Groundswell Dec 2015

DE C emb er

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2015

groundswell A r e g u l a r J O UR N A L f r o m t h e C r u i s i n g Y ac h t C l u b o f So u t h A u s t r a l i a

inside > Marine academy > Racing Association > fishing association news > ballast Head stopover > opening day > cruising association fun > melbourne cup party > what’s new in propulsion > ribbon reef adventure > east coast racing

Andrew Saies President

From the President Board of Management President Treasurer

Andrew Saies Chris Wood Wayne Coonan Peter Hall David Murray Glenn Spear Sam Tolley

Flag Officers Commodore Vice Commodore Rear Commodore

Geoff Boettcher Rowland Richardson Jacqueline Heffernan

Staff Chief Executive Officer Craig Evans Admin & Ops Manager Jenny Krogdahl Finance Manager Marina Segodina Comms & Member Services Mellissa Vahoumis Leasing Coordinator Kirsty Winstone Receptionist Andrea Boylon Marine Academy Coord Matthew Young Racing Manager Michael Tozer Food & Bev Manager Mario Cataldi Head Chef Kim Tran Port Vincent Marina Rob Marner Association Chairpersons Cruising Adrian Wotton Fishing Trevor Paynter Racing Rob Sellick Social Activities Pam Humeniuk Life Members Arthur F Carolan Geoffrey R Catt Richard H Fidock AO Graeme L Footer John D Gerard James A Henry (Dec’d) Malcolm A Kinnaird AC (Dec’d) Peter J Page Editors of Groundswell Gay Footer, Mellissa Vahoumis, Owen Mace, Don Burrows, Trevor Paynter Contributions to reception@cycsa.com.au Advertising in Groundswell Mellissa Vahoumis: Telephone 08 8248 4222 Groundswell is the official journal of the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia Inc. Lady Gowrie Drive, North Haven PO Box 1020 North Haven SA 5018 Telephone: 08 8248 4222 Facsimile: 08 8248 5888 Email: reception@cycsa.com.au Web: www.cycsa.com.au Phone Port Vincent: 0414 611 110 Registered by Australia Post Publication No PP565001/00184 ISSN 1039-4230 Graphic design by Trevor Paynter Printed by Reflex Printing

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ince the Annual General Meeting the new Board has progressed a number of matters. The Club’s financial performance is on budget at this stage of the year and before we enter the busier summer trading months this allows us to remain confident about the favourable surplus being projected for the end of the financial year.

While the budget tracks favourably the other important commitment is the progressive repair and improvement of Marina East. This is a project without precedent in Australia and there is and will be a bit of a learning curve for Club management and the tradespeople involved.

David Murray is working with Craig to ensure appropriate targets for completion of the various sections under repair are in place and that any delays are for good reasons. Meeting targets and budgets with this project is an important requirement for our ten year whole of Club cash flow projections.

The Board continues to review costs and services and has retained a consultant who amongst other things will provide us with some broad benchmarking of what we offer and what this costs compared to other similar Clubs. Keel and power boat clubs are structured sufficiently differently such that direct comparisons are not always a true reflection of how any one area of the Club performs. The Board nonetheless is having some meaningful discussion on all this.

Getting the above threads of activity and performance right are some of the conditions the Board has put in place before it commits to proceeding with any renovation of the bar and outdoor patio dining area. I also believe that a contribution from some voluntary fund raising or increased sponsorship will be required and if nothing else will enable the project to be completed in a very tasteful but functional way. Once the Board has agreed on the design concept, lay out and level of finish, more details will be shared with members but I stress the project at this stage has not gone live. There are a few important bridges to cross but we are edging in the right direction.

Thank you to all those members (around 200) who took the time to complete the recent survey.

This is still being analysed in detail and a report to the Board is expected in November. However my overview is that 70 to 90 per cent of members were satisfied across all the areas surveyed.

There were a number of questions where 90 percent of respondents rated the response as satisfied or better. There were comments provided across all of the questions with some questions generating up to 60 comments. The survey results and comments will be analysed for any themes or messages and they will be reported to members along with any Board recommendations that might come out of the survey in due course.

What is interesting but not surprising is how different people can have completely opposite experiences and express totally opposite opinions about the Club, none more so than in the food and beverage areas.

Another observation relates to the question about the male and female shower and toilet facilities. When asked about the female facilities 54 percent of respondents ticked not applicable, understandable if half the members surveyed were men, however when asked about the male facilities only eight per cent of respondents ticked not applicable - it can be presumed that only eight per cent, not fifty per cent, of the respondents were women. So either our male members know about or have a view about the female facilities or their spouses helped them answer this question! It also seems to point to the fact that most of our financial members are male and that most of those completing the survey were male (92 percent). I hope that most members who did the survey involved their spouse or partner when responding if indeed the spouse or partner uses the Club. I guess we should not assume that this was the case and perhaps we need to explore a female user view of the Club to balance up the sample!

Finally a thank you from the Board to all staff and Flags for their efforts in putting on Opening Day. It is a big organisational and important event in the Club’s calendar and this year was showcased for our new Governor. Well done.

Andrew Saies, President Cover Photo: Jason Ward and Shevaun Bruland’s Concubine prepares to take the salute from the Commodore during the Club Opening Day. Photo by Gerry Colella 3

Craig Evans Chief Executive Officer

At the Helm

CLUB NEWS

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ongratulations to our very own Craig Evans who won the Clubs SA Manager of the Year Award at the 2015 Clubs SA Awards for Excellence held at the Adelaide Oval on 7 November.

At the presentations Craig was described as a “true professional with great leadership backed up with incredible knowledge and passion having increased turnover in difficult economic conditions and having made significant achievements within the Clubs industry”.

Clubs SA also acknowledged that the CYCSA was the recipient of the prestigious Environment Award from the EPA in 2014 thanks to Craig’s efforts in the area of environmental protection. This award recognises people in the boating industry for their significant and lasting contributions to the environment of South Australia.

Craig’s strong community involvement was also highly regarded as he assisted the Largs Bay Sailing Club in being awarded the 2017 Australian National Optimis Championships.

The CYCSA will work in partnership with the Largs Bay Sailing Club to host this event and with an expected fleet of over 500 boats, including junior sailors, it will be one of the largest regattas, if not the largest regatta, to be held in South Australia.

Craig’s involvement in legislative change to the Local Government Act bringing a fairer and more reasonable rating system on fees imposed by Councils on marina and hardstand berths throughout the state was also seen as a major contribution not only for his Club but for the entire boating community throughout South Australia.

Well done Craig!

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pening Day was once again blessed with exceptional weather. It was the third year in a row now that we have had perfect conditions and I hope you made the most of it. Opening Day 2015 went off like clockwork and Flag Officers and management received many positive comments from members and guests. It is a very important day for the Club and the staff do an exceptional job in the planning for the big day and the preparation of the facilities. On the actual day it is all hands on deck with ground staff organising car parking and driving golf buggies, office staff welcoming members and guests as well as assisting with the official presentations and hospitality staff have a very busy weekend that starts with early Opening Day arrivals on Friday night and runs through to recovery breakfast and lunch on Sunday. A great job by all staff and I thank them for their efforts.

Thanks also to the students, parents and teachers from neighbouring Ocean View College who were once again involved in our Opening Day. The students involved are all future sailors and part of the school’s sailing team and they assist on the day with the monitoring of the gates, assisting members and guests carry items to their boats, collecting trolleys from the marina and also help with the clean-up. This arrangement has existed for a number of years now. In return the CYCSA assists their sailing program and provides boat storage and facilities at the Club for their mid week training throughout the year. Next year we might try to get the kids on the water to participate in the Sail Past.

The CYCSA Cruising Association, with the generous support of their sponsor Charlesworth Nuts, has financially assisted the Club with the installation of a shade structure at the Port Vincent Marina. The structure over the new BBQ area is the most recent stage of improving the facility for members and visitors to our marina. I hope you get an opportunity to use it.

Work continues on the refurbishment and replacement of pontoons in Marina East. A number of staff changes and the required employment and training process have meant we have not progressed as far as we would have liked however we are certainly poised to put a significant dent in the required work in 2016. Despite the slow start we are quite pleased with the quality of the work that has been carried out to date and the recent creation of a new work shed and repair systems will speed up the process going forward.

In a recent survey of Club members the CYCSA Marine Academy was seen as an important element to the services we provide. As the only accredited Yachting Australia and Royal Yachting Association in South Australia it provides highly recognised training in our state for the benefit of our members and the wider general boating public. A close eye has been kept on the running costs associated with the operation of the Marine Academy since its inception. From my investigations with other Clubs the profitable running of a training arm is near non-existent and our performance has been much better than most. Not content to run at a loss or even reach a breakeven position we have started promoting the use of our vessel, Academy 1, for corporate groups, team building exercises and just fun days out on the water. If you have a work or social group you think would be interested in heading out with a qualified skipper and experienced crew please give me a call.

A new Port channel marker has been positioned just inside the entrance to North Haven Marina. The marker identifies a shallow spot in the navigation channel that they failed to include in their last dredging cycle. Unfortunately we probably will not see the maintenance dredge back for another couple of years so the mark will be in place for some time.

NEW MEMBERS Over the last three months the following people have joined the Club.

Please make them welcome.

Martin Angus Neil David Barge Desmond Bilske Karl Stephen Chehade Chris Evans

Nicholas Kitching Kerry Stark Davin Wecker Kenneth Holds Steven Jones

It is good to see a number of new faces on Association Committees at the Club and there is a desire by all Associations to work together and create new activities for all Club members. Please support their efforts, make new friends, get involved and use your Club.

Good luck to all racing members competing locally and interstate over the Christmas and New Year period particularly to the crew of very new yacht Concubine, which at the time of writing this article is yet to arrive so I am sure the crew will be very busy between now and Boxing Day. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Safe boating.

Craig Evans, Chief Executive Officer

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Geoff Boettcher Commodore

Commodore’s Report

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Concubine is worth following on Yacht Tracker on the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s website.

t is my pleasure to welcome Jacqueline Heffernan (Jacq) to the position of Rear Commodore to the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia. Judging by the display of member enthusiasm during her Club Burgee presentation on Opening Day I have no doubt Jacq will be a very valuable Flag Officer. Both Jacq and her husband Marty are proud owners of the yacht Hot Mustard and have been Club members for 15 years. Welcome aboard Jacq!!

This year will be the 71st Sydney to Hobart Race. This race ranks in world status with the Rolex Fastnet in England and the Newport to Bermuda Race in the USA and I believe the Hobart is the most gruelling and exciting of these offshore races. The 2015 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has attracted 111 yacht entries comprising 83 yachts covering every state of Australia and 28 international entries representing ten countries. The International Clipper Race Fleet will again compete in this year’s race with sailors from 26 different nationalities competing.

The Clipper Race has a 14 strong fleet and this leg becomes part of their 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation of the globe race. Don’t miss the start of the Hobart Race on Boxing Day on 26 December on Channel 7, probably from 12.00 noon Adelaide time.

