know it is my turn at the helm. The pit returns. More coaching on tides and starts. Out we go. I blunder through. Claire is way too polite. Coach observes that my skills lie mainly in theory. We keep losing the “musical trolleys” game on the beach - getting stuck with the loose-wheeled trolley. It is ticking me off big time until darling Russell, a longtime member of Westernport YC, solves the problem. I learn much in the afternoon races. The wind changes to a southerly and the race committee have the courses reset in a jiffy. There is more breeze but like a snail we make it to each finish — after many mistakes. Karyn asks how many races I have skippered. Just one, I think. I cling to a little praise. I am all revved up now! I need to practise more, more, more! Pity I’ve waited until now! Definitely feeling my age. Thank you Claire Parkinson. Thank you Westernport Yacht Club. Thank you Karyn. Thank you BYC girls. Thank you Sarah McKinna. Oh yeah, and the dolphins were amazing. They swam along with us. Claire could almost touch them! - Judy Hardie
PHOTOS FROM TOP: Nicole and Michelle with their game faces on; Brigid and Orla collecting the silverware; coaching sessions and launching challenges; Sarah and Janette sussing out the competition; Silke’s thinking face; Judy and Claire admiring their boat’s lack of fittings.
… Continued from previous page JANETTE CONNARD survives a wild weekend on Westernport and returns a slightly dirty starter...
WAS A SCENE REMINISCENT of the Gallipoli landings, only in reverse. Instead of ascending the steep ridges surrounding Anzac Cove, brave souls headed out in unforgiving seas to meet their doom. OK; we were not under enemy fire and we carried no guns. We were, however, armed with water bottles and sunglasses. We had been given stern orders to point high (with our boats, that is.) “After all,” mused Sarah as we prepared to launch, “what's the worst thing that could happen?” It was blowing 23 knots. “We could become totally and permanently disabled,” I replied, thinking to give her a final opportunity to chicken out. Unfortunately, Sarah remained undeterred from crewing for probably the least experienced skipper in either Port Phillip or Westernport Bays. “Tell Phillip and the kids that I love them,” were my parting words to Peter Kemp, who was probably trying to catch his last ever glimpse of his daughter Lauren. She was attempting the same feat as us but alone and in a plastic bath tub (a very basic Optimist). We dragged our battered and bedraggled selves and boat back to shore about half an hour later. At this point, I give due credit to our coaches Jeni and Jess, whose close onwater supervision and advice: “Let off the vang!” was enormously helpful after our third capsize in a row. It probably spared us a last burst of energy to pull our boat upright one more time and finally haul ourselves in. We were now minus the use of our jib, which had lost its sheet shackle (my fault), a water bottle and a new shackle key. Minutes later, we lost a wheel from our beach trolley, which broke its rusted axle when we needed it most. On the positive side, Peter was still on the beach to come to our aid in lifting the boat up the beach. We had also gained valuable practice in righting our boat and getting into the boat unaided. I learnt that communication with the crew is almost as important as having one's centreboard and rudder in the water. (I had learnt that the previous week!) Nicole and Michelle emerged soon after with a snapped vang. She and Michelle were grinning, though. Nicole's eyes were actually dilated like a cat that has just caught its first live prey. “It's fantastic fun!” she exclaimed. “We
were planing upwind!” Once again, Peter came to the rescue and rigged up a very satisfactory new vang. They actually went back out. Adrenaline junkies! Lauren returned more cheesed off with her boat than amazed at her own survival. Unlike her trusty Minnow Bebop, the Opti took on large amounts of water as she had not been instructed in the special bailing technique employed by most Opti sailors. (I'll bet she knows now!) It's surprising she didn't catch a dolphin or at least a jellyfish but they'd probably had the good sense to retreat to a quiet inlet for shelter. After debriefing with our wonderful coaches, we shared an excellent meal prepared by the good men of Westernport Yacht Club. Later, we enjoyed a bonding session in the campground with the BYC sailors and Justine and Peter, neither of whom had sailed but had given generous assistance to both organisers and sailors. What great sports they were! Sunday's calmer conditions enabled us novices to participate in racing; a first for me as skipper. I soon displayed my competitive instinct and am prepared to admit here that I probably “played dirty” against Nicole and Michelle. BYC did not go home empty handed during the awards ceremony. Brigid won the trophy for First Pacer along with Orla Gray, her skipper from the ACT. Michelle and Nicole won trophies for Most Improved Novices. Brigid and Michelle also took home a raffle prize each! Sarah and I were happy just to survive. Lauren was at a family birthday party. Judy was probably wishing she and Claire had joined the novices, although they were far too competent. Silke, though, deserved a trophy — for the largest tent! In fact, we all gained enormously from our participation in the Sarah Blanck Regatta. It was characterised by a very warm welcome from Westernport Yacht Club and excellent organisation and coaching all round. The camaraderie amongst the women, who were so willing to assist each other, was wonderful. As for the coaches, every one of you deserves a gold medal. Thank you!
