RSAYS Squadron Quarterly Autumn 2015

Quarterly

Vol 29 Issue 1 Autumn 2015

The Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron

www.rsays.com.au

Squadron Quarterly

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ROYAL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YACHT SQUADRON Patron Commodore Vice Commodore Rear Commodore Treasurer Committee Members

General Manager

His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO Peter Cooling Last Tango Rae Hunt Mahalo Bruce Roach Antares Ian McDonald Rachel Geoff Wallbridge Solace Helen Moody Magic Beach Colin Doudy Circe Andrew McDowell

SERVICE DIRECTORY

161 Oliver Rogers Road, Outer Harbor, SA 5018 PO Box 1066, North Haven, SA 5018 Ph (08) 8341 8600 Fax (08) 8248 4933 Email: rsays@rsays.com.au Web: www.rsays.com.au Office hours: 9.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday

9.00am - 6.00pm Wednesday during Twilight Race Season

9.00am - 4.00pm Saturday & Sunday

Closed Public Holidays and Easter Weekend RSAYS Foundation Racing Committee Cruising Committee House and Social Committee Juniors Committee Sail Training & Race Support Etchells Fleet Captain Trailer Sailers

Garry Read Roger Oaten Kingsley Haskett Andrea Mead Mitch Mead Heidi Pfeiffer Wayne Knill Trevor Hamlyn

NEW MEMBERS Category Senior Senior Senior Senior Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Crew Junior Junior Junior Junior Junior

Boat Name First Surname Carte Blanche Peter Mumford Bacchus Simon Greenwood Ipanema Roberto Simmons No Name Yet Jason Stone

Michael Pegler

Bec Goudie

Vicki Bray

Emily Brown

Greg Scholz

Rowland Brow

Charlotte Falconet

Richard Carr

Lindsay Bell

Stuart Wells

James Rerden

Joe McKerron

Christo Biven

Richard Pember

Paul Knowles

Maurice Driscoll

Erik Van Zanten

Joel Catlett

Sage Catlett

Amelia Solomon

Hugh Solomon

Lucinda Solomon

Front Cover: Enchantress Skipper John Willoughby surrounded by sails, sheets and sundry items in readiness for the 65th Sydney-Hobart Race.

Photo by Lisa Bettcher

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Squadron Quarterly

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OPENING TIMES

Dining Room, Jimmy’s Bar and Quarterdeck: The dining facilities are positioned beautifully, overlooking the majestic view of the marina from all locations. This attractive setting provides a warm and relaxing feeling year round.

Opening Hours: Lunch from 12:00: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays Dinner from 18:00: Wednesday (Twilights), Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Private functions anytime by appointment

SQUADRON QUARTERLY TEAM Sally Metzer (Editor) Sue Buckley (Production), Barry Allison, Sandy Barker, Ann Hastwell, Gill Hogarth, Wayne Knill, Jacqui Law-Smith, Dick Richards, Bob Schahinger (Regular Contributors), Ann Hastwell, Anne Arnold, Fay Duncan, Gill Hogarth (Proof Readers).

Seaweed Gardening Group Slipmaster Finance Manager Accounts Administrator Member Services Hospitality & Events Manager Chef

Robert Henshall Julian Murray Joann Galios Kathy Bernhardt Annette Turk Kevin Grant Greg Velios

8332 0889 0414 365 294 8341 8600 8341 8600 8341 8600 8331 8600

Squadron Quarterly Deadline for Winter 2015 issue is 15th May 2015

Advertisements, editorial and photographs can be sent to Sally Metzer, Editor (sallymetzer@hotmail.com) or member.services@rsays.com.au or left at the Squadron Office. Material for an e-Bulletin may be forwarded to the Office at any time.

Squadron Quarterly Advertising Please contact Kathy Bernhardt - phone 8341 8600 or accounts@rsays.com.au

Squadron Quarterly Editorial Autumn 2015: Sally Metzer

Notes for Contributors

Articles submitted should be typed as a Word document in font Arial 10 point, 1500 words max. 1500 words plus 2 photos will cover two pages. Photos should be 1) in focus, 2) JPEG format at a high resolution (300dpi) and 3) sent separately and not embedded in a Word document. Articles can be submitted to the office for distribution to the Committee.

Disclaimer

With exception of statements made by duly authorised officers and the editor and members of The Squadron Quarterly Committee, all other statements and opinions in this publication are those of contributors and advertisers.

The Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, its Management and Members accept no responsibility for statements by non-authorised personnel.

Apology

Our grateful acknowledgement is given to Langdon Hamlyn, Phil Stump and Barry Allison for the ‘Opening Day’ photos in the previous Summer edition of ‘The Squadron Quarterly’.

REPORTS

From the Commodore......................................................................4 From the Manager’s Desk................................................................5 Catering...........................................................................................6 RSAYS Foundation...........................................................................8 Racing.............................................................................................9 Juniors..........................................................................................22 House & Social..............................................................................23 Cruising.........................................................................................24

CONTENTS

REGULAR ARTICLES

New Members.................................................................................2 Letters to the Editor.........................................................................8 History: The Early Lincoln Races....................................................12 Around the Cans: Etchells National Championships........................17 Women on the water......................................................................19 Member Profile: Langdon Hamlyn..................................................28 Senior Member: John Wickham.....................................................32 Nature: Sustainable Seafood – SA Style.........................................36 Sponsor Profile: David Oliver, the man behind Musto......................40 Sail Drive: The Coorong by Trailer Sailer.........................................42 In Tranquil Waters..........................................................................46 Berths for Sale & Lease.................................................................47 Events Calendar.............................................................................48

FEATURES

Slipway Repair/Replacement?..........................................................7 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Enchantress...............................10 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Southern Myth............................12 Club Marine/Lexus Adelaide Lincoln Yacht Race.............................13 King of the Gulf..............................................................................16 Etchells National Championships...................................................17 2015 Multihull National Championships.........................................18 Ballast Head Cup...........................................................................20 2015 Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic.......................................21 Worst Weather Stories...................................................................26 Divided Sky meets Hurricane Chris................................................27 Where are they now: former tender drivers....................................29 Cruising Lake Callabonna..............................................................30 Circumnavigating Kangaroo Island.................................................34 Hong Kong Cruising: Harris family..................................................37 Luxury Aboard an 80-year old Tall Ship..........................................38 Half Ton Class Reunion..................................................................41 Poetry............................................................................................43

EDITORIAL

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Win a MUSTO JACKET

Worth $299! *conditions apply

Entry forms and Terms & Conditions available on our website www.rsays.com.au

 (08) 8341 8600  rsays.com.au 161 Oliver Rogers Road, OUTER HARBOR SA 5018

Autumn 2015

Vol 29 Issue 1 Published Quarterly ISSN 1037-1133 Print Post Publication No. PP532154/00016

Sunny days, chilly nights, calm seas and gentle breezes… it must be time for the Autumn edition of ‘The Squadron Quarterly’! You’ll find this issue is choc a’block with stories of Summer racing – from the 70th Rolex Sydney-Hobart and the 65th Club Marine/Lexus Adelaide-Lincoln, to the inaugural ‘King of the Gulf’. Read how the races were run and won. And spare a passing thought for the crosslegged crew-members when you read Lisa Bettcher’s account of her experience on Enchantress during her first Sydney-Hobart when the head stopped working and everyone, including Lisa (the only woman on board) had to use a bucket!

No such ‘inconvenience’ for female crew-members on the good ship Emma… thanks to Ian Moncrieff’s personally designed gift just for me – a ‘Pee-Phone’, otherwise known as the ‘She-Weed’! On our recent cruise to Lincoln, this brilliant receptacle repeatedly came in handy – literally! It’s amazing how a simple cut-off juice bottle (with a smoothly bevelled edge), a handy lanyard for easy overboard cleaning and marine-inspired artwork can bring such joy to a seasick-prone woman who doesn’t want to risk going below to relieve herself! Bless you, Ian… and a happy 90th too!

Apart from this very basic ‘head talk’, you’ll find some fascinating headlines, especially to Mark Sinclair’s circumnavigation of Kangaroo Island, and to Colin Doudy and Rod Well’s trip to the outback.

There are also our regular reports and rousing stories, and an exciting new competition to enter.

SQ – bringing you the colour and adventure that is part of the sailing experience at the Squadron.

Now read on… !

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FROM THE COMMODORE to consider if they have some enthusiasm and skills that they can contribute by either nominating for a committee, a management role or volunteering to help out around the club. Nomination forms will be available on the website as the AGM draws closer.

Peter Cooling Once again another year has turned over. It seems so long ago that Last Tango was anchored at Kangaroo Island dodging the typical Christmas weather patterns that have become all too regular. We endured bumpy passage crossings, being woken from an afternoon nap with the excitement of “We’re dragging and the dinghy is upside down with the outboard submerged!”, and watching close friends dragging past in the darkness. On the upside we enjoyed great company, boat hopping and a very enjoyable New Years Eve hosted by Anthea Cowell at Brown’s Beach.

Our racing members have been busy representing the Squadron in the holiday period. We’ve had Enchantress and Southern Myth competing in the Sydney to Hobart, our women’s team in the J24 Nationals, our younger members in the Cherub National Titles and our multi-hulls in the Geelong Week Regatta with some impressive results.

Congratulations to the new National Champions Iain McDougal and crew onboard Gold Finger. We’ve also recently hosted the highly successful Etchells National Titles held at the Squadron. On behalf of those visiting skippers and crews and all our members let’s give a huge round of thanks to Andrew Waterman and the long list of club members who volunteered their precious time and their vessels that contributed to making it such a memorable series.

The Squadron has been extremely fortunate to have had particular member involvement in recent months. These members have generously covered the cost for reframing club burgees and the cost of restoring our cherished heritage furniture. We have had members giving their time to hang burgees on the hallowed walls of the Dining Room, making donations of some beautiful books for the library, and one member has covered the cost of detailing and new signage on the Squadron van. All their support is truly appreciated.

We are on target to have the clubhouse and surrounds looking resplendent for the Grand Opening on Sunday 19th April. Please put a proposed diary date for this very special day for all members, guests and friends of the Squadron to enjoy. Confirmed details will be published in the ebulletin on as soon as they are available.

Our Port Vincent Easter Regatta is almost here.

It is a major event on the Squadron calendar and the weather is promising to be ideal with the Indian summer that is predicted. To new members and old, to those who race, cruise or come by road, I would like to personally invite you all to join us for an incredible weekend. There will be great racing, cruising, fishing and Squadron seamanship and fellowship. The marquee will be on station for the sumptuous shared dinner, dessert competition and race presentations. It is highly possible that the Easter Bunny will again make an appearance. Noels and I invite all members to join us at the marina on Easter Saturday for the Commodore’s shout!

Finally, I would like to welcome aboard our new Hospitality and Events Manager, Kevin Grant, and also the many new members and vessels that have joined our community. I am sure we all look forward to meeting them and enjoying their company at the next New Member’s Day, and as we go about enjoying our fantastic club.

In seamanship and fellowship Pete Cooling Commodore

ning

Ope e s u o h b u l C

Sunday April 19th Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron

Official opening by His Excellency The Honourable Hieu Van Le AO GOVERNOR OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Clubhouse official opening 1030 for 1100 Lunch from Midday. Party on the quarterdeck featuring Adelaide’s best party band The Flaming Sambucas all afternoon

There will be detailed reports on all these racing activities inside this SQ issue, but I would like to bring your attention to a very moving comment from the Etchells presentation night. It came from the youngest crewmember and RSAYS junior member Sam Kovacic when he recounted that unforgettable heat when his boat rounded the first mark in fourth position, just astern of Etchells National Champion and Americas Cup winning helmsman, John Bertrand. Apparently Sam’s crew-member Guy said “There looks like there’s a gap right behind Bertrand!” Sam responded “I don’t think I’ll ever hear that again in my life!” The excitement on Sam’s face was a telling sign that the experience would never be forgotten… or perhaps the resolution that next time he would be leading John Bertrand around the mark!

As the RSAYS AGM in July draws closer, I would like to thank all those members who have taken on committee and volunteer roles. The Squadron is very appreciative of the sacrifices those members make to ensure the ongoing healthy environment that the club offers. I would like to encourage all members

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 (08) 8341 8600  rsays.com.au 161 Oliver Rogers Road, OUTER HARBOR SA 5018

FROM THE MANAGER’S DESK

By Andrew McDowell they can be confident and proud. Exciting developments include the introduction of a new wine list, a members’ discount on food and beverages, a members’ loyalty program, further development of our function packages and corporate/ wedding business and the training and development of staff.

Andrew McDowell & Staff A moment to catch our breaths… The festive season certainly gave the club and its management team a momentary pause on an otherwise rigorous schedule of rebirth and evolution. This has seen us emerge with a forward plan for success and sustainability in all the key focus areas of the club!

At the heart of this evolution is the vision for the future and the commitment to find solutions to long-standing issues that are both fiscally sound and practically sustainable. These visions and commitments are forming the basis of a five-year strategic plan that will become the reference point for the clubs future and set clear goals and tangible outcomes that the clubs success can be measured by.

I have recently signed off on a number of key initiatives that will provide greater certainty and financial return to many members and which have tenaciously managed to remain outstanding for many years. The first of these issues, and one which has caused immense concern among members, is that of the many expired berth licences in existence. These licences have been maintained by the club, under a hold-over clause, but have provided no certainty for the owners.

Finally I am pleased to say that we have sent out deeds of extension on these expired licences to bring them in line with the expiry of all the other 399-year berth licence agreements in place. A level playing field has now been established on which the club can move forward.

A second and more recent initiative that I am delighted to have finalised is that of the changes to the berth licence agreements (BLA). These allow the berth

owner to sub-licence their berth with the consent of the club and remove the obligation for the club to be a party in the agreement, therefore not attracting GST on the rental paid unless the berth owner is registered for GST. This proposed amendment has now been sent out for a vote to all berth licence owners under the provisions of clause 20 of the BLA. This equates to a significant increase on return and capital value to berth licence owners.

It will be proposed that part of this saving is used to freeze rental increases for the coming year, therefore providing the club and berth owners with a competitive edge in the rental price market.

After a very successful management of the clubhouse redevelopment project that saw us achieve the results both on time and budget, Stage 2 of the clubhouse redevelopment is now underway with the eastern entrance, canopy and civil works proceeding and on schedule. The clubhouse and surrounds are excitingly anticipated to be officially opened by the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le, on Sunday 19th April. We are working with Government House to coordinate His Excellency’s availability and official proceedings.

The appointment of Kevin Grant to the newly defined role of Hospitality and Events Manager has been welcomed by both the members and the management team of the Squadron. Kevin’s wealth of experience and warm nature has instantly endeared him to all who have met him.

Kevin is forging ahead with our plans to develop the F&B department into a profit centre and a member’s service of which

Planned and preventative maintenance is a core initiative of the future vision and I am pleased to announce that we have finally rectified the long outstanding power issues on the North Bank marina.

Ongoing remedial action has been taken within the slip to address risks accessed with boat maintenance and cradle use.

In consultation with our Development Advisory Panel, we are working through a number of scenarios to safeguard the long-term future of the slip operation.

The marina industry is a tight-knit community that relies, in part, on the sharing of information to self-regulate and benchmark. Part of this process is the regular request from industry bodies and other managers on levels of membership movements, occupancy, enquiries etc.

I am always buoyed by the fact that we are bucking the trend with a membership that is on the rise again, a steady level of enquiries that have a very high hit rate of being turned into positive club movements, and an occupancy that is just shy of 100%. We have reason to be confident in our future and to sing it to our potential members out there. Don’t be shy, tell ‘em what they’re missing out on!

We have now launched our completely new club website that has a ‘Member’s Only’ access area, allowing members secure online access to their account for online payment, statement download, update details and event bookings.

Included are a member loyalty and rewards program, member discounts and emailing of statements etc. The next development in this exciting member engagement program will be the introduction of a full service online merchandise store. This is planned to be up and running by the end of March 2015.

I look forward to reporting further progress as these exciting developments evolve and, as always, I welcome comments that are constructive, without partiality and in the spirit of ‘Seamanship & Fellowship.’

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CATERING REPORT

By Kevin Grant try for that special occasion! The new wine list also offers a larger selection of varietal wines and has an extensive cellar’s list including two French champagnes. We are also offering more wine by the glass.

Pricing on the wine list is at non-members prices.

Kevin Grant I trust you are all aware by now that our exciting new wine list is up and running.

This initiative is the first step towards reinvigorating our new facilities and we have received excellent feedback from the wine industry, including Carmen from Porters & Co. and Craig from Henschke.

In building the wine list we have taken into consideration the varied price points required for members to continue to offer good value wine selection. The new wine list offers an increased selection of varietal wines mainly from selected South Australian wine regions. There were of course a few wines we could not leave off the wine list, one being the Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Box from South Africa – definitely worth a

We are introducing discounted members’ pricing, with members receiving at least 10% discount off their purchases. This will soon apply to all areas in the restaurant.

We are also offering more wine selections available to be bought by the glass. To receive the discount, prior to ordering present your card to be swiped for the discount and loyalty points. If you do not have your Member’s card please advise the staff when ordering for the member’s discount.

A Members’ Loyalty Program will also commence soon. The loyalty program will add a further value of 5-10% discount from food and beverage purchases that can be redeemed against purchases over the bar. This is a substantial saving and a considerable benefit for members only. The Member’s Loyalty Program conditions are posted on the web site.