Vice Commodore Rowley Richardson and I would like to thank retiring Rear Commodore David Knights for his generous input to the Club as a Flag Officer. David served for three years between 2013 and 2015 including with previous Commodore Geoff Catt and Vice Commodore Rowley Richardson. In his capacity as a Flag Officer David represented the Racing Association, headed up the new membership committee, processed all new member applications and together with his wife Wendy, supported and attended many Club functions. On behalf of the Club thank you David for your valuable input in helping the Club maintain high standards.

I trust we all share a good summer season on the water whether fishing, cruising or racing for sheep stations. We do have one of the finest stretches of water for boating activities, a great Club and friendly members. I look forward to catching up on the water.

Opening Day for the Club’s 2015/16 season was a great success assisted by the attendance of His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia and his wife Mrs Le. His Excellency’s speech gave accolades to our Club and included memories of his boat journey from Vietnam to our shores all of which were well received and very appropriate for the Opening Day of a ‘Boat Club’. The Governor has been proactive in attending the majority of sailing and yacht club openings along our coast and his presence did make our Opening Day a very special event.

Geoff Boettcher, Commodore

Our local yachting legend Sir James Hardy and Lady Joan Hardy were also in attendance and their support has always been appreciated. Sir James kindly assisted us with the Awards Ceremony.

As Opening Days are the highlight of our season next year’s aim is to encourage more boats to become involved in the sail past. With the One & All as our saluting platform this colourful event should not be missed. Those who were absent from this great day, we ask for your support for the sail past next year to make this event even bigger and better.

Jacq Heffernan receives her Rear Commodore’s burgee from Commodore Geoff Boettcher and Vice Commodore Rowley Richardson during Opening Day presentations.

I am very pleased our Board is moving ahead with plans to improve our patio area. Although in very early stages and subject to members support this project is well overdue. The CYCSA is State’s premier yacht club and to retain this identity we must offer our members facilities as good, if not better, than those offered by other Clubs both here and interstate. A modern functional upgrade will not only offer members and guests a new Club ambiance but will open future possibilities to attract larger yachting events.

The sailing season is well underway and although racing yacht numbers are a little thinner than previous years an increase in the later part of the season is expected. I would like to also welcome Michael Tozer to our Race Office as Racing Manager. Mike has had racing experience that will assist in him carrying out this position with confidence.

Captain’s Table Lunch ‘The Captain’s Table’ is a luncheon to personally welcome new members to the CYCSA. Hosted by our Vice Commodore Rowland Richardson and his wife Glenyss along with representatives from the CYCSA Associations, we would like to welcome the following Club members. Left to right, back row: Paul Normandale, Jennifer Green, David Green, Fred Reiter, Trudy Brennan. Front Row, Vice Commodore Rowley Richardson, Robert Jacobs, Jen Gammon and Rear Commodore Jacq Heffernan.

The new Concubine will bring interest to our fleet creating fresh competition in Division One. Concubine plans to also represent the Club in this year’s Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. We wish them a safe trip and a good result. With a few of the old Secret Mens Business team jumping on board for the ride to Hobart 5

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Gone Sailing... verything is set for a great season ahead for the CYCSA Marine Academy. Our goals still remain strong; to add value to the Clubs members, to develop successful programs and activities, and in time, establishing the CYCSA as ‘the’ place to go boating.

Our always important Safety Day was completed on 20 September. Fourteen students took part in the day course with interest already growing for our next course in February 2016. See photos below.

A successful Day Skipper Shore Based Course over winter was followed up with a just as successful Marine Radio Course with eight students completing. Our Marine Academy Shore Based Course students this year have shown an impeccable pass rate when completing their assessments. A credit to Andy Shipp our Shore Based and Safety Instructor.

Start Yachting Courses have been sailing in September and October. Start Yachting is our number one course for getting people started in the pathway to becoming full time sailors.

November and December Start Yachting dates are booking strongly, a rare occurrence so early in the season, making the coming summer look promising for training around the Club.

The October Long Weekend was also a great treat! Fantastic weather, another gulf crossing and what looked like a bit of Mediterranean docking at the Port Vincent Wharf. Brett Yardley, our RYA Chief Instructor, can make you comfortable with this process before attempting to Med moor in a jam packed harbour on the next long-weekend Live Aboard.

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The third National Discover Sailing Day was held on Sunday 25 October with the CYCSA breaking last year’s record number of students to create a new record of 72 students! We have been involved in every National Discover Sailing Day to date and it provides the public with a great welcoming introduction to the Club. See photos on opposite page.

The Discover Sailing day can only work with generous assistance from our Club members. This year we utilised six member’s boats along with a sailing host plus an extra helper or two. Feedback from the public was terrific and each participant was followed up with information about the Club and its facilities, how to learn more about sailing and how to become involved in Twilight and Club racing. A fantastic day only made possible by several members support including; Mike and Angela Holmes on From Russia With Love, Rowland and Glenyss Richardson on Geordie Bay, Graeme and Gay Footer on Marnico, Craig and Beth Hutton on Carioca da Gema and Gary Sinton, Richard Watson and Stephen Cibich on That’s Life plus Academy 1 and our Marine Academy Instructors. It gives me great pride in offering the Club open to the public on days like this with such generous, supportive and willing Club members helping me out. I thank them all and really appreciate their support on making the Club a great place.

I hope to see you all on the water this summer!

Matt Young, Coordinator Marine Academy Photos by Trevor Paynter

Recreational an

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elcome to season 2015–2016. Your Racing Executive Committee has been working hard over the off-season in preparation for the summer and while there have been no drastic changes there are a few to be aware of.

Upon review there have been some changes made to our regattas. The Great Southern Regatta has reverted back from a five race regatta to a three race regatta with two windward-leeward races on the Saturday and one fixed mark race on the Sunday. Timing of the Great Southern Regatta has also been changed and will be held in November, a time previously occupied by the Premier’s Cup. Our biggest change is to the beloved Premier’s Cup Regatta now known as the Premier Adelaide Regatta. The Premier Adelaide Regatta is inspired by the original Premier’s Cup format which included off the beach dinghy racing and, like the Great Southern Regatta, will revert back to three races. The Premier Adelaide Regatta will be a culmination of sailing in South Australia and showcase the sport of sailing statewide with Largs Bay Sailing Club hosting what we expect to be a large fleet of junior and senior sailors. For those wanting a crack at the main prize don’t worry the Premier’s Cup perpetual trophies will still only be awarded to keelboats.

Timing of the Premier Adelaide Regatta has also changed and will be held in April. While this may seem a little late the rationale for this is to avoid Lincoln Race Week and ‘Mad March’ while becoming an end of season celebration.

During the off-season the Racing Association Executive have outlined several ongoing focuses; these include improving the size and skill set of our volunteer pool, promotion and representation of the Club via national and international regattas, improving and streamlining protocols and procedures and maximising opportunities to further the sport of yachting and the CYCSA Racing Association.

Our racing season didn’t quite kick off with the bang we were hoping for with light winds prevailing to spoil the party. Our Race Officers have done a great job with the tough conditions presented to them so far.

Our twilight fleet has been a little luckier with a few moderate (and wet!) days thrown in but the amazing sunsets that light conditions provide more than compensate for a slow race. Hopefully some of those sea breezes start kicking in soon!

We look forward to seeing you out on the water this season! Good luck and fair winds.

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e would like to welcome new Club supporter GDB Services Pty Ltd. GDB Services, located at Kilkenny, distribute premium products and brands in the marine maintenance market and are yacht and boat paint specialists with over fifty years experience in marine paint coatings. They also offer professional technical and product advice.

GDB have kindly supplied us with the two component ‘Propspeed System’ foul release product for the use on our Club’s start boat CYC1. Propspeed is a coating system designed and proven to protect underwater running gear and to prevent marine growth from bonding to metal surfaces below the water line resulting in more speed and reduced fuel burn.

So to all of you who race (and to those that don’t) it’s definitely a product worth considering. Thanks again to David Brown from GDB Services who will be providing assistance and product for the future maintenance of CYC1 and a special thanks to our Volunteer of the Year, Ray Evans, for giving his time to prepare the boat and AJ Marine for applying this product to CYC1’s running gear.

For further information on how Propspeed can help you, please contact David Brown on (08) 8244 0155 8

Reminder

RACING ASSOCIATION • 2015/2016

Winter Series The CYCSA has again proven to be the bravest Club having been well represented in the Port River Marine Winter Series. As usual the colder months threw up a mixed bag for our competitors with conditions ranging from good to ugly and everything in between. Our boats performed well against RSAYS and PASC competitors with CYCSA boats taking out the combined win in both divisions on AMS and PHS. Well done to all involved.

Congratulations to all winners: CYCSA PHS Div 1 – Sirius CYCSA PHS Div 2 – Locomotion Combined AMS Div 1 – Sirius Combined AMS Div 2 – Locomotion Combined PHS Div 1 – Sirius Combined PHS Div 2 – Rock On Michael Tozer, Racing Manager

A big thank you to the dedicated crews from the CYCSA and RSAYS for doing a great job as always. Make sure you say g’day and let them know how much we appreciate their efforts.

2016 Ballast Head Cup Regatta

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he sixteenth sailing of the Ballast Head Cup is scheduled for New Year’s Day 2016 off Island Beach and adjacent to American River. What began as a bet for a carton of Kangaroo Island’s finest product between two yachtie mates, one sailing a Duncanson 25 and the other a Northshore 38 in 2001 and claimed to be the first official regularly programmed yacht race in the world each year, has become a popular fixture on the cruising calendar. Meet local Island Beach holiday makers and boost your crew numbers by taking on a few guests off the beach for a sail on your boat. There are plenty of inflatables to run crew to and from the beach.

Join the fleet of American River and Kingscote boats together with the fleet from Adelaide, be excited by starting with a cannon sound signal, the only event in Australia other than the Sydney to Hobart to start under cannon fire, sail two laps around a triangular course on tranquil Eastern Cove and then on to the beach for a barbecue and drinks during which trophies for fastest, first, second and third on handicap and best placed new entrant will be announced.

Photo courtesy of Scott Sullivan

This year volunteers from the American River Progress Association have kindly agreed to put on the beach BBQ. All proceeds from their catering will go towards the Rebuild Independence Group (RIG) project. This project is well under way to build a replica of the first whaling sloop built in South Australia at American River in the early 1800s. The BBQ will be provided on a pay as you purchase basis and will not be included in the nomination fee this year. It will be a great help to the race organisers and hopefully provide more variety than we have previously been able to cater for.

Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions will be forwarded to previous entrants in early December or you can phone me about then for a mail out.

David Saies (Duty Crew CYC1) 8356 2946 0419 825 364

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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Association & FISHING Association

An evening with...

JUST A GIRL

An Evening with ‘Justagirl’ Tracey Tito – Skipper, Fisherperson, Wife, Mum, Business Owner, Cancer Survivor and all round Gorgeous Gal! he second and final guest speaker event for 2015 was hosted collaboratively by the Social Activities and Fishing Associations. It was a great success.

From the perspective of a person who may only contemplate catching fish of the boneless, breadcrumbed species, I am truly quite impressed by the ability of Tracey and her team Justagirl. They chase big fish, battle for hours, gaff and haul in huge sea beasts and really, for a bunch of ‘chicks’, do what any group of hard-core fisher-boys would do, plus more!

