JUNE 2015
ETCHELLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDUP 6TH SWAN RIVER RETRO YACHT SERIES ALBANY TO FREMANTLE RACE – THIS WAY UP
CONTENTS JUNE 2015 4 10
Yachties in the know know Doyle
NEWS FROM OUR FLAGS Ian Clarke - Commodore Dean McAullay - Vice Commodore Peter Chalmer - Rear Commodore Sail Matt Giudice - Rear Commodore Juniors Richard Williams - Rear Commodore Power ETCHELLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDUP
13 VICTORIAN STATE DRAGON CHAMPIONSHIP Sailed at the Metung Yacht Club, Victoria
Locally
Al Fresco – Offshore winner Arajilla – Club Champion Blondie – Offshore Winner
Capricious Wind – State Champion Grand Piano – State Champion This Way Up – Offshore Winner Wild Bull – Offshore Winner
11
The X Factor – Offshore Winner
Nationally
14 6TH SWAN RIVER RETRO YACHT SERIES 2014-15 season saw the finest vintage yachts
Margaret Rintoul V – Offshore Champion Secret Mens Business – Sydney to Hobart Winner Overall Team Australia – Sydney to Hobart Record Run Tow Truck – Sydney to Hobart Division Winner Wedgetail – Brisbane to Gladstone Winner
Internationally Bella Mente – IRC Winner Hugo Boss – Round the World Racer Invisible Hand – Transpac Winner Leopard – Super Maxi Ragamuffin 100 – Transpac Line Honours RedKyte – China Sea Race Winner Salperton IV – Super Maxi Sanya – Volvo 70 Team Shockwave – IRC Winner
Ph: 08 9430 5366 Fax: 08 9430 4243 Email: will.hammond@doyleaustralia.com
Invisible Hand – Ex Limit
77420
2/15 Forsyth Street O’Connor WA 6163
acorndesign.com.au
Will Hammond www.doyleaustralia.com Doyle Sails
Congratulations to the Indian sailing team who were crowned both overall and IRC winner of the 2015 Fremantle to Bali Race.
16 505 STATES 2015 Angry Dragon rides the swings and roundabouts
24 MID-WEEK SAILING Who are the winners of the Spring Summer Series?
18 22
33 ALBANY RACE 2015 A young sailor’s perspective
150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBANY RACE AND THE ANZAC COMMEMORATIVE OCEAN RACE Races between Fremantle and Albany always provide WA sailors with a massive challenge and 2015 was no different COUTA BOAT FLEET A busy second half of the season
CLUB STAFF Chief Executive Officer Accountant Communications Yachting Operations Mgr Yachting Operations Assistant Dinghy/Junior Club Power Administrator Membership Accounts Assistant Administration Assistant Bosun Receptionist Training Centre Principal Sailing Administrator
36 ASTERN Haze - Character boats in the history of RFBYC Cover shot: Photographer, Paul Ricketts, www.pwrphoto.com
Paul Bayliss Catherine Ramsey Deb Hanrahan Debbie Blaauw Jenn Suffield
PUBLICATION Registered by Australia Post Publication No 63312300018 To contribute or advertise in the next issue send your copy by Monday, 3 August 2015 to pr@rfbyc.asn.au
Casey Walsh Susan Ghent Karen Ozkara Zoe Rostron Nathan Stronach Pauline Rhodes Barry Martin Carol Martin
CONTACT US Keane’s Point, Peppermint Grove Western Australia T +61 8 9286 8200 www.rfbyc.asn.au rfbyc@rfbyc.asn.au
FLAG OFFICERS Ian Clarke - commodore@rfbyc.asn.au Dean McAullay - vicecommodore@rfbyc.asn.au Peter Chalmer - rearcommsail@rfbyc.asn.au Matt Giudice - rearcommjuniors@rfbyc.asn.au Richard Williams - rearcommpower@rfbyc.asn.au
3
IAN CLARKE COMMODORE
What a wonderful success the 2014/2015 sailing season turned out to be at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. Whether on-water success is measured by the number of regattas won by Members at the elite level, or by the participation in our sailing programs by beginners, RFBYC was a winner all round.
Closing Days were soon followed by prize nights, and Members supported them in large numbers. More than 250 people attended Champions’ Prize Night and thoroughly enjoyed the cocktail party style event. Junior Club Prize Night was again a dress up affair and it was great to see so many Members decked out as heroes and villains.
On the participation front, one of our successful programs was the Pacer Adventure days, a program instigated and led by Grant Alderson. This program allowed Members and their children (as well as Members and their parents!) to explore the Swan River at a leisurely pace in the Club’s Pacer dinghies - away from the pressure of racing. The Club hopes to schedule even more programs in the future that allow Members to enjoy “mucking about in boats” as an option to our focus on racing and I encourage all Members to make the most of the opportunities presented.
The Club is in a very good space with respect to the food and beverage being offered. The Bowline Restaurant has matured into a quality venue. Our casual menu allows Members to have a more relaxed experience if that is what they’re after. This tiered offering is proving to be very popular, and Members can take pride in the quality of the food presented. As Commodore it is heart-warming to hear so many anecdotes of Members’ positive dining experiences at the Club.
Our two Closing Days were events not to be missed. We were fortunate with the weather for the weekend although the lights winds on Keelboat Closing Day meant some boats didn’t return to the Club until later than usual, eating into sailors party time. I’m sure they made up for it later in the evening. Junior Closing Day saw most sailors take to the water in Pacer dinghies and the handicap system was designed to give everyone a chance of winning a pennant. It was exciting to watch the back markers make their way through the field although the task proved too much for them as first place eluded them.
DEAN McAULLAY VICE COMMODORE
The working group’s recommendations, which have been approved by General Committee, will be put to Members for their consideration at our forthcoming Annual General Meeting. I encourage all Members to examine the supporting material which will be sent to them and give the proposals due consideration. In closing, I’d like to add my congratulations to Craig Carter and his team for their victory in the Fremantle to Bali race. Indian was crowned both overall and IRC winner, an impressive double.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday, 23 July 2015 at 6:30pm
Committee business has also been keeping us very busy. I reported in a previous Tidings article that a working group formed by General Committee was examining our Membership Categories. I am pleased to report that their work is finished. Their review ended up focusing on the cost of membership for Members aged between 25 and 35 years of age. Many Members find the increase in membership fees at 25 years of age too great to bear and relinquish their Membership. It’s important to the future of RFBYC that we do all we can to encourage these Members to retain their Membership.
We value our members’ opinions. Feel free to send any comments, suggestions and feedback to rfbyc@rfbyc.ans.au
4
We move into another phase in the Club’s calendar with the sailing season behind us and the winter time ahead. From a food and beverage perspective, the Club is looking to supplement the existing offerings with some winter meal nights and other special deals. Keep an eye out for the details as there will be some great value and quality on offer. You will have seen the first edition of ‘Front of House’ in your email inbox. This is a new communication from the Club to keep you informed as to what is happening in relation to food and beverage. ‘Front of House’ will be sent periodically to provide you with a brief update on all things dining and related areas. Our Head Chef Richard Pothecary, continues to keep things fresh and you will see the updated casual dining menu in the bar. The Bowline Restaurant a la carte menu has also recently changed and if you haven’t been in to experience the latest offering then you are missing out. There is something for everyone’s taste. Now that winter is coming, the Sunday Session schedule goes into hibernation. We have had a great amount of positive feedback regarding the sessions over the past few months. In particular the last two, where we went with a more lively music option in March and the ‘Retro Day’ in April.
The Retro Day in April was a wonderful display of the old world style of cars and boats from another era. The weather was perfect, a big crowd came down and I doubt anyone was disappointed. The March event was also well supported and in particular the younger brigade who filled the lawn. The band ‘From the Dunes’ provided great entertainment which was appreciated by the young and not so young. Members will have noticed a request for feedback about the use of the billiard table area in the Members’ Bar. Usage of the billiard table over the past couple of years has been declining. This has given rise as to thoughts about the best use of that area and whether the billiard table is being used often enough to keep it in that area. No decisions have been made on this and to date we have received feedback in favour of; retaining the table; moving the table; and changing the table (a smaller version) but most of all of making the area more usable as an area to sit, relax and enjoy the Club. It’s fair to say that if nothing else, raising the subject has seen a marked increase in use of the table. That in itself can’t be a bad outcome. Talking to one of the members in the bar recently, I was told about the time that member came and watched Bob Marshall and Walter Lindrum play billiards on that very table “just a few years ago”. Very cool indeed.