PHOTOS FROM TOP: Nicole and Michelle winning Most Improved Novices; Janette and Sarah playing dirty on the start line; Trolley wheel woes; Silke cruising downwind; the whole gang together for dinner.
MUN CHIN leaves his mark on the YV Powerboat Handling course.
E WERE NEARING THE END OF THE TWO DAY COURSE. It was a lovely day for boating. There were some hiccups but nothing major. The instructor said the last exercise was really easy. We were to drive his power boat straight onto the trailer. I think I saw this manoeuvre in a James Bond movie. The instructor jumped off the boat and onto the pier. Feeling cocky, I jumped into the boat with another trainee. I can almost hear the background James Bond theme. I brought the boat out of the narrow passage beside the pier, swung it around, gunned the engine and lined it up with the trailer. No problem. Boat started to drift to the left. Again, no problem, just correct it with a sweep of the steering wheel. Boat continued drifting to the left. Er... what is going on? Tried to correct more. No dice. Boat slammed into the side of the pier against the rubber tyres. A volcano erupted on the pier. "WHAT HAPPENED?!!" I was going to say, "Well, you left a stupid trainee at the wheel of your boat!" Instead I meekly said "Could not correct drift". Jumped onto the pier and saw that I had redecorated his boat with a nice set of tyre marks. How did I end up in this position? I have been operating the IRB (aka rubber duck) for BYC Learn to Sail and Lysterfield Sailability programs for some time. Apparently, I could only continue to do this if I was properly certified with a Power Boat Handling Certificate from Yachting Victoria. So off I went and enrolled in the course. The first day consisted of a theory session at Albert Park. My co-trainees operated a variety of craft at their respective clubs. The theory session was interesting. It covered the role and practice of rescue boats. There were some scary
TAINLESS STEEL IS AMAZING STUFF. IT was invented only 100 years ago by adding chromium and nickel to steel. Like with our polyethylene sails, polypropylene ropes and aluminium masts, we forget how lucky we are these days. You'll find bolts, screws and pop rivets come in two common types of stainless steel: 304 and 316. The 304 type is fine for a deck chair, but if you're talking about your foredeck its best to use the 316 type which is made for a marine environment. The 304 will probably go a brown colour if used in salt water, and then eventually start to corrode. If the nuts and bolts seem cheap, they are probably 304. It’s best to ask for 316 if you want them to last. But when stainless steel comes into contact with another metal we can still get caught
stories (these are the ones that stick in your mind). There was a rehash of the theory I did when I was taking the boat licence course but it was good to revisit the area. Particularly when I could not remember 90% of it. So we learned about vessel preparation, safety equipment, cardinal marks and navigation lights. I now know that if someone flashes at me three times, they are pretending to be an east cardinal mark. And I should report him to the police. The second day was at the Williamstown Sailing Club pier where we were introduced to the two training boats (which will henceforth be called "soon to be covered with tyre marks" and "the other boat"). It was a glorious day, sunny with light winds, much to the instructors' immense disappointment as they were hoping for a really scary day on the water. After going through the safety procedures, the first exercise was to familiarise ourselves with the boat and drive it forward and backwards. This sounds simple but when you have million dollar yachts on one side and warships on the other (no kidding), my normally calm hands took on a slight tremble. Next, we had to "park" the boat in a tight space. This involved suddenly throwing the wheel to one side and slamming on the reverse to bring the boat to a sudden stop. Then we had to do three point turns. Lunch followed together with a long written test on the theory from the previous day. After lunch we took Tyre Marks and Other Boat into open water and did "man overboard” exercises with a floating ball. It was fun but also demonstrated how difficult it was to spot someone in the water. That led to the final exercise… So did I pass the certification? Of course I did. I will just avoid trying to park a boat on a trailer for now.