February has been a good month for catering with three wedding receptions with excellent customer feedback. I

received a thank you on the night from all wedding couples and they have assured me they will recommend the Club to all their friends. Positive word of mouth is invaluable marketing.

Our Chef, Greg and I will be working on a new restaurant menu over the next few weeks to further improve our offering to members. The feedback from guests has been pleasing and we look forward to continual improvement. The menu will have additional entrée options and more seasonal focus.

The Club’s new events packages will be on our web site within the month. These packages and the increase in revenue from external functions will go a long way to seeing us achieve our targets of increased profitability and sustainability while maintaining the high level of members benefits and service. One of the speciality menus in the new package is roaming entrées instead of a seated entrée. The thought is to make use of our balcony with the marina view and offer a point of difference to other function packages. The idea has caught on, with one wedding enquiry for roaming canapés instead of entrée having already been made. This interest encourages me that we are on the right track with our new package design.

YACHTY HOT SHOTS More than 100 members and their guests attended the RSAYS’s ‘Yachty Hot Shots’ prizegiving presentation on Saturday, 14th March at which the winners of this Summer’s SQ photo competition were announced.

This is the second year that this popular initiative has been run. A total of 69 entries were submitted into four of the categories.

Winners were: Cruising: Alan Duncan Sunset at Barker Inlet Lifestyle/RSAYS Logo: Helena Jasinski Baby it’s cold out here Racing: Ally Graham Red Mist Surfing People’s Choice: Sally Metzer R ‘n’ R at Reevesby

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PHOTO COMPETITION PROVES POPULAR AGAIN The judges, namely award-winning photo journalist Bryan Charlton, former RSAYS official photographer Langdon Hamlyn and last year’s winner Brenton Walker were impressed with the quality and variety of shots taken.

At the presentation Bryan Charlton bemoaned the fact that no Juniors had entered this year and encouraged them to take photos on their iphone at every opportunity, and to ‘get into it’ next year.

He also suggested that the entries should be displayed for all to see in the new upstairs dining area as an on-going exhibition.

All photos can be seen on the Squadron website.

Winners L-R, Alan Duncan, Sally Metzer & Helena Jasinski Photo by Bryan Charlton

SLIPWAY REPAIR / REPLACEMENT?

By Geoff Wallbridge, Chairman D.A.P a very poor connection to the western steel pile which supports its outer end.

• The gauge between the two rails of the slipway varied considerably and significantly, in places, was 30+mm over the standard dimension.

Geoff Walbridge inspecting the slipway

There have been a number of derailing incidents over the years in which cradles have de-railed while lifting vessels out of the pool on our slipway.

The incidences have increased in recent years and the Development Assistance Panel (DAP), which comprises Peter Cooling – Commodore; Lloyd Cushway – Engineer; Bruce Roach – Architect; Mal Mead – Steel Fabricator; Robert Henshall – retired gentleman; and Geoff Wallbridge – Consulting Engineer; was asked by the Management Committee to investigate the causes and options for rectification.

Lloyd Cushway dived on the underwater parts of the slipway a number of times and produced a detailed set of measured drawings which showed that the slipway suffers from several defects.

• The connection between the main structural beam on the western side, has

• The whole original structure had been over-laid with a second structure and rails, which had been slid down on top of the old rails. This created a slightly top heavy and unstable structure.

• The head of the rails, in the inter-tidal zone where the load of boat and cradle starts to bear on them, had worn away from about 50mm thickness to 10mm; drastically weakening them.

About a year ago the DAP organised diver Jock Laurie to install a number of tie rods across the upper rails and lighten them up in an attempt to maintain the correct gauge.

This was partially successful but in places the rails refused to move inward and some infrequent derailments continued to occur.

Recently the RSAYS maintenance staff have reduced the allowable gauge tolerance in the wheels of two of the cradles and this seems to have overcome the immediate problem of derailments.

However, the other problems remain and a more complete renovation is obviously required.

As explained at the last Quarterly meeting, several options are currently being considered and priced by the DAP. These are: Option 1 – replace existing upper rails Option 2 – replace whole slipway Option 3 – new vertical shiplift with winches and cables Option 4 – new vertical shiplift with hydraulics Each option has various advantages and disadvantages, all of which are being considered in detail. My company, Aztec, was commissioned to produce preliminary designs and drawings of suitable lift pit and lifting gear to enable accurate cost estimation. This has been completed and the DAP is currently using the services of a large civil contractor (whose estimator sails at the RSAYS) to arrive at reasonably accurate cost estimates for options 3, 4 and 5. The Management Committee will then be able to make an informed recommendation to the members and seek the required funding from RSAYS Limited.

MAMEENA’S DAMAGE MINIMAL. Robin and Angela Smith must surely have heaved a huge sigh of relief when it was discovered that their beloved old tuna boat Mameena was in better shape than expected after running aground on Troubridge Shoal near Edithburgh. The active ‘liveaboard’ Squadron couple were on their way to Pt. Lincoln when trouble struck at 8.30am on January 22nd.

The drama was documented in the Yorke Peninsula Country Times. (see clipping)

make two corrections to the article.

“In the first place she’s ‘our’ boat, and secondly we do not have a hyphenated name. I don’t know where the William-Smith came from!”

The boat was taken to the North Arm for inspection. Once on the high-anddry it became evident that the historic vessel was severely waterlogged.

“She will certainly need a complete re-paint after we’ve removed all the gear,” says Angela, who went on to

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FOUNDATION REPORT

By Helen Moody - RSAYS Foundation Trustee With the annual giving letter for the RSAYS Foundation being sent in April, it is also timely to consider the possibility of making a bequest to the RSAYS. This is a wonderful way for a legacy to be left in the Squadron that has been so much part of people’s lives. It enables a lasting impression and acknowledgement of contributions and good times that were had in the community that is the Squadron.

The plaque will read: IN MEMORY OF GRAHAM “GT” TILNEY COTTON 1941 – 2013 A LOVER OF BOATING WHO, WITH HIS FAMILY, SUPPORTED THE ROYAL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YACHT SQUADRON THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE AND MADE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE CLUBHOUSE REDEVELOPMENT 19TH APRIL 2015

Graham Cotton, who passed away in 2013, has done just that. His bequest to the RSAYS has provided significant funds towards the front foyer renovations. It is with thanks and remembrance of Graham as a sailor and valuable club member, that he will be recognised through his generous bequest.

A plaque will be placed in the foyer to acknowledge his contribution and to ensure his memory remains as part of club history.

The foundation encourages all members to look at this plaque in the new foyer and acknowledge the contribution that one man has made to our squadron community in a lasting manner.

Also don’t forget that you can apply for a Foundation grant to assist with funding activities in the categories of training, building or equipment that enhances the undertaking of the sport of sailing.

Guidelines for applications can be found on the website and the application lodged with the office. The foundation looks forward to receiving your applications! If you would like more information about the grant process feel free to contact any of the trustees.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4th January 2015

13th January 2015

1st January 2015

Dear Madam

Dear Madam

Dear Editor

The most recent issue of the Squadron Quarterly (Vol 28 Issue 4) was an outstanding read and of the same high quality of the many previous issues.

I have spoken to Richard regarding the concerns expressed in his letter. To clarify, our target of matching revenue to operating expenditure is in reference to RSAYS Inc. This is after paying a lease fee to RSAYS Ltd and depreciation expense.

Dr Peter Last reminds us of the days when Squadron membership was open only to British gentlemen (The Squadron at War, SQ vol 28 Summer 2014).

However, I do wish to understand some of the commentary made on page 8. It has been suggested that if our club’s revenue continues to match our operating expenditure we “will continue to have significant funds to further invest in capital works”. Unless we borrow from a financier (a bank or a member) we must surely need to generate a surplus from our trading and membership charges after paying our expenses if we are to have the required funds for further capital works?

I have noted that the two “RSAYS Consolidated” Bar graphs show an increase in Funds Balance and an increasing difference between Total Income and Total Expenditure going forwards. Are these projections supported by budgets and if so when will the interested members be able to see the budgets?

The 80/20 rule (or is it 95/5) has always been a factor in most clubs and organisations.

The minority always generate the majority of the work. May I remind readers that it was only a “minority of members”, namely 20, who petitioned for an extraordinary general meeting of members when they had grave concerns for their club some years ago. Perhaps the “issues and concerns of a minority of members” can be alleviated if there was an improvement in the overall performance of their club and this was clearly explained to them.

Yours faithfully Richard Colebatch

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The monies in RSAYS Ltd are then invested to ensure that there will be funds for further capital works.

The increasing difference between total income and expenditure going forward represents additional interest income as the cash used for the building refurbishment is replenished. At this stage we have continued to assume a “break even” result for RSAYS Inc. and have not allowed for any significant new capital projects.

Yours faithfully Ian McDonald Treasurer RSAYS

I recall an account in this matter given to me

by Wilfred Stegemann. This would have been in the late 1960s or early ‘70s.

Wilfred was indisputably a gentleman, but not a British one, and his first application for membership was turned down. He appealed on the grounds that if he took up British (Australian?) citizenship then he would have to forego his German navy pension, and it was this money that he planned to set aside to pay his Squadron dues.

How could the membership Committee reject such a well organised applicant? It couldn’t, and didn’t, and Wilfred was elected to membership.

He bought one of the H28s then in the Squadron pool, and renamed her Narwhal. I can’t remember her original name.

Lynda Walsh

RACING NEWS

By Heidi Pfeiffer

Letting off flares at the Sea Safety Day (Photo Chris Langdon & Heidi Pfeiffer)

It has been a busy start to the year in the sailing office with many racing events, including the Etchells Nationals, the Long Coaster race, the Women’s Keelboat Invitation Race and the Sea Safety Day. Enchantress and Southern Myth finished last year on a high with the completion of the Sydney to Hobart Race. Congratulations to John Willoughby and the Enchantress crew and John Riddell and the Southern Myth crew.

The New Year began with the Long Coaster race with the southern-most mark at Seacliff. A variety of conditions was experienced along the coastline, in particular at Seacliff. By the halfway point, fewer than half the thirty strong fleet had reached the difficult-to-round Seacliff mark.

On the return, the leading boats in the fleet were lucky to catch some stronger winds, which left the rest watching them sail off into the distance. The race was tiring for most crew but proved to be a good test before the Adelaide to Port Lincoln race, by highlighting the areas which need a bit of work. All boats finished, with less than an hour until the time limit.

The Squadron hosted the 2015 Etchells Nationals from 11th-16th January. The atmosphere was excellent throughout the week. It was an impressive sight watching thirty-four Etchells sail smoothly down the Port River and into the basin in +15 knots. Well done and thank you to Andrew Waterman for the preparation in the lead up, and to the twenty plus volunteers who assisted each day throughout the week.

The Women’s Invitation Race saw nine boats take to the water, with mostly female crew. Thanks to the series sponsor, Nautilus Marine, all competitors received some goodies. Congratulations to Jan Perry on Nerana II who took first place. She was commended by the series entrants for having sailed an excellent race.

We were once again fortunate to have Kaesler Wines sponsor the Kaesler Cup. The race was down on numbers from last year’s due to a clash with a regatta, but it was great to see all crew stay around for the presentations and trophies to be handed out. Kaesler Wines’ generous sponsorship ensured all boats which entered received a bottle of wine. Congratulations to Aikin and Blue Diamond for winning Division 1 and Division 2 respectively.

It was a relatively cool February day which saw forty people jump into the marina as part of Sea Safety Day. Despite a few squeals on the jump in, it was great to see the camaraderie between all the participants.

The day covered Man Overboard and flare demonstrations, first aid, marine electronics and

general safety. Thanks to Bruce Macky, Dave Brooksby and Kylie Ellison for presenting information, to Chris Mandalov for organising the day, and to Alan Down for offering Salacia for the MOB demo.

The Glenelg Gulf Race saw a very slow start to the first mark at Glenelg, with club racing being abandoned due to a lack of wind. From Glenelg it was a good race with all boats finishing before midnight. First place in AMS went to Lucette (Chris Pratt) and in PHS went to Vulcan (Jim Howell).

Racing events coming up in the next few months include the Inkster Race, which closes the season on April 25th. Save the date for the Racing Presentation on Saturday May 9th, when all the season’s trophies are presented to round off the sailing season.

Bruce Macky, John Moffat and Omar Kanj assist with man overboard drill from Alan Down’s yacht Salacia (photo Chris Mandalov & Heidi Pfeiffer)

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THE 70TH ROLEX SYDNEY TO HOBART

By Lisa Bettcher, Crewmember on Enchantress Enchantress assisting with the search for crashed plane during Rolex Sydney to Hobart race

The guys were great and the team gelled well together. I felt like one of the boys – especially when the toilet broke down less than 24 hours into the race, and we all had to use the bucket! That’s another story.

Lisa Bettcher If you have read the SQ Winter 2014, you would know that I have had a few false starts at doing a Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Well, 2014 was the year I made it!

I knew that John Willoughby was intending to do the race this year but had his crew all sorted. Then one Twilight race in November, he approached me to see what my thoughts might be to fill a space that had been made vacant. He knew I knew Enchantress and how everything worked and as I had raced on her so many times before, he thought I was an obvious choice. Not too much time to make a decision. I agreed to do the next Offshore, where all the rest of the crew would be on board. “Let’s see if they are happy to have me (the only female) on board” I thought.

A short and intense fitness regime later and mentally preparing with just under a month out, bookings for flights and accommodation, at a premium, I soon found myself in Sydney at the CYCA.

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While the weather forecast was very favourable to Enchantress, I don’t think the race nervousness left me until we were well out of Sydney Harbour. Then it was a matter of sit back and enjoy the ride, you’re now on it to the end. The start line is a fabulous colour spectacle as each yacht has to put up their day-glow trysail and storm jib. It is such a shame that people participating do not get to see it on TV. What was very special to me was that many friends and acquaintances, who knew nothing about sailing, had been following our progress on the tracker.

Some were ringing (my partner) Terry regularly for updates, getting very excited about our pending position overall, and wanting explanations of what was going on, especially when the squiggly line started to appear on our track due to our assistance with the search and rescue of the plane crew.

We were flying down the coast in 39knots of increasing breeze putting in a reef or two, then just as quickly, the wind started to die following the end of the 1705 sked (each one takes about 1hour), when (navigator) Greg appeared in the companionway to say that it had just come over the radio that a light plane had gone down around the Cape Raoul, just ahead of where were. We could see Mistral (with a dark blue hull) ahead of us. They had been the boat calling in the

disaster. Boats in the vicinity were asked by race management to assist with search and rescue and to pick up any debris they found. We dropped sails, started the motor and headed in that direction.

Several other yachts did the same. The whole feeling was eerie as the wind had almost completely died away making the water easier to see any floating items.

Other yachts had crew members up the mast for a better view; we had our boat hook and I had my camera at the ready.

We located the origin of the fuel bubbling up from below and waited and signalled as the Marine Police boat came along with a rubber duck and a diver. Once they were on the spot, they let a marker buoy go, we backed off to allow them to do what was needed.

Around 1830 all yachts were released from the search, and we could see some nasty jagged clouds with thunder squalls about to descend on us. The wind suddenly increased to over 40knots, and biting rain came in squalls hitting us. Several of our guys were underdressed as thoughts in that direction had been forgotten in the previous hour or so. Still in what I would describe as shock, we hoisted the number 4 headsail and a double reef to make our way around the Cape and into Storm Bay. As darkness descended the wind was up and down. Reef in, reef out, but crew were cold and had lost momentum due to the earlier events. We struggled with the currents up the Derwent in the dark and around the Iron Pot. Our expected finish time was 2330hrs as this time came and went and the winds died we hunted for zephyrs to try to make up time. The night light played tricks on us and what we were looking at, tacking at the wrong time only to get caught up in the outgoing currents again. Crew shifts had been forgotten and so had eating since 1700. It was now well after 0230. The finish line seemed to be elusive to us and the tiniest of blinking lights to identify it added difficulty in the early morning. Eventually at 0315hrs, we crossed the line, in the knowledge we had lost the podium places we were destined for. A mixture of relief, sadness and excitement and tiredness was felt by all. Third place in the 30 year veteran boat was our podium. Fourth in IRC in Div. 4 was still a pretty damn good result.

I just expected to get to Hobart, but one of our crew who was on Renegade in the 1998 Hobart was just very pleased to arrive in Hobart this time round.

A Sydney to Hobart is not everyone’s cup of tea, nor a walk in the park. Would I do it again? My answer, ‘Right boat, right crew and yes, I would!’ I’ve got all the gear now.

Dr. John Willoughby in another role at the recent tasting of his ‘Bay of Shoals’ wines.

Enchantress photo courtesy RSAYS

ENCHANTRESS SKIPPER SAYS “IT’S WHAT ANYONE WOULD DO”…

When a light plane plunged into the sea about 1nm from the Sydney-Hobart contender Enchantress, skipper Dr. John Willoughby says there was no hesitation in going to the rescue of the stricken craft.

Despite the fact that the 31-year-old cold moulded cedar yacht was racing well, (at the time the boat was in the top five overall honours), John says there was never any doubt they would immediately switch from racing to rescue mode. “Apart from it being the decent thing to do, it is also one of the laws of racing,” he says. “If a mayday is sent out, all boats in the vicinity are expected to go and help”. John, a Gawler ophthalmologist and long-time Squadron member recounts the event.

“We’d just rounded Tasman Island and headed into Storm Bay when our navigator Greg Pearce, heard the mayday call. We’d seen the plane flying in the vicinity just previously, but were busy doing sail changes and things that carry your attention. We didn’t actually see it go down, but crew member Neil Parker heard its engine noise stop. We immediately dropped sails and motored straight to the scene about a mile ahead, and were the second boat there”.