Tracey and her daughter Renee (Ren) started out just going for a fish when they could. There was always a boat on the trailer and when the weather was right the girls were off! This was life and life was good but in late 2013 Tracey was diagnosed with cancer and in 2014 had an operation to remove part of her kidney. Having, recovering and surviving cancer was huge.

Tracey’s personal Facebook page, while going through surgery, treatment and recovery, had been reduced to only family and close personal friends and it was not long after when she and Ren were on a trip to Port MacDonnell to chase barrel tuna that they decided to create a Justagirl Facebook page and dedicate it to fishing adventures.

So from there things grew, a website, merchandising, sponsorship with Barcrusher, Pacific Marine, Yamaha, Mick’s Winch, multiple awards for Tracey and Ren plus Tracey’s gorgeous bar crusher boat Justagirl. Their Facebook page went from a few hundred to over 12,000 ‘likes’ and the Justagirl Team has grown from just two gals, Tracey and Ren, to include Leah ‘Greenhorn’ Hargreaves and Lauren ‘Whip Cracker’ Hadaway. Justagirl are also the South Australian ambassadors for ‘Fish For Life’ and you can click on the website for more information on this great Australian Journey.

Feel free to follow Team Justagirl on Facebook or sponsor their ‘Fish For Life’ campaign. Their adventures are exciting and passionate and these gals are dedicated and respectful of the ocean and its inhabitants. I can honestly say that I can only describe my friend Tracey as truly alive!

Morag Draper, Social Activities Association

Save the date...

improving your fishing Skills Filletting fish The Fishing Association has been asked to revisit the filleting demonstrations it had some years ago when proficient filleters showed interested Club members how best to fillet different fish such as snapper, garfish and flathead. Depending upon the fish caught a particular approach to filleting may be required – for example, many experienced fishers have trouble getting good fillets for garfish.

The FA is planning an informal morning session early next year for members and their children starting at 10 or 11.00am on either a Saturday or Sunday morning at the Club.

Depending on interest this type of educational session can be extended to squid, whiting and tuna. The possibility also exists to engage a ‘celebrity chef’ to demonstrate the art of cooking fish.

If this activity interests you please send an email to reception@cycsa.com.au or call Andrea on 8248 4222 to say to “add us to the list”. Further details will be published via the Club website and email early in the new year.

Basic fishing tackle The Fishing Association is planning to hold a fishing tackle talk and demonstration for those members who enjoy their boating and on-water activities and would like to improve their basic fishing skills.

Many of the Club’s cruising yachties and powerboat owners like to carry a bit of fishing gear and are keen to improve their catch with the help of some uncomplicated expert guidance.

Basic equipment including rod/reel combo, line weight, types of hooks best suited for particular fish, sinker types and berley will be presented in an informal morning session early next year for members and their children, starting at 10 or 11.00am on either a Saturday or Sunday morning at the Club.

Should the basic fishing tackle talks and demos prove well attended and interesting we can continue the educational process and move on to more specific things.

If this activity interests you please send an email to reception@cycsa.com.au or call Andrea on 8248 4222. Further details will be published soon.

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Catch & Cook Crabbing Day • Sunday February 14 The recent Club survey indentified an interest by members for more information and communication about fishing. This article aims to provide that information.

CYCSA

Fishing

Association

Fishing Association Planning

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he recent Club survey indentified an interest by members for more information and communication about fishing.

This article aims to provide that information.

The Fishing Association continues to organise planned events for Club members interested in fishing activities. FA members pay a nominal fee yearly to attend events and be involved and those fees are used to pay for materials, rentals, consumables, trophies, etc related to the annual program with the aim of providing value for membership.

All Club members are welcome and encouraged to participate and, like other Associations, those attending pay a cover charge depending on the nature of the event.

At a recent Club management day the FA Committee submitted a planning proposal which looked at future activities and initiatives being considered. Some of that proposal is set out below.

Proposal To organise a series of activities and events to directly involve those Club members and families with an interest in fishing.

• Youth Focus > ‘Come Fishing’ days - for members and families (March, April, May 2016).

Utilising Club boat CYC1 as a ‘flagship’ for group fishing - weekends and school holidays. Local fishing with weigh-in and post fishing BBQ. > ‘Cockling Day’ - collecting bait at Goolwa Beach (22 November 2015).

• Education > ‘Tackle Talk’ - informal talks and demos by knowledgeable presenter(s) 2016 - see opposite page.

> ‘Filleting Fish’ demonstrations - demos by skilled and knowledgeable presenter(s) 2016 - see opposite page.

Extension of this activity - cooking fish demos.

> Information evening - Department of Fisheries guest speaker - new fishing zones.

• Just for Fun > ‘Boating Showcase/Party’ - for FA members, family and friends to enjoy a party onboard rafted members’ boats - food/drink provided by sponsors (27 November).

> ‘Catch & Cook Crabbing Day’ - for all Club members and families (14 February 2016)

FA Initiatives

To be an association that is relevant to members interested in fishing.

Bait freezer and containers for FA members - FA Committee maintains this well used facility. There is a new freezer with containers for bait.

To provide full value to members for their FA membership fee of $23.

Promotional banner and teardrop flags to identify FA events.

To organise activities that focus upon youth - to encourage members to participate with their children and grandchildren - to have fun and success.

Training to qualify volunteer FA Committee members to operate Club boat CYC1 for fishing excursions

To organise activities that are educational - to broaden members’ knowledge of fishing methods and techniques.

Explore development of a FA Facebook for younger members to post.

Association Targets

To increase FA sponsorship support and monies to facilitate/offset activities.

To increase numbers on the FA committee - to provide broader opinion, discussion and ideas - and people to run with specific or interesting projects.

Activities for committee consideration 2015/16 • Collaborative Activities > FA and SAA - ‘An Evening with “Just a Girl”’ (completed 9 October 2015)

FA Future Initiatives Develop recognition trophies for FA competitions/achievements.

Develop and integrate FA marketing with Club to promote Club membership.

The FA Committee would welcome any Club member wishing to assist with this program or add to it, particularly the popular ‘Catch & Cook Crabbing Day’ on Sunday 14 February. Set up day in the BBQ area on the Saturday is always good to have a bit of help and also the cooking and cleaning the crabs on the Sunday needs some volunteers.

> All Associations - ‘Christmas BBQ’ (12 December 2015)

> FA and CA/Ballast Cup Committee - ‘Fun Fishing Competition’ (1 January) - to be discussed

On our Club website, there is a FA page with photos of Club members and their catches. If you’ve caught a fish and want to show other members, send a digital photo in to the Club reception for inclusion and be in the running for the 2015/16 fishing trophies.

> FA and CA - ‘Pt Vincent Fishing Competition’ (Easter) - TBD

Trevor Paynter, Chair Fishing Association

Send your fishing photos in for our Club website album 11

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Email boltyots@senet.com.au www.blueskymarine.2ya.com Alexa Road North Haven SA

NEW BOATS This is another in the series of articles aimed at providing you with an insight into a few of the ‘new’ boats to the Club over recent months. While not all are newly built, most are relatively new to the Club and others have moved to new owners within the Club. We warmly welcome all ‘new’ boats and owners. was very pleasant arriving with just enough tide to scrape into the harbour. We rafted up at the wharf next to a couple making their way up the coast. Bermagui is a very pleasant spot with all the facilities you would want so a three night stopover was not such a bad thing.

carioca da gema Craig Hutton writes about his new boat and the delivery trip from Sydney.

After racing and cruising a 32 footer for eleven years moving to a bigger boat was not a particularly hard decision. We had been admiring the Beneteau First 44.7s for some time and a comfortable sail in this years’ Lincoln race on a 47.7 simply made the decision to move up more urgent.

We had always said we would never buy a new boat before selling the old one but had settled on a good deal and could not wait to get her back to Adelaide. The sale of our old boat would just have to wait.

Assembling a delivery crew was not difficult, the volunteers came out of the woodwork, nothing like a bit of adventure in your retirement. Mark Williams, Terry Denham, Roger Anderson, David Murray and I agreed on a Saturday flight to Sydney for a Sunday departure for a pleasant cruise back to Adelaide. Beth and I had travelled to Sydney on the weekend beforehand preparing the boat as best we could for the trip back. On the Monday before the planned departure there were no weather warnings and I promptly purchased the plane tickets to Sydney. It’s funny how a forecast can change so dramatically as on the next day they were forecasting the ‘Storm of the Century’ for Sydney and the east coast to arrive sometime on the weekend. We flew out of Adelaide as planned.

Sunday afternoon the storm hit Sydney Harbour right in the middle of a very pleasant practise sail around the harbour. We quickly found out what needed some attention as we scampered back to the marina in Rushcutters Bay. For the next four days the guys amused themselves trying to outdo each other in the galley - the food was good and so was the rum. On one day in the height of the storm the entire harbour was shutdown, no ferries were running and a cruise ship was forced to anchor outside the heads.

Friday morning saw the first opportunity to make a run down the coast for Bermagui.

By the time we left the guys had repaired almost everything that needed attention and the cooks had sorted themselves out, Terry now owned the galley. The sail to Bermagui

We motored out of the harbour in the early hours of the following Tuesday, next stop Portland. We had reasonable wind till we rounded Gabo and then conditions eased till we were back motor sailing. Apart from the occasional sail we motor sailed all the way to Portland. The stop in Portland was purely to refuel and we set off quickly knowing we were to face another front along the south east coast of South Australia.

Since leaving Bermagui we had been trolling a 200lb line with a lure on the end that looked like it had fallen off a Christmas tree and someone has tied a hook on it. We were hoping to hook something big but were close to stowing it away when we heard on the dock that there were tuna just around the corner so our spirits lifted and out went the line again.

As planned, just off Beachport we hit the next front, 40 knots on the nose, bucketing down, and swell coming from all directions.

The only person smiling was Mark, but that soon changed after he took a big wave and started to feel just a little cold. Not long after the change of shift with David and Roger and I on deck, we noticed the hand reel rattling and the trolling line taut. David grabbed the hand reel and methodically reeled in the line - it was a good sized tuna. Any size fish was good at this stage as the lure and line had set me back $70 at the tackle shop in Bermagui. How David managed to get the tuna over the fence still amazes me, the tuna was dead on arrival as it didn’t like being towed at eight knots with his mouth open.

We decided to try our luck one more time and got a strike immediately but the trace was snapped and my very expensive lure was lost.

Just north of Robe we were back to motor sailing and battling a four knot tide down the coast but it was soon good to be back in the gulf waters and then safely in our berth in the basin.

Beth and I are forever grateful for the spirit shown by Mark, Terry, Roger and David in helping me get the boat to Adelaide at such short notice and it does say something about the spirit and comraderie within the Club membership.

We have named the boat Carioca da Gema as it represents a culture and lifestyle we are so very fond of. We intend to continue supporting the Racing Association but are also looking forward to some more comfortable cruising around the state.

13

epiphany Epiphany, a Beneteau 46.7, was purchased

by Chris and Gina Wood in March 2015 from Queensland where she had been lying in a marina berth for 18 months following a three year cruise from Europe by her previous owners.