out. If you're putting a stainless fitting onto an aluminium mast or boom, corrosion can quickly set in, usually in the softer aluminium. Its best to use a corrosion inhibitor to avoid this happening. The corrosion inhibitor is just like a gel that you try to get in-between the metals where they touch. The tubes of yellow Duralac that have been used for years contain chromate, which is now a known carcinogen. Thanks for that. I've recently replaced the Duralac with some new stuff called 'Tef-Gel' which is a new fluorocarbon polymer compound. They say it won't dry out and crack like the Duralac did, and it is also self-lubricating which should help if you want to undo those bolts down the track. - Peter Kemp
Contact between dissimilar metals (stainless steel and aluminium) has caused severe corrosion on this Minnow boom
NICOLE JENVEY uncovers a few facts about the marine environment just below the waves.
EELING INSPIRED BY THE MESAC ACTIVITIES AT BYC BACK IN AUGUST, I decided to do some reading about the marine life that calls Rickett’s Point home. I’d like to draw your attention to just one of the magnificent creatures that lives in the intertidal rocky shores at Rickett’s Point. Introducing the Decorator Crab: The Decorator or Seaweed Crab is both flamboyant and shy, dressing up in algae as camouflage. It has a special gland secretion that it uses like a glue to stick pieces of algae onto its carapace. The algae continue to grow on the crab’s rooftop garden, further enhancing its disguise. Keep an eye out for them next time you capsize!
IMAGE: Seaweed Crab photographed and kindly supplied by Ray Lewis. This photo is part of the InDigital exhibition that can be seen in Bayside libraries until Dec 2015.
RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A NURDLE SURVEY conducted by Beach Patrol at Ricketts Point. An hour of fossicking led to the discovery of a small handful of nurdles on the foreshore. Whilst the small collection size demonstrates the relative health of the Rickett’s Point area, the mere presence of nurdles indicates that this area is definitely not immune to the problems they cause. But what is a Nurdle? Nurdles are tiny (2-4mm) pieces of spherical or columnar plastic and are the raw materials used to manufacture anything made of plastic. Nurdles are said to exist on every beach in the world, and are turning up at an increasing rate, mainly due to spills or mishandling by industry. And despite growing public awareness of oceanic plastic problems, the ubiquitous yet miniature plastic problem is only just beginning to be understood. Research recently conducted both in the Port Phillip Bay area and abroad suggests that nurdles are a threat to biodiversity and subsequently the health of our oceans. Sea birds and fish commonly mistake them for food and this causes the animals to suffer from blocked digestive tracts and toxic chemical poisoning; alarmingly, heavy metals and other chemicals form strong bonds with nurdles and once ingested by marine life, toxic chemicals end up in the food chain. It’s important to prevent nurdles from entering the waterways to avert damage to the health of marine life and ultimately us. We can better deal with this problem by notifying the appropriate authorities if we notice a nurdle spill or growing nurdle ‘population’ in our local area. If you notice a nurdle spill, it’s important to report it to either the EPA or Port Philip Ecocentre (speak to Fam Charko or Neil Blake). Our close relationship with the marine environment through sailing puts us in an excellent position to notice any deleterious change to our marine environment and do something about it.
TOP IMAGE: 2,250 nurdles discovered in the Rickett’s Point sanctuary in Feb 2014. Photographed and kindly supplied by Mick Morley. BOTTOM IMAGE: Millions of nurdles cover Hong Kong’s Sam Pak Wan beach in the aftermath of Typhoon Vicente in 2012.
MIKE KENYON introduces a new look Tower team HOSE WHO READ MY ARTICLE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR may recall that we were just learning to cope without the services of Pam Sharp and were seeking others to help share the load. I am very pleased to tell you that, due to several kind offers of assistance, we now have a full complement of very capable Tower personnel to watch over you on Sundays, whether you are participating in or helping with the Learn to Sail programs in the morning or trying to thrash your arch enemy in the afternoon race. Here’s a quick run-down on who we are in case you haven’t met us yet:
Mike Kenyon That’s me! I’m a 35 year member of BYC, along with my wife, Christine of course. As a regular Pacer sailor, with various crews including Christine and son Miles, I competed in Club, State and National events until maybe ten years ago when we bought a keel boat and went cruising in the Pacific. I still sail keelboats at Sandringham on Wednesdays, along with many current and ex-BYC members, and we enjoy cruising on our canal boat in France most Melbourne winters. I was also honoured to hold positions of Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore and Commodore of BYC in the late 1980s.