Mistraal had seen the crash and called the mayday. They were first on the scene and found a set of earphones and a seat headrest. It is believed that the plane sank

within 30 seconds of crashing into the sea.

Conditions at the time were light 4 knot NW – W winds with a glassy sea surface.

The angle of the late afternoon sun and the 90 metre depth made the underwater view very murky. The searchers followed a grid pattern and found no further debris.

Eventually a few oil spots came up to the surface.

“After we’d been searching for about an hour, a police rescue boat turned up and laid a buoy on the site before telling us to head on. But by this stage, the crew had (as John puts it) “had lost their mojo. We found it difficult to get back into the race,” he says. “We had got out of the watch system and the tag-team mentality when all the crewmembers were up on deck for the search. We lost our competitive drive and cohesion, and the impetus to compete effectively was gone.”

This significant psychological shift was mirrored in a dramatic weather change.

“Suddenly a squall with 45 knot freezing winds with rain and hail hit us as we were hoisting the mainsail. Up until then we had been in warm following winds, now freezing headwinds were our first introduction to the cold Tasmanian summer. Night fell on us just as quickly as we made our way up Storm Bay to arrive at a seemingly deserted Constitution Dock. Not a soul to be seen other than the rubber duck drivers

of the race committee directing us to our berth. No rousing cheers, all the revellers at Taste of Tasmania were all gone home to bed. It was quite an anticlimax compared to our previous races”.

Enchantress won the Melbourne to Hobart in similar conditions in 2010. This was the second time she has taken part in the Sydney-Hobart, coming 19th overall (IRC Handicap) with a fourth placing in Division 4 from a fleet of 118 yachts.

Under John Muirhead in the 2012 race she finished 17th overall and was 3rd in Division 4. She has been on the market and was left in Hobart to be in the Wooden Boat Festival. No sale eventuated so she will be prepared again for this year’s SydneyHobart. All interested crew should contact John Willoughby.

John’s rescue efforts are not restricted to racing conditions. He goes yearly to Tonga and Tuvalu to undertake cataract surgery on the locals and bring their sight back.

“These are the most needy people I’ve ever seen”, he says. “Three quarters of them can’t see their hand in front of their face!”

Conditions are difficult in these remote islands, so John is considering creating a floating surgical theatre on a catamaran and going around the islands offering help with his team of two nurses, two doctors and an optometrist. “I’m no hero,” he says.

“It’s just doing what you can to help”.

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SOUTHERN MYTH

Plucky Southern Myth succeeds in the Sydney-Hobart Southern Myth, the 61 year old Bermudan sloop and the smallest boat in the race, was the second to last boat to finish in the Sydney-Hobart, reaching Hobart after battling stormy conditions on her fifth day out.

But her placing was of no concern to skipper Peter Riddell. “From my point of view it’s just about being part of the big event, and representing the more amateur and older type boats”, he said.

Southern Myth first sailed the race in 1954 and has now completed 15 SydneyHobarts and never had to retire. Her best result overall was third in 1958, but the boat fell into disrepair in the 1980’s and 90’s.

Peter, who first sailed in her as a 14-yearold, repaired the yacht for the 1994 SydneyHobart to mark the 40 years since her debut.

She completed the 2004 race to mark her 50th anniversary, and was again brought of retirement for her 60th attempt.

Southern Myth before the recent Sydney to Hobart photo courtesy of RSAYS

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At just 12.5m in length, she was designed by eminent naval architect Laurent Giles and built in Adelaide for Norm Howard in 1953. She raced her first Sydney to Hobart in 1954 finishing fifth, and would race 10 of the next 11 Blue Water Classics until 1965, missing only in 1964. Her best result overall was third in 1958. Each race was effectively a minimum six-week campaign, sailing the yacht from Adelaide to Sydney, racing to Hobart then returning to Adelaide.

Southern Myth helped launched the career of a young Sir James Hardy, in the 1955 Sydney to Hobart, and carried other South Australian sailing figures including John Wigan, Gerry Hargraves, Mark Tostevin, David Judell and John Taylor. Under Howard, Southern Myth became a student vessel, exposing youngsters to the sport.

“When Norm got into his 60s and 70s the vessel fell into pretty major disrepair and it was going to be scuttled and disposed of,” Peter says.

“To me, it was too important as a piece of sailing tradition and an excellent example of 1950s yachting to let that happen. In the end she wasn’t scuttled but she did sink in her mooring and had to be refloated. All the decking had to be taken right back to her original timbers and rebuilt from that state.

That was just before we sailed her in the 1994 Hobart, so it was modernised when we rebuilt it. I suppose the reason we’re doing this race is because the boat is 60 years old, it will be her 15th Hobart and this is the 70th race”.

In an age of multimillion-dollar super maxis almost three times her size, Southern Myth is an anathema.

“This is more of a labour of love than trying to get the biggest and best of everything”, says Peter Riddell. “Ours is a fairly small scale effort, just getting out to do it for the fun of it. I think it would be nice to see the race opening out to smaller vessels, not necessarily those that have millions of dollars.”

Southern Myth performing in previous times photo courtesy of RSAYS

ADELAIDE TO PORT LINCOLN

By Dick Richards

The start of the Adelaide Port Lincoln race Friday 20 February

The 65th Club Marine/Lexus Adelaide-Port Lincoln Race: SA’s premier sailing event The 2015 race was started at Outer Harbor on Friday, 20th February in light to moderate conditions. The Port Lincoln Yacht Club in conjunction with the CYSA and the RSAYS hosts the event each year. It heralds the start of ‘Lincoln Week’, which features a series of spectacular races involving a number of different classes on the beautiful deep water Boston Harbour.

This year the CYCSA was responsible for the registration of entrants and for organising the start.

The race was first run in 1956 as a joint affair between the Port Lincoln sailing club and the RSAYS, and was later joined by the CYCSA. See Dr Peter Last’s article on page 14 for a lively and informed history of the race.

The first gun went off for the start of the cruising division at 1000 hours in very light conditions followed by the racing fleet at 1500 hours. Luckily the wind had picked up to around 14 knots for start of the main race. The start was crowded and somewhat confused because the fleet bunched up at the windward mark, despite the fact that the starting line was long enough to accommodate the entire fleet with ease.

in the cruising division and by 8.00 pm the leading boat Secret Men’s Business had entered Investigator Strait followed by Scarlet Runner. During the night and early morning the fleet experienced a variety of conditions, which varied between strong steady winds to doldrums.

Secret Men’s Business, owned and skippered by Geoff Boettcher, was first to finish the race just after 9.00am on Saturday 21st followed 40 minutes later

by Rob Date’s Scarlet Runner. Geoff Boettcher said that they had good sailing between Adelaide and Marion Reef with the boat reaching 25 knots, but during the early morning of the second day, they lost one to two hours in the very light conditions and much of the fleet caught up with them. Scarlet Runner’s skipper Rob Date reported they were also affected by the calm conditions and coming past Donnington the tide was so strong they were stationary for twenty five minutes. He also said that their best stretch of the race was along the bottom of York Peninsula, when just on dusk the boat reached 18 knots, which provided some enjoyable sailing.

This year 45 yachts participated in the race and five retired. Fifteen boats from the Squadron raced with fifteen also from the CYCSA and a further fifteen from Port Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Victoria and WA. Seven boats raced in the cruising division but only two vessels completed the course because of the trying conditions during the second stage of the race.

The race was won on handicap by Andrew Coletto’s Shining Sea, which was first in the IRC and AMS titles followed by Alan Woodward’s Reverie. Caillin Howard and Dave Oliver’ Aikin from the Squadron was a close fourth on IRC and second on AMS with Scott Mutton’s 3 Cool Cats third on AMS and overall winner in Division One PHS handicap with Shining Sea second and Geoff Vercoe’s The Gnome third. Bob Francis’s Renegade won the Division Two PHS handicap.

By Friday evening the racing fleet had caught up with and passed the first boats

Dave Oliver said Aikin had a good start to the race and a brisk sail along the foot

of Yorke Peninsula. They were ahead of Shining Sea at Cape Spencer where they sailed a rhumb line to Dangerous Reef and on to Donnington. Unfortunately the breeze lightened up significantly on this last leg and Shining Sea being a little north of the rhumb line sailed around them.

Aikin was eventually forced to hug the shore a couple of miles below Donnington following a narrow band of wind and working slowly towards the finish.

Veteran RSAYS skipper of Rimfire II John Moffatt said that it was a classic one tack race with very light conditions around Cape Donnington where one boat was contemplating anchoring because they were drifting backwards. John could not remember how many Lincoln races he had competed in but he thought that it was more than 40, but he added that from the RSAYS Jim Howell, now in Vulcan and Bob Francis in Renegade had sailed many more Lincolns in a variety of boats.

In the Cruising Division only two of the seven boats finished. John Silby’s Coca was the winner on PHS ahead of Wayne Grant’s Wind Weaver. Both boats are from the CYCSA. No cruising boats entered from the Squadron this year.

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SQUADRON HISTORY

By Squadron Historian, Dr Peter Last

THE EARLY LINCOLN RACES The first yacht race from Outer Harbor to Port Lincoln was in 1950, with seven starters, initiated jointly by the Squadron and the Port Lincoln Yacht Club. Thereafter starts were ‘inside the River’ at 1900 hrs on a Friday two weeks after the Australia Day holiday weekend. In SE conditions, this meant starting and continuing on the port tack, a situation that in 1953 led to the collision between Colin Haselgrove’s newly acquired Cooroyba and George Mayne’s Pavana. (SQ issue 3: 2014) The course of 182nm was from the start to Dangerous Reef, finishing at Port Lincoln off the town jetty. After the race, some yachts came straight home, but many went cruising and fishing. Once Alan Behrens sent his famous telegram, “Return unavoidably delayed. Hopelessly weatherbound in Whaler’s Bay.” Sometimes a persistently strong SE airstream can pin yachts there, and then it is good to know how to rig a fisherman’s bridle. (Squadron Quarterly March 2004. That issue also has an account of the Jedda – Straats Singapore collision, in which Jedda was sunk, thereby temporarily closing the Port River.)

The Lincoln race soon became increasingly popular, especially when fast light plywood vessels appeared early in the 1960s and the whole face of yachting changed. David Binks built some designed by the Dutchman Vandestadt for North Sea conditions, which did well in the short steep seas of our gulfs.

The first was Dr John Muirhead’s Black Soo Enchantress, closely followed (both in construction and race results) by David Judell’s Jedda and Dick Fidock’s variants Kareelah and Cedalion. Very quickly Black Soos appeared at Port Lincoln under Jack Randall and the Hopping brothers.

In 1963, I was aboard Jedda with David Judell and Ian Dow, when we set a new record and won all available trophies. The following year we did it again. Our wives came separately by air, bringing the heavy anchor as passenger’s luggage. Ask me about blue champagne another time.

To celebrate our centenary season, in 1970 the course was reversed, with a light airs start by the Governor off the town jetty. It was impressively won by Jamie and Anthea Cowell with Ian Robertson, Guy Wells and Ian King in the little Top Hat Woodwind.

Over the years, there have been some traumas. Participants have gone up, almost always in daylight, on Reef Head (a Spencer 30 from Port Lincoln), Emmes Reef (while

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the owner was below playing his electronic organ), North-North-East Rock (ask Rick Halliday), the SE corner of Dangerous Reef (Keith Flint), Cape Donington (Josko Grubic), and Fanny Point (Bob Stevens). None was lost. Dr Gary Shanks and his crew were lucky to survive when they struck Reef Head on the way home in Rager. It’s an area of strong tidal streams, sometimes across the line of the course. Electronic aids don’t substitute for closely reading the chart and keeping a meticulous lookout, especially under a billowing spinnaker.

In 1993 the race attracted 57 starters; five came from Victoria, 13 from Port Lincoln, 21 from RSAYS and 18 from CYCSA. About this time, the course and its timing were altered to

Squadron vessels Seevogel and Norallie anchored in Whaler’s Bay, Thistle Island while returning from the inaugural Adelaide–Port Lincoln race, February 1950. Seevogel carried deck cargo for the Wade family, who farmed the island at that time. The homestead and shearing shed, the only buildings on the island, are just visible.

Seevogel, owned and skippered by Wesley Harris, a Nuriootpa dentist, carried the sail number SA1, which has passed to One & All. She was the pride of the fleet in those days. Subsequently Fred Brinkworth added a coach-house.

Norallie (built in 1907 and once owned by Tom and Eileen Hardy) was owned by Captain Frank Duplock, a former officer of the British Army, who came to Adelaide to retire. He raced the vessel for many years. He was well known for his birthday parties, of which he had several each year. On these occasions he invented a new cocktail, with devastating results. He was a very colourful character. (Bryan Price)

give an afternoon leg south of Outer Harbor to bring many sails close inshore providing good publicity pictures.

In 1996 the Adelaide/Port Lincoln race started under unusually strong conditions, and of the 62 starters only 31 finished. In 1997 Squadron Quarterly reported: “The Port Lincoln Race started inside the River in near gale force conditions. Some boats reported gusts of 40–50 knots. The conditions were too much for Gee Wiz, an entrant from Port Fairy Yacht Club, who lost her mast just after the start. Maglieri Wines stalled near Scotty, but came off second best, to turn up at Port Lincoln with a big plaster on her nose. It was unusual in this race for boats to tack to get out of our Gulf, some to Port Vincent and others to Stansbury. One unnamed entrant, in a brilliant tactical coup, leebowed Rimfire – and went aground! Despite

Starts inside the River were straightforward in light airs, but in strong winds they could become traumatic. This was not a Lincoln race. SA7 was Henry Wilckens’s Tahuna. (Colin Smith)

the entire Cruising Division withdrawing and some early retirements, the rest of the fleet reached Port Lincoln in the usual fading conditions for the Squadron to take out the Team’s Trophy.”

The 1998 the race attracted 101 starters, including the Cruising Division, about one third from interstate.

Dr John Muirhead’s Black Soo Enchantress in about 1961. He was the father of the present Dr John Muirhead. After his time, this Enchantress was lost on the breakwater at CYCSA. She was a dramatic departure from the conventional vessels nearby on the crowded slip. Jedda was a sister ship. The two varnished hulls were Alan Jordan’s Celeste II and III.

By 2000 arrangements between the three clubs were formalised, with the Adelaide end conducted alternately by RSAYS and CYCSA. There have been some close finishes, none better than when Rimfire II beat (the current) Enchantress by one second.

The 2003 Adelaide to Port Lincoln race will be remembered due to the strong winds and big seas, which tested boat and crews alike.

Unfortunately half the fleet didn’t make it, with damage ranging from broken masts and rudders to crew being swept off the decks into the drink.

It’s bad luck to strike a race like that, because in settled SE conditions there’s no more enjoyable experience. Whether you stay for Lincoln week, turn round and go home, or go cruising, it’s quite the best place to be at that time of the year.

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KING OF THE GULF REGATTA The Adelaide-Lincoln race multihull skippers were in a pickle. Just months after holding the very successful 2014 National Multihull Championships, in conjunction with Lincoln week, the Multihull Yacht Association of South Australia received a letter from the Port Lincoln Yacht Club (PLYC) announcing they would not accept multihull nominations for the 2015 AdelaideLincoln race. No correspondence would be entered into and no reason would be forthcoming from the PLYC. The problem we had was that multihull sailors from Europe and interstate had made plans and booked airline tickets, in order to compete in the 2015 AdelaideLincoln race.

One of the keys to the success of the inaugural event was the social side, with a marquee being set up on the marina lawns.

A free dinner was provided on the evening after the passage race, and a gold-coin full hot-breakfast available in the marquee each morning.

A further benefit from the regatta was that, for a number of boats, the King of the Gulf was their first sailing regatta. The feedback was that they had a ball and will now enter more racing events at their own clubs. It is the organising committee’s prime directive to make the King of the Gulf regatta a fun competitive series for all yachts – monohulls, multihulls, cruising and racing. We certainly expect this year’s competitors will help sell the message.

RSAYS boat Crosshairs (Gerald Valk)

And so, the 2015 King of the Gulf was born. A great concept, a great regatta, but the series had to be on the same weekend as the Adelaide-Lincoln week due to our interstate and international competitors arriving in Adelaide.

In retrospect, the regatta was fantastic; it catered for all types of sailing boats, starting with a Friday passage race from Adelaide to Pt. Vincent, a 5-race regatta for racing boats and a 3-race regatta for cruising yachts in the waters of Pt. Vincent, followed by a Tuesday return passage race to Adelaide.

The cost was kept down due to fantastic sponsorship from APC Logistics, EJ Milde, The Ventnor Hotel, Metro Property Development, Geoff Hardy wines and Quantum sails. Each passage race nomination was $25.00 with the regatta costing $50 to $70, making the King of the Gulf series great value.

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By David Eldridge large crowd watching the fastest boat in Australia, the multihull Mad Max, reaching to the finish line at over 20 knots. RSAYS boat Circe, with Colin Dowdy skippering, was the first monohull.

The series winner for the Multihull King of the Gulf was Mad Max from Queensland, second Carbon Credit (SA) and third Goldfinger (SA); while for the monohulls, Circe was first, Stickwoman second and Aquitaine third, all from SA. What is next? The King of the Gulf regatta will be reviewed with feedback from all participants. It is likely the event will continue as we have boats and sponsors who want the King of the Gulf to be an annual event, although when the event will

APC Mad Max (Queensland) winner multihull King of the Gulf

The monohull and multihull regatta winners were ‘crowned and gowned’

by Sir James Hardy at the Monday night presentation evening at the Ventnor Hotel.