Epiphany was delivered new to a young European couple who had her specified in the Beneteau factory for extended world cruising with a host of features including extensive navigation/electrical and safety systems, in mast furling, desallinator, twin auto steering systems, generator, solar power system, dishwasher, washing machine, ducted diesel cabin heating and ample refrigeration. She is a two cabin configuration, both cabins with spacious en-suites. The couple cruised the Mediterranean in her before sailing across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, then across the Pacific before eventually arriving in Mooloolaba in Queensland.

Parenthood happened and they returned to Europe for the birth with the intention of returning to continue their cruise but plans changed, fortunately for Chris and Gina, who had her delivered to the Club from Mooloolaba by semi-trailer.

Epiphany replaces their previous boat, Back Friday, a Beneteau 42s7 that they cruised extensively.

Chris and Gina intend cruising Epiphany further around the Australian coast, the next cruise being to the remote islands off Ceduna in March-April next year. Their plan is to eventually cruise Epiphany to Darwin then on to the many islands of Indonesia and they commented that hopefully this can happen between grandchildren.

Editors’ Note: If you would like

your boat featured in this section of Groundswell, please contact Mellissa in the Club office or a member of the Groundswell Editorial team.

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Club member and regular contributor Alan Noble writes about his October Long Weekend experiences and gives a progress update on the schooner Independence.

Ballast Head Stopover

O

ver the October Long Weekend we sailed across to Kangaroo Island for the grand opening of the Independence Boathouse.

Saturday morning chores kept me busy and we did not depart from Wirrina Cove until 2pm, considerably later than usual.

Consequently we were not abeam of Ballast Head (35°45.46’S 137°48.19’E) until after sunset and still had another three miles to go.

Although I’ve sailed to American River dozens of times I do not relish mooring there at night especially with very little moonlight. As any visitor to the river knows there are so many moorings helter-skelter in the channel, including half-submerged, barely visible ones, that motoring down the channel is like playing ‘dodgem cars’ (aka ‘bumper cars’). I therefore decided to anchor outside in the lee of Ballast Head.

I’d seen other vessels anchor there and I’ve fished there during the day but I’d never overnighted there till now. I’m glad I did as it is a delightful spot.

The anchorage (35°45.81’S 137°47.84’E) is half a nautical mile south west of Ballast Head opposite a small gully. There is a mooring owned by the local farmer, Tim, which is reportedly in good condition.

Alternatively drop your pick in about 2.5 metres of water just south of the mooring but keep north of the oyster beds. While the shoreline is rocky the anchoring is over seagrass and sand. This location offers protection from the southwest, west, northwest and even northerlies if you tuck in close. Light southerlies are okay too since there is not much fetch from that direction but if the wind blows strongly from that direction move around to Newland Bay north of Ballast Head. For easterlies it’s time to move into the river. In our case, with a northerly wind and swells from the west, we enjoyed marina calm conditions and a lovely view of the lights of Island Beach across Eastern Cove. This is also a great fishing spot frequented by garfish and whiting.

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Schooner Independence Update

O

n the Sunday we celebrated the grand opening of the Independence Boathouse at American River which has been purpose built to house the reconstruction of the schooner Independence. The event was a great success with over 200 attendees and a good deal of fund raising. Long time supporter of the project and former Kangaroo Island Mayor Jayne Bates officially opened the Boathouse.

The opening of the Boathouse concludes Phase One of the Rebuild Independence project and the project now enters Phase Two, the boat-building phase. The following day committee members met CYCSA President Andrew Saies who offered some advice on future project directions.

It’s also worth noting that while we have preliminary plans we are still in need of the services of a marine architect, preferably someone willing to work pro bono. Give me a “hoy” if you know someone who’d like to lend a hand.

W

e were very fortunate to have such beautiful weather on Opening Day this year. With bright sunny skies, warm temperatures and gentle breezes, we couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate the Official Opening of the 2015/16 Sailing Season.

Our official vessel for the sail past this year was the magnificent Tall Ship One & All, moored at Marina West on the end of J-Row. With the sail past conducted internally within the North Haven harbour it was great to see so many boats on the water dressed in colourful flags with even more colourful costumes for the crew members! Well done to all who participated, it really was fantastic to see the geniality and seamanship of our Club members.

In keeping with an old Opening Day tradition a lone Scottish piper played the bagpipes summonsing members and guests to the lawn area for the start of the official ceremony and presentations. This year we were privileged to have His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le, Governor of South Australia, to officiate the Opening of the 2015/16 Sailing Season with Mrs Le. Other special guests this year included yachting legend Sir James Hardy accompanied by Lady Joan Hardy. It was Geoff Boettcher’s second Opening Day as Commodore and his inherent charisma and light-hearted humour certainly had the audience engaged throughout the presentations. It was also good to see that Geoff’s tongue-in-cheek speech didn’t go unnoticed by His Excellency the Governor who aptly returned the witty banter.

This year we were delighted to introduce and welcome Jacqueline Heffernan as our Rear Commodore at the presentations. Embracing her new role at the Club Jacq went on to help present the Opening Day Vessel Awards and the Awards for Seamanship with the Commodore Geoff Boettcher.

Sail Past Awards Of course it wouldn’t be Opening Day without acknowledging the winners of our Sail Past. Congratulations to all participating members and crews for putting in such a fantastic effort and display of seamanship this year!

Best Dressed Boat – Power Ithaca Best Dressed Boat – Yacht Grand Akt Best Dressed Crew – Power Andante Best Dressed Crew – Yacht La Vie Best Dressed Novelty – Power Esprit – Owen ‘Priscilla’ Mace Best Dressed Novelty – Yacht Kudos and Concubine Seamanship Award – Power Hadd ‘E’ Nuff Seamanship Award – Yacht Pineapple Poll

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Volunteer Awards Recently developed as a way for the Club’s Associations to recognise outstanding contribution from our members the ‘Most Valued Volunteer’ award was presented again this year. The three worthy individuals who received this award were: John Collett nominated by the Racing Association, Leica Theodore nominated by the Fishing Association and Karen Johns nominated by the Social Activities Association. Congratulations to you all and thank you on behalf of the Associations and Club members for your efforts this year.

The ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award for 2014/15 was presented to Ray Evans for his long standing support of the Club. Ray has been a dedicated volunteer of the Club for around fifteen years and can be found at the Club most days of the week assisting staff or fellow members with any necessary task. Not only attending to most of the general maintenance on CYC1 Ray has also assisted with carpentry, painting, metalwork repairs and even sausage making. Ray is undoubtedly passionate about his Club. Nothing is too much for Ray and he certainly is a most worthy recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award. Congratulations Ray on behalf of the Club and its members for your fantastic support.

25 Year Badge Recipients Congratulations to the following members who achieved the milestone of 25 years of Club membership this year. They were: Ken Amos, Kevin Cook, Ray Evans, Jonathan Harry, Sharon Heath and David Partington. Thank you for your long standing support of the Club.

Unforgettable Houseboats Prize The final presentation of the day was the Unforgettable Houseboats holiday kindly provided by Mark and Lee-Anne Flanagan. This year you didn’t need to have a boat or participate in the Sail Past to be in the running for this magnificent prize as everyone had the opportunity to win by simply purchasing a ticket in our Opening Day Raffle. There were ten prizes up for grabs with all proceeds going to the CYCSA Marine Academy. Congratulations to Sam Keane on winning this major prize and to Mark and Lee-Anne, thank you once again for your kind generosity.

With the presentations wrapped up for another year it was time to relax and mingle with friends. Some departed shortly thereafter while others stayed on and enjoyed a light meal in the patio to the laid back sounds of guitarist Russell Stewart. Later into the evening it was good to see those who still had some pep left in them after a long day in the heat get up and dance to the beats of duo Double Trouble.

Mellissa Vahoumis, Communications and Member Services

Opening Day

17

Photos by Gerry Colella

Opening

18

g Day

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October Weekend Poetry Competition First Place A Port Vincent Poem T’was a long weekend in October The winds were hot and strong When many a CYC member Sailed to Port Vincent for laughter and song They generally arrived on the Saturday Proclaiming a pleasant sail But the truth of the matter was Their bodies were tired and frail Thirty odd sailors were bussed to the Ventnor For a Saturday night dinner to recoup With the Chairman of Cruising ensuring All were quickly fed and in bed

Our Cruising

M

embers of our Cruising Association (CA) have had fun over the last few months with more activities planned for the rest of the summer season.

The aim of the CA is to promote the enjoyment and use of sailing and power boats among all members of our Club. We do this by organising ‘Cruise in Company’ events throughout the season mainly on long weekends (weather permitting) to various local gulf destinations. We encourage the sharing of information among members through various social activities including our Second Saturday of the Month Barbecues. So far this year we’ve had a fantastic roll-up.

If you haven’t been before drop me a line and I will make sure I say “hello” and introduce you to other cruisers.

We maintain cruising information within the pages of the CA website (found on the CYCSA site) to enable members, especially newcomers, in their on water activities. We have installed Club moorings at Edithburgh and Stansbury and are working with the Fishing Association to upgrade their moorings at Black Point and to implement an ongoing maintenance programme.

Some hit the bunk from exhaustion While others displayed staying powers Playing ridiculous card games And joking into the early hours

Perhaps best of all however is that you don’t have to do anything to become a member of the CA. It is your participation in the events we organise where you will have fun. If we can help make your time on the water enjoyable and safe then we have achieved our goal.

As quickly as it began the weekend was over By daylight saving we were cheated an hour But we hardy sailors join forces Our boats cut the seas home with wind power.

In recent months we have had a number of fun events, including:

Don and Judy Guy Force Majeure

Second Place Port Vincent Ecstasy Light winds only, a gentle breeze When Setanta went to sea To raise the virgin spinnaker.

A happy crew they’ll be!

And Gerard got it up at last With help from his crew of three Roger sailed past and filmed the joy As Susan cried “whoopee”.

Susan and Gerard Hughes Paul and Amanda Roeger Setanta

‘Piratisation of the Port’ A number of our cruisers participated in the Pirate Weekend in Port Adelaide over the 19- 20 September weekend. Organised by the Port Adelaide Enfield Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with International ‘Talk Like a Pirate’ Day, several pirate boats and their scurvy crews made their way up the Port River. Our pirate ships berthed at Queens Wharf, adjacent to the Birkenhead Bridge, and joined in the various rebellious activities. There was lot’s of fun, music and frivolity along with the odd bit of pillaging! To cap off a great weekend CYCSA cruiser, Sallyann Geddes from Trinacria, won the prize for the best dressed pirate in the Port!

October Long Weekend Cruise to Port Vincent A large group of boats made their way over to Port Vincent to shake off the winter cruising cobwebs. The waters of the Gulf were absolutely pristine and most boats were joined by large numbers of dolphins on the short passage across.

Saturday was a real scorcher so most of us either watched the AFL Grand Final or stayed below decks and shared a bottle of wine or icy cold beer. That night 32 of us made our way up to the Ventnor Hotel and shared nautical stories. We also held our second October weekend Poetry Competition over the weekend with the winners being Don and Judy Guy from Force Majuere.