On matters to do with membership, I can report that the Junior Under 18 membership transition night was a great success. The philosophy of the event was to provide a night for junior members to be welcomed to senior membership whilst recognising their existing membership of the Club as distinct from other new members joining for the first time. Twelve young members went sailing on a couple of the larger boats with a few older members. They were then welcomed back into the bar to hear a few words from long standing member and sailing champion Peter Gilmour. The format was a little less formal than the regular new member nights but they were still introduced to the Flag Officers and more importantly were able to mingle with other members and enjoy a beverage or two as they did so. This initiative came about from some anecdotal comments about allowing a less imposing avenue for the juniors to become part of the senior club. When you see what a success it was for the Junior Opening Day to be part of the Senior Opening Day, it makes great sense to explore other ways to allow for greater integration of the younger members into the senior club. The Club has undertaken to investigate other ideas and events aimed specifically at the younger members who could make more use of the Club. In doing this it’s important that we consider all members and ensure that the benefits of membership are valued by all.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
RFBYC AND RPYC COMBINED MESS NIGHT Friday, 4 September 2015
5
MATT GIUDICE REAR COMMODORE JUNIORS
PETER CHALMER REAR COMMODORE SAIL
Another summer sailing season has come and gone and we are now several weeks into our Frostbite Series. Our Champions’ Prize Night and Dinghy Prize Night have been held and we have recognised and celebrated the champions in our Club. In addition to recognising those champions I would like to commend all those others that participate and push these people to be the best they can be. Without your competition we cannot have any champions. To those people I say thank you for enjoying your own level of sailing and your willingness to get out there every week and compete in racing or participate in our twilight sails. Whilst I’m on a roll, I will always appreciate the other people that make our sport happen; the volunteers and Club’s office and ground staff. Without the infrastructure and services these people provide we cannot have any races, regattas or events. I thank all these people that contribute tirelessly and with a generosity of time and spirit that make us a great Club to belong to. On a smaller scale but very worthy of my appreciation are my crew from Closing Day. It demonstrates that not all races are there to be won and that participation can deliver its own rewards. The MK Herron Best Dressed Yacht award for the day was our pinnacle.
6
Saturday racing, Thursday JaM racing and Twilighting were all popular and we saw participation rates that were very pleasing. I’m not sure if it’s a reflection on the aging population or some wise investment decisions but Thursday afternoons can attract over 35 yachts. The 2015 Rottnest Festival of Sail was a great success in moderate winds and sunny conditions. It was a testament to the hard work put in by the Organising Committee of Gordon Blaauw, BarbaraDene Jones and John Standley. It attracted 31 entries and was a very positive step in making this event a winner not only this year but also in the future. We hosted the 18th Old Gaffers Regatta, the Doc of the Swan and we sent 15 yachts to raid and pillage the RPYC trophies for the Swan River Retro Yacht Series. The more publicised achievements are as follows: • David Gilmour and his crew Rhys Mara have spent time as World No.1 ranking in the 49er class. • Michael Manford, Nick Gray & Vice Commodore Dean McAullay became 2015 WA Etchells State Champions. • Lachy Gilmour & his crew won the Foundation Youth Cup. • We had offshore yachts on the podium for most of their races this season. • The Club hosted the College Cup and won the Interclub Championships
Looking forward, there is a project coming up over winter to create well trained future volunteers. On-water volunteer training will be organised that will provide volunteers with the opportunity to learn the skills for some of our on-water roles such as race officer, support and rescue as well as mark laying, including the dark art of GPS operation. Come along, be involved and learn a new skill. Course dates and times will be advised in due course. Succession planning such as this is vitally important to us retaining our position as a strong Club capable of organising and running great yachting events. The 2015-16 season calendar is currently being compiled. For those that wish to have input regarding the structure of their sailing year now is the time to contact your Fleet Captains and have your say. Enjoy your winter season sailing.
Closing Day was a great success with the dinghy sailors racing in the annual Pacer Fleet Race to wrap up the season; every available Pacer at the club was used for racing. It was a fun morning with fierce competition between the top three boats. The Race Officer applied some heavy handicapping for the experienced sailors, with the eventual winners Rohin Kehal and Hardye Godfroy taking out the coveted prize. The Junior Committee were up early to participate in this year’s ANZAC Centenary Dawn Service at the yacht club. The young sailors all spoke of the moving ceremony and their wish to be a part of future ANZAC Day services. The 2014/2015 sailing season ended with Dinghy Prize Night, with an attendance of over two hundred sailors, parents, volunteers, Flag Officers and guests. Prize Night was a fantastic evening with a colourful array of costumes for the Heroes or Villains theme. Dinghy Prize Night also acknowledged all of our sailors’ achievements at the Club as well as their success at a state, national and international level. Many thanks to Jenn Suffield for coordinating the event, John Longley who was the MC and Pete Nicholas, the guest speaker on the evening.
This year we have had a series of “Pacer Adventure Days”, encouraging sailors to enjoy the fun of an expedition on the river usually ending up with a picnic away from the club. We are planning on holding more of these days to encourage participation next year in our growing fleet of Pacers. Planning is well under way for the 2014/15 sailing season, with weekly sailing and regatta dates being locked into the calendar. Please check with your Dinghy Fleet captains for details, regatta and Championship dates. vWith the increased participation this season, we have an overflowing number of boats within the Dinghy Storage compound. There are a number of yachts within the compound that have not been actively used in the past season. Over the winter break, the Yachting Operations Manager will conduct a review of boats that are stored in the compound. Next season, storage allocations will be assessed in a similar way as boat pens and hardstand. Boats that are actively used in Club activities will be given priority for storage; boats will be allocated a numbered bay within the compound and issued a sticker with a corresponding number for their boat.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge all of our sailors’ efforts over the season, and extend thanks to all of the volunteers and staff who contributed to the fantastic season that we have just had. My time as Rear Commodore for Dinghies and Juniors is nearly over so this will be my last Tidings article. It has been an exciting three years at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club; especially at the Dinghy and Junior Club. I wish my successor all the best and look forward to next year’s season.
7
RICHARD WILLIAMS REAR COMMODORE POWER
PANTAENIUS AUSTRALIA SAIL & MOTOR YACHT INSURANCE
I am reminded to make note the many outstanding recent achievements made by members of our power boat fraternity. Each year a growing fleet of RFBYC boats head north to the Abrolhos Islands around Easter time. This year as with previous years Club boats have been delivered east, west, or southward around the Australian coastline by Club members exploring every nook and cranny along the way. Other members are regularly flying the Club flag in top level fishing competitions near and far afield.
Taking the honours in an extremely close battle on the day was Rodney Greville-Collins with 5 points lost.
Little fuss is made outside of those in the know however the preparation, planning and seamanship involved in any of these adventures along the Australian coastline is a credit to those who make this their passion. There is so much knowledge and practical help available to fellow club members considering such adventures – all you have to do is ask.
My main point of focus is the initial Sail Past component of the day for which 30 boats or 26% of the larger fleet participated (17% of all power boats). Respecting that there are many valid reasons people can’t get out on the day I would like to think that a target of at least 50% is achievable in future years and would make for a fantastic spectacle to salute the Club we are fortunate to be part of.
As a yacht club we have much to celebrate and be proud of our members’ power activities. Rumour has it that some of the yachties even own power boats!
POWER OPENING DAY
In a repeat of 2014 the weather was absolutely stunning for Power Opening Day. It could not have been a more perfect day out on the water. Following the sail past and a short time trial a full complement of boats filled the fuelling jetty to enjoy the perfect conditions for entertaining guests or mingling with the other boats. With the official speeches out of the way Commodore Clarke signalled the cannon be fired to commence the power boat season.
From a participation perspective, the day was successful but as I looked back to the Club across the glassy Swan River I felt there was some room for improvement. On checking the statistics there are 176 power boats penned at the Club ranging from 5.1 metres through to 22 metres. Of these 62 are between 5.1 metres and 10 metres and a further 114 boats in the 10.1 metre to 22 metre range.
I would remind members that they have the option to participate in one or all of the separate aspects of Power Opening Day: sail past, time trial and raft-up. A few more boats for the sail past would be a great thing to strive for and build on the great atmosphere on the day.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
The Power Committee continues to work behind the scenes on its off and on-water events. A highly interesting evening was spent learning about the mysteries of galvanic and cathodic corrosion and better solutions for their prevention.