Over $1,500 worth of prizes was presented, along with a random draw for two Quantum Sails vouchers totalling $800. Sir James’ speech was a highlight but I think Sir James could read out a shopping list and get people’s attention!

Nives Vincent was the series PRO with help from Peter Hansen, Mario on Miss Robyn and the crew from Aquila (CYC). They all did a great job even though the weather was less than average. The weather was great for the passage race to Pt. Vincent with a highlight being a

be scheduled is the question. We expect to have close to 50 monohull and multihull boats competing in racing and cruising divisions in 2016.

King of the Gulf, Colin Doudy (centre) and crew RSAYS yacht Circe

ETCHELLS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

AROUND THE CANS

By Andrew Waterman Photos by Kylie Wilson

“Thank goodness that’s over”, I thought to myself, but looking back now some weeks later I’d do it all again. The Etchells National Titles held at the Squadron between January 10th and 16th was definitely a roller coaster ride for me as the Organising Authority.

My thanks to all the volunteer members of the Squadron who put in an enormous effort over the weekend before and the five days of racing to make this a great event. The Squadron had quite a buzz. This is what the Squadron needs to do more of to bring some life to the place.

For me it started back in March 2014, slowly putting together all the necessary pieces of the puzzle that go to make up a major regatta. Along

Keen racing during the Etchells Nationals Adelaide one America’s Cup Winning skipper plus a number of America’s Cup crewmen. There were boats from all mainland states as well as a Hong Kong crew.

Monday morning with 15 knots of wind and heavy rain we had the briefing at the back of Jimmy’s Bar, with two races scheduled for the day.

After some delay waiting for the wind to settle the two races were completed and Day 1 was locked in. We awoke Tuesday with the wind building in the N/W and by mid-morning switching to the S/W and climbing to 30+knots with a dangerous sea state. No racing.

Jostling for position Etchells Nationals Adelaide

the way there were more than the fair share of disappointments and frustrations: the first being the difficulty of obtaining sponsors to assist financially. Thankfully Musto Australia’s CEO David Oliver generously helped with prizes for competitors and T-shirts for all the volunteers. Also North Sails, who over the years has been a major contributor to the Etchells class in giving away a jib to the boat that finished mid-fleet at every National Title. 2015 was no exception. Thank you North Sails!

On the Wednesday before the regatta started Roger Oaten, the Squadron’s IT and TopYacht software man, was complaining of stomach pains.

Next morning he was in the RAH with severe appendicitis. I was now down on my main man to handle timing at the start and record finishing times. On Friday morning I went to see my Race Officer Stewart Ross to organise a replacement for Roger and was greeted with the news that Stewart was having stomach pains as well. Later that day he spent five hours at Flinders Medical being checked. By this stage I was beginning to worry about ever getting involved in this adventure.

To loosely quote Oscar Wilde, ‘to lose one member of the Race Committee may be regarded as a misfortune but to lose both looks like carelessness’. So to Plan B. On Friday afternoon I went to Adelaide Sailing Club to enlist the help of their Race Officer Malcolm Hughes who was in the middle of the Melges 24 Nationals being held that weekend. He reassured me that he would help out on the start boat. One less problem. By Saturday morning Stewart was feeling better and everything was back on track.

Wednesday saw a change of conditions with some early morning rain but the wind had eased to 18 knots and we had scheduled one race for the day. We added an extra race to partly catch up for the loss of two races on Tuesday. With Wednesday’s racing finishing in bright sunshine and a steady breeze we had a series, filling the minimum requirements of four races.

One race was scheduled for Friday, the final day of racing, but we were hoping for two if the Weather Gods smiled on us. This was not to be.

By mid-afternoon racing finally got underway with winds of 10 – 12 knots. At the finish Matthew Chew had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, having a horror day, moving to 3rd place, while John Bertrand was first over the line giving him the championship. Cameron Miles stayed in 2nd place.

“It’s almost enough to make you give up sailing”, said Matthew Chew at the presentation held in our newly opened dining room.

The regatta was a great success with many of the crews saying what excellent waters to sail in, such a great club and friendly, helpful members.

That was another load off my mind! The provisional results to this stage saw Matthew Chew of Gen XY just ahead of John Bertrand sailing Triad with Cameron Miles in 3rd place, with the best placed Squadron boats being Mark Roberts in Athena followed by Caillin Howard in Stretch and Paul Henshall in Mystery Taxi.

Thursday gave us another perfect day of sailing with two more races in the bag and the results showing Matthew Chew by a point to Cameron Miles and John Bertrand two points behind. The top six places were separated by just nine points.

Jill Connell (skipper) with crew Ian MacKillop and Wade Morgan sailing AUS1254 Odyssey

Etchells Australian Championship 1st place the Australian Champions, John Bertrand, Jake Newman, Bill Browne. AUS1383 Triad

The weekend saw the 34 competing boats registered, sails checked and crews all weighed.

Of all the regattas held in South Australia over the January holidays, this was by far the most significant. Among the competitors were five World Title holders, three Olympic Medallists and

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MULTIHULLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Crosshair

By Iain MacDougall

1st and 3rd for Squadron Boats in 2015 Australian Multihull National Championships The 2015 APC Logistics Australian Multihull National Championships were held at RGYC in Geelong in late January, dovetailing in to the annual Festival of Sails Regatta. The event was attended by five South Australian trimarans, three from the RSAYS; Carbon Credit and Crosshair which are twin all carbon Farrier F32SRXC designs and Goldfinger, a Farrier F9, joined

by Wilparina II and Tiger from the GRYC. The multis are rated using the OMR rule, which is a relatively straightforward length, weight and sail area formula that is used around the globe and which gives remarkably close racing. Results are often decided by seconds so excellent boat handling and good tactical decisions are at a premium.

Most boats race with a crew of four-five and the pace of the action is frantic when it blows, especially on short windward leeward courses.

Day 1 dawned pretty damn windy. 28 knots with some challenging squalls at the start made for exciting times, though the Corio Bay water was flat which made life a little easier. Off the start it was a spectacular sight, with no prisoners taken. Peter Hawker in Carbon Credit was third, starting to put together a solid set of regatta results, while Gerry Valk’s crew in Crosshair were working to pick up their pace as they adapted to the intensity of national level competition.

In Division 2, Goldfinger got the pole position start however they could only manage 3rd on handicap behind Kavala, Dave Ruffin’s locally based Schionning Waterline 1320 cat and Peccadillo.

Day two started slightly more sedately with low 20’s breeze. In Division 1 the Carbon Credit crew started to hit their straps for their first Nationals OMR race win. Well done Pete, the brand new suite of Quantum’s

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were worth it!!! In Div 2 Goldfinger took line honours and the handicap win. The wind picked up some for the afternoon twilight race, held on a very short course near shore to give land based spectators a chance to catch the action. Downwind, Carbon Credit was closing in on local boat Mad Max at the front but snapped one of their curved lifting foils so had to back right off and settle for 6th while in Div 2 Goldfinger was alone in going for their kite on an ill-advisedly close and blustery reach.

Crosshair also broke a lifting foil, fortunately the opposite one to Carbon Credit so between them the boys hatched a cunning plan to borrow Mark Stafford’s set from his nearly finished F32 which he was kind (or foolish?) enough to lend and after driving out to the back blocks of Victoria in the dark to pick them up all were set and ready for day three.

The wooden spoon booby prize each day was a set of thongs donated by Harken. Day three’s award went to Pete Boyd crewing on Goldfinger who won one (note just one) for actually apologizing for pulling the spinnaker tackline out before the halyard was made causing the boat to run over the kite. Pete, though he insists he is a misunderstood and deeply sensitive soul, is not generally recognized as a leading apologist. It is understood that a subsequent private commercial transaction took place to reunite the pair of thongs, hopefully of low enough value not to be perceived as an attempt to bribe the handicapper.

Back with the serious business on the water, the wind lightened off considerably in the later days of the regatta though the racing was still neck and neck. In the end Carbon Credit took bronze medal honours and Crosshair 6th. After some shenanigans involving finger trouble on the handicapping

spreadsheet, Goldfinger won the Division 2 championship on a count back from sknot, avenging their loss on a count back to Frassld in last year’s Port Lincoln Nationals.

OMR is close racing indeed.

Many thanks to RGYC for hosting the event, to PRO Dennis Thompson plus his volunteers, and to Charles Meredith and the MYCV committee for their organizational efforts. No protests and absolutely spectacular racing as you can see from the photos!

Both the Division 1 and Division 2 National Champions, Mad Max and Goldfinger will be competing in the APC Logistics / MYASA King of the Gulf Regatta on Gulf St. Vincent later in February, along with the remainder of the RSAYS and SA contingent and hopefully a few more interstate visitors, so take the opportunity to come along and have a look and a chat.

Goldfinger

The Nautilus Women’s series is being keenly contested with Blue Diamond (Nives Vincent) currently holding off challenges from School’s Out (Mary Ann Harvey) and Taniwha (Barbara Parker).

The only requirement is that there is a woman at the helm, so if you would like to join in the fun, why not consider a casual entry to one of the remaining races?

Jan Perry helming Nerana II to a win with brother Chris (owner)

WOMEN ON THE WATER

By Helen Willmer, assisted by Helen Kearney Photos by Langdon Hamlyn

The Women’s Invitation race was held on Sunday 18 January. This is now an annual event for the Squadron with a perpetual trophy and is open to crews from all clubs. This year, nine boats competed in a challenging race, with plenty of wind making it a good work-out for skippers and crews. Nerana II (Jan Perry) was the winner on PHS and Taniwha (Barbara Parker) recorded the fastest time. Jan Perry now joins her grandmother Mary Perry as a trophy winner in women’s helm races.

The Australian Women’s Keelboat regatta at Royal Melbourne is coming up on the June long weekend – it will be a celebration for the 25th anniversary of the event. Nevis Vincent has a crew of nine preparing for fast action on a Northshore 38, and Helen Willmer has the same number of women returning for the annual stint on Mrs Overnewton, a Bavaria 38. Both are using the Squadron’s series as a training ground for competing against teams from other Australian states and New Zealand.

Crew of Freedom enjoying the womens race photo by Langdon Hamlyn

Women’s Invitation Winner Jan Perry reminisces about visits to the Squadron with her grandmother.

When I was very young (in the 1950’s), my grandmother Mary Perry (nee Pattison) used to take me with her to the Squadron when Grandpa was sailing.

We used to sit upstairs on the wide and enclosed balcony with the wooden floor.

Grandma’s friend Mrs. Hardy would be there too. We’d have afternoon tea and watch the boats come and go. The whole building smelled nicely of linseed oil in those days. You can still smell it when you enter through the dinghy shed. It was a comforting building. The basin was much smaller. There was an old barbed-wire fence on the eastern boundary that Uncle Tage (Arthur Heritage) had built. The cocklers who spent so much time on the River flats opposite the Squadron had to go around that way to get to the cockles.

The pontoon was wooden and there was a trolley that ran on rails down to the edge that even children could push Like today there was a little space between the water’s edge and the pontoon. Nan

Luxton and I used to swim in there – a nice enclosed space that had a clean sandy bottom. Yet we could still find enough rocks with little crabs underneath them.

The water got deep very quickly. I think we both learned to swim there. Although that might have happened when Mr. Medwell,

who had the 21 Footer Gymea, carried me out into the middle of the basin and threw me in.

I have some items that Grandma won in various Women’s Helm Races, mostly long before I was born. I guess some of her wins must have been in Nerana, Grandpa’s 21 footer that he and Dad bought later, but it is only the gold watch that I am able to connect with a particular race. Engraved on the back is ‘R.S.A.Y.S. 12ft dinghy race 1927 ‘Reverie II’ steered

by Mrs. Perry. Presented by Rear Com T C Angove’. I do not know for certain, but perhaps the 12 ft. dinghy was Dad’s.

He certainly had a Cadet Dinghy but he would have been only 8 years old in 1927.

There are also two elegant silver vases, fluted and standing about 15 inches high.

Each is engraved with ‘P’ for Perry, I suppose.

Mary PERRY nee Pattison photo courtesy of Jan Perty

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BALLAST HEAD CUP

By Greg Roberts

Island Boats Prominent in 2015 Ballast Head Cup

dolphins lured it away from the starter’s pistol, while Nick Pike felt the need to slow Dauntless down with his dinghy. Angels Wings was also a bright performer. Trim was a late withdrawal but will be back with a vengeance next year, with quells.

CYC regulars Celebrity (Richard Pope) and Golden Cowrie (Hillar Puvi) were joined by newcomer Rob Harrison’s Shooting the Breeze and all enjoyed a fine race as the breeze slackened on the second leg.

The reduced fleet saw all boats starting at the same time as opposed to the staggered starts of the previous two years.

This led to a colourful and congested start line that was quite a sight for all onlookers.

Greg Roberts, Adam Benjamin, Ian Roberts, Shelley Nixon photo courtesy of Greg Roberts

The practice of race handicapping has long been considered a black art that defies attempts at description. At the completion of the 13th running of Australia’s first yacht race of the calendar year, the Ballast Head Cup off Island Beach at Kangaroo Island, the mysteries of handicapping had spiralled deeper and some explanation was required as to how the placings were made.

Under water-board interrogation, David Saies & his CYC race committee admitted to examining the rancid entrails of the 2014 Xmas turkey, spinning them around three times, then casting them over their shoulders while cavorting naked on the start boat before tossing a book of logarithmic tables to see what page number appeared and then using a slide-rule to calculate the average age in celestial years of each crew’s immediate family, before rounding them off to ascertain placings.

More empirically derived details were not divulged due to a long forgotten seamen’s rite, before they announced Rubicon the handicap winner of this year’s race. Sometimes the sum of all known facts doesn’t equate to the truth, but the Rubicon crew was ecstatic, not to mention shocked. Much saner prognostications saw Bogabada as runner-up and the highly credentialed Ibis II take third place. Graeme Footer’s immaculate sloop, Marnico, needed no such chicanery as she cruised across the line to take line honours from That’s Life for her second straight triumph.

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The day began under grey skies and a stiff on-shore EN Easterly of 25 knots, giving the race a different feel with a long windward leg to begin for the first time in its thirteen-year history.

The boisterous airs reduced the fleet numbers to 14, with the Strawbridge Pointers well represented with eight local vessels and three boats from RSAYS. John Hamlyn’s bright yellow sloop Mystique was a wonderful performer and t h o r o u g h l y deserved to take home the Jamie Cowell memorial trophy for top finishing new entrant. Ants Harris was back after a lengthy sabbatical, with the unique cat-rigged ketch Goshawk.

Andy Wood put together a seasoned crew for Sapphire’s debut before a passing pod of

The post-race BBQ was again a hit, with Stan Benjamin giving a colourful update on the RIG project at American River where the boat/shed/museum/coffee shop is on schedule to be up and running for next year’s BHC. Once again, many thanks to David Saies & the CYCSA organising committee for a great event that has become a fixture in KI’s holiday calendar.

MILANG TO GOOLWA CLASSIC Information and photos courtesy of Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club Inc. and Phil Stump

The 2015 Marina Hindmarsh Island Milang – Goolwa Freshwater Classic, 25 January 2015 … one of those ‘must do’ races!

A fleet of 179 trailable yachts, large multi-hulls, and off-the-beach catamarans and dinghies made for a majestic sight for the thousands of spectators who lined the course, both on land and on water, from Point Sturt all the way to Goolwa, observing this classic race which still holds the record as the largest freshwater yacht race in the southern hemisphere.

The course took the 1,000 entrants across Lake Alexandrina, through a gate midway between Milang and Point Sturt, then between beacon 88 and Point Sturt, along the Murray River, past Clayton and under the Hindmarsh Island Bridge to the finish line in front of the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club.

It was a tough race. As boats pulled out of the reeds and off the beach at Milang to set their sails, many opted to tuck in a reef, and all opted for their number 2 or 3 headsails. With the wind tending westerly at the start, sheets were slightly cracked and no tacking was required until boats were through the first gate and around Point Sturt. From there, the wind was on the nose, boats had to work hard into a stiff breeze and crews hiked out and settled into what would be a hard ride down river to Goolwa. As the race progressed, the wind gradually strengthened and due to the strong conditions, a number of yachts either did not finish or opted not to start, with the last boat to finish crossing the line at about 3:30pm.

Commodore on Bow, Keith & Alistair amidships and Stumpy on Helm!

Peter Cooling with Keith and Alistair Teagle onboard Delinquent.

The race formally concluded at the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club, where the Official Presentations took place. Locky McLaren, Commodore of the GRYC noted that no other freshwater yacht race brings competitors and spectators together the way this classic yacht race does.

An array of perpetual trophies and prizes was awarded to the successful yachts in all divisions. The Cock of the Lake trophy for the fastest elapsed time across all divisions went to a Taipan 5.7 skippered by Tim Wright, Two Dogs, which completed the race in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 27 seconds.

A number of Squadron boats entered the race. These included About Time (Paul Dawe), Delinquent (Keith Teagle and his son Alistair), Dehlya (Peter Richards), Currency Lass (John McDonald), Southern Price (Matthew Keith), The Tribe (John Hardy) and Dyarchy (The Arnold family). How they went is not such a good story! Dehyla, The Tribe and Southern Pride recorded a DNF; Currency Lass and Dash recorded a DNS; while in Division 2, Dyarchy was 7th, Delinquent 26th and About Time 34th.