Charmaine Smith Charmaine, and her husband Rod, have been BYC members for quite a long time. Rod is the sailor of the family, sometimes with son Micky, and Charmaine has traditionally been the shore crew. Now she is a very regular participant in the Tower, a task she has been helping with for a couple of years. She is also the Club’s treasurer. Although not a committed sailor, Charmaine has ventured out on a rescue boat, undertaken radio operation and race management courses and was even spotted out in a Pacer with Paul Hardie during the recent Discover Sailing Day.
Sally Gallagher Sally offered her services in the Tower last season in response to our call for helpers and we are pleased to have her as a member of our
Y LAST TWO EXCURSIONS ONTO the water at Beaumaris Yacht Club have left me grasping in vain for the answer to this question. The first of the two – a fair while ago now – culminated in the rudder box bursting open, and leaving us to drift helplessly at the mercy of the wind and waves. Being a day with a fairly stiff southwester blowing, we sat rather bemusedly in our rudderless craft as we approached ever nearer the stone wall along the water’s edge towards the north of the club, and watched the spray leap into the air from the rocks below. Would the wind and tide eventually carry us to the north of the rocks, and relative safety? No, we didn’t think so. It was a busy day for the rescue boat – lots of priorities to sort out – and eventually the inflatable was launched to retrieve us. We were,
team. I recall when she and Conor first brought their two girls down to enquire about sailing lessons and, in the end, all four of them signed up for the programs. They all sail at various times and the whole family are real dynamos around the Club. We are lucky they decided to join BYC.
Mike Skinner Mike, wife Brigid and daughter Sophie joined BYC about a year ago. Brigid is the sailor of the family while Mike prefers to stay on dry land, so I was very pleased when, on joining, he immediately offered his services in the Tower. He is a regular and very capable helper, often accompanied by Sophie, and has quickly picked up how things are done. He seems to have the best eyesight of us all – you need at least one person in the Tower with well-functioning eyes!
Dick Adair Dick and wife Jeanne have been members of BYC for about as long as Christine and I and, until this season, were proud owners and sailors of Pacer Crossfire. Dick was also the Club Treasurer at some time in the dim, dark past and Jeanne is also to be found involved in general Club activities. Dick contacted me at the start of season to offer his services, being now a retired sailor, and, of course, I didn’t let him get away. His long term sailing experience makes him a valuable asset in the Tower and we are pleased to have him. With a core team of five we are now less frazzled when someone can’t be there (for example, I am probably in Vietnam, or just back, as you read this) and you can be sure several set of experienced eyes are keeping a watch on your safety, recording your lap times and making careful note of your finishing times. We also work very closely with the rescue boat skippers, providing them with important timing and weather information so they can make informed decisions about the onwater activities. Club members are welcome to check out the Tower, its facilities and even us, the Tower Gang, but preferably not during race times as we are usually rather busy.
of course, extremely grateful. Disaster was averted. Thomas is now at an age where a long list of potential activities compete with the prospect of a day spent sailing with dad, and it was only last Sunday that we finally ventured back in the water again. Needless to say, I had become fairly rusty in the art of keeping a Javelin’s mast pointing towards the sky – or, for that matter, getting it to point in that direction again once it has chosen to point in some other direction. So, yes, I allowed the tiller extension to catch on the buoyancy tanks during the gybe, and we were in the drink once again. Next mistake? I forgot to uncleat the spinnaker, so we eventually pulled the boat up again with the kite flapping furiously against the mast. Somehow I managed to drag myself inside the boat, but it was all to no avail as we flipped over
once again – only this time, of course, we went properly upside down. By now I was starting to feel very tired, and even a little emotional. I think it must have been at this point that Thomas realised that if he didn’t save the situation, nobody would. With a quick reversal of our usual roles, he swam around the boat, uncleated the spinnaker and tucked himself inside the cockpit for me to pull him up. This time we stayed up but, electing not to fly the kite once more, limped home in somewhat bedraggled fashion. There is one light note I can add to this sad little tale. Having recently experienced a significant milestone birthday, I can at least now say that I sailed a Javelin in my sixties! But… would somebody please… PLEASE… remind me why I sail a Javelin? - Stephen Whiteside
Sailing Instructions: Best enjoyed in a quiet place over a coffee. Or more commonly a crisp ale or nice red.