Our focus over the past year has been to try and identify a few relevant annual power events that can incorporate the the mix of boats penned at the Club. These could become annual events before the winter and summer season begin. To this end, in recent months a pioneering fleet of Club boats headed up river to a scenic picnic destination at Sandy Beach Park. It was another incredible day of great autumn weather and it was wonderful to see some of the larger classic boats alongside smaller tenders sharing in a fun day. Pets were even welcome on this trip. With some adjustment of the date (OK, I admit Mother’s Day was a gamble) to late April I look forward to this and the summeropener Rockingham Race Regatta weekend building in attendance with your support.
GETTING MORE TO DO LESS
My catch-phrase for the 2015 season on Power Opening Day was a wish that we might see more members doing one or two Time Trialling events during the season without feeling compelled to commit to the whole season. It’s all about seeing new boats out on the water having a bit of fun in the quiet winter months. A new power initiative is the introduction of loan laptops containing timing software that allow you to grab an inexperienced friend as navigator and be competitive quickly.
Does your current insurer offer these benefits? Agreed Fixed Value New for old Wear & Tear Comprehensive TPL All Risks Policy
Pantaenius does
2015 ICOYC CHESAPEAKE BAY CRUISE The Club’s membership of the International Council of Yacht Clubs provides an opportunity for all members to benefit. Each year one of the clubs hosts a cruise in its home waters. Cruises are week-long events that make a great holiday. Annapolis Yacht Club, USA are hosting the 2015 cruise. Host clubs know their waters well and showcase the best locations, food and entertainment often inviting crews to visit their homes. To book for the October 2015 cruise and for more information go to the website at www.icoyc.org
We strongly recommend you compare our policy with that of your existing insurer. Great coverage for your participation in Australia’s most famous races! Sydney to Hobart, The West Coaster, The Southport Yacht Race. Ask about our competitive rates for these and other popular races. Worldwide Coverage for Bluewater Sailors! This is true for both hull and liability insurance.
I look forward to seeing you on the water.
For personal attention please call: Manfred Speicher 0416 018 407 manfred@ysi.net.au
SAIL & MOTOR YACHT INSURANCE
8
Germany · Great Britain · Monaco · Denmark · Austria · Spain · Sweden · USA · Australia Pantaenius Australia Pty Ltd. · Shop 6 / 83 Parriwi Rd,The Spit, Mosman · Sydney, NSW 2088 · Phone +61-(02)-9936 1670 · info@pantaenius.com.au
9
ETCHELLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDUP BERNIE KAAKS Manford dominant but what a battle for the podium. Michael Manford wrapped up his fourth state Etchells title with a dominant performance in the regatta run by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club over the weekend of the 7th and 8th March. It was a challenging series, particularly for race officer Kim Laurence. Winds varied from flat calm to pleasant 13-14 knots, with huge variations in direction during transition from easterlies to sea breezes. In the end six races were completed, allowing boats to drop their worst score, a credit to the race management team who showed remarkable patience at times and responded with admirable dexterity when urgency was required. By Saturday evening, four races had been successfully completed. Going into the clubhouse, Manford’s The Croc had racked up three firsts and an eleventh place putting them comfortably at the top of the leader board. With the experience of crewmen Dean McAullay and Nick Gray on board, Manford was cool under pressure in the starting area and most of the time, seemed to have boat speed to burn. In race 3, they reached the top mark for the first time with a comfortable lead of more than 50 metres. At the same mark during the next lap, The Croc’s lead had increased to more than 200 metres. Stuck mid-fleet however, as he was in race 2, the crew were not able to find clean air and struggled to eleventh place. Behind The Croc was Peter Chappell’s 1382, sailing with a four-man crew consisting of Simon Sutherland, Chris Charlwood and Peter Nicholas. Their performance was consistent rather than spectacular, finishing the day with two seconds and two seventh placings.
10
Martin Webster masterminded the recruiting coup of the regatta, pulling together international match racer Keith Swinton, sail maker Nick Davis and Chris Smith to join him on Highlander. Placings of fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh put them firmly in third place at the end of day one. Behind these three however, things were starting to get really interesting. Ray Smith, sailing St John’s Dance with Simon Cunningham and Mike Hughes, shared fourth place with Brad Sheridan, sailing Tusk. The weather forecast for Sunday was anything but encouraging. The fleet turned up for action but a light and shifty easterly made life difficult. An attempt to get the fleet away under a black flag left Peter Chappell on the sidelines. Worse was to come, as the breeze swung so far that the fleet was able to lay the top mark on an easy reach, forcing the race committee to pull out the abandonment flag. What followed was a stern test for competitors and race officials alike. Tantalising patches of breeze suggested that a start was imminent, but fell to zero just when it seemed a race could begin. Coastal weather stations at Garden Island and Fremantle gave the race committee little encouragement. After several false hopes were dashed, a cruising yacht approached Point Walter, clearly moving under a light sea breeze. The course was quickly re-set and finally the second attempt to start race 5 began, with Chappell sitting on the sidelines cooling his heels.
In the end, it didn’t matter. The Croc burst out of the blocks in Race 6, in a steady south westerly breeze that was probably the best breeze for the entire regatta. The Croc led at every mark to win the race and the state title. The delays caused by lack of breeze made it impossible to run a seventh race. Dirk Vander Struyf’s Chilly Bin had a very good final day, with a win in race 5 and a third place in the last race. Chilly Bin’s results from the previous day however, left her in seventh place. Raymond Smith posted another second in race 5, but his ninth in the last ended his slim chance of a podium finish. Brad Sheridan sailed consistently throughout, but his ninth in race 5 was his second worst result and therefore had to count. Finishing second to Manford in the last race may have been a consolation prize, but was only good enough to place him in a three way tie for third overall. The tough luck story now belonged to Peter Chappell. If we discounted his black flag, his worst score was a disappointing tenth in the last race, by which time he realized that the cause was well and truly lost. Even so, by virtue of two second placings, Chappell scored overall third place on a countback from Sheridan and McMichael – all of them completing the series with a score of 27 points.
The race favourite had some nervous moments, starting in a pack and tacking away to the northern side of the course early. The strategy was not a good one and The Croc reached the top mark with just four boats behind it. The Croc recovered somewhat to finish in thirteenth place, meaning that she now had to count the eleventh from the previous day.
11
SO LD
D L LD LD LD O O O O SThe Real EstateS Institute of Western S Australia S
2015 Rookie Auctioneer of the Year SO LD LD
”
The Dragon Class competed for the Jack Savage Trophy for the title of Victorian State Champion hosted by the Metung Yacht Club on the weekend of 7-9 March 2015. RFBYC was represented by Sandy Anderson, skipper, and Geoff Totterdell sailing Liquidity together with Robert Alpe from Sydney.
SO
“
If you are considering selling or buying and need any Real Estate Advice or just a chat about your future plans, please give me a call.
VICTORIAN STATE DRAGON CHAMPIONSHIP GEOFF TOTTERDELL
Andrew Gill 0439 955 725 andrew@housere.com.au
There were 12 entrants for the event and a further one boat, Ghost entered for the Charles Stephenson handicap trophy held in conjunction with the State title races. Racing was keenly contested in wind strengths between 15 and 20 knots on the expansive waters of the Gippsland Lakes. An ideal venue for Dragon sailing. Under the control of race officer Gai Clough and her team, the courses were fair and the organisation precise. After six heats, local boats Imagination skippered by Jeff Rose and Adios 111 skippered by Grant Aldersea were tied on
Sales Executive
10 points at the top of the table. Followed by Liquidity 1 skippered by Sandy Anderson with 13 points. Adios was sailed by a crew of prominent sailmakers and had a famous supporter, Jessica Watson, the youngest woman to sail around the world single handed, who has a strong interest in one of the crew. Imagination was declared the winner of the State Championship on a count back. A well-deserved win given the revelation of the weeks of training by Jeff and his crew. The Charles Stephenson Handicap trophy was won by Adios on a countback from Ghost sailed by three generations of the Johnson family. Ghost is a refurbished Bill Barnett timber Dragon AUS 82, skilfully fitted out in the original layout when the Dragon was first designed in 1929. She proved that age is no deterrent in the Dragon class with an impressive second placing off the stick in heat 5 of the series. Many thanks to the Metung Yacht Club for a splendid event.