Other News – New Year’s Eve at Kangaroo Island This year the CYCSA will join with RSAYS cruisers at the Brown’s Beach Camping Ground BBQ area for New Year’s Eve celebrations. This is sure to be lots of fun and good preparation for the Ballast Head Cup held the next day.

Keep Up to Date Just a reminder to all Club members that you can keep up to date with all cruising events and activities at: sa_cruisers@googlegroups.com Happy cruising!

Adrian Wotton, Chairman Cruising Association

CYCSA

Cruising Association

Don Guy recieves the Poetry Competition First Prize trophy from CA Chairman Adrian Wotton

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Fraternity Have Fun....

We have installed Club moorings at Edithburgh and Stansbury and are working with the Fishing Association to upgrade their moorings at Black Point and to implement an ongoing maintenance programme.

21

Our new loft is currently under construction at the Yacht Squadron, Outer Harbor.

With a large functional layout and the best machinery, we are ready to handle anything from the most delicate repair to the largest sails and complex covers.

We look forward to opening our doors to our valued CYCSA customers in the new year.

Access will be via the main gate during business hours.

Bravo Sails is a locally owned company providing experienced service to meet individual needs. For more information on our products please visit our website and feel free to contact us.

mobile 0411 618633 22

Photo by Gerry Colella

O

ur Melbourne Cup Celebration was a great day with over 160 in attendance. The “race that stops a nation” was an excuse (for many) to have the chance to dress up, drink and take the day off work… with many punters becoming instant experts after a quick scan of the form guide.

It was a warm and lovely day for it despite the humidity and shortly after 12 noon the guests started to trickle in for their canapés ‘on the turf’ and arrival drink. It was a great spectacle to see so many embrace the occasion and went all out dressed to the nines. With the crowd growing and atmosphere building it was all hands on deck for the CYCSA office girls who were busy selling sweeps.

With our establishment proud to now be serving only quality fresh South Australian sourced seafood, our deluxe steak and seafood feast was underway and the masses were temporarily quietened.

Now onto the main event of the day, the race! There were boisterous cheers and boos coming from the function room as the race came to an end with the race favourite Fame Game disappointing many punters by failing to come up with the goods. With underdog, New Zealand horse Prince of Penzance, taking first place… luckily for Kirsty and me, both having drawn the Prince in the sweeps!

Moving onto one of my favourite subjects… fashion! Melbourne Cup Day has undoubtedly become as much about the fashion as it is about the actual race and the horses so it can’t go unmentioned. The models in the fashion parade showed off some of this year’s latest trends from sweet silhouettes of dreamy, floral prints to sculptural cut styles and monochromatic staples. Thanks to our lovely ‘in house’ models and to Devotee Boutique at Semaphore Road for sharing this collection with us.

As for the ever important headwear, I personally was pleased to see a shift away from the over the top fascinators and hats more predominantly seen over recent years, with many ladies following trend with a return to minimal styles, opting for more delicate and discreet hats, headbands and decorative hair pins.

Best Dressed Prize Winners It was a tough choice with so many dressed to perfection but the winners of best dressed went to: Ross Williams for Best Dressed Male who certainly didn’t go unnoticed in his eye-catching yellow and black ensemble. The Best Dressed Female prize was awarded to Dot Altamura, with her elegant and understated monochromatic look. Congratulations to the both of them who each received a premium bottle of wine.

Overall another successful event at the CYCSA. A blissful afternoon of good food, fashion, sweeps, prizes and of course the screening of the Melbourne Cup Race on the big screen. To all of you who attended I look forward to seeing you all again next year and to those of you who missed out, I hope you can join us next year for what’s sure to be another spectacular Melbourne Cup day of fun, frivolity and celebration.

Mellissa Vahoumis, Communications and Member Services Photo left: Best dressed female - Dot Altamura (pictured far right) with friends Photo right: Best dressed male Ross Williams with wife Sophie Photo below: Lovely food and company in the Horizons Room

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techupdate

by Owen Mace

What’s new in p

N

othing ever seems to stay still these days does it? Even the task of propelling boats has changed and these days there are so many choices for pushing your boat along in the absence of wind. This article is particularly about propulsion for power boats but there are developments for sail boats as well.

Shaft Drive

Following paddle wheels, propellers were invented (see the article on propellers in the November 2012 edition of Groundswell). In an ideal world the heavy motor in a boat would be mounted low and near the centre of buoyancy while the propeller is towards the aft of your boat. I am guessing but I reckon that the reason propellers are aft is that they remain in the water under all conditions. The propeller is connected to the motor and its gearbox through a propeller shaft and the thrust is taken by the gearbox. Inevitably this means that the propeller shaft is angled downwards so that part of the thrust pushes upwards and is therefore wasted.

The vessel’s designer has to ensure that the propeller is clear of any turbulence from the hull otherwise cavitation and inefficiency may result. Typically the wash of the propeller is directed over the rudder so that there is steerage even at low speed but not so in reverse so going astern can be a real pain in a single engine boat.

Outboards, Legs and Jets

Outboard motors have the advantage that the thrust can be directed to steer the boat when going forward as well as when reversing. Typically the propeller is well below the hull and clear of turbulent water and, of course, they can be lifted in shallow water.

Some boats have inboard engines and legs that drop the propeller below the hull such as the sail drive.

Transom mounted legs on many power boats can be tilted as well.

Jets of water are used for boats operating in the shallows as there is nothing protruding below the hull.

Modern Propulsion Systems

About fifteen years ago marine propulsion companies began to look carefully at steerable legs for power boats. The advantage of such a system is that the thrust can be steered even when going astern making backing much easier but at the cost of increased complexity. It was realised that the leg itself created turbulence over the propeller so some bright spark suggested a forward facing propeller that would be in non-turbulent water, just like the engines on jet aircraft that are placed in clear air well forward of the wings and well outboard of the fuselage. Next was two props turning in opposite directions improving efficiency even further.

The engines and legs of Volvo Penta’s Inboard Performance System - steering station and joystick not shown. Pictures courtesy of Volvo Penta But considerable refinement and engineering is required to turn a good idea into reliable reality. Think about it, the legs are required to provide quite a number of functions: 1 Deliver the engine power through gearboxes down to the propellers.

2 Accommodate a gearbox for reversing although this could be on the engine rather than the pod.

3 Turn the pod for steering.

4 Transmit the thrust to the boat.

5 Transmit bending forces to the boat. Remember that the propellers pull the boat at some distance below the hull mounting point and so there is a twist, or bend, applied to the mounting on the boat. In some designs engine raw water is drawn in through the leg and engine fumes exhausted through it also. Two more functions to add to the list.

What are the advantages of such as system?

1 Much improved efficiency. I’ve seen 20%, 30%, maybe more, better performance over a similarly sized shaft driven boat particularly at speed.

2 Much better manoevering especially in reverse.

3 Quieter - with the exhaust underwater the boat is much quieter especially at speed.

4 Safer - much less chance of fumes entering the cabin. See the December 2013 Groundswell on carbon monoxide fumes in boats.

Have a look at the picture above – this is the Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System (IPS) - there are others. Some people call them pod drives referring to the leg and not the entire system of engines, legs, electronics, controls, etc. The most obvious thing is the forward facing twin propellers on each leg. The exhaust from the engine passes through the black pipe down the pod and out the rear of the leg. The reversing gearbox and steering motor are hidden behind the exhaust pipe.

Thanks Volvo Penta for the pictures.

Thinking well outside the square someone came up with the idea of steering two or more legs independently. Yes, one pointing in one direction and the other in another direction! So what you might say. Well, it allows the boat to be driven 24

Please support our Club Sponsors Platinum

propulsion Surf’s Up - anytime, anywhere Have a guess what is the fastest rising sport in the USA. I’m told it is wake surfing.

Yes, people surf in the wake of a power boat without a tow rope. In this picture the surfer is riding in the wake of a boat powered by a Volvo Penta system with forward facing propellers and so the wake rider is not in danger should she fall. The leg is adjusted so that it pulls the aft of the boat down and throws up a wall of water to nearly two metres high! Surf’s up anytime, anywhere!

Gold

Silver

sideways, brilliant for berthing the boat in tight situations. (I won’t go through the theory because I haven’t thought it through yet.) Many IPS-powered boats these days have one or more joysticks for close quarter manœvering, one even placed for the best visibility when docking. The joystick controls the boat fore and aft, turns the boat and, amazingly, drives it sideways. Boy, is parking the boat in a marina berth easy!

With a little more electronic jiggery-pokery push a button and the boat will maintain its position. I’ve seen a large boat hold off a fuel dock without the skipper’s intervention until the dock was cleared. Lots of water tossed around for sure but the boat itself didn’t move until the skipper took over and drove it sideways towards the fuel jetty. Impressive. By the way the skipper left the steering station to a position where he had a clear view of the jetty and then he used his tablet to drive the boat! What will they think of next?

Corporate

More pluses for IPS drives. There are more design choices for the boat designer – since the motor can be placed right next to the pod, the whole propulsion system can be made much shorter than a comparable shaft drive system. This leaves more room for accommodation and there’s no more thrust pushing upwards.

Finally, the IPS pods are designed to break off while retaining the integrity of the hull should it hit an object in the water. I know of a case where a speed boat hit a rock and the drive shaft was pulled out of the boat – gurgle, gurgle, down she goes. On the other hand a few years ago an IPS boat hit a whale in rough seas and the pod broke off safely. No sinking feeling but a rather slow trip home.

So IPS technology is a real advance with significant benefits especially these days with rising fuel costs. I love taking our boat out and parking her with the joystick – it’s so easy.

Have a look at the Volvo Penta video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=H4SNk9yGc0Q if you want to see something of the factory where they are made.

25

Club Supporters • • • • • • •

SA Life 7 GDB Services Haese Marine Bavaria Canegrass Saltbush Lamb Formula Motor Group Living Colour Plants Watershed Cafe & Function Centre

I

t was a trip of a lifetime. When Rob Paterson suggested that we take his boat Mojo, an 11 metre Scimitar Power Cat, from its home at Yorkey’s Knob just north of Cairns to Lizard Island on a two week ‘Boys Adventure’ fishing and diving trip, we jumped at the chance. Club members Andrew Smith, Jarrod Stratton and Kevin Mann were part of the crew along with mates John Armstrong, Gavin Wigley and Damien Sturm.

Mojo is fully outfitted for private charters with a new desalinator fitted to make life easier and the crew smell sweeter. A new movie camera was purchased to record events and Andrew brought along a Phantom 3 drone to add an aerial perspective. We were towing a 21 foot aluminium Trailcraft, Terminator, to be used as a tender and to keep the racket of scuba tank filling as far away as possible. Every safety precaution was double checked including artery clamps, oxygen, defibrillator and a 16 person liferaft as this is a remote area. The boat was fully stocked with food and refreshments, mobile phones were forgotten and the adventure began.

First stop was Low Isles, a sand cay about 15 km from Port Douglas and very popular with tourists. The ever present bat fish, reef sharks and remora made us welcome as soon as we arrived. The ‘boys first night out’ with this crowd is always big and this one was no exception. ‘Nine Coronas’ by Elpenguinos was blasting out from the stereo and everyone was singing along, some in tune. Lucky we were on our own. So slightly later than planned and after being advised that you should not fly a drone too low over Low Isles, we set off for St Crispin’s Reef and Undine Reef going via Port Douglas as we could see our red wine usage forecast might have been too conservative.