Geoff Wallbridge on Jabiru, a classic river boat owned by his friend Stephen West.

Trevor Hamlyn crewed on Iona, owned

by Peter Stace who was a temporary Squadron member during the month of January, after taking advantage of the new launching and hard-standing deal at the time. Trevor commented: “Peter and I negotiated the narrow channel between the pylons of the Goolwa bridge, in wind that was perpendicular to the bridge (on the nose) and gusting to over 30 knots. We finished 10th in Division 5”.

Commodore Peter Cooling and Phil Stump competed with long-time friend and fellow Squadron member, Keith Teagle, and junior member Alistair Teagle on their 31 foot Blazer Delinquent. Stumpy reports: “We joined the flotilla of boats leaving Goolwa on the Saturday for a variable run to Milang where we moored in the reeds, enjoying a few beers with the crew before a glorious sunset. Then it was off to the pub, where a number of other Squadron members enjoyed the evening before the race. Sunday race day dawned overcast but Delinquent got a good start. I was on the helm with Pete on the bow while the Teagles did the work.

We were the fourth ‘normal’ trailer sailer to Point Sturt. With only about two feet of water at the Point Sturt rounding our ‘wheels started to fall off’ and it was a hard slog for the crew getting back to Goolwa.

We finished exhausted!”

Other Squadron members participating included new member Peter Richards on Zealot, Steve Martin on Steeple Jack and

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AUSTRALIAN WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL

By Sue Buckley

This wonderfully extensive display of wooden boats is held every two years in February. This year Sue Buckley was there and shares her experience: With three full days to go I thought I was about at saturation point with looking at wooden boats, but by the end of the third day, I’d had a ball!

Hobart’s dock area was alive with thousands of people over the weekend held from 6-9 February. This was mainly due to the Festival, which included an amazing array of wooden boats of all classes and styles from small dinghies and canoes to motorboats and tall ships.

There were also many dockside activities such as the performances of the ‘Pirates of Penzance’ and ‘HMS Pinafore’ by the local Gilbert & Sullivan Society on the pier.

Everywhere you walked there were stalls with food, maritime displays, local products and street musicians/entertainers. On Saturday, the Diamond Princess cruise ship was in port, the Salamanca markets were on as usual and it was 28C so all the locals were out and about too. It was an incredible day.

We were lucky enough to secure an apartment on Elizabeth Pier at the last minute, so were based right in the middle of it all and within a short distance of where Catriona was berthed. It was lovely to have a shore base and with Catriona nearby we got to chat to the many visitors who called past. Some were Squadron friends from Adelaide but there were also new friends from the Cruising Yacht Club of Tasmania and other boatie connections such as Alan Payne’s nephew, and Alan Quiqley. We also bumped into Peter Manthorpe who is restoring an old wooden fishing vessel. Southern Myth was berthed a few boats away from Catriona and I believe Enchantress was also in attendance during the weekend.

It was a great experience to visit boats and chat to owners who shared a common love of wooden boats and boating. My favourites were Roama built by Searles in 1951, Holger Danske, and Varg which was rebuilt after sinking.

I have to say it was a hoot of a weekend with something for everyone and so much fun that we had to come home for a rest!

JUNIORS REPORT

Juniors with Santa photo taken by Marc Kovacic

By Mitch Mead After a busy Christmas break the Juniors programme is back with renewed enthusiasm. Our camp at Lake Schubert was a great success with 30 juniors there the whole weekend and 10 or so one nighters. The Krusty Cup was as popular as ever. We are now turning our attention to the conclusion of the season, and

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Getting on and off Catriona meant hopping onto Prospector N and climbing the ladder

the many great events over the coming period. These include the Grelka Cup, which is a long race to a beach either in the Port River or outside the heads to North Haven where a BBQ lunch is held followed by a race home again.

HOUSE & SOCIAL REPORT

By Andrea Mead

Commodore presented Mitch and Sarah with a distinctive substitute trophy as the true Pacer Cup remains in storage for a little longer. Santa managed to find time in his busy schedule to arrive by tender with presents for the children. It was another delightful evening of food and friendship on the quarterdeck.

Wine Tasting at the Etchells

Andrea Mead Welcome to New Members The success of recent membership drives was evident with a large turnout at the New Members’ Welcome. After being greeted at the door by Flag Officers of the club, old and new members mingled over canapés and champagne. Commodore Peter Cooling’s welcoming speech encouraged members to get involved in all the many activities and opportunities that the Squadron provides. It was good to see so many young faces and new families as well as the next generation of established club families.

As the Etchells wound up their National titles with their presentation night upstairs in the new dining room, Andrea and Mal Mead treated an enthusiastic and as it turned out completely ignorant, group of squadron members to a blind tasting of eight different white wine varieties.

Participants were asked to comment on each wine and guess the variety. Much comment was made on the colour of the final wine, which turned out to be an aged riesling. The winner by one point in a close race was Bruce Roach.

Australia Day BBQ With another typically hot summer day, Australia Day was celebrated on the Quarter Deck with a gourmet BBQ of

steak, sausages and an array of salads, all washed down with a couple of sauvignon blancs and good ol’ aussie beer.

Girls Night In As the fleet of boats in the Blue Water Classic headed off to Pt. Lincoln, a small crowd gathered to enjoy the beautiful cool relief offered by the Squadron dining room.

A night of champagne and laughs was followed with the movie ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, with even more laughs. I really love the one liners in this move, such as, when faced with the prospect of being put onto a waiting list for a hip replacement, the reaction was: “What, wait six months?

I can’t plan that far ahead, I don’t even buy green bananas any more!”

Join us Joining the House and Social committee is a great way to meet other vibrant members of the club. We would love you to get involved. The committee meets on the first Monday of each month for a light meal and meeting. Even if you are not able to join the committee and want to assist, we will welcome you with open arms. Contact chairperson Andrea Mead on 0417 887 818.

Squadron Christmas Party and the Pacer Cup Members gathered on the Quarterdeck early afternoon to watch the Junior sailors battle it out with representative teams from Squadron yachts in the annual Pacer Cup. To the strains of Christmas carols and the ever humorous commentating of Phil Stump and Kingsley Haskett, the Pacers battled light airs to race around the basin. Junior’s skippers Sam, Will and Alistair handled their dinghies well but as the breeze came in the day went to the representatives of Mojo, Mitch Mead and his crew Sarah McDonald. The The Davis Family at the New Members Welcome

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email: save@paintsupplies.com.au Mitch Mead and his crew member, Sarah McDonald receiving the Pacer Cup.

BIA Member

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CRUISING REPORT

Kingsley ‘Bones’ Haskett Greetings to all Squadron cruisers, boat owners and members! By the time you read this we will be into Autumn and the heat

of Summer will be largely past. We should see good cruising from March to the end of May as the result of more settled weather.

Don’t forget the Squadron’s Pt. Vincent Easter Regatta and watch for the Anzac Day program.

The Christmas-New Year and Australia Day cruises were well attended (see articles), and many thanks to the Cruising Committee members who helped facilitate the good outcomes of these events.

Workload and a commitment to have Catriona at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival meant Sue and I weren’t able to attend these events. A presentation of the trip south and the event will follow later.

Ask not what the Squadron can do for you, but what you can do to help this great club to prosper. Please consider volunteering some time to the Squadron committees that serve you, the member.

Yours in seamanship and fellowship Bones

City of Adelaide medallion presentation On 12th December 2014 a small group of Squadron and CYC members gathered at the clipper ship City of Adelaide in No. 1 Dock Port Adelaide. The reason for this gathering goes back several months before to the maritime event to celebrate the 150th birthday of the launch of the clipper in 1864. Those members of both clubs who participated in this event were presented with bronze medallions to commemorate the occasion. Richard Smith, a Squadron life member and board member of The Clipper Preservation Trust, did the honours presenting the medallions and also conducted a short tour of the ship. This was a truly memorable and worthwhile event.

Squadron members at the clipper ship City of Adelaide

Stansbury - January Long Weekend Cruise 2015 Collated by Phil Stump from the words of Lynda Walsh, cruise coordinator with Alan O’Donnell, and Fay Duncan. Photos by Gill Hogarth and Mary Carpenter.

The Australia Day 2015 cruise to Stansbury experienced a resurgence in numbers to this charming seaside town with nine Squadron boats, twenty three crew, two dogs and Amarina’s two cats enjoying the cruise. It was great to see the Tassickers drive down from Port Vincent, and Femme Fatale, Marionette IV and Ellös who were sailing en route from K.I. also joined us for the BBQ. Depending on when the crossing was made, yachts enjoyed everything from motoring across a mill pond to battling squalls of over 30 knts. Athena has never sailed faster!

Sunday the day was cool and overcast but pleasant, with everyone enjoying the cruising camaraderie and the crew of Four

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Seventy trialling their new dinghy. Stansbury has great facilities near the boat ramp with lawned areas, tables, seating and shade sails. The electric BBQs are well maintained but you need a supply of 20-cent pieces to operate.

A highlight of this cruising event was the diverse and extensive cruising backgrounds of the many there, which added to the great discussions on future cruising events. It was good to see the cruising family on Mary Claire making the trip over, with an interesting observation on the number of cruising couples on boats of all sizes. As the crew on Kooringal contest, all you need is to use your boat and go cruising!

Great Cruising, Great Sailing, Great Companions by the crew of Aqua Lass.

Veronica Wickham, Alan & Fay Duncan and Marlene Tassicker Australia Day Stansbury

Catriona Goes South

CRUISING REPORT

By Kingsley Haskett

On the morning of 22nd January, 2015 Catriona left her berth at RSAYS heading south for the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival. Kingsley (Bones) Haskett describes the preparation and voyage of this beautiful wooden yacht.

Catriona is possibly the last plank on frame large all wooden yacht built in South Australia.

Designed by the immortalised Alan Payne and built by shipwright Alan Smith for Malcolm Kinnaird, she is a fast, comfortable, cruising yacht. She was launched in 1984 and sailed to the bi-centennial sailing celebrations in Sydney and Hobart. Due to Malcolm’s ill health she was little used in recent years.

She was acquired by Squadron member Adrian Donald of Exodus fame at the Winter 2014 meeting of the Squadron Wooden Boat Chapter. Adrian was determined that she was to attend the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart in February 2015, so work in getting her up to speed started immediately.

Much was to be done. She was a total ‘one off’. Most of her gear was original, with some

32 years old. Sourcing parts was to take much time. New hatches; new dead lights for the doghouse; remove and reseal all chain plates; strip and re-varnish all clear exterior Huon pine; plus re-seal the entire teak deck and re-do all seam and cockpit seat slats. A total re-rig from sloop to cutter required total removal and replacement of every nut, bolt, washer and rivet in the mast and boom, and total replacement of all running and standing rigging plus fitting two furlers forward. These were but a few of the jobs deemed necessary for a safe ocean passage.

David Searle, sailor, weatherman, pilot and good company.

It was decided to go straight from Adelaide to Pt. Davey on the Tassie West Coast, and, if time and weather permitted, to cruise the bottom of Tasmania and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to Hobart, arriving in time for the Wooden Boat Festival on the weekend of 6th9th February. The crew for the trip were to be Adrian Donald (owner); Kingsley Haskett (Bones) who was charged with the rebuild and preparation of Catriona; Jeff Hunt (Mahalo) navigator and electronics; Bruce Weatherall, the best all-rounder I’ve ever sailed with; Arthur Vandenbroek, sailmaker and Cape Horner; and

On 26th January, Australia Day, we anchored in King’s Anchorage, Bathurst Harbour, Pt. Davey, four days almost to the hour. The passage was cold, wet (with lots of rain), fast and most of all, lots of fun.

Unfortunately without Adrian, who had to cancel last minute due to work commitments, we headed off on a reasonable weather window, hoping for west, north/west or south/west winds and not a slog into the seasonal s/easter. Due to the failure of the auto-pilot on the first day, we hand-steered all the way. She is the most balanced, smooth; driest in all conditions and fastest yacht any of us has sailed on.

The cruise to Hobart that followed was truly memorable with each night in a different harbour and only one at a marina. I look forward to writing more of this part of the voyage in a future edition of Squadron Quarterly.

KI New Year’s Eve Cruise 2014

By Phil Stump

After the festivities of Christmas Day and the excitement of the Sydney Hobart start on Boxing Day it was time to pack the boats and head to KI. The Squadron has a long tradition of members cruising to KI over the Christmas New Year period and this year was no exception with many registering an interest in catching up for a few drinks at Brown’s Beach on 31 December.

You have to say the weather at this time of year is not always conducive to cruising but the spirit and determination of members just makes these events happen. Some boats headed off early and others left just in time to arrive for New Year’s Eve. Last Tango, Erica, Antares and Aquitaine made the most of a weather window on the 27th and had a good overnight sail to arrive in Kingscote on the 28th.

Because the forecast wasn’t looking good for a few days some of us anchored in the Bay of Shoals, but the majority followed Kooringal’s lead and anchored off Kingscote in front of the Hospital. This turned out to be a better location with fewer gusts than the Bay of Shoals.

The weather was overcast on the 30th but the direction and speed had improved and so with birthdays looming on Airwaves and Last Tango, most of the boats headed over to Eastern Cove where the afternoon turned into one of those perfect days when you wonder why you would want to be anywhere else but Eastern Cove KI! Aquitane catch up KI 2015

For many Squadron members the continuing attendance of Anthea Cowell at these New Year’s celebrations is a real highlight and makes this a truly special evening. The presence of Ian and Di Moncrieff, who travelled over by ferry, added to this great cruising event – highlighting that cruising is for everyone, with our very young crews on several boats including Sunstar enjoying an evening of sailing camaraderie and party poppers.

There were 27 boats anchored off Brown’s Beach for New Year’s Eve and 82 sailors ashore partying which was great – thanks Cruising Committee and the crews of Last Tango and Aquitaine for helping to transport essential gear to ensure this was a great night of cruising tales.

It was clear that multihulls make good ‘party boats’ as crowds of dinghies were soon hanging off the transoms of Antares and Summer Breeze as we enjoyed birthdays or just a few drinks as a warm up for the next night’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

It was great to see a number of new cruisers joining us this year including Sunstar, Summer Breeze, Trieste, Taniwha, Solomon Ophir and Last Tango. Team Wild Oats (ex Nimrod) were a great addition with their kegs of home brew beer and lemon cider which really added to the festivities of the night.

Anthea Cowell & Commodore Peter Cooling New Year’s Eve at Browns Beach

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WORST WEATHER STORIES

By Bruce Macky

Our ‘Worst Weather’ Experience competition attracted a number of terrifying entries. Thank you all for entering! Bruce Macky of Dymocks Books (Adelaide) says it was hard to choose between the horror stories that were received! Congratulations to Glen Kerr for taking out the first prize (a copy of ‘Chapman – Piloting and Seamanship’) for his account of a doozy of a storm he and his wife Sue encountered on the way to New Caledonia. Second Prize goes to Col Harrison, with third prize awarded to Mike Linscott. Read on ….

1st: Glen Kerr In August 1999, Sue and I departed Mooloolaba for New Caledonia with a reasonable 3-day forecast. Two hundred miles out, the wind was 50 knots gusting to 65 (knots). We’d hit a compression zone between the forecast high moving east off Australia and an un-forecast low barrelling towards Australia from Fiji.

We eventually set the storm jib and hoveto, often venturing on deck to re-tighten shackles and rigging vibrated loose by the wind, in awe of the sea shooting past mast-high at times. Day two, the vibration was so violent that we dropped the jib and set the sea anchor aft on an asymmetric bridle, trying to hold head to wind.

Three days continually being knocked flat or worse; green water tumbling across the deck, flooding the cockpit and shredding the new dodger and skirts; breaking furniture below and destroying the engine’s water trap – so no battery power! Now that’s sailing(?).

Glen and Susan Kerr, Australian SV Dione, out of Mooloolaba; currently lying in RSAYS pool, Adelaide.

2nd: Colin Harrison In 2012, when Jeanne and I departed Massachusetts, there was “no tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin” according to the forecast. A week later, in the cold open ocean waters of the North Atlantic, the barometer dropped 12.5 hPas in 8 hours, as we found ourselves in the direct path of Hurricane Chris.

The eye passed within 60 nm of us. The seascape was a froth of white water atop mountainous seas. Decks were awash. I was awash and knocked off of my feet as a rogue wave filled the cockpit. The life buoy ring ran straight out behind us horizontally.

Salt water permeated everything causing problems with the engine control panel,

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auto-pilot sensors and Jeanne’s lingerie cupboard.

We estimated wind velocity at over 80 knots, but were unable to verify this, as the holding bolts for our wind instruments were sheared off at the masthead, something which the riggers in the Azores claimed they had never seen before!

Bruce Macky (centre) with Glen & Susan Kerr at the prize giving.

3rd: Mike Linscott Why does it always happen at 3am? Sundance was rounding the southern end of Tasmania, about 10 nautical miles south of Maatsuyker Island heading into a strong 30 knot southwesterly. The forecast was for moderating winds. We were down to reefed main and No. 2 Jib. Two of us on board. Our plan was to get enough sea room to head up the west coast but we were making slow progress. It was just then we were hit by a 40 knot gust. Sundance took it on the nose and crashed into a huge sea. We had to get more sail off. Greg my mate volunteered to go forward and put on the storm jib.

I was reluctant for him to go in those conditions.

He hooked his harness onto the lazy jack Marine • Industrial • Architectural • Rural and inched forward.

Sundance was by then making heavy weather and waves were breaking over her. I realised if Greg went over the side I could not rescue him. It was pitch dark and the seas were huge. I wrestled with the tiller trying to hold her bow into wind.