SELL | BUY | RENT | MANAGE 10 Station St, Cottesloe 6011 WA
P: 9284 5554
W: housere.com.au
FOR SALE 1/2 SHARE IN SPIRIT OF OLYMPIA
Specialising in all your MARINE, Residential and Commercial Electrical Needs • • • • • • •
AC & DC Systems Lighting Solutions Shore Power Battery Chargers Motors & Pumps Generators Electrical Inspections & Maintenance
Phone Clinton
0411 623 799 clinton@lenm.com.au www.lenm.com.au
12
A half share of Spirit of Olympia, a Viking 30, is offered for sale. She has been a regular competitor at RFBYC for a number of years and is highly competitive, recently achieving a first and fastest in the 30R fleet. She comes with a full set of racing sails and numerous cruising sails. She has had a number of recent upgrades, including new Andersen 46ST winches, new standing rigging (2012), new safety lines (2011) and new cushions throughout (2013). She is also very well equipped for cruising, coming with a custom designed boom tent, AquaPro dingy and 3HP outboard. Spirit of Olympia is penned at RFBYC with the continuing 50% owner also a being a long term member.
Purchased new boat so we have priced to sell quickly at $15,000 ono. Contact Mark Rose on 0410 910 296.
13
6TH SWAN RIVER RETRO YACHT SERIES HISTORY TO THE FUTURE
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS We have a wonderful Club and want you, our members, to get involved and enjoy it.
The 2014 – 15 seasons saw again the finest of vintage Gaff & Bermuda Yachts in 7 themed event days coming together for a celebration of sailing on the beautiful Swan River. The SRRYS has grown in participation to 33 of WA’s finest restored and maintained wooden yachts. This year’s organizing authority Royal Perth Yacht Club coordinated by Leslie Valmadre of RPYCs SY Fan and RO Pam Strickland treated the fleet to some fine jostling on the water and more humorous banter at the presentations ashore. The ‘Retro Rocket’ on the menu was a ‘sell out’ every time (To find out what that is – join the SRRYS Sailing the coming season). History again was created to see 5 and more yachts over 100 years old showing up at any time on the monthly Sunday Celebration-on-Water. Giving all yachts a fair go, the 3 delicately handicapped sailing divisions saw smiling winners and gracious “I am trying harder next time” followers. Results were always a topic of discussions ashore and some yachts discovered buoys and marks on the Swan they never knew existed. The consistency winners in Div 3 saw Jim Black’s Wee Birlinn, Div 2 Owen Stacy’s Canobie and Kim Robert’s The Lady in Red lead the podium positions. The treasured 6th year SRRYS combined class victory went to Owen Stacy’s Canobie. The vintage exhibition every month saw the newcomers Ralph Newton SoPYC Eun Na Mara, John Fitzharding’s Thera, Nedlands Nick Clayton’s Seafly, Kane William’s +100 years Mercedes, young guns Roghan Anderson on the seasoned Tehana, Barry Arnold’s graciously restored Eileen and John Brodziak’s beautifully maintained Mouette showing her shiny wooden planks first time.
Just being present and ‘showing off’ the classic yachts made everyone a winner. The images of the race inside the race amongst the Metre yachts Bacchante, Eun Na Mara and Bella Gioia, the H28s, the Gaff rigged Fan, Bicton Belle, Genevieve, Rosen, Nell and the list goes on – would have been a Beken of Cowes photo gallery treasure. The SRRYS own stirling photographer Paul Ricketts captured the memory moments in film and photo on digital card. (See www.gaffrigsailinginwa.org) The SRRYS came to a crescendo final with a fine sunny autumn April event the Retro/Bacchante Trophy day. celebrating the retro times with an exquisite vintage car exhibition on the lawns of RFBYC and Halvorsen power yacht display with Hiawatha and Pollyanna taking SRRYS family, friends and supporter on a Course d’Elegance. The onshore event was musically framed by soloists and band playing the retro times tunes to a dancing and humming along audience of yachties, vintage car enthusiasts and guests. The question was asked again: “Can it ever get better?” was answered unanimously in succession now for 6 years with a convincing “Yes”! Winter time allows now for more vintage yachts to be restored, existing ones lovingly maintained and new classic yacht beauties to join the next 7th Swan River Retro Yacht Series - this starts in October 2015.
Our staff are here to assist you and there are many ways for you to keep in touch with the Club. Make sure you are signed up to our weekly email newsletter, Gybe Sheet, so you know about all the great things that are going on. View our website and social media pages anytime or get in touch with our friendly staff if you have any questions.
Review Following the outcome of discussions by General Committee and the Strategic Plan for RFBYC, the Membership Review Working Group was formed in September 2014. The working group was tasked with ‘attracting and retaining members in the 18-35 age bracket’ while also taking a wider view of the current membership fees and categories. The Club must remain relevant moving forward. As well as providing a suitable service to all members, there must be a feeling that the costs involved are manageable. To ensure sustainable membership numbers in the long term, changes to the fee schedule are proposed. These details will be available to the members with the 2015 AGM papers.
Travel If you are travelling interstate or overseas and would like to be introduced to a club which we have a relationship with, please get in touch with our Membership Coordinator. Members are reminded that these visitor offers are in the spirit of friendship and hospitality and are to welcome you as a guest to enjoy their facilities.
Sail on Yachts We have a new initiative to connect yachts and crew. We are currently calling out to boat owners to complete a yacht profile form with us. Soon we will ask people interested in getting on board for yacht racing to register their details with us too. Please get in touch with our Membership Coordinator for more information or stay tuned with us online and on our club noticeboards. 14
FARRAWA CUP SERIES
505 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS MARCH 27-28, 2015
2015-2016
ANGRY DRAGON RIDES THE SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS Peter Nicholas and Anthony Gaunt, in Angry Dragon were victors of the WA 505 State Championship held at Fremantle on the last weekend in March. The challenge was less rather than more wind in mild conditions which prevailed throughout the regatta, but as always, this fleet provided a colourful spectacle of spinnakers.
Inaugurated 1977-78
SATURDAY 10 OCTOBER 2015 ROLAND SMITH OCEAN RACE CAT 3
The double-handed 5O5 incorporates a light weight, high performance hull with a powerful sail plan and one trapeze achieving outstanding performance in all conditions. In light air it is quick and responsive and can plane in 10 knot winds.
(80NM race starts off Fremantle, Rottnest Is. and beyond)
Champion Angry Dragon sailed a perfect regatta with five wins chased hard by last year’s champions Nick Davis and Mike Duffield sailing Tenzing Norgay. Matt Hansen and Chris White in Crimson Autograph again sealed their mark in third overall but were hunted ruthlessly by top gun Laser Champions Tristan Brown and Ki-Raphael Sulkowski who teamed to test their combined versatility in a 505. Sailing Devil’s Haircut the talented Laser duo enjoyed a fourth in the Swings and Roundabouts Championship.
505 States 2015 - Race Start
SATURDAY 28 AND SUNDAY29 NOVEMBER 2015 ROCKINGHAM RACE WEEKEND CAT 4 DOLPHIN RACE (Fremantle to Rockingham, Saturday)
GORDON CRAIG OCEAN RACE (Rockingham to Fremantle, Sunday)
505 States 2015 - Race Start
505 States 2015 - Race Start
FRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2016 68th BUNBURY AND RETURN OCEAN RACE CAT 3 (New start time of 1800 on Friday evening)
THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2016 FARRAWA CUP SERIES PRESENTATION EVENING
505 States 2015 - Race Start
505 States 2015 - Race Start
offshore racing Contact: Susan Ghent, Offshore, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
16
offshore@rfbyc.asn.au
rfbyc.asn.au
9286 8200
150TH ANNIVERSARY ALBANY RACE AND THE ANZAC COMMEMORATIVE OCEAN RACE BERNIE KAAKS DIRTY DEEDS COMES OF AGE
After sailing in the shadow of its sister Black Betty since her arrival in WA, Dirty Deeds is now carving out her own destiny with fine performances in the Albany and return ocean races, posting an IRC first place on the southbound race and a close second in the Anzac Memorial Race back to Fremantle. Races between Fremantle and Albany always provide WA sailors with a massive challenge and 2015 was no different. Steady easterly winds, combined with a swell that will have the international surfing community talking for years to come, made the journey along the south coast a tailor made slog for the division 2 heavy displacement yachts, Blondie and Impulse. The pair made light work of the conditions for Blondie to post a first overall in IRC and Impulse a first overall on YAH. Their job was made a little easier by some puzzling tactics on the line honours favourite, Calm. Calm elected to steer well out to sea along the west coast, leaving the door open for Dirty Deeds to lead the fleet outright for a time as they rounded Cape Leeuwin. Calm’s tack across the rhumb line along the south coast put Dirty Deeds into the lead a second time, but eventually the big boat asserted her authority and finished with line honours, though well back on handicap placings. Dirty Deeds won division one IRC and was third on YAH behind Brian Todd’s Sue Sea. The consistent Farr 40 Enterprise placed second on both systems.