After spending a quieter night and enjoying a beautiful sunset at St Crispin’s the following day saw us heading for Ruby Reef. Navigating in this area requires some diligence. As well as missing the coral bommies shown on the chart and GPS, missing the ones that are not marked also seemed a good idea. On top of that adhering to Queensland zoning rules is essential. There is no fishing in green zones and the boat cannot travel through pink zones.

A Ribbon Reef 26

Half an hour after leaving a green zone and not too far from our stopping place for the night one of the trolling reels suddenly screamed. We had caught a Black Marlin on a lure being trolled between Mojo and Terminator. Action stations! Quick as a flash John Armstrong grabbed the reel and the marlin was soon giving us a display of aerial acrobatics. But Terminator was in the way, so with considerable skill, just a little luck and good teamwork, fishing operations were transferred from Mojo to the towed boat. Holding a pitching boat in one hand and a reel attached to a bucking marlin in the other doesn’t happen every day but it can be done. After a short but skilful fight by John, Damien secured the fish alongside and we had our prize.

But it wasn’t all fun and laughter (actually it was). Andy improved his drone launching skills so we could launch while under way and Gav’s drone catching skills continued to improve. We are sure he

could now catch a Qantas A380. Certainly he knows all the directional hand moves. Emboldened by these new skills the crew decided to test the drones lift capacity. Whilst not recommended they can lift a fully loaded XXXX beer can and deliver it. There were a few heart stopping moments as the drone rocked crazily through the sky, the beer can acting like a giant pendulum, but hey, it’s a ‘Boys Own’ adventure.

We are just waiting for Castlemaine XXXX beer to ask us to write a TV commercial. We have the vision and the script.

On to the Ribbon Reefs. Our first stop was at Number Three, followed the next night by Number Seven and Number Eight. All offered great diving and a few fish for the table. The water just kept getting clearer as we went north. Number Nine offered a drift dive outside the outer reef down past 40 metres with a visit from an oceanic white tip shark to add a bit of spice. But Pixie Pinnacles not far away proved to be the most interesting dive so far. The giant rock pinnacle emerging out of deep water contained an amazing variety of fish life. Barracuda, GTs, ...continued from page 29

Adventure 27

agm

minutes of annual general meeting of the cYC of sa inc wednesday 19 august 2015 at 7.30 pm

minutes Ray can be found at the Club most days of the week, assisting staff or fellow members with any necessary task.

WELCOME

Not only attending to most of the general maintenance on CYC 1, Ray has assisted with carpentry, painting, metalwork repairs and even sausage making – Ray is passionate about his Club.

The President and Chairman of the meeting, Dr Andrew Saies, upon receiving confirmation of a quorum being present, formally declared the meeting open and welcomed members to the AGM for 2015.

Nothing is too much for Ray; he is a most worthy recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

A. confirmation of the minutes

4. President’s Report

Adrian Wotton proposed that the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 20 August 2014 as published in Groundswell in November 2014 be adopted. Geoff Gowing seconded the motion.

Dr Andrew Saies spoke to his report for the 2014/2015 year as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

5. board of management

ATTENDANCE/APOLOGIES

The Chairman advised that at the closure of nominations on Wednesday 22 July 2015, there were seven nominations for the seven vacant positions on the Board of Management.

Consequently, an election was not required. The seven successful nominees were: Wayne E Coonan Peter F Hall David P Murray Andrew D Saies Glenn W Spear Sam E Tolley Christopher L Wood

Apologies as advised from the floor were noted in addition to those recorded on official record sheets at the entrance of the meeting venue.

A full list of attendees, proxies and apologies is published here.

B. general business 1. ASSOCIATION annual REPORTS Cruising Association

C. other business

Adrian Wotton, on behalf of Richard Lea, presented the Cruising Association Report for the 2014/2015 year as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

Fishing Association

Trevor Paynter, on behalf of John Colella, presented the Fishing Association Report for the 2014/2015 year as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

A letter from Senior members Owen Mace and Mark Hentschke was received prior to the date of close of business for items for the AGM. The letter requested that the Club Financials be presented at the AGM in a way that explained the contribution of various Club activities to the overall financial position of the Club. The Board acknowledged that request and the detailed presentation by the Treasurer this year was delivered in order to provide this information.

Fishing Association nominated Leica Theodore as the recipient of their Association’s Most Valuable Volunteer Award for 2014/2015

Owen Mace and Mark Hentschke thanked the Treasurer for this work and his presentation.

Social Activities Association

7. other

Morag Draper, on behalf of Pam Humeniuk, presented the Social Activities Report for the 2014/2015 year was taken as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

A number of comments and questions not on notice were taken from the floor.

A question regarding the purchase price of Academy 1 in 2010/2011 and its record in the financial statements of that financial year was answered.

Social Activities nominated Karen Johns as the recipient of their Association’s Most Valuable Volunteer Award for 2014/2015.

Gay Footer writes...

Racing Association

There being no other business the meeting was closed 9.55pm

Rob Sellick presented the Racing Association report for the 2014/2015 year as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

attendees

The Racing Association nominated John Collett as the recipient of their Association’s Most Valuable Volunteer Award for 2014/2015.

CATT, MR G MARSH, MR T CHARLESWORTH, MR M MCGRATH, MS T CORLETTO, MR A MURRAY, MR D DENHAM, MR T NEWMARCH, MR P DRAPER, MR M NICHOLAS, DR T GOWING, MR G NORMANDALE, MR P GREVINS, MR J PEARSONS, MR M

Marine Academy

Rowland Richardson presented the Marine Academy report for the 2014/2015 year as presented in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

2. Financial Report The Treasurer, Chris Wood, presented the Financial Report for 2014/2015.

Mr Wood presented a comprehensive overview of the 2014/2015 financial performance and a summary of future budgets.

With the aid of the screen presentation, members were given a clear synopsis of how the individual areas of the Club were performing and the long term planning the Board has undertaken to ensure the financial stability of the Club.

HALL, MR P PHILLIPSON, MR R HARRY, MR J RICHARDS, MR P HEFFERNAN, MRS J RICHARDSON, MR R HEFFERNAN, MR M ROPER, MR D HENTSCHKE, MR M SAIES, DR A HOLDT, MR P SELLICK, MR R

HOLMES, MR M SPEAR, MR G HUGHES, MR G THEODORE, MR J HUMENIUK, DR V TOLLEY, MR S HUTTON, MR M TYMONS, MR T JORDAN, MR P WOOD, MR C MACE, MR O WOTTON, MR A

proxies and apologies ATKINSON, DR R LOCKWOOD, MR T BATES, MR C MACOLINO, MR R BOETTCHER, MR G MARSH, MR B CHRISTIE, MR R MCELHINNEY, MR J COONAN, MR W MEZZINI, MR J CRADDOCK, MR A MORPHETT , MR C CRITCHLEY, MR G PAGE, MR P DIDYK, MR J PARTINGTON, MR D EVERETT, DR D PETERSEN, MR H

3. Commodore’s Report

Vice Commodore Rowland Richardson, on behalf of Geoff Boettcher, presented the Commodores Report as published in the Annual Report 2014/2015.

The Vice Commodore announced the Board of Management had selected Ray Evans as the recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award for 2014/2015.

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FIDLER, MR B POPE, DR R FIDOCK AO, MR R QUIN, MRS J FISCHER, MR H QUIN, MR S FOOTER, MRS G REDMAN, MRS F FOOTER, MR G REITER, MR F GERARD, MR A SARAH AM, MR D GERARD, MR J SHERIDAN, MR P GILL, MR J SHIPP, MR A HAMBLY, MR A SIBLY, MR J

HEADLAM, MR P SMITH, MR P HOL, MR H SMYTH, MR J HOUSTON, MR S STRANGWAYS, MR W HUMENIUK, MRS P TISCHENDORF, MR N HUNTER, MR R TSAROUHAS, MR G HUSDELL, MR A TURCO, MR R KARIDIS, MR G VOS, MR A LAMPARD, MR K WIGGINS, MR G LEAVER, MR G ZUCCO, MR S

A Ribbon Reef Adventure ...continued from page 27 trevally, Maori wrasse, dogtooth tuna, moray eels, cod, lionfish and sharks. A fish lover’s paradise and an advertisement for the Green Zone concept.

The following day saw us diving the Cod Hole near Lizard Island which is one of the best known dive sites in the world… and we had it on our own! This site is home to over a dozen giant potato cod that weigh between 100 to 200 kg. Not afraid of divers these giant but friendly fish will come right up to you and can be patted if you are careful. To lie on the sea floor and watch the cleaner fish give a 150 kg cod a cut and polish less than a metre away – what an experience! It was worth the trip to Cairns just for this dive. A few ever present sharks were in the background.

Then on to Lizard, a granite island about 10 square km in size, which includes a five star resort (no we didn’t get to visit) and the chance to stretch our legs using the Trailcraft to get ashore. Most undertook the three hour climb to Cooks lookout which gives a fantastic view of the island. No-one noticed the tide go out so afterwards we had an excellent opportunity to study how long it took for the tide to float our boat – such fun!

a scratch. Everyone pitched in with shipboard tasks and the friendship of many years of shared adventures moved up another notch. The trade winds blew from the south east most days at around 20 knots but the boat handled the conditions without fuss.

The trip home was not quite as exciting as the trip up but full of fun, sun, food and laughs… and the occasional refreshment. All up we were on the water for two weeks. We covered 312 nautical miles – Rob’s pre-trip estimation was 310, with 53 hours steaming and used 530 litres of diesel. Travelling more slowly allowed us to conserve fuel, provided a good safety margin and was very relaxing.

How do we top that? Well maybe we can’t but we will give it a really good try… next year!

If anyone is interested in chartering Mojo contact Andrew Smith or Kevin Mann (Sachan D15) who will put you in touch with Rob Paterson.

During the trip we caught and dined on tuna, Spanish mackerel and coral trout and had such a great time that no-one who wasn’t there would believe it. We did everything safely and came home without

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Kevin Mann

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Ship-lift & Hardstand Facilities Fibreglass & Gelcoat Repairs Interior & Exterior Timber work Hull Modifications & Extensions Antifouling and Respray DIY welcome

Proudly South Australian Owned and Operated Web: www.prms.com.au

Phone: 08 8242 0788

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Email: enquiries@prms.com.au

East Coast Racing

M

y initial thought of entering my boat Cerulean, a Seawind cruising catamaran, in the Hamilton Island Race Week came when I read that a similar boat had won the cruising multihull division of the 2014 Race Week but then I realised I was already booked into a long held plan to drive across the Simpson Desert with some friends that same week. However, the desert trip fell through in early July this year so, faced with choice of going to work or going sailing in the Whitsunday’s for a week, I checked that my boat, which is in charter at Airlie Beach, was in fact free that week and after two phone calls to my brother Steve and friend Greg Pearc, had my crew, including my son Nick, organised. We joined three other South Australian multihulls as well as SMB as the South Australian fleet.

during pre-race time but most boats kept clear until their start.