T A RACE BRIEFING IN EARLY NOVEMBER, our Rear Commodore Will mentioned that the club’s Sailing Instructions had recently been updated. No major changes you understand, just a few tweaks here and there to reflect the style of races we are sailing now as opposed to when the SIs were last updated. So you probably wouldn’t have to read through the whole document – just maybe refresh the bits on race courses (that would be Appendix B, page 8 of course), and skim read over the cross references to try to catch the writers in a mistake after they added the extra sub-clauses in the middle of clauses 12 and 16 and forgot to re-number all the different clauses they referred to... (or did they?) That is of course, assuming that you have actually read the SIs to begin with. Go on admit it, you haven’t have you? Well, I’m a little ashamed to admit that until last week, despite sailing with Beaumaris for over ten years, neither had I. Those of you aware of my habit of carefully perusing the Sailing Instructions before any State or National Championship might find this revelation a bit surprising, perhaps even a little hypocritical. (Janette Connard remembers well the look of horror on my face when she mentioned the only practical use for the SIs was to plug a leak in Wildwood). Perhaps the reason I have never bothered to read my home club’s SIs is simply that Beaumaris is my home club. I sail here every week, I know the courses sailed, the marks used and the start, finish and shorten course procedures. Anything out of the ordinary is mentioned at the briefing. What could be simpler about crossing a start line, sailing around some marks and then finishing across a finishing line? Do we really need to read ten pages of carefully worded “instructions” to tell us how to do that? If you only ever sail here at Beaumaris, and you sail here regularly, then no, you can probably get away without ever reading the SIs. Though be prepared to lose a race or two because of it.
I’m speaking from experience here so don’t say I didn’t warn you! It’s when you start travelling or when your home club hosts a special event, (such as our 3193 Cup) that a good knowledge of the Sailing Instructions becomes necessary. Did you know for instance that if you don’t wear footwear whilst racing with Albert Park Yacht Club you will be disqualified? At Ballarat Yacht Club, they use code flag “F” rather than an “S” flag to signal a shortened course. If you capsize more than three times at Lysterfield Sailing Club you must immediately retire from the race. At Carrum Sailing Club if you sail the wrong side of a certain yellow pole on your return to the beach you will be scored as Did Not Finish, or given a scoring penalty or disqualified or something equally horrible, I can’t quite remember. All these little nuggets of information are included in the respective club’s SIs (and yes, I didn’t necessarily glean those nuggets from actually reading those SIs. Some I’ve discovered inadvertently – see if you can guess which ones!) As I mentioned earlier, these days I am in the habit of reading through the Sailing Instructions for a regatta or of a club at which I am a visitor. I usually read the entire document from beginning to end (most are not nearly as long as the ten pages of Beaumaris YC!) I find it relaxing to read through the SIs over lunch or in a quiet place on the beach before the race. I like to carefully pick through the wording and check the cross references between the various clauses and to the Racing Rules of Sailing. (Please don’t tell me you haven’t read the Racing Rules of Sailing!? I will control my shock, and keep it in mind as a discussion for the next issue of The Reef). You probably don’t have to read the entire SIs as I do. For those less bookish, or if it gives you a headache just considering the full implications of the sentence “All races will be governed by the rules as defined in the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 2013 - 2016”, let me take you through some of the more important points.
Firstly, what exactly are the Sailing Instructions? They are most definitely not a set of instructions on how to sail. The racing rules are essentially the same wherever you sail in the world. The purpose of the SIs is to alter these rules to allow for differences in local conditions, the class of boat being sailed, and the type of race being sailed. They also include information about the type of marks to be used, the start times and dates of races, and division allocation where there is more than one class of boat sailing.
Notices to Competitors It’s important that you know where the race committee will post notices. It depends on the regatta but there may not be a briefing before each race. If not, then it’s wise to check for notices at the beginning and end of every day’s sailing. There’s nothing worse than spending a leisurely morning at the campsite, getting to the clubhouse in the afternoon and discovering everyone else out sailing because the race committee changed the schedule the day before.
Schedule of Races I mention this because sometimes the race schedule is different from what was advertised when you entered the series. Go by the SIs, not the advertising poster or the Notice of Race.