FARRAGO DIMASTED
Farrago lost her mast in big seas near Augusta. “All the rigging was intact,” said skipper Peter Vlaar later. “I’m at a loss to know why it broke. There was a huge explosion and it was a clean break about two metres above the deck.” Held to the yacht by its rope halyards, the broken spar threatened to punch a hole in the hull so the crew had to work quickly to cut it free.
Hillarys yacht Haywire with Chris Kelly as navigator, clearly won the start of the outbound race.
18
Near Albany, Prime Factor lost steering for a period, but was able to effect repairs and continue to Albany with an Albany Sea Rescue vessel standing by. Blondie also answered the yacht’s call for assistance, diverting from her course and standing by until the rescue vessel arrived. The Anzac Commemorative race began in the Princess Royal Harbour immediately after the Anzac ceremony and a spectacular fly-past with several hundred people crowded onto an area adjacent to the new small boat harbour. Unfortunately the spectacle was an anticlimax as yachts struggled to beat the time limit for crossing the line in near windless conditions. Once out of the harbour however, pleasant easterly winds brought out colourful spinnakers and sped the fleet on its way.
CALM SHATTERS RECORD
In contrast to her tactics in the southbound race, Calm sailed a much more conventional course home to claim line honours in a new record of 33 hours, 52 minutes and 55 seconds, or an average speed of just under 10 knots. In doing so, Calm won both line honours and IRC trophies. Four hours later, Dirty Deeds crossed the line to take second place and first on YAH. The dominant division two boats which took home virtually all the silverware except line honours in the outbound race, were destroyed in the return race by light breezes along the west coast. As the big boats tied up in Fremantle to enjoy a welldeserved break, their smaller rivals lay becalmed off Mandurah and all the way south to Cape Naturaliste. Tony Carter’s Just Cruisin’ was well placed throughout, finishing a very creditable fifth over the line to win first place on IRC and second behind Bill Henson’s Circa on YAH. Just Cruisin’ was also third overall on IRC, underlining her excellent performance in the return race.
Alan Stein at the helm in light weather after the start in Fremantle.
DOUBLE HANDERS EXCEL
Todd Giraudo and David “Dubbo” White’s performance in the double handed division was extraordinary. Sailing the 36 footer Kraken, they finished fourth overall behind Calm, Dirty Deeds and Just Cruisin’, all larger, fully crewed yachts. The pair did not miss a single position report and clearly have a superb understanding of fatigue management on small boats! On the subject of radios, we must acknowledge the cooperation of Lyn and Ian on Fourth Dimension. Their radio equipment on both HF and VHF is superb and throughout the race they were always prepared to relay positions of other boats when asked. In division two, Bill Henson’s Circa finished second, less than an hour behind Just Cruisin, while Paul Arns was third in Wasabi – a good shakedown for his Bali race preparation. We should also acknowledge the efforts of Prime Factor. After their steering failure and a crew shakeup, the boat was leading on YAH handicap approaching Rottnest Island but in dying breezes slipped to a well-earned third place.
An Air Force flypast at the memorial ceremony in Albany.
RADIO REVELATIONS
This was the first Albany race for some time and Royal Perth Yacht Club will take some valuable lessons from it. A little known and hitherto ignored section of the Category 2 rules allows for the use of VHF radio in lieu of HF where there is continuous VHF communication along the course of the race. The degree of overlap of repeater stations on the south coast was far greater than expected and reach out to sea was never an issue. A mobile radio vehicle followed the fleet to relay VHF positions.
This Way Up ready for immediate departure.
The significance of this discovery may well have an influence over other overnight events which have previously been sailed under category 3 conditions. Let’s hope that we don’t have to wait another four years for the next race to Albany!
Race yachts in the Albany small boat harbour with Mt Clarence in the background.
Max Palleschi’s Prime Factor, which broke a steering cable nearing Albany.
19
Reside in Perth’s most prestigious development - Seize this opportunity today!
The time is now.
An An enviable enviable lifestyle. lifestyle.
With record low interest rates, in one of Perth’s top performing suburbs, there’s never been a better time to buy. Live and enviable lifestyle in Perth’s most unique location, on the river by the sea
Emulating Emulatingaa55star starresort resortlifestyle, lifestyle, the the amenities amenities within within include include aa substantial substantialGymnasium, Gymnasium,Sauna, Sauna, Solar Solar Heated Heated Lap Lap Pool Pool and and Day Day Spa. Spa. Do Donot notmiss missyour youropportunity opportunityto toreside reside in in Perth's Perth's most most prestigious prestigiousdevelopment. development.
TA SKE RSLIVING .COM STEPHEN VITALE 0416 095 906 sales@taskersliving.com
Visit our display suite and fully furnished apartment to learn more.
Apartments Apartments fr fr$588,000 $588,000
99M MccCabe CabeStreet StreetNorth NorthFremantle FremantleWA WA Wed, Wed,Thurs Thurs&&Fri Fri12.00pm 12.00pm--3.00pm 3.00pm Weekends Weekends11:30am 11:30am––3.00pm 3.00pm
Penthouses Penthouses fr fr$1.895m $1.895m
Townhouses Townhouses fr fr$2.295m $2.295m
COUTA BOAT FLEET PETER FERRY The second half of the season saw a busy program for the fleet with 12 Club races to compete in, assist in another KPMG day and “The Billy Run” to Garden Island.
KPMG COUTA BOAT CLASSIC
During a Tuesday afternoon in March, the couta fleet (assisted by the wooden cruiser fleet as spectator craft) provided an opportunity for prominent leaders from Perth’s business community to enjoy our Club facilities and take to the water on a beautiful March day. $20,000 was raised for the nominated charities of Communuity Vision and The Smith Family. This is now the fifth year the event has run and over $80,000 has been raised for the charities during this period, a credit to the joint efforts of KPMG and the couta fleet. KPMG reported The Couta Boat Classic continues to receive an overwhelming response from our clients who are keen to get together for some friendly competition and networking, as well as to help out people in the community.
THE BILLY RUN
The weekend of the Rottnest Festival of Sail saw a good number of the couta fleet sail to Garden Island on the last Saturday in March, following a loose re-inactment of a well known annual event of the early 1900’s. The “Billy Runs” of old were usually planned well in advance or on a spontaneous moment, such as in 2015. Needless to say, in either 100 years ago or in March 2015 merticulous planning took place ensuring copious quantities of beer/rum, cheese and biscuits formed the basis of a good day out. In days of old, it was customary to run down or shoot a wild goat for the BBQ. This year it was a little more refined with Geoff Ogden’s 90ft boat anchored off Garden Island and acting as host to the fleet of couta boats who made the run.
COUTA SINKING
A crew member who was involved in the baptism of Kasey mid March when hit by a 25 to 30kt squall off Suicide Buoy put pencil to paper, once he dried out and warmed up, with the following. Thanks Pete W.
22
23
MID-WEEK SAILING BRIAN CAIN The presentation of trophies for the Spring-Summer Series 2014-15 consistencies was held on the 14 May 2015 at 18:00 hrs. During the series a total of 70 yachts from the “A”, “B” and “C” fleets started in the regular Thursday races. Within “A” fleet eleven yachts also competed on “IRC”.
So if you missed the first few Thursdays you will still have some chance to win a consistency. Start Times “B” Fleet 15:10, “C” Fleet 15:20 and “A” & “IRC” Fleets 15:30, come and join us.
The average number of yachts starting each week was a touch over 30 for the series.
The fellowship in the club house for the presentation after sailing is increasingly warm and fuzzy. Presentation of the days racing results creates some suitable mirthful interaction of the assembled. The presentation is rarely late starting at 18:00.and usually runs for about ten minutes.
The Trophies and prizes were announced by Rear Commodore Sail Peter Chalmer and presented by Peter Hickson with assistance from Carol Martin and yours truly. During the presentation photos of the action during the series was displayed on the smart TV screen set up on the new elevated stand.
After the announcement of the place getters of the day the start team conducts two raffles. The first raffle is for either dinner for two at the economical quality Thursday night buffet or a bottle of wine. The second raffle is for the alternative prize not selected by the first raffle winner.