Unfortunately one of the racing trimarans from the Squadron had a nasty collision before their start and finished with two-and-a-half hulls but managed to motor back to Airlie Beach unaided.

The wind for the week was mostly 10-18 knots with a few light patches but generally very good sailing and the courses for our division were around nearby islands and most days we saw whales. It was nice to sail in shorts and t-shirt but we did have a laugh on the one rough day when the crew on the 62 foot Lagoon wore their wet weather gear and all sat in the fully enclosed bimini area which must have been 5-6 metres above the water. The only way they would get wet was if their beer spilt!

Given that we had never raced my boat before and until the first race had never flown the kite we didn’t have any great expectations as to our performance. However after the third race we were leading our division and kept the lead for the fourth race but in the fifth race, as we came onto the last leg which was a short beat to the finish, the attachment for the mainsheet system to the traveller car broke. This was not great timing as we were in Dent Passage among many other boats including some fast monohulls that were tacking all over the place and we were trying to nurse a sluggish cat that was not tacking very well. We managed to avoid any trouble but lost valuable time. Despite help from many people we weren’t able to fix our traveller for the last race so raced with the mainsheet tied to the rear cross bar in the centre. The last race didn’t start well as we jumped the start and then the wind died suddenly after the first half of our division had finished and we were thinking we were done for but some wind came in just in time and we finished not long before the time limit. We tied for second and on a count back finished second behind another Seawind catamaran.

My boat is five years old and the charter sails are bullet proof but don’t offer much else and we didn’t have a spinnaker which is allowed and expected in the division so some quick calls to Seawind and I had a new set of sails ordered and delivered in four weeks.

Whilst it was the Cruising Division we did want to at least have a chance.

There were over 200 boats entered for the 2015 Race Week and the organisers did a fantastic job of fitting all the boats into the marina.

One of the great things about this week is the range of boats from the top keel boats vying for Australian IRC titles through to 20 foot trailer sailers as well as multihulls racing and cruising. There were ten monohull and two multihull divisions in all. The race entry included a berth and we were placed with other cruising multihulls ranging from our boat at 35 feet to a 62 foot Lagoon (resembled a floating apartment more than a boat) and a 59 foot Catana. The initial PHS ratings were interesting with the 62 foot Lagoon rated the same speed as us but slower than both a 42 foot and 52 foot Lagoon.

However the handicapper was on the ball and by mid series the corrected finish times were getting very close.

I would recommend anyone thinking of doing the Hamilton Island Race to do so. Why, the weather is great, the water is warm, the scenery is spectacular, the beer is cold, it’s well organised and the racing can be as serious or laid back as you want it to be.

We had a six race series in our division which included 18 cruising multihulls and most of the starts were in Dent Passage between Hamilton island and Dent Island. This passage is an interesting place to start as the tide rips through and the flight path for the Hamilton Island airport comes directly over the starting area so most days during the starting sequence there would be a delay to allow boats to clear away from the end of the runway so a jet could land safely. Add in 200 boats of varying manourverabilty and speed, ie Wild Oats X versus a small trailer sailer, and there was plenty of potential carnage

Well done to Geoff Boettcher and his crew on SMB on their third place against some very hot competition in IRC Division One. Cerulean will be making her way back to Adelaide during December/ January and will hopefully be home at the CYCSA by February.

Michael Lane Photo by Jules VidPicPro

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2015 Hamilton Island Race Week

W

ith the inability of Secret Mens Business (SMB) to safely enter a Hobart we decided to compete in some of the east coast race programs.

big gains. SMB finished sixth over the line, sixth in Division 0 and an ordinary 15th IRC overall, as the smaller boats finished in good running conditions with plenty of wind.

World yacht racing now seems to be split between two types of yacht scenarios. Do you buy a pure regatta boat for inshore regattas such as the latest TP52s now racing on the European circuits or buy a boat suitable for mainly offshores races like the Hobart? The difference being inshore yachts are lightweight and very slippery and exhilarating to sail while offshore yachts are of heavier construction and have a much better comfort fit out below decks. This is leading to some owners buying two boats to cover both types of racing.

SMB was then sailed from the Gold Coast to Mackay by the delivery crew. We used this marina as our base to lift the boat for cleaning as well as a drop off point for our cradle from Adelaide to be delivered for trucking SMB home. Mackay was just close enough to Hamilton Island to ready the boat for the IRC Australian Championships.

SMB was sailed to Sydney in July to compete in the 384 nautical mile Land Rover Sydney to Gold Coast Race. Tim Cowen and his team had thoroughly prepared and upgraded SMB for this race.

Although an offshore event it is classed as a Category 2 Safety compliance race compared to the Sydney to Hobart Category 1 compliance. The Gold Coast Race is normally not as brutal so it was considered SMB was capable of competing however if predicted weather conditions were severe we would either not start or retire.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the governing body for the Gold Coast Race, questioned if the boat would qualify for the race and it became an on/off situation whether we would race. Tim worked around the clock in Sydney modifying the boat to meet the safety compliance standard. We had sailed the boat from Adelaide and were determined to start. SMB, the former Beau Geste, had raced in Europe under Category 1 which indicated more lenient safety standards in that part of the world.

The Sydney Gold Coast Race itself became a bit of a lottery with varying conditions from zero wind to 30 knots of a night. A frustrating race with whoever found the new wind first making the

Hamilton Island Race Week had a resurgence of yachts attracted by the Australian Championships being held in all Divisions. We sailed a series of eight races with one drop. Division 1 had probably the best IRC yachts worldwide competing. Karl Kwok’s recently launched new TP52 Beau Geste had most of the crew flown in primed after competing in regattas in Europe and America and Matt Allen’s totally modified TP52 Ichi Ban, from Sydney, also engaged a world class crew. Combined with a no expense spared policy it makes it very difficult to compete at this level.

SMB did get to the top mark first on several occasions but our downwind boat speed let us down. The best we could achieve was a third overall in front of the well campaigned bigger boats Hollywood Boulevard and Wild Oats X. A good result and a good learning curve against these professionally campaigned yachts.

SMB was trucked home from Mackay without incident. Well done crew on an excellent regatta against the best. Now let’s give Geelong Week a go.

Geoff Boettcher, Owner and Skipper of SMB

Photo by Craig Greenhill, Saltwater Images 31

East Coast Racing

MAGNETIC ISLAND RACE WEEK

Poppy in the thick of the Cruising Division racing on day three of the 2015 SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week. Photo by John de Rooy

S

ome years ago during a bareboat charter holiday to St Vincent in the Windward Isles we purchased a book on ‘retiring to a tropical island’. The book sat at the bottom of a pile until many years later we were about to retire.

Shortly after retiring in June 2014 we spent a short holiday on Magnetic Island, latitude 19 degrees south.

In September last year we found an apartment on the island which ticked most of the boxes and moved there in November. The only problem was that our yacht Shiraz was sitting on berth E19 at the CYCSA in Adelaide. We returned in January and after a short preparation left North Haven on 5 February 2015.

The voyage to Magnetic Island took just over five months and whilst there are many stories to tell of the trip the purpose of this is to relate what happened after we arrived here.

We had arranged a berth at the lovely Magnetic Island Marina and duly turned up to berth B7 on 26 June. During the next week we contacted the Townsville Yacht Club (TYC) and asked about membership - $50 per annum and come over for the twilight next Wednesday and we’ll organise a ride on a boat we were told. So we sailed over around 3.00pm arriving an hour later at the TYC. We crewed that night on Iseulta, a 38 foot Bavaria. The race was a sternchaser and our start time was a few minutes after 6.00pm.

At 6.15 it was dark! The race continued and finished just after 7.00pm when the first boat crossed an imaginary line and radioed on Channel 77 to claim first prize as did the two following boats.

The first boat had their time adjusted by six minutes, the second by four minutes and the third by two minutes in the following week’s twilight. We found everyone to be very friendly and were asked by Iseulta to join them for the Round Magnetic Island Race the following Sunday. We duly helped them run the kite and watched the island that we had made our home – it’s beautiful.

Conversation soon turned to Magnetic Island Week – the highlight of Townsville Yacht Club’s year and the question was soon asked – “Are you entering Shiraz?”

We sailed home and asked ourselves the same question. The question was soon answered when four friends from Adelaide emailed us to ask whether we were competing in Maggy Island Week? So flights were booked and we were about to expect our first visitors. Ron and Barbara arrived the Tuesday before the Week and Peter and Gloria (the non-sailor) arrived on the Monday before.

On the Wednesday before Race Week which starts on Thursday, we took our three new crew members for a practise in the bay.

Kite up, kite gybed, kite down and so on. Now understand we haven’t raced since 2008, we had cruised Shiraz extensively visiting the east coast in 2010 for ten months and then again earlier this year and weren’t used to pointing her 35 degrees to the wind.

We suggested to our crew that we should complete the Twilight Course (it’s the same every week) and includes a beat, a reach and a kite leg (yes spinnakers are allowed in the TYC Twilight) as part of our afternoon practise. Having completed the course in what we thought was record time, easy when you can see where you’re going, we took our crew to TYC. News had got round the Club that we had ‘rock stars’ from Adelaide so the pressure was on.

After a couple of drinks we headed to the start line getting across the imaginary start dead on time (there’s no start boat). We started to catch the slower boats ahead of us and turned at the first mark as the light was fading. To the cardinal beacon a number of the local boats flew their kites – we didn’t. At Middle Reef beacon we had three boats still ahead and a 42 footer breathing down our neck. The last leg was the reach and powering along at seven knots we overtook the three smaller boats but unfortunately in the last 100 metres we couldn’t hold off against the 42 foot boat. So second place and we then turned northeast to head back to Maggy Island – the ‘rock stars’ had worked.

Thursday was the beginning of Maggy Island Week although there was no racing. The hotel overlooking the marina is run by Peppers and most of the social things happened on the deck of Peppers.

Friday morning the atmosphere in the marina was electric as boats prepared for Race One. The parade out of the harbour was amazing – 60 boats heading out to the start to Flying Fish, the largest start boat we had ever seen.

Whilst our start was poor that first day we soon got into a rhythm and by the first mark, some 12 miles, we were making up on some of the other boats. As we came up to the mark we were trying to overtake Iseulta but were shadowed by a Hanse 45.5 (in the non-spinnaker division) which made things difficult. It seemed the Hanse was sailing with its handbrake on! We followed the Hanse round the mark, popped the kite and sped away. However we lost some time on the last leg on the beat to the finish – some 22 miles overall.

Saturday started with the announcement on SMS that we were going round the island anticlockwise. Not the desired way as the kite run was much shorter and it meant more beating. The north-west part of the island is known as the car-park and we were able to get through that pretty well however once we started beating up the coast we started to slide back. The Race Officer moved the finish line and we finally got there around 5.00pm.

Sunday was R&R day for all except the serious racers. We spent the morning at Picnic Bay and returned to our apartment for another excellent meal that evening. That afternoon we had a diver check our rudder as the’rock stars’ had noticed the wheel to be exceptionally stiff – suppose we had got used to it and in any event most of our sailing had been downwind. The end result is that at the time of writing we are about to drop the rudder again to fix the faulty lower rudder bearing.