Division Flags Become familiar with your division flag. This is particularly important if you are at a regatta where there is more than one class of boat sailing.
Starting Procedure Beaumaris has a four minute start sequence which is very unusual. I know of no other club that uses it. Most clubs use a 5 minute, and some start on a 3 minute sequence. Check the SIs to see which one is being used (and if you find a 4 minute sequence at a club other than ours I’d love to know where!)
Change to Course and Shortening Course This is probably the part of the SIs that requires the most attention, because if you get it wrong it can mean the difference between winning a race and not finishing at all. What’s that? You’re unlikely to be leading a race? You’ll just follow everyone else when the course is changed? Well for starters “Everyone Else” has been known to sail the wrong course on occasion. Now picture this: you don’t usually lead a big fleet, but somehow you got a great start, picked a crazy wind shift and ended up in front. (Don’t ask me how, but believe me, it does happen and it can happen to anyone). Then the wind drops and race committee shortens the course, and you don’t know how to finish because you didn’t read the SIs. I can hear the anguished scream from here! You will find it difficult to forget such a moment (your crew will most certainly never let you forget it!) Don’t do it to yourself – read the SIs!
Penalty system OK, so you broke a rule. I hope it was just an honest mistake! But even if it wasn’t I forgive you, because you’ve admitted you were wrong and you are about to take a penalty. But what sort of penalty? The racing rules are fairly definite on this point – if you hit a mark or if you infringe on another boat you must take a penalty by turning your boat in two 360 degree circles. This rule is often altered by SIs to say that if you hit a mark, you only have to do one turn. In fact, it is so often altered that many sailors believe the actual rule is that you only take one turn for hitting a mark. It is only an alteration in the SIs, so check this section carefully. You don’t want to take a larger penalty than you have to, and you don’t want to be disqualified later for only taking half of it.
Protests and Redress So you’re not the sort of person who likes to protest other sailors who break the rules. Life’s too short to worry about it right? But what if your boat is damaged as a result of an incident in a race (some insurance com-
The (other) Good Book - the Racing Rules of Sailing. These are the overarching rules which govern our sport. panies may require proof it wasn’t your fault), or perhaps you are taken to a protest by another sailor? Maybe the race committee recorded you as not finishing, perhaps because you were so unbelievably far in front of everyone else, or (more usually) you finished at about the same time as ten other boats and you were missed in the confusion. In these situations you need to know what the SIs say about your rights to appeal and the time limits imposed on formalizing a protest.
Replacement of Crew or Equipment Some people have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep sailing in a regatta. At an Easter regatta one year a Pacer sustained a broken mast. Most people would have packed up the boat at this point and enjoyed the rest of the holiday, but this crew drove the three hours back to Melbourne, rigged overnight a spare mast they had lying at home and then drove back again. Imagine the look on their faces if the race committee had told them they couldn’t use the new mast because they hadn’t requested the change in writing before the time limit expired the day before! That didn’t happen thankfully, but there are committees who are completely without pity and wouldn’t think twice about refusing permission for even a minor lapse under this sailing instruction. My advice if you have to replace something is to follow the SIs to the letter. Cross every T, dot every I, and crawl to the committee on your knees. A good understanding of the Sailing Instructions alone will not win you a regatta - you still need to sail well - but you might pick up a place or two, avoid embarrassment, and maybe even keep the boat afloat (thanks Janette). There are some interesting little treasures to discover in Beaumaris Yacht Club’s SIs. Have a read, and while you’re doing that I think I’ll have a look at the SIs of that other club of mine. I’ve been sailing there for twenty seven years so I think it’s about time…
Weird and wonderful bits and pieces from the strange world of sailing
MAR DEL PLATA, ARGENTINA: During the International Yachting Week in February last year a Argentine Navy submarine returning to port managed to snag one of the marks during the Optimist regatta. Sufficient grounds for a protest by the Optimist sailor? Good luck getting the submarine captain to the hearing!
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO: Retired America’s Cup contender Young Australia 2000 has found a home as a swim platform off the Mexican coast. Not quiet the end most envisage for lightweight racing boats however it’s probably better than just being shunted into the corner of a yard or factory before being scrapped. Original paintjob and livery too, whoever put that on obviously did a good job! The palm trees are a great touch, but the best feature has got to be the helm wheel.