The number of starters for the now completed Spring-Summer Series 2014-15 has been most encouraging and the mid-week start team wish is that sailors will continue to compete during the now underway Autumn-Winter Series 2015.
The raffles would not be possible without the generosity of our Caterers Spices Hospitality Group.
Mid-Week racing is held every Thursday all year. The current Autumn Winter Series will run for 25 races of which 17 will count for consistency, the final race for the 2015 Autumn Winter Series will be on 15 October 2015.
Many thanks go out to those who give their time making Mid-Week Sailing a good day. So my thanks go out to the competing sailors and crews, to Arthur and Carmen Wells, Barry and Elaine Johnston, Margaret Stowell, this year Geoff Hick, and to my good lady Jackie in an emergency.
The start team’s thanks also go out generally to all club staff and in particular for assisting on computer program Paul Bayliss, sailing administration and results posting Carol Martin. For Gybe Sheet input Debbie Hanrahan, and to Nathan Stronach’s team for last minute rectifications and safety boat duty for the “C” Fleet.
In order to be in the raffle you just need to be a starter in that day’s race but you need to be at the presentation and in the bar at the time of drawing, otherwise raffles are redrawn if you are not present.
RESULTS “A” Fleet for the Gary McNally Perpetual Trophy – 30 starters during the series. – Donated by Gary McNally:- Supported by Spices Hospitality Group – Ist place RF 177 Joss skippered by Ian Clyne – 2nd place RF 447 French Kiss skippered by Ross McLaren – 3rd place RF 771 Men In Black skippered by Brad Stout, Rik Thornton, and Liam Wilson
59.5 pts 62 pts 64 pts
“B” Fleet for the Cosmos Perpetual Trophy - 34 Starters during the series. – Donated by Barry Johnston:- Supported by Spices Hospitality Group – 1st place RF 92 Spirit of Olympia skippered by David Meager – 2nd place RF 103 Mimi skippered by Graham Stafford – Equal 3rd RF 124 Orion skippered by Mark & David Stowell – Equal 3rd RF 144 Cosmos skippered by Barry Johnston
79.5 pts 88 pts 89 pts 89 pts
“C” Fleet Consistency – 6 starters during the series. – Presented by R.C. Peter Chalmer:- Supported by Spices Hospitality Group – 1st place AUS 2237 Black Tie skippered by Simon Barwood – 2nd place AUS 2530 Casual Attire skippered by Clay Cook – 3rd place AUS 2564 t.t.t.totally Wired skippered by Michael Edmonds
65 pts 73 pts 107 pts
“IRC” Fleet Consistency – 11 starters during the series. – Presented by R.C. Peter Chalmer:- Supported by Spices Hospitality Group – 1st place RF 51 Team Saab skippered by Harry Schmitz – 2nd place RF 177 Joss skippered by Ian Clyne – 3rd place RF 8881 Grand Prix skippered by Glenn McNally
23 pts 49 pts 59 pts
24
25
WELCOME NEW CLUB MEMBERS FULL ORDINARY
Tilly Cook
Grant Alderson
John Taylor
Member
Proposer
Seconder
Will Drew
Harry Beaver
Josh Beaver
Craig Surtees
Rob Towner
Adam Hancock
Bailey Ireland
John Taylor
Geoff Brown
Matt Hutchinson
Brett Herron
Susan Hutchinson
Adam Shannon
John Taylor
Geoff Brown
John Fickling
Norman Brandon
Matt Hansen
Andrew Truscott
John Taylor
Geoff Brown
Neil McAllister
Scott McAllister
Jack Baxter
Shane Harris
Mark Lockwood
Daniel Fisher
ASSOCIATE
Bronte Howson
Peter Laurance
Ross Norgard
Member
Proposer
Seconder
Travis Coleman
Paul Byrne
Jennie Fitzhardinge
Fiona Meiklejohn
Grant Alderson
Dean McAullay
Lorraine Campbell
Julian Wright
Murray W Johnson
Janice O’Keeffe
Marty Jurat
Ash Craven
ORDINARY 21-24 Member
Proposer
Seconder
Melanie Love
Stuart Love
Adam Shephard
Carl Louis Hager
Everard Yeo
Stephen Kenney
Shannon McAllister
Scott McAllister
Jack Baxter
Tory Packer
John Longley AM
Peter Hammond
Mel Cook
Grant Alderson
John Taylor
IMPORTANT DATES FOR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
RECIPROCAL Member
Proposer
Seconder
Ken Chapman
Ian Clarke
Ross McLaren
Member
Proposer
Seconder
Max Godfroy
Lisa Brazier
Carol Martin
Member
Proposer
Seconder
Bella Bates
Cameron Shephard
James Carew-Reid
Oliver Pabbruwe
Grant Alderson
Carol Martin
Liam Pabbruwe
Grant Alderson
Carol Martin
Murray Buchan
Grant Alderson
Carol Martin
William Harris
Mark Lockwood
Daniel Fisher
Tilly Wittenoom
Marcus Michael
Matt Giudice
Romë Featherstone
Grant Alderson
Evan Moore
Max Pearse
Andrew Foster
Rob Broadfield
Roberto Martelli
Grant Alderson
Bradley Stout
Ahren Den Ouden
Brian Haggerty
Grant Alderson
Charlotte Cook
Grant Alderson
John Taylor
JUNIOR 16-18
JUNIOR UNDER 16
26
Membership applications (with signature and endorsement of two Members with five+ years membership) must be submitted to the Membership Coordinator by post or email – membership@rfbyc.asn.au • Submit completed application forms to the Club by the last Monday of the month. General Committee reviews applications on the last Tuesday of the month. Ordinary membership applicants will be invited to attend an interview with the Membership Committee on the first Monday of the following month or thereafter. Membership applications are placed on the notice board for a period of 26 days (except Juniors) • All membership applications which progress to the next stage of the membership process will be ratified by General Committee on the last Tuesday of the month.
WELCOMING OUR NEWEST MEMBERS TO THE CLUB ON FRIDAY, 1 MAY 2015
RETRO SUNDAY 12 APRIL 2015
LEARN TO SAIL CLASSES AT RFBYC
SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN
RFBYC will be running childrens’ holiday courses during the coming school holidays. Week 1
Monday, 6 July– Friday, 10 July 2015
Week 2
Monday, 13 July – Friday, 17 July 2015
RFBYC hosted its inaugural Retro Day, which not only saw some of Perth’s best classic wooden boats in action but also some of WA’s most desirable classic cars.
1931 Blower Bentley, chassis 3934, on display. Another stunning vehicle brought to the Club was a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III V12. The complete body for this vehicle was built in WA by Perth metalwork artisan Roger Fry.
Among the cars on the lawn was a 1955 Bentley S1, which starred in the Audrey Hepburn movie “Love in the Afternoon”. The car was first owned by movie star Gary Cooper and in the film, Hepburn rode in it.
Among other machinery on display was a 1954 Austin Healey 100/4, 1949 MGTC racer and a stunning 1955 Jaguar XK140 Coupe. Diluting the Englishness were 1937 Hudson Terraplane racer, a 1969 Porsche 911T and a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 250SL.
Fees start from $160.00 for Little Tackers (10 hours), including use of Club boats and safety equipment. Recreational Skippers Ticket courses are available for children 14 years and over. Participants must be able to swim and be water-confident.
Private lessons are also available during both weeks. Conducted on the safe, sheltered waters of Mosman Bay, the Club offers a range of courses designed for children 6 years and upwards, for complete novices to learn to race.
29
DINGHY PRIZE NIGHT 15 MAY 2015 The 2015 Heroes & Villains themed Dinghy Prize Night was a smashing success with record attendance of 216 people! Congratulations to all of our season winners and award recipients. A huge thank you to John Longley, our fearless MC for the evening, and to Pete Nicholas, our ‘Chopper Reid’ Guest Speaker!
30
31
ALBANY RACE 2015 A YOUNG SAILOR’S PERSPECTIVE Angela Burvill and Grace Allen – sailed on This Way Up
Flametree Promotion The winner of the “Flametree weekend away for 2” was Club member Ron Fletcher. Congratulations to Ron and thank you to all members for your support.
Stella Bella Promotion for June Purchase a glass or bottle of Stella Bella during the month of June to go into the draw to win a Jeroboam (a.k.a. Double Magnum) 3 litres of 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.