I could not see the bow only a flashing light from Greg’s torch. Then the torch went out. I feared the worst until Greg suddenly appeared back in the cockpit minus torch. We then managed to get a third reef in the main and Sundance 14 Montpelier Street Exeter SA 5019 took on a new life, braving the seas @ and seeing us home.

Ellison Rigging Service

John Ellison 0449 769 084 (08)8449 4289

email: jellison bigbutton.com.au ABN: 37308077476

DIVIDED SKY MEETS HURRICANE CHRIS

By Jeanne Harrison

Before departing Massachusetts in Divided Sky, our newly purchased 40’ Catalina MKII, we checked the NOAA weather forecasts for the North Atlantic Ocean carefully. Clearly stated was ‘no Tropical Cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin’.

History tells us that North Atlantic Hurricanes form around the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa. They track west with the currents and prevailing southeast winds, then move in various directions: towards the Gulf of Mexico; up the Gulf Stream towards Bermuda; or straight towards the USA east coast being the most common routes.

The long-term weather looked good for us to commence our eastward journey towards the Azores and then the Mediterranean.

The first night out of Massachusetts a wall of thunder with the largest, brightest, most prolific lightning strikes we’ve ever seen approached from astern and passed around us towards the east. We turned off all electronics, including the auto-pilot, to try to minimize any damage if we were struck by lightning. Somehow we were unscathed, except for the disappearance of the mainsheet shackle pin, which was lost during the night.

Next a northeast gale slammed us just as we reached the northeast bound Gulf Stream. The halyard holding our radar reflector chaffed through, sending the sharp-sided aluminium reflector dragging along our hull. Huge seas convinced us to head further south, and to ignore some of the advice we had read to ‘take advantage of the 2-3 knot current to speed your journey to the east’.

We opted for comfort rather than speed. This was fortuitous.

On 20 June, 2012 at 1500 when we were at 38 N; 46 W, we noticed that our barometer had dropped 12.5 hps during the previous eight hours.

A 5 hps drop in three hours is generally a signal of an impending gale. Two hours later, our son-in-law Michael sent a text message on the Sat Phone to say that Hurricane Chris had formed at 38 N; 51 W and was moving east. This would cross our track.

There was no way to outrun a hurricane travelling at 22 mph in a 6-7 knot yacht. The best we could hope for was to run south of the eye, and position ourselves away from the ‘dangerous quadrant’ which is the northeast sector of a northern hemisphere hurricane. We now know that the eye of Hurricane Chris passed within 60 nautical miles of us and reached winds of 80 knots.

Cooking became impossible. The stove, which normally gimballed nicely, was swinging so Jeannie Harrison rugged up against the cold

violently that we feared the gas hoses would chafe.

So we locked it into a fixed position.

As the wind built, Col constantly surveyed the deck, retying the deck-stowed dinghy and adding ‘belts and suspenders’ to everything else stowed on deck. It was too late to drop the bimini as the winds were too strong, so ropes crossed

Lingerie laundry The path of Hurricane Chris 2012

the cockpit in every direction in order to secure it.

The horseshoe life ring was re-tied after it trailed behind us horizontally. The life sling was tied down after nearly blowing out of its pouch. The outboard dinghy motor tried to walk its way off of its wooden bracket, so needed added tie-downs. Retrieving the tow generator was a challenge. It looked like spaghetti.

The yacht rolled violently in a sea of white foam and mountainous waves. On one night-time inspection tour, as Col was clipped onto the yacht with two tethers, I watched from the companionway as the boat dipped to port and a giant wave broke into the cockpit. Col lost his footing and started to slide towards the ocean abyss. Just in time, the yacht righted itself, Col found a handhold, and the tethers held. My heart was in my throat.

After two violent days and nights, the barometer started to rise. We assessed the damage as the seas settled: • Salt water found its way into the starter motor. Book says “remove starter motor,” but it responded to a good hard smack.

• Snaps blew off on the dodger lock downs.

• Door handle on aft head fell off.

• Connectors on tow generator salted up.

• Sea Talk failure on Auto-pilot. Buttons on display started to short out.

• Dinghy blew to the port scupper/railing which meant that it lay across the genoa furling line.

• Stitching in seams in the main sail abraded.

• Nut from boom gooseneck fitting rolled out and onto the deck, and was retrieved!

• Masthead Wind instruments malfunctioned.

• Engine controls failed due to salt water penetrating control panel. Unable to start engine.

• Holding tanks were full and we needed the engine charge for macerating.

• Salt water found its way into Jeanne’s lingerie cupboard.

frequently lost in a Hurricane is the deck-mounted life raft. We were no longer disappointed that time constraints in Massachusetts had forced us to buy a valise life raft and leave it under the saloon table, rather than order and mount a cradle and raft on deck. There would have been no way to safely deploy it during the hurricane anyway. At least we still had it aboard.

Having travelled east-south-east for two days after being hit by Hurricane Chris, we could not understand why the conditions were worsening as the barometer dropped again. Our son-in-law sent us a text message that another low with a 995 hps centre was on its way towards us. We didn’t realize at the time that a weakened Chris was circling back to hit us again.

After the second attack by Chris, the wind dropped precipitously. One night, the wind was so light that we drifted backwards 12 nautical miles in five hours with no way to start the engine.

When the light winds returned, we were able to sail nicely to just outside of the harbour at Horta, Faial, Azores, having hand-steered for the last four days due to a non-working auto-pilot.

We could see the safe haven, but very light winds were coming straight out of the harbour entrance, making it risky to sail into an unfamiliar harbour. We tried every VHF channel to raise port control or the marina for assistance, but received no response. We had the marina phone number and a Sat Phone, but had to sort through all of our cruising information to find a Portuguese telephone country code. Fortunately the marina was quick to send a vessel to tow us to the quayside. We were certainly grateful.

Before a good night’s sleep, we made a beeline for the marine repair office, and were pleased to have their prompt attention, including the installation of new masthead wind instruments.

The riggers claimed to have never before seen bolts sheared off of the masthead instruments so violently.

Rafted alongside of us in Horta was a new arrival from the Dominican Republic. Our mechanic refused to service their engine, as the yacht was seriously bug infested. Once our repairs were completed, we needed little additional encouragement to head back out to sea – onwards to Gibraltar.

We read later, in the ‘Storm Tactics Handbook,’

by Larry and Lin Pardey, that the item most

Squadron Quarterly

27

MEMBER PROFILE

By Sally Metzer

Langdon Hamlyn: Photographer extraordinaire! community. Max would sail his yacht Lara III to the Bird Man Rally held at the Glenelg Jetty which was a full day’s travel from Birkenhead.

Max was an official race starter for the PASC. Little did I realize that 35 years later I too would be a Race Officer myself!

You’ve seen me around, and the way club members chat to me, they think I’ve been around for decades. I joined in late 2005 as a place for my trailer sailer ToyyoT. The prices were good and the location excellent.

Many times chatting to members they have asked which boat I lived on, or what was my actual job at the club. Spending a lot of time at the club over the years with different volunteer commitments, these questions were common.

I’ve always been around the water. At eleven I worked as a newspaper boy to buy my first boat. HMAS Anzac was a 4’6” Radio Controlled model boat which I sailed at Bonython Park.

Too large for my father’s Morris Minor I would trailer it behind my pushbike from Woodville for a Sunday of fun.

I joined the Naval Reserve Cadets at Port Adelaide and on parades we had 100-120 cadets at the Birkenhead Depot and sailing was in the Port Adelaide Basin. Sailing and rowing the old wooden 14’ Navy Skiffs and a 27’ Whaler under the command of Sailing Officer Lt Neil McCormack. As a young sailor I was amazed how Lt Cormack could step aboard anything on the water and move it with ease, whether sailing, rowing or driving.

At cadets I was awarded ‘Best All-rounder” in 1978 & 79 and had a few trips across the gulf to Stansbury on HMAS Banks with the Reserves.

With new Corsairs for Sailing and Rowing we were brought into the 20th Century. During Camps I was taking photos and I still have every negative. These now hold pieces of the history of Port Adelaide.

While at Cadets I was also sailing at the Port River Sailing Club and in the 1970’s the Port Adelaide Sailing Club was just next to the Birkenhead Bridge. Max Gregg was not only my skipper, but also a mentor. It wasn’t until I saw his Obituary that I realized he had an OBE and was Director of the SA Employees Federation. Max taught me more about seamanship and some life skills about getting a job and being a better person in our

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Like most boys in their late teens, employment, cars and girls took me away from boats. But I have always kept my passion for photography. I studied photography at Woodville High School and with my father’s help I built a shed and lined it out to be as darkroom. I was taking photos at school events for the yearbook and had work experience at a photographic shop. With such a strong passion for photography I was asked to work full time at Graeme Hall’s Photographic Shop in the Arndale Shopping Centre. This accelerated my hobby into a career. I spent most of my income on cameras and darkroom equipment. I soon had three Olympus SLR Cameras and a Mamiya C330 (square format camera) to do amateur and professional work including wedding and event photography.

After marrying and building a house, I went back to Naval Cadets to repay for some of the great times I had in my teens. I became the Sailing Officer at Training Ship Noarlunga and taught seamanship skills to 40 plus male and female cadets, sailing at Seacliff Beach with the four Corsairs and two powerboats. I took lots of photos of cadets camping, sailing and shooting as well as portraits of cadets in uniform for parents. When promoted to Lieutenant and Commanding Officer, I took the cadets on several ‘work experience’ trips on RAN ships around the south coast of Australia including the South Australian gulfs.

In 1997 I had an early mid-life crisis and purchased a three-person jet ski as a business venture. Surf Shuttle Australia was created to tow surfers out behind the large waves. This was well before it became common all over the world. I joined the local jet ski club and within months, was the president of the Jets Sports Boating Association, as well as the magazine editor and website designer. On the water I became the club’s official race starter for course boat and rescue craft. Off the water I was spending a lot of time in meetings with local and state authorities about the banning of personal water crafts in South Australia. It was a tough time to be President of the only SA jet ski club, but a time where all my naval training and diplomacy was of great help.

So here I am bringing all these skills and experience to the Royal Yacht Squadron. I quickly found many things to keep me busy.

Thanks to the joint nomination from The Trailer Sailer Association of SA and the Royal SA Yacht Squadron, I was awarded the Yachting Australia SA Volunteer for the 2006/07 season.

In 2011 I was appointed the Official Club Photographer by Commodore Peter Kelly and presented the Certificate by the Governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce. You may also have seen me riding the lawn mower for the Seaweed Gardening Group on Sundays.

Robert Henshall not only lets me ride the John Deer, but has let me crew on his boats Sapphire and Luna for many years. Robert and Christine Henshall have become great friends and mentors during my time at the club. I value their friendship and advice and the wonderful help advancing my sailing and life skills during my journey at the club.

Another title I’m very proud of at the club is the ‘Clown on the Jet Ski’ for the ‘Flotilla for Kids’. I remember advising Annie Rogers that I was registering my jet ski for the first event.

I remember the look of horror on Annie’s face, and of John Phillips reminding me of the 7 knot speed limit! I miss that wonderful event and it was the major reason for holding onto my jet ski. I never wanted to disappoint the children who armed themselves with every type of water cannon possible to wet the clown!

Other times at the club you may have seen me as the Race Officer. I have passed all the Yachting Australia exams for Club, State and National Race Officer positions, but I’m quite happy staying at the club level. Driving Brian Sutherland’s boats Natani II and Wilbur has been a great experience and a coxswain for Macro and Miss Robyn, I don’t know why I own a boat!

My yacht is a Magnum 8.5m trailer sailer, ToyyoT II. Not many people have seen me sailing it except at Easter or Christmas, and in my RSAYS collection of 38,000 photos of events, member’s yachts and racing there are very few of my own boat.

I get many requests from all committees of the club to supply or take photos for the club’s publications – be it for the website, Facebook, banners or the Squadron Quarterly.

I created a website to help members and the many committees find what they need www. toyyot.com has over 12,000 photos from this collection for members and friends to enjoy or even buy.

Everywhere I go I have a camera, which explains my large collection! Remember the 38,000 is the club collection, not including my personal collection and my two large boxes of negatives from my days of 35mm film.

Photography and boats are my passion and at the club I get to enjoy both. Riding the lawn mower is just a bonus.

Former tender drivers, from left to right Ellie Pearson, Chris Johnson and his sister Kathryn.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

By John Johnson

FORMER TENDER DRIVERS In writing about the Squadron tender in the summer 2014 issue of ‘The Squadron Quarterly’, Bones (aka Kingsley Haskett) mentioned that a tender service was provided by juniors who ferried members and their guests to and from their boats, which were tied up on piles and chain moorings or located, in marina berths of Stages 1 and 2. Three of the last tender coxswains were Ellie Pearson, Chris Johnson and his sister Kathryn. A number of readers are probably thinking, “Where are they now?”

Newer members of the Squadron will not be familiar with these operations because the service was phased out about 2007 due to the increased level of marina occupation and the greatly reduced need for the tender service. Older members will recall that every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday, the tender service was available at call for about nine hours each day, with a young enthusiastic person ready to respond to each whistle or call for the tender.

Chris started driving the tender when he was twelve years old in 2001, but his first encounter with the Squadron occurred when he was taken out on the family yacht Seafire aged six weeks old. During the following twelve years he developed a love of boats and the sea, and particularly enjoyed interacting with the crews of the pilot boats who, in those days, used the Squadron refuelling facilities. He obtained his boatdriving permit shortly after his twelfth birthday and was very soon employed by

the Squadron as a tender driver. Thereafter, he banked about $75 for each driving day until he turned eighteen whereupon he was employed by Flinders Ports to undertake duties on the wharves and as a deckhand on the pilot boats. Subsequently, he studied at the Australian Maritime and Fisheries Academy in Port Adelaide, and as he accumulated sea time he qualified for the Certificates of Competency as Coxswain, Master 5 and Marine Engine Drivers grades 2 and 3. He is about to commence study for the Master 4 Certificate. Chris’s duties these days are almost exclusively as a Launch Master of any of Flinders Ports’ Pilot boats, so he spends most of his working time operating from the Squadron pool. It is easy to recognise the benefits he accrued by working as a tender driver.

Kathryn similarly enjoyed life on board Seafire and as soon as she could, also took steps to become a tender driver. While engaged in activities around the Squadron, she developed a love of the wildlife of the Port River. Sometime later, this culminated in her working in a voluntary capacity with the Australian Marine Wildlife Research and Rescue Organisation (AMWRRO) on Torrens Island, where she was engaged in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of various forms of wildlife including seals, seabirds and sea turtles. While she was at secondary school she demonstrated a marvellous ability to study without coercion. When she graduated from school, she accepted an offer to study Veterinary Science at the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal

and Veterinary Science at Roseworthy. After six years of study, she has just completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and has accepted a position in a large veterinary practice in New Zealand. By the time you read this article, she should be established in Oamaru on the South Island.

Ellie attended the same primary school as Chris and Kathryn and eventually became a close friend of the Johnson family, enjoying many trips on Seafire. Ellie, too, enjoyed the environment of the Squadron and eventually followed in Chris and Kathryn’s footsteps. When the tender service came to an end she continued to work with the Squadron as a casual employee in the catering department. She was another exemplary secondary school student and went on to study Engineering at the University of Adelaide on a scholarship. She is currently employed as a Mining Engineer with Newcrest Mining Corporation, one of the world’s largest gold mining companies.

Her workplace is the Telfer Mine situated in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia, which requires her to commute on a FIFO basis from Perth. Unfortunately, this means that we don’t see much of her these days.

One can recognise and appreciate that these three young people developed their work ethic, their confidence and their interpersonal skills whilst providing a service to a great many current boat owners. We admire their progress and wish them well in the future.

Squadron Quarterly

29

INLAND SEA

CRUISING LAKE CALLABONNA

By Colin Doudy

Two prominent Squadron members swapped their maritime adventures for a trip of discovery – a desert trek in the South Australian outback. Colin recounts the fascination of fossicking around for long-lost fossils.

Lake Callabonna is a salt lake, usually dry, surrounded by little vegetation.

It is in northeastern South Australia, approximately 55 kilometres north of Lake Frome and is an important site for late Pleistocene (about 12,000 to 100,000 years ago) fossils of Australian megafauna. The Lake was declared a Fossil Reserve in 1901, and access is restricted.

In January 1892 Fred Ragless, the first pastoralist in the area, came across a number of giant skeletons embedded in the dry surface of the lake. An expedition, partly funded by Sir Thomas Elder and E. C. Stirling, director of the South Australian Museum, was organised in 1893.

Stirling and A. H. Zietz travelled to Lake Callabonna and collected a large number of Diprotodon and Dromornithidae skeletons. Lake Callabonna also provides evidence of Australia’s previous, more moist, climate when much of what is now arid inland Australia was once part of a vast inland sea. Plant materials such as Callitris pine cones found alongside fauna fossil-remains are indications that the area was once able to support forest or woodland vegetation.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join an expedition to Lake Callabonna organised by Dr. Trevor

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Squadron Quarterly

Worthy and Professor Rod Wells, and which included Dr. Aaron Camens and other Flinders University researchers.