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...continued over page

2015 Gold CoasT uni GAMES

F

Photo courtesy of Kiki Lathrop

rom 27 September to 2 October the University of Adelaide sent its first interstate sailing team to the Gold Coast Australian Uni Games 2015. This team consisted of Stuart De Poi, Joe Kelly, Xavier Agnew, Quentin Cant, Blake Cetinich, Dane Treloar, international student and soon-to-be Clipper World Race sailor on Qingdao, Mingyue ‘Melody’ Liu and myself as the Team Captain.

Each of us come from different sailing backgrounds and levels of experience, some as dinghy sailors on 470s and Sharpies, some as keelboat sailors and even a few who learnt to sail for the first time for this competition and who have done exceedingly well. We were a humble team brought together with one purpose, to go to the Uni Games and to perform as a tight team both on and off the water. The week long regatta was hosted by the Gold Coast’s Paradise Point Sailing Club with support from The University of Queensland.

Our Uni Games campaign started only a few months before our departure where we gathered every Saturday at the CYCSA to use Pacers kindly offered to us by Ocean View College. It was at the CYCSA where we learnt to sail as a team and coordinate our team strategies in a race environment. We were lent CYC3 to assist us with training. At this point I would like to thank Craig Evans and the CYCSA for their support in our preparations – you guys seriously rock!

Being the first sailing team that the university has ever sent interstate we had some obstacles we had to overcome. Alongside support from the CYCSA and Ocean View College we gained excellent help and support from the University as they set up our accommodation, transport and team registration. Yachting South Australia also assisted us with national registration and insurance to allow us to be eligible to compete as a team in Queensland.

We were credited with the most entertaining race of the regatta against the sailors of Curtin University where we flawlessly utilised correct team sailing tactics with some slight abuse of ROW rules between the fourth mark and the finish line to force Curtin well out of the lay line. We then tacked back to reach towards the finish to a plethora of cheering from every team on the shore therefore winning the race. The experience I had with my team in Queensland is something I will not soon forget. As I finish my degree this year I will not be back next year in a competitive capacity however I hear there are plans for a University of Adelaide Sailing Team for the Perth 2016 Uni Games.

As a final word I would like to thank my team and everyone who supported us for making this happen and a word of congratulations to the University of Western Australia for winning the regatta.

Tom Grantham

Monday morning started again in earnest anticipation. The course was shorter than previous courses and it appeared less beating – not our strong point. We had our best start and as the morning progressed we felt that things were starting to work better – crew and boat. As we approached the finish line, a short line as Flying Fish had moved to a different part of the bay to finish the Division One boats, we had a gust hit us, we rounded up, kissed the finish buoy and ended up doing a 360 degree turn to cross the line this time without kissing the buoy. That night we were delighted to hear that we had achieved first place beating our arch-rival Iseulta by 11 seconds.

were forced to take avoiding action. Unfortunately the Race Officer offered no redress to those boats caught in this. Our place that day was a fourth and we achieved sixth overall.

The final day started in light and variable winds and to the one mile mark we popped the kite to reach it with all divisions (except Division One) arriving at the same time. What an amazing sight to see 30 odd boats bearing down on the mark at the same time amid shouts of “water” and the occasional sound of fibreglass hitting fibreglass. We were on the outside just off from Poppy, another CYCSA boat, and the two of us managed to get round without too much trouble. On the way back to the finish all boats had to cross the commercial shipping channel at the time a ship was making its way into Townsville Port. The Race Officer instructed all boats not to cross the channel but fortunately we were far enough ahead to cross ahead of the ship though many

Would we do it next year? Well that’s already been decided as Ron and Barbara have advised us they are returning. Next year will be the tenth regatta and the island will be pulling out all the stops to make it the biggest and best regatta. The dates next year are 1-6 September.

Why should we do it? The winds are trade winds around 15 knots, the daytime temperature is around 28-32 degrees, the water temperature is 24 degrees and the atmosphere on the island is electric. Having our first visitors was great fun and we’re looking forward to doing it all again next year – at least we have 11 months for our livers to recover!

The following day we entered the Twilight Race and whilst handicapped out of it we were doing well until the wind dropped from 17 knots to three knots. As we had booked dinner in the Thai restaurant in Nelly Bay for 8.00pm we retired and motored back to Maggy Island Marina.

Our first visitors left on the Thursday and life on Magnetic Island started to return to its slower pace.

Stephen and Sharon Bone

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Berths for sale or lease

FOR SALE

Marina East 8m twin: C04 - Reduced to $27,000 F01, F02 - from $35,000 10m twin: A09, A10, A14, A29, A34, A40, F04, F15 - from $40,000 A16, A27, A35, A38, F16 - All offers considered 10m single: A02, A04, A25 - from $80,000 A01, A03 - Reduced to $75,000 A12 - Reduced to $73,000 F07 - All offers considered 11m twin: A41 - All offers considered 12m twin: D38, E16 - from $63,000 E09 - Reduced to $48,000 E13 - Reduced to $54,000 E14 - All offers considered E25 - Reduced to $40,000 12m single: D08, D17, D18, D21, D23, E10 - from $85,000 E01, E04, E06, E20, E23 - All offers considered 13m twin: suitable for catamaran C22 & C23 - $75,000 each 13m single: C19 - $105,000 D40 - Reduced to $99,000 14m single: A46 - $160,000 C30 - All offers considered 15m single: A47, B31, B36, C34, C37 - from $150,000 B25, B35 - All offers considered 16m single: B11, B15 - from $180,000 B16 - Reduced to $120,000 B21 - All reasonable offers considered 20m single: A49 - $290,000 20m T Head: E34 - $325,000 ono

FOR LEASE

Marina East 8m twin: C04*, F01*, F02* 10m single: F08 available from December 10m twin: A14*, A16*, A22, A30, A31, A32, F16*, F17, F19 ($300 p/mth), F23 12m single: E03, E23*(available from Dec) 12m twin: D35, E13*, E14, E19, 14m single: C25 15m single: A47*, C34* 16m single: B16* 18m single: B04 20m T Head: E34* 22m T Head: C42 Marina West (all single berths) 11m: M03*, M04 15m: M08* 17m: J06, J07, J10, J20* 18m: M10* ($440 p/mth) 20m: K01*, K02, K05, K06*, K07*, K08*, K15, 25m: M14* Hardstand 9m: 29*, 50, 74*, 97 10m: 33, 110, 131*, 132, 146* 12m: 4, 113, 125

All prices include GST * Denotes berth for sale and lease

FOR SALE

Marina West (all single berths) 11m single: M03 – suitable for catamaran – $80,000 M01 – all offers considered 14m: M07 – all offers considered 15m: M08 – $155,000 N03 – reduced to $150,000 17m: J19, J20 – from $150,000 J13 - Reduced to $80,000 J08, J12, – all offers considered 18m: M10 – $250,000 20m: K01 – all reasonable offers considered K06 – reduced to $135,000 K07, K08, K10, L02 – discuss all offers 25m: M14 – $290,000 30m: K16, K17 – from $220,000 Hardstand 9m: 52, 70, 74, 81, 86, 100 – from $3,000 H68 - $2,600 ono HS29, HS74 - all offers considered 10m: 106, 131, 140, 143, 146, 147 – from $6,000 HS144 - reduced to $5,000 ono 12m: 114, 124 – from $7,000 HS115 – reduced to $6,500 Port Vincent 10m twin: A7, A9, A14 – from $30,000 A21 - reduced to $24,000 A18 – all offers considered 12m twin: B34, B36, B37, C60 – from $33,000 B29 – all offers considered B33 – reduced to $28,000 B39 – reduced to $16,500 12m single: B45, B46, C51– from $42,000 C65 - reduced to $25,000 C48, C68 – reduced for immediate sale from $37,950 14m single: D70, D77, D78 – from $45,000 D72 – all offers considered 15m single: D85, D86, D87, D89 – from $50,000 D83 - all reasonable offers considered 20m single: A12, B35 – $200,000

Anne Burrow at the bar at the Royal Leamington Yacht Club (near Southampton, after the boat show) - “Always thinking of you all at the CYCSA”

contacts Berth Sales Jenny Krogdahl t: 8248 4222 e: jenny@cycsa.com.au Berth Leasing Kirsty Winstone t: 8248 4222 e: kirsty@cycsa.com.au Port Vincent Rob Marner PV Marina Manager 0414 611 110

Notes on Purchasing/Selling Berths

As per Marina Berth Agreement, a 10% commission is payable by the vendor on all berth sales.

If you are selling your berth and buying a berth of equal or greater value then your berth sale may be subject to a 5% commission payable to the Club (in lieu of 10%). The sale and purchase must be effected on the same day. This will be at the discretion of Management.

A friendly reminder to members and patrons of the Cruising Yacht Club of SA Whilst the majority dress accordingly it has been observed that the standard of dress in the bar and dining room is not being adhered to by some. A standard of dress upholds a welcoming environment for adults and families alike and sets the standards for our high quality establishment.

As per Clubs By-Laws sections 13.8 and 13.9: Dress in the Club house – members and guests are required to observe the following guidelines for tidy dress in the Bar, Members’ Lounge and Dining Room areas.

Minimum dress will be: walk shorts, shirt and shoes.

NOTE: Clothing that is not acceptable includes oilskins, sailing boots, overalls, work clothes, thongs, brief shorts and hats or garments that are heavily soiled or wet.

Notwithstanding this any dress regulations may be displayed from time to time at the entrance to the licensed area and they are to be strictly adhered to. Our staff members are required to enforce the dress code and any person not in compliance may be asked to leave the area.

We thank you for your cooperation and for helping maintain our Clubs’ standards.

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S S E DR inder rem

club calendar - join us!

Happy Hour

Fridays

Menu and Drink Specials every Friday from 5pm - 7pm under the patio. Enjoy one of our mouthwatering meals paired with our selected drink specials from $15.90

Christmas Bash Come together, be merry and mingle with other Club members at our FREE All Associations Christmas Bash, from 6.30pm in the BBQ area. Wear something Christmassy! Everyone is welcome! Simply BYO meat and a plate of food / salad or sweet to share. BYO plates, drink etc. Or purchase from the bar.

Saturday 12 December 2015

Social Activities Association invites members, families and friends to this FREE event...

Sunday 20 December 2015

Carols on the Lawn Bring your own picnic/outdoor rug and cushions, get comfy, sing along and enjoy the true spirit of Christmas Book with Reception

Cruising Association

Regular BBQ

Saturday 9 January 2016

Come and meet fellow sail and power cruisers and share your stories and ideas. All members and friends welcome, particularly new members.

BYO plates, cutlery, glasses, food and drinks, or purchase from the bar.

Crabbing Fishing Association Crab Catch n Cook Day

Sunday 14 February 2016

Register with the CYCSA office.

Wrist bands required from skippers.

Tables booked under boat names.

Weigh in/count at 12.30pm.

Book early as numbers capped.

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No Substitute For Excellence THE WORLD’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE MARINA BUILDER

BRISBANE MELBOURNE SYDNEY ADELAIDE & PERTH INTERNATIONAL

(07) 3376 6955 (03) 9646 6744 (02) 9439 9066 1800 655 539 +61 3 9646 6744

bellingham-marine.com.au 36

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