New Casual Dining Menu The new casual dining menu is now available at the Club. New items to try: BBQ pork ribs Chilli beef quesadilla Chicken parmigiana Pulled pork pizza
Parmigiana Night Wednesday, 24 June $20.00 per person Bookings though reception: reception@rfbyc.asn.au
Thursday lunch special $18.50 includes a glass of our house wine or a Carlton middy. A choice of: Chilli tempura snapper Salami and bocconcini Pork rillettes
EOFY Deal Special end of financial year deal in the Bowline Restaurant/Ward Room. $50.00 per person
ANGELA
The Albany-Fremantle Race is one of the most prestigious races on Australia’s offshore sailing calendar. It was the race for which we, along with 21 other boats, had been preparing and training for several months. The day had finally arrived. We were sailing around the Princess Royal Harbour and completing last-minute preparatory tasks before the start. The race committee fired a gun to signal that we had five minutes remaining and – alas! – the wind dropped off entirely. By the time that the race started, the 22 of us were wallowing helplessly several boat-lengths behind the starting line. At long last, the winds picked up and we broke free from our limbo. We drifted out of the Harbour, through King George Sound and into the expansive Pacific Ocean. We inflated our number two asymmetrical spinnaker, the ‘Dream Smasher’, and began to tear along the coastline. Splinter (Lawson Shaw) – one of the crew’s youngest members - embraced his role as navigator. At the beginning of the race, Kraken – a double-handed 36 footer helmed by Todd Giraudo – was our closest rival. At one point we slipped ahead and Splinter called over the radio, ‘Kraken, your front looks better than your behind’. The other five men on the boat were seasoned offshore sailors, each with a Sydney-Hobart Race under his belt. Grace and I, on the other hand, faced a steep curve. Six months previously, we had hardly stepped onto a keelboat, let alone embarked upon a 300 nautical mile offshore race. Nonetheless we quickly developed our sea legs, so to speak. As day turned to dusk on the first evening, we slipped into our watch system. Hamish, Splinter, and I went down below for two hours’ rest. Poodle and Squinty started on-watch and Pete, Douggie, and Grace sat on the rail on stand-by. When the two hours passed, we all rotated positions. Another rotation completed the cycle, which we followed for the next 30 hours.
Poodle would embrace every opportunity to take photos and videos on his iPad. He would then upload these to the This Way Up Facebook page (yes – we had internet connection) for our adoring This-Way-Uppies to enjoy.
GRACE
After the first night, the race became tougher both physically and mentally for inexperienced sailors like us. Learning to sit on the rail reaching into 20kts of wind while sheets of ice-cold water came upon you like concrete was hard. Luckily, we could always rely on the crew for neverending stories of their times at sea (whether they were always true or not is another story). It was around 2.30am during the second night when the wind suddenly picked up gusting around 24 knots. Poodle made the call for a jib peel from the number 2 to the number 3. After I accidentally fell down the hatch twice in my full offshore gear, sopping wet and waking up Angela and Hamish from their two hour slumber, we went on station with Squinty on main, Douggie on trim, me on strings and Pete up on the bow awaiting the call from the skipper. Suddenly, the boat crash-tacked leaving Pete pinned between both hoisted jibs and the bow railing. With the sudden pressure, his PDF inflated leaving him unable to breathe while the bow dove in and out of the ocean. Luckily, being a man of the Navy, he calmly and simply punctured the PDF with his knife. One thing we never thought we would do is learning to urinate into a bucket in a boat that is keeling over at 50 degrees. I think once you can do that, you can do pretty much anything. Angela and I would like to give a special thank you to Julie Herron, a very experienced sailor from the Club, who helped us when it came to these small and tedious problems. Julie, we will always stay warm, dry and safe, and we will never drink coffee during an offshore race When we started sailing with This Way Up last year, Poodle promised us beer and adventure. Well we can confidently say that he delivered on both.
3 Course set price menu (includes choices). A minimum booking of 20 people is required for lunch or dinner. This special is available from Wednesday, 17 June until Tuesday, 30 June. All bookings will include 4 bottles of wine to enjoy with your meal. Bookings phone: 9286 8200 or email reception@rfbyc.com.au
33
RADIO OPERATORS COURSE
GRANT ALDERSON ALL LEVELS OF COACHING YACHT RIGGING & SPLICING
POWER OPENING DAY 2 MAY 2015 Sunshine and blue skies graced the opening of the Power Season, and created a fantastic atmosphere for the dock party.
BOAT MAINTENANCE & DETAILING YACHT FITOUTS & MANAGEMENT HARDWARE SERVICING MAST & BOOM SUPPLY & MAINTENANCE
Radio Operator’s Course The course will run over four Wednesday evenings. $140 for RFBYC Members, $180 for non-Members. Dates in July 2015 to be confirmed – for more information, please contact Barry Martin on 9286 8200.
RACE PREPARATION & TUNING BALUSTRADE / TRELLIS WIRES WORKSHOP & ONSITE MOBILE SERVICES DEALER FOR PINNELL & BAX SAILS More Than 25 Years Professional Experience Flying 15 World Champion Paralympic Coach Mobile: 0412 944 909 Email: grant.alderson@gmail.com Unit 2/ 23 Carrington Street Nedlands 6009
35
ASTERN BASIL TWINE
ASTERN UPDATE FROM THE ARCHIVES TEAM Steve Craig purchased the boat in 1952 and brought her back to RFBYC where again she performed remarkably well both on the river and in the shorter ocean races.
SOME BOOKS OFFERED TO MEMBERS
When Eric Leach bought Haze about 1954 he had her “beefed up” a bit and sailed her competitively for some years.
In his professional life Donald Yarranton was a well-known actor who used the professional name of Howard Lang. He was best known in Australia for his role as Mr Baines in the TV series “The Onedin Line” and some of the books bear his autograph.
The 1955 Bunbury race was sailed in half a gale. There were 18 entries from which only 4 finished. Haze was 4th. Eric’s crew was Tony Manford and Andrew Kingsbury. Andrew threw up 17 times and it was mainly Tony’s foot planted firmly in his back which saved him from going overboard. There was no headroom in that cabin and it had an open cockpit. Fortunately the design was such that it did not take much water despite hammering into such a rough sea. They were each awarded a special trophy for their seamanship. Tony describes it as case of “survival all night”. Andrew describes it as “plain mad and so slow they ran out of food; having to share some milk and a slice of pineapple for breakfast around the West End of Rottnest”. When Eric Leach moved to England it was sold to Merv Finn whose exploits are legendary, including winning the Bunbury Race in 1958, and the Gordon Craig in 1957 and 1963.
Character boats in the history of RFBYC HAZE
Haze is a Tumlaren class built in 1938 by Hudson Bros for Phil (Tubby) Masel at RPYC for the princely sum of 350 pounds. The designer of the class was Knud Reimers who described it as a cross between an archipelago cruiser, a canoe and a Norwegean 19.5 square metre Spidsgatta. (A bit like a submarine with sails really.) This Swedish design is 27 feet (8.38m) in length, double ended and narrow beam. It has a long keel making it quite stable under spinnaker and a high aspect ratio of 3:1 which allows good windward efficiency. Despite the narrow beam it has good buoyancy due to a powerful turn of the bilge. As a result it ships little or no water even when knocked down. In 1938 when Haze was built she was the first of a new, popular, light displacement design. Another, Galatea, was built later for Ian Bessell Brown also of RPYC. When Keith Stevenson purchased Haze about 1945 he brought her to RFBYC where it was moored between the sheds in Freshwater Bay. She was the second Bermudan Rigged yacht at RFBYC after Lucius Manning’s Scud which was the “Scratch Marker” and these two yachts had some memorable battles. Keith Stevenson sold her to Rom Moran who then sold her to John Wittenoom in Albany.
36
Who owned Haze after Merv Finn I don’t know but I do recall seeing her languishing on a mooring in Blackwall Reach (or was it North Fremantle?) At present Haze is proudly owned by Tim Lipscombe and is penned on B Jetty at RFBYC. Much restoration work has been done and she looks in superb condition. A credit to you Tim and congratulations. Tim and his crew mostly sail now on Thursdays and in the Retro series. During a visit to Melbourne in 1993 Jenny and I called in to Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. The subject of the Tumlaren Class came up and we were advised that RMYS was in the process of building a register of these boats and there was quite a large fleet of them on Port Phillip. We were able to tell them there were two more in WA and that one had been quite famous in ocean racing and had been the winner of the Bunbury Race when helmed by Merv Finn. They expressed shock/horror because Tumlarens were never intended to be sailed in anything other than sheltered waters and we were absolutely mad to take one of them outside the river.