The aim was to find and collect the remains of Genyornis, Diprotodon and Protemnodon. We set sail in our ships of the desert – the cruiser Land and her sister ship Challenger ably supported by our dinghy Quadbyke. We tied up at Arkaroola for an overnight rest before reaching the shores of Lake Callabonna where we set up a camp which was to be home for two weeks.

in -10, putting on as much clothing as possible against the chill of the light breeze blowing off the lake, and trying to boil a cuppa in the wind. Breakfast over and it was onto the lake surface, which is largely dry with a little hyper-saline surface water and low dunes encrusted with salt. Some areas of deep mud lie disguised just under the surface to trap the incautious. The dry pan revealed its own beauty as the early sunlight glittered off the gypsum crystals which litter parts of the lake bed.

Trevor’s main interest is the Genyornis, often called the Thunderbird, which was a heavily-built flightless bird standing about 2 metres tall and which makes the modern emu look like a chicken. Very few remains have been found of this animal which probably became extinct over 40,000 years ago, but Trevor was optimistic about finding more.

When the quad bikes stopped, the experienced collectors dispersed in all directions, heads down, looking

Rod’s passions include Diprotodon, the large herbivore resembling a giant wombat (which it is not) and measuring around 3.5 metres long by two metres tall. His other focus was to retrieve the skeleton of a Protemnodon kangaroo which he had found on a previous trip.

These early kangaroos were about the same size as our modern roos but heavierset and better equipped to feed on trees and shrubs, rather than grass. However, this particular skeleton was special. Not only was it in good condition, it had died with its joey in its pouch.

Finding skeletons is not easy for the novice (me). The party started at dawn

Arron with his Diprotodon trackway

like a scruffy flock of ill-dressed emus, occasionally bending down to examine an artifact. I wandered around in circles, amid others’ cries of discovery, heart quickening as I pounced on another ‘bone’ fragment only to discover just another gypsum crystal. However, with a little instruction, I too could spot the fragment of tooth enamel on the surface which, with a little digging, could lead to a complete Diprotodon skeleton.

The technique needed refinement to locate Genyornis. As many of the animals appear to have been trapped by miring their feet in the mud of a drying lake-bed, the birds perished in an upright position so that only the feet and lower legs remain below the surface of mud sediments, while the upper body has been reduced to dust by millennia of weathering. So,

bones are exposed to the air, they are painted with a quick-drying glue which is absorbed into the bone to stabilize the structure before excavation can continue. Once the top of the remains is exposed, the bones are further stabilized by encasing them in a plaster jacket.

When the jacket is set, the fossil can be undermined and released from the substrate. The cast is then turned over and the plastering process repeated, so the specimen is fully enclosed in plaster and can be safely transported to the lab at Flinders Uni where the final cleaning can be done in controlled conditions.

We took time off to visit the site occupied by the 1893 expedition of Stirling and Zietz. Little evidence remains of their nine-month stay on a low, vegetated sand hill adjacent to a mound spring

Removing the encased Protemnodon from the lake bed

which issues water that is moderately saline at 1.78% of salt (seawater is about 3.4%). While sheep and cattle can only thrive on up to 1%, the camels used by this expedition could have tolerated this higher salinity (F Assad, 2002). By comparison, domestic water supplies range between 0 05% and.1%. A few timbers remain of what were probably the camel corrals, and we were lucky to find a complete glass bottle probably used by Stirling and Zietz. Interestingly, the local dingos had dug into the sandy creek-bed near our campsite to locate a source of very fresh water about 40 cms below the surface.

After two weeks, our own freshwater was running low, and it was time to set sail south. We had recovered specimens of Genyornis and Protemnodon, and located numerous sites of other remains for future study. All in all, a very successful expedition. It appears that our visit was quite timely as the recent rains in January have filled Lake Callabonna for the first time in many years.

Pair of Genyornis feet

the astute collector must be able to recognise a little scattering of rounded pebbles amid the general rubble, which represent the gizzard stones from the crop of the long-gone upper body.

Pair of Genyornis feet Protemnodon kangaroo with joey. Joey skull lower center right, little paw tucked under

Another of our party specialised in animal tracks left on the lake’s surface thousands of years ago by the lumbering Diprotodons. Aaron could spot a track from a fast-moving quad-bike with apparent ease. While the rest of us looked on with disbelief, Aaron would quickly map out the footprints by brushing away the 150mm of loose dust covering these marks, to reveal that these huge animals had indeed come that way thousands of years ago.

The fossil remains need to be handled very carefully as they are extremely brittle since most of the collagen which binds the bone has degraded away. Once the

Squadron Quarterly

31

SENIOR MEMBER

By Barry Allison

JOHN WICKHAM This is another of a series of articles

by Barry Allison, recording some of the experiences and adventures of prominent Senior Members of the Squadron. This time, an interesting account about one of our long-standing Members who has had a lengthy interest in yachting – both racing and cruising: John Wickham.

John’s first encounter with the Yacht Squadron was in 1958 when he was invited to sail aboard Capt. du Ploenge’s Noralee at Outer Harbor, and so began a lifetime of adventures on the sea. John met Howard Trotter in the early 60’s and sailed with

Kooringal anchored at Mares Tail

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Squadron Quarterly

him in an International Cadet Calypso over several seasons. He also met David King and the three of them spent as much time at the Squadron as possible, and in 1963, John joined the Squadron. When they were old enough, the three moved up to Dragons.

Initially, John crewed on Tom Flint’s Dragon Pam, which was later sold to David Phillips and John continued to crew for David. He also crewed on Dragons owned by Doug Verco and Harry Perry senior. In 1966/67, David King commissioned Don King to build the Squadron’s first plywood Diamond class, Tanya. There were only ever two of this class in the Squadron – the other being sailed by Colin Bates. Tanya provided plenty of exciting sailing with David King on the helm and Howard Trotter, Fred Howell and John as crew, even crossing the Gulf for an Easter Regatta. In 1969, Tanya was sold to a buyer in Hastings (Vic).

In the early 70’s, John decided that trailersailers provided an attractive alternative, and bought an Ultimate 18, Talia. He sailed mainly from the Largs Bay Sailing Club in the summer and the Port Adelaide Sailing Club in the winter, winning the 1978 winter series, and then deciding to move up to a larger craft. Graham Williams was sailing a Cole 23 Baccante at Largs Bay, and as John knew Graham from the Squadron, they started sailing in company. So in 1979, John purchased a new Cole 23, Leda, from North Shore Yachts in Sydney and began

Raraku at Knob Pt

racing regularly at the Port Adelaide Sailing Club. This larger craft enabled the Wickham family to cruise and to trail to more remote ports, including Port Lincoln. Leda was sold in 1982 to Squadron member Tom Muir. John purchased the hull and deck of a Cole 30, Shalamar, from Traditional Yachts and fitted her out in their small backyard at North Haven, with help from Graham Williams, who was building Harlequin, a Duncanson 37, while Graham’s father, Jack, was building Allemanda. Shalamar arrived at the Squadron in 1984. In the late 90’s, John assisted Graham Williams in building Lambada – a Duncanson 30 kit boat – and provided invaluable boat building knowledge. Lambada was later sold to Colin Harrison and re-named New Address for a round-the-world cruise.

Shalamar proved to be an excellent family cruising boat and over the next twelve years, with wife Veronica and son Mathew crewing, she cruised our coast, including many trips to Port Lincoln and the initial Squadron New Year’s Eve celebration at Rocky Point in Eastern Cove, Kangaroo Island. They were often in company with Marion and Roger Holden in Marionette II, and Rick Cluse was often crew. In these years, John amassed a wealth of knowledge concerning the anchorages around Port Lincoln, the Sir Joseph Banks Group, Spencer Gulf and the North coast of Kangaroo Island, and

today can be relied upon to provide detail on these anchorages. John has sailed to Kangaroo Island over twenty times, and says his favorite part of the island is the North Coast.

Shalamar was sold in 1996 and John became boatless for the next five years.

However, Squadron members Bernie and Carmen Matzat had recently purchased Camelot – a Bill Porter 46 foot converted fishing craft, extended to 52 feet – and they were looking for a willing crew to join them in Gulf cruising; John and Veronica fitted in perfectly. Camelot cruised waters in both Gulfs from 1998 to 2003, including Kangaroo Island New Year’s Eve parties, the waters around Port Lincoln and the Sir Joseph Banks Group, and, in 2000, as far north as Port Augusta and the littleknown anchorages on the western coast of Spencer Gulf. In these years, John was a prominent member of the Squadron’s Cruising Committee and was Chairman in 2001-02.

In late 2001, John and Veronica purchased Raraku, an Adams Radford 12 design, from Lake MacQuarie in NSW and trucked her to Adelaide where they prepared her for cruising. Over the next ten years, Raraku cruised the waters of both Gulfs, with Rick Cluse generally as crew, and competed in three Adelaide – Port Lincoln races, many cruises to Port Vincent, Stansbury and Edithburgh and most parts of Kangaroo Island. In 2009 they took Raraku to Spencer Gulf and the Banks Group of islands and there met up with Charlie Riggs aboard Quasar.

Charlie suggested they go to his home town of Tumby Bay to re-supply but halfway across they were experiencing solid 30 knot Nor-Westers, gusting to 40 knots in hot 40 degrees C! They eventually anchored under Tumby Bay Island until the wind went around to the SW, and then cruised into Tumby Bay which proved to be very good to replenish ships stores, with all amenities close to the waterfront.

Raraku was sold to Robert Bruce in September 2011, and the Wickhams again became boatless, but not for long as a replacement craft was spotted lying at Church Point in Pittwater in NSW. So, in March 2012, they purchased Kooringal, a 2007 Catalina 42 Mk II, and sailed her to Adelaide. The voyage from Sydney to Adelaide was uneventful with a crew of Marion and Roger Holden, Rick Cluse, and John as skipper. They departed Sydney on a Friday morning in fine weather and entered Eden on the Saturday evening to refuel. Then departing on the Sunday morning, they pushed on to Portland arriving on Wednesday evening, and then onto the Squadron arriving at 1730 hrs

on Friday – a voyage of just over seven days – a reasonably quick and trouble free voyage. Today, Kooringal will be seen at most of the Squadron’s cruising events with one notable omission – Rick Cluse no longer crews with the Wickhams as he now has his own yacht Airwaves.

John has completed several yacht delivery voyages – the latest being Commodore Peter Cooling’s Jeanneau Sun Fast 40 Last Tango in November 2014.

John joined her in Eden on her way south from Brisbane with Marion and Roger Holden. Unfortunately this voyage took far longer than previous voyages due to weather constraints and meant laying up in Eden, Refuge Cove and Port Fairy for many days resulting in a three-week voyage from Eden – much to the frustration of our Commodore.

John and Veronica were fortunate to join Roger and Marion Holden on a few trips on their last two yachts Marionette III and Marionette IV. Aboard Marionette III in 1993 for two weeks cruising in the Whitsundays, they negotiated the tricky entrance into Hardy’s Lagoon. Later, they joined the Holdens in a cruise from Cairns to Port Douglas and return. A feature of this cruise was being able to swim around the ‘bommies’ after all the tourists had left and to appreciate giant clams and many tropical fish. A memorable event occurred when swimming at Low Isles just off Port Douglas; having to swim back to the yacht with a 3-metre black-tipped reef-shark swimming just six feet below them! In 1998 they joined the Holdens again aboard Marionette IV – this time cruising from Port Douglas to Townsville.

In 2004, a two week venture aboard Marionette IV in Thailand’s Pi Pi Island provided another great cruise and the delights of eating ashore in the many and varied Thai restaurants. Then in 2006, John

Talia

and Veronica joined the Holdens again in Trieste to cruise the Aegean Seas and the Croatian Coast as part of Marionette IV’s world cruise. They were also fortunate to join Helen Prisk and Graham Kilgariff aboard The Tardis on two occasions. The first in 2012 when cruising the waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel in Tasmania, and the second time in 2013 when sailing around the south coast of Tasmania to Port Davey. They stayed there for a week, being blessed with beautiful weather to enjoy the remote and historic waters of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour.

Today, John and Veronica can be seen most weekends aboard Kooringal, relaxing and enjoying the Squadron fraternity, and will always welcome you aboard for a drink and to show you the immaculate interior of their yacht. John’s son Matthew, who has had considerable experience in Cadet dinghies and Sharpies, is now sailing Tymara, and John is currently assisting Matthew in familiarizing himself with the boat.

John & Veronica Wickham at Knob Pt Kangaroo Island

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Circumnavigating Kangaroo Island

By Mark Sinclair

Cape Willoughby

of small scale. Navigation in certain parts demands close attention. From Adelaide, a circumnavigation of Kangaroo Island and back to Adelaide involves a cruise of 300nm. It offers spectacular scenery and wildlife, and an interesting challenge.

Mark Sinclair Circumnavigating Kangaroo Island has been the dream of many a sailor. Few have attempted this challenge, and many of those who have tried have not succeeded. Here Mark Sinclair gives a brief description of his recent single-handed circumnavigation in his yacht Starwave, a Sparkman and Stephens 41, conducted over three and a half days last December. His story will no doubt ignite the imaginations of many readers.

The first recorded circumnavigation of Kangaroo Island was conducted in 1803 by the French hydrographer Freycinet in the schooner Casuarina. These days the many anchorages along the north coast of Kangaroo Island are frequently visited by cruising yachts, but the west and south coasts rarely so. Between Cape Borda on the western end and Cape Willoughby to the east, the southern coast is exposed to the Southern Ocean. There are few anchorages, the seabed is irregular with a significant number of submerged rocks and charting is based on incomplete surveys

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I cast off the lines from RSAYS on the afternoon of Tuesday 2 December, commencing my voyage close hauled on the port tack under plain sail (full mainsail and #2 genoa) into a light south-westerly breeze. Throughout the afternoon and evening the wind backed to the east and provided a nice lift down the Gulf of St Vincent, with Troubridge Island weathered at 2200, and a run down Investigator Strait.

During the night I furled the headsail because of squalls from thunderstorms, later resetting it a number of times, while spectacular lightning created some mild anxiety, but fortunately it did not come too close.

Dawn on Wednesday 3rd found Starwave some 5nm north of Cape Cassini on the north coast of Kangaroo Island sailing

Nav station on board Starwave

goosewinged before a 10 knot easterly breeze.

By mid-morning the breeze had fallen away, a precursor to the south-westerly change later in the day. The calm conditions provided an opportunity to motor into Snug Cove where three new moorings had been recently laid.

Unfortunately three identical dwellings under construction on Kangaroo Beach gave an urban feel to an otherwise delightful bay.

At midday, the anticipated south-westerly breeze set in and quickly strengthened. This required a beat around Cape Forbin and Cape Torrens, and sailing close by Harveys Return, before I joined three cray boats at anchor in Scotts Cove late in the afternoon.

I had not previously visited Harveys Return but found it very agreeable, particularly in the afternoon sun with the sandy bottom clearly visible through turquoise water. Unfortunately, under fresh south-westerly conditions the wind veers around the north coast of Kangaroo Island and blows strongly into the cove making it a lee shore. I moved to Scotts Cove located

close west, which provided superior shelter in these conditions. This comfortable anchorage provided a welcome opportunity to turn in early and catch up on some of the sleep missed from spending the previous night underway.

pole for the run through Backstairs Passage.

Off Cape Coutts, Backstairs Passage narrows and the high ground of the Fleurieu and Dudley Peninsulas on either side funnelled the southeast breeze through the strait at 25kn. At 1820 the pole was lowered, mainsail gybed and Starwave sailed through the passage with the bone in her teeth against the ebbing stream.

At 2130, well clear of Backstairs Passage, we altered course to starboard for the run home.

On Thursday 4 December at 0430 I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon prior to weighing anchor and proceeding to Cape Borda. The wind had abated overnight and the morning was spent beating down the west coast of Kangaroo Island under plain sail. A number of cray boats, including one wearing a mizzen sail, were actively attending their pots. On passing close by the mouth of West Bay, a lee shore and untenable under these conditions, the wind veered slightly and following another tack back offshore, we were able to lay Cape de Couedic on the starboard tack. Starwave passed between the Casuarina Islets also known as The Brothers, at midday and as the early afternoon breeze freshened from the SSW, we set course to inspect the anchorage in Weirs Cove.

Weirs Cove is a shallow indentation in the south coast with a short jetty, which appeared to be dilapidated, in the south-west corner.

The anchorage was reasonably protected from the SSW conditions, however is exposed to the south-east. The breeze blowing freshly across the mouth of the cove, Starwave made good way under considerable canvas but quickly ran out of sea room so the mainsail was gybed and we ran back out to sea. We passed Remarkable Rocks at 1230 and then altered course slightly to pass between Douglas and Lipson Reefs, both of which were breaking.

At 1330 the wind had increased to 20kn from right astern and the mainsail was dropped in case it increased further. Course was shaped for Cape Kesaint under headsail only, passing inshore of NW Snare over which breaking seas were clearly visible to starboard.

At 1700 we anchored in Vivonne Bay between the cray moorings and the rocky promontory of Point Ellen in 5m over a sandy seabed. I had been unable to receive VHF coverage on channel 21 on the west and south coasts but was pleased to regain it just off Vivonne Bay. The anchorage was well protected under moderate SSW conditions with only slight movement, but would be fully exposed to weather from the south-east. Once again, following a hearty meal, the opportunity to turn in early after another active day was difficult to resist.

Starwave

As a light southerly breeze had now set in, plain sail was hoisted and course set to pass inshore of Quin Rock towards Cape Gantheaume from which breakers were observed to extend a long way offshore.

Starwave then passed inshore of the conspicuous Pelorus Island and proceeded to Tinline Point in D’Estree Bay, to inspect the anchorage close north of Osmanli Reef.