In February this year Mrs Joan Hughes presented a number of books to the Club on behalf of her neighbour Lady Yarranton. The books belonged to her lwate brother-in-law Donald Yarranton who was a great friend of Sir Francis Chichester and sailed with him to Sydney in a Gypsy Moth.
The following is a list of these books which are offered to Club members to keep:
BASIC SAILING
Manual of Seamanship – Vol.1 – (Admiralty) Dinghy Sailing – Ken Duxbury The Sailing Manual – RYA – Bob Bond Handling the Racing Dinghy – 1973 translation – Mares/Schubert
OTHER
Ancient Voyages in Polynesia – Andrew Sharp The First Ships Around the World – Walter Brownlee The War with Cape Horn – Alan Villiers The Colonial Clippers - Basil Lubbock More Joys of Living – Uffa Fox Ted Turner – The man behind the mouth – Roger Vaughan Yachting on the Sunshine Coast – Chas Pears R.O.I. Pen Duick (trans; Len Ortzen) – Eric Tabarly The Offshore Game: Today’s Ocean Racing – Edward F. Cotter Cornelius Shields on Sailing Elvstrom speaks – Paul Elvstrom The Wind knows no Boundaries – Carleton Mitchell Winning – The boat, the crew and the race – John D.A. Oakley Fastnet Force 10 – John Rousmaniere Ocean - Crossing WAYFARER – Frank & Margaret Dye America’s Cup Fever – Bob Bavier The Racing Edge – Ted Turner & Gary Jobson Ocean Racing Around the World: Admiral’s Cup - Paul Antrobus Southern Cross Cup – Bob Ross Southern Ocean Racing Conference & Onion Patch – Geoffrey Hammond If anyone would like to have one of these books please contact the archives team in the Edward Keane Room on a Tuesday between 10:00am and 15:00.
I am sure Tony and Andrew would agree.
37
JON SANDERS ELECTED HONORARY MEMBER OF THE OCEAN CRUISING CLUB London, England – Members of the OCC elected Jon Sanders of Australia as an Honorary Member of the OCC at the Annual General Meeting held in London at the HQS Wellington on the 28 March 2015. More than 100 members attended the Tenth AGM, and voted unanimously to approve the proposed legendary sailor. Events are planned to celebrate the election in Australia . Jon Sanders was born in Western Australia in 1939, first learning to sail in the Sea Scouts and then as a teenager in the Australian Naval Reserve Cadets. His first solo circumnavigation was from 1975-77 in the first Perie Banou, an S&S 34. In 1981-82 Jon then completed a double circumnavigation west to east via the Southern Ocean. This voyage was recognised in the Guinness Book of Records and in 1983 he was awarded an OBE and the Chichester Award amongst many other accolades. In 1986 Jon set off again in the Parry Endeavour, a 14m sloop, completing a triple solo circumnavigation of the world in just under two years, spending 658 days at sea and covering 71,022 nautical miles. Jon’s only contact with the outside world was via electronic communication and a couple of parcels of mail thrown to him from another vessel. In 1988 he acquired his current yacht Perie Banou II, an S&S 39 built in 1971, extensively refurbished to handle severe conditions, and has since completed a further three circumnavigations, finishing his ninth only a few weeks ago in Fremantle at the age of 75. Commodore John Franklin expressed his sincere congratulations on the night, “Since the Club has not elected an Honorary Member for many years the General Committee felt that our 60th Anniversary year would be an appropriate occasion to nominate others for election. The OCC is most honoured to welcome Jon Sanders to the rank of Honorary Members.” Until this election, the Club had four Honorary Members: • Sir Robin Knox-Johnson
Get Fit this Winter with Fitness@ RFBYC 'Fitness@RFBYC' sessions have now commenced and we still have room for you! Classes are tailored to suit the needs of RFBYC members. Classes are fun and challenging with a variety of exercises and equipment to keep it interesting. Sessions are delivered by an experienced team of 5th Element Fitness trainers.
Session times are from 06:00am - 06:45am on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Packages are 10 sessions @ $160. If you book 20 sessions upfront a 10% discount will be applied. Packs are valid for 3 months. You are welcome to bring a non-member guest and can register through the same system. When booking, you will be asked to complete a brief pre-activity questionnaire which will assist the instructors to create a program to cater for your needs. All levels of fitness are accommodated for. Fitness venue is at RFBYC. Please meet at the Junior Clubhouse on arrival.
This will be a fun way to keep fit in the beautiful grounds of your Club. Sign Up by going to the RFBYC Website Home Page (scroll down).
www.rfbyc.asn.au
• Geraldine Wright • Alfredo Lagos • João Carlos Fraga
If you would like more information about the classes, please contact 5th Element Fitness info@5thelementfitness.com.au or call their studio on 9433 3399. Further Enquiries can be directed to the RFBYC On-Water Department yachtops@rfbyc.asn.au Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club Keanes Point, PEPPERMINT GROVE Phone | 9286 8200 Fax | 9385 1483 Email | rfbyc@rfbyc.asn.au Web | www.rfbyc.asn.au
38
CHAMPIONS’ PRIZE NIGHT 8 MAY 2015 The presentation of Trophies for the 2014-15 Sailing Season was held on Friday, 8 May 2015 in the Roland Smith Ballroom with over 250 members in attendance.
40
Forty five perpetual trophies were presented and continuous food served throughout the evening. Music was supplied by “Light House” led by Karen Bowden. Fantastic evening was enjoyed by all.
41
CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE 2015 TO OCTOBER 2015 19 JUNE 2015
THRUSDAY MID WEEK RACE
21 JUNE 2015
FROSTBITE RACE 3
25 JUNE 2015
THRUSDAY MID WEEK RACE
2 JULY 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
3 JULY 2015
QUARTERDECK LUNCH
5 JULY 2015
FROSTBITE RACE 4
9 JULY 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
16 JULY 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
19 JULY 2015
FROSTBITE RACE 5 PM DINGHY WINTER SERIES AM
23 JULY 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE RFBYC AGM 18:30
30 JULY 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
2 AUGUST 2015
FROSTBITE RACE 6 PM DINGHY WINTER SERIES
Shellabears Real Estate More than 90 years in the making
AM
Call into our new office at
575 Stirling Highway, Cottesloe (Near the corner of Irvine Street) Phone: 9384 8000
PM
AM
6 AUGUST 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
7 AUGUST 2015
QUARTERDECK LUNCH
9 AUGUST 2015
DINGHY WINTER SERIES
13 AUGUST 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
16 AUGUST 2015
FROSTBITE RACE 7
20 AUGUST 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
27 AUGUST 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
30 AUGUST 2015
DINGHY WINTER SERIES
3 SEPTEMBER 2015
THURSDAY MID WEEK RACE
4 SEPTEMBER 2015
COMBINED MESS NIGHT
6 SEPTEMBER 2015
FATHER’S DAY
AM
AM
AM
Sales
Auctions
Management
Architect In-House
No other Agent can compete with our strategies to get the best possible result. Please call to arrange a free appraisal today.
19 SEPTEMBER 2015 POWER CLOSING DAY 3 OCTOBER 2015
GRAND FINAL DAY AT RFBYC
Chris Shellabear 0418 910 065
Nick Holt 0477 443 996
chris@shellabears.com.au 42
Planning
nick@shellabears.com.au
shellabears.com.au
RFBYC WINTER SEMINARS
FREE SEMINARS FREE FOOD! PLEASE REGISTER FOR CATERING PURPOSES
Thursday, 18 June at 7:30pm
SAIL TRIM Pick up some techniques to get the most speed from your sails from sailmaker and sailing coach, Paul Eldrid. Thursday, 02 July at 7:30pm
AN EVENING WITH ANDY FETHERS Meet four times America’s Cup sailor, World match racing champion and two time RC44 World champion. Hear his stories and learn from his experience. Thursday, 30 July at 7:30pm
BASIC NAVIGATION A great introduction to navigation and safety awareness for new and experienced skippers and crew, and those wanting to refresh their skills. Our speaker is Don Punch. Thursday, 06 August at 7:30pm
RACING NAVIGATION Enhance your racing navigation skills with Don Punch. Learn to plan your route to travel the best course. Wednesday, 19 August at 7:30pm
THE SEASON AHEAD Weather with Neil Bennett Safety with Manfred Speicher Thursday, 03 September at 7:30pm
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOP Check out the latest electronic technology, learn what is most suitable for your boat and some tips on use. Please register your attendance to Susan Ghent offshore@rfbyc.asn.au
rfbyc.asn.au
9286 8200