Under mainsail only Starwave jogged west along latitude 35 58.0S to pass approximately 5 cables north of the Tinline Point. The sandy seabed shelves gradually and dissipates the seas as they approach the shore and the anchorage is reported to provide some shelter even from seas from the south-east. It was certainly protected from conditions from the south. Sheets were then eased, the mainsail gybed, headsail unfurled and course shaped for Cape Hart, some 20nm to the east.

With the afternoon breeze increasing to 20kn, the mainsail and headsail were reefed to avoid being over pressed later in the day. The wind was expected to back and freshen, particularly in Backstairs Passage. Passing Cape Hart and Cape Willoughby we eased the mainsail and set the headsail to starboard on the spinnaker

Throughout the night the wind remained from the south-east at 20kn and a comfortable 6kn was maintained up the Gulf of St Vincent under reefed main and headsail. A number of large vessels on passage to and from Adelaide passed to seaward, however at 2305 the closer of two trawlers that were initially passing clear to port suddenly altered course to port at a range of about 1nm. The range quickly closed to approximately 5 cables on a steady bearing fine on the port bow. A potentially dangerous situation was quickly developing and as a proper lookout did not seem to be being maintained on the give way vessel, course was altered 90 degrees to starboard by hardening up into the south-east breeze. This quickly opened the range and diffused the situation.

The remainder of the night was uneventful and at 0600 sails were dropped and at 0700 Saturday 6 December, lines were secured at the RSAYS. I then tumbled below, emerging much refreshed at midday!

Circumnavigating Kangaroo Island under sail is a rewarding experience. Conditions on this occasion were ideal, with a south-easterly in the Gulf of St Vincent and Investigator Strait, a short beat down the west coast and a southwesterly breeze along the south coast. These conditions enabled the circumnavigation to be completed in three and a half days with two nights at anchor in Scotts Cove and Vivonne Bay and two nights underway.

The most important help I had was ‘George’, the Aries wind wane, who steered the whole way – very important!

Editor: full marks to Mark for grabbing an all important weather window for this challenging cruise.

Fleureau Peninsula

Following another early rise at 0430 on Friday 5th and mandatory eggs and bacon prior to weighing, course was shaped towards Nobby Islet. The calm early morning conditions provided the opportunity for us to motor inshore of the breaking reef just off Seal Bay, to view the seals on the beach. Once off Seal Bay, the low sun angle made identification of shallow water difficult. With the irregular seabed and the depth alarm sounding we retraced our course back towards Nobby Islet in lieu of continuing the passage inshore.

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NATURE

Sustainable Seafood SA-Style

By Dr Alastair Harry, Research Scientist, Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University Global concerns about overfishing and the impacts of fishing on the marine environment have resulted in seafood consumers becoming increasingly interested in where their fish comes from and whether or not it is sustainable. The issue of overfishing came to prominence particularly in Europe and North America in the 1970s with the collapse of seafood staples like cod and herring. Although fisheries management techniques have evolved and improved, the limits of production from wild-capture fisheries have been reached and continue to be pushed. In response to ongoing concerns, and born out a public mistrust in the ability of governments or fishers to sustainable manage stocks, a number of eco-label have emerged. Just like ‘fairtrade’ or ‘organic’ eco-labels, seafood eco-labels are designed to give consumers confidence that what they are getting is ‘best practice’. In the case of fisheries this typically is by providing a third-party audit of fishing practices and stock sustainability.

The largest and most well-known of the seafood eco-labels is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC was formed in 1997 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Unilever in response to the collapse of Atlantic Cod in Newfoundland, Canada. Since then, the MSC has developed a rigorous, science-based standard for sustainability. Fisheries wishing to meet this standard must demonstrate that they conform to 31 criteria, grouped under three ‘principles’.

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Principle 1: The fish stock is healthy, and its productivity not affected by fishing.

Principle 2: Fishing can continue indefinitely without damage to the environment or ecosystem, including populations of by-catch and protected species.

Principle 3: Fishing activities are legal and adhere to national and international laws.

As consumers increasingly pressure large supermarket chains in Europe and North America such as Sainsburys and Walmart to sell ‘certified sustainable’ fish, the number of fisheries becoming MSC certified has grown rapidly, and approximately 10% of the world’s wild-capture biomass is now certified. Even the Fillet-o-Fish sandwich from McDonalds is made from MSC-certified Alaskan Pollock! In addition to the MSC several other established seafood eco-labels including Friend of the Sea and Dolphin Safe.

Australia, with our relatively small commercial fishing industry, and relatively strong history of fisheries management, has thankfully been spared much of the major environmental, economic and social damage that can be brought about by overfishing.

Nonetheless, to the many Australian’s for whom the sea is an integral part of our national identity and those passionate about seafood, buying sustainable is becoming increasingly important. In terms of buying ‘certified sustainable’ here in Australia, the options are still somewhat limited.

Recent publicity generated through TV programs such as Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans’s ‘What’s the Catch?’ is bringing sustainable seafood into focus and products carrying the MSC or similar eco-labels are becoming more common in the displays of fish mongers and supermarkets (http:// labelmyfish.com/).Australian fisheries that are MSC-certified include the Northern Prawn Fishery, the Western Rock Lobster Fishery, and two fisheries operating for Patagonian Toothfish and Mackerel Icefish in Australia’s subantarctic territories.

South Australia has been an early-adopter of the MSC, with the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery certified in 2011. The Lakes and Coorong fishery for Mulloway, Golden Perch, Coorong Mullet, and Pipis was also one of the first to be MSC certified in 2008, and although not current certified is undergoing re-assessment.

Eating sustainably doesn’t necessarily mean only buying ‘certified sustainable’, and plenty of sustainable fish does not carry an eco-label. Choosing to eat locally caught (Australian), fresh seafood is generally a good starting point (although admittedly often a more expensive one). Australia’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation publish a biennial report on the Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks (http://fish.gov.au/) that is a good tool for researching which stocks to choose and which to avoid. In 2014, 76% (129 out of 170) Australian stocks were considered ‘sustainable’, with 6% (11 stocks) considered ‘unsustainable’ and the rest somewhere in between. For more affordable seafood, look for New Zealand fish in the frozen sections such as hoki (a.k.a blue grenadier), hake and ling. These typically come from well-managed fisheries, many of which are MSC-certified and may carry the eco-label. South African hake is another affordable and MSC-certified fish typically available in supermarket freezers.

In the future Australian consumers can expect to see more MSC-certified products on offer, making the choice to eat sustainably even easier. Eight additional Australian fisheries ranging from tuna to blue swimmer crabs are currently under assessment through MSC. The Western Australian government also has a $14.5 million project underway to support MSC certification of WA seafood and four fisheries are currently in assessment.

Editors note: The fishers are Philippa and Mark Flook, the crew of Emma on her recent cruise to Pt Lincoln and back. They caught two meals of correctly sized whiting, Tommies, gar and a salmon with a total retail worth of approx $85 (the actual cost of two bags of cockles, one bag of squid, two burley boxes and two bags of burley spent at a Port Lincoln bait shop!) this expense also equalled the cost of two meals of two King George Whiting at the Penneshaw Pub!

HONG KONG CRUISING

Harris Family’s Hong Kong Charter Success

By Sally Metzer Photos courtesy of the Harris Family

enthusiasts. Since the first recorded yachtracing began in Hong Kong in 1849, the sport has been growing rapidly, spawning an everincreasing array of spin-off businesses. From superyacht manufacturers, which have set up a base in Hong Kong, to recreational daytrippers, competitive sailing and all manner of activities, including water skiing and diving to kite surfing, enthusiasts will find what they’re looking for.

Many businesses have been created catering to demand for day trips exploring Hong Kong’s waterways. Whether for leisure or corporate entertainment, vessel choices range from iconic Chinese junks, crewed sailing yachts, to a hands-on racing machine.

One company, Hong Kong Yachting, was established in 2006 by Australian couple Jane and David Harris, whose family has been racing and cruising yachts in Australia for three generations. Their two children recently took over the business.

Jess & James in HKY uniform

Well known Squadron identities David and Jane Harris and their family headed to Hong Kong nine years ago with the aim of establishing a yacht charter business.

Judging from this story, abridged from ‘Hong Kong Means Business’, produced by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, they are riding on the crest of a wave! Proud matriarch Anthea Cowell forwarded this article, knowing that many members will be interested to hear of their venture.

Smooth Sailing All the Way Hong Kong has a long maritime history and one of the world’s busiest ports, but also some of the best cruising grounds.

With more than 200 outlying islands to explore, excellent sailing conditions for much of the year and a climate that beckons an outdoor lifestyle, Hong Kong is a haven for water sports

“Hong Kong has a glorious harbour with great sailing and some amazing scenic spots only accessible by boat,” Director Jessica Harris said. “With its scattered islands, the city is quickly gaining recognition as a boating haven in the Asia-Pacific region. We’re dedicated to helping both locals and out-of-towners alike have the chance to experience the unique and charming aspects of Hong Kong The company’s fleet comprises its flagship launch Jungle Jane – complete with inflatable slide and a king-size sunbed for daytime parties, transforming into an open-air restaurant or cocktail bar for private dinner parties and harbour wine cruises.

The fleet also includes Volvo 60 racing yacht (the Formula 1 boat in its class, which won the Around the World Race in 1998) or a luxury Schionning catamaran, which offers the option of an overnight charter. The siblings are currently awaiting the March arrival of the fleet’s newest addition, Tarzan, which is similar style to Jungle Jane, with a capacity of 60 people.

Angus at helm of Volvo 60 V1

The company also charters a large variety of boats that are owned and operated by local families, offering the same high-quality service and maintenance standards as its own fleet.

Harbour cruises, adventure sailing and junk parties, along with special charters for events like New Year’s Eve, the Chinese New Year fireworks and Dragon Boat Day, are all on the itinerary of Hong Kong Yachting and other charter boat companies that operate across the city.

Jessica, who has lived in Hong Kong for eight years, shares some of the waterways’ bestkept secrets. “Apart from Victoria Harbour, its bustling waters and spectacular skyline, my hot picks to adventure would have to be Sai Kung’s remote islands, with its sea arches and millionyear-old volcanic caves; it is Hong Kong’s very own paradise,” she said. “Or discover Po Toi Island, south of Hong Kong Island and only accessible by boat, where a charming little town and incredible seafood can be found.”

Congratulations to the whole Harris family, particularly to Angas who most recently has been working on the new boat in Townsville, and also to Jess who will marry New Zealander James Hargraves at Port Adelaide in late March.

Angus & Jessica aboard the 46ft catamaran built in Pt Adelaide

Hong Kong Yachting Jungle Jane junk trip with obstacle course

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Cathy in cabin

Luxury Aboard an 80 year old Tall Ship: Cruising on Sea Cloud from Piraeus to Venice In October Cathy Branson and Alan Down boarded the luxurious square rigger Sea Cloud in Piraeus, the main port of Athens. A close friend had made several voyages on this yacht over a number of years so they too were keen to experience this adventure and celebrate Alan’s 70th birthday. Alan describes the 109m yacht and their eight day holiday:

There is a convoluted history which is a chapter in itself but includes Sea Cloud’s role as an Atlantic communications vessel at the outbreak of WW2. She was completely stripped above deck and all interior fittings stored ashore with the view to resurrecting the yacht should she survive. President Roosevelt rented the yacht for one dollar per year to serve in the USA coast guard.

Sea Cloud is currently owned by a German company, sailing under the Maltese flag as she is registered in Valletta. She was refurbished three years ago to comply with fire regulations and to fit new diesel engines.

Alan Down & Cathy Branson

Sea Cloud was built in Kiel, Germany, in 1931. She was commissioned by Marjorie Merriweather-Post who at 27 years of age was the wealthiest woman in America after she inherited a cereal company from her father. Sea Cloud was built to be the most luxurious yacht afloat and in a short time became a legend amongst international high society. (And of course) This was during the Great Depression and there were rumours of an impending war.

The interior design and layout of the vessel is breathtaking with attention to detail reflecting superb craftsmanship covering all disciplines from joinery through fabrics to engineering.

It took Marjorie two years to design each of the cabins and it is no wonder the well to do clamoured to be invited guests aboard.

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She now mainly cruises the Mediterranean and the Atlantic but has travelled further afield.

The ship became so popular that a second vessel was launched in 1999 called Sea Cloud 11. Sea Cloud 11 is also a windjammer but of more modern design like a current luxury cruiser. But she lacks the romantic history of her namesake. Sea Cloud 11 cruises the more northern latitudes, which Sea Cloud is unable to do.

Technical information Sea Cloud is 109.5m long, 14.94m wide, draws 5.13m and displaces about 2532 tons.

The main mast is 54.2m tall and the total sail area 3000sq m over 30 sails. There are two engines which deliver over 3,000 HP and two generators to provide the electricity required for all mod cons. The two propellers are each 2.5m in diameter and drive the yacht at about 12 knots. Almost all the 32 cabins are equipped with baths and desalinators produce up to 40 tonnes of water daily.

The Staff The vessel has a crew of about 60 which includes five nautical officers, four technical officers, hotel personnel, a cruise director, a musician, a lecturer and a ship’s doctor. The doctor is particularly important as a GP to all the staff who, of course, are always at sea. All these personnel were fully occupied looking after 57 guests in absolute luxury during the voyage. Almost every nationality was represented with the Captain being Russian, the First Officer from Montenegro, the Second Officer from Serbia and Third Officer from Malta. All communications were in English and German.

The Voyage The idea was to sail as much as weather permitted and to call into various ports along Sea Cloud in sail

On one occasion the crew set up a roped area beside the boat for those who fancied a swim.

Others enjoyed water skiing (as you do) in the Adriatic Sea. With the exception of only one day the weather was temperate with warm sunshine.

The seas were calm which was a blessing as Cathy is a little prone to mal de mare.

The rigging on Sea Cloud

the way over eight days. At best Sea Cloud could sail about 70 degrees apparent to the wind. We sailed about a third of the time and covered approximately 1000nm. Excursions with appropriate guides and transport were arranged by the Cruise Director.

To watch the crew climb the rigging, especially the main central mast with six spas, was a sight to behold. Not only did they have to climb there but then had to shuffle along to the end of the yard to start unfurling the sail.

The reverse process seemed more difficult as knot tying and holding on while controlling a flapping sail added to the challenge. There was a ‘Mast Captain’ for each of the three main masts and about 6-7 crew to each Captain.

The fourth mast was a mizzen and didn’t need a full team. Many of the crew were from the Philippines.

Life aboard On our voyage the guests came mainly from Germany, the USA, and the ‘others’ included four Australians and a Swiss couple. Groups were loosely connected largely around common languages but overall everyone was very friendly.

Some were there for the overall experience, others more specifically to engage in the rich Venetian and Ottoman Empire history via the archaeologist on board. There was a pianist from the USA who played during the day and evenings on either of the two pianos on board.

One undercover on deck in what was referred to as the Lido bar, and the other in the dining room. The days slid by from sunrise to sunset punctuated by cuisine to die for. The menus could easily have come from a silver service restaurant in New York and probably did.

Tours of the ship occurred on four occasions.

There was a tour of the bridge by the First Officer. Needless to say there was navigational equipment that one would expect on such a vessel, including close to 200 paper charts neatly filed and classified. Interestingly, we were told that paper charts would no longer be a requirement on board after 2018 as the cost of upgrading them has become prohibitive, and electronic charts are upgraded daily.

Another tour was of the engine room. Three engineers rotate shifts and it is a full time job servicing the engines, the generators and the water-maker. There is a fully equipped workshop with a lathe, drill press and much more.

There was a cabin tour. Guests were invited to open their cabins for all to pass through.

There was no obligation to do so but most did.

It was interesting to see the different layouts, furnishings and antique furniture which differed from room to room. It wasn’t difficult to see why the international socialites of the time were so keen to be invited aboard.

Another tour by the Chief Officer described the hoisting of the sails, while it was happening.

It made the furling headsails and mainsails on our yachts look a bit tame! All 30 sails were raised in 30minutes.

We were relieved to see that guests were not expected to participate!

On day four while at anchor in the port of Sarande, in Albania, a musical troupe dressed in traditional costume, rowed out to Sea Cloud, circled the boat playing their instruments and then came aboard to entertain us with shanties.

In Dubrovnik, we boarded the life boats to go ashore for a tour

ICS

On deck

of the city. Each boat took 30 passengers and was surprisingly comfortable. Mind you the sea was calm which made all the difference.

The penultimate destination was Rovinj in Croatia, with Venice the final destination.

Here was the highlight of the voyage. At 6am, as we travelled along the Lagoon adjacent to the Grand Canal, we were all on deck to soak up the romance, only to be greeted by thick fog! There were ferries going in all directions and the sound of the ship’s foghorn was ear shattering. The Captain broke out in a sweat as he nursed his 2530 ton charge up the canal to be safely moored alongside the wharf. With no tugs or bow thrusters no wonder he was so relieved when the yacht was secured.

It was an unforgettable holiday on a yacht which is probably the last remaining square rigger of its type and made all the more interesting because of its long and famous history.

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Ph: 08 8447 3688 Fax: 08 8341 1453

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SPONSOR PROFILE

DAVID OLIVER – SQUADRON MEMBER AND THE MAN BEHIND MUSTO...

By David Oliver & Sally Metzer

I am a member of the five- person international Musto design team, and am proud to say that a great number of innovations and product ‘tweaks’ come from Australian sailors.

Musto History

David Oliver, or ‘Ollie’ as he is most known around the Squadron, is a man on a mission. As the CEO and major shareholder of Musto Australasia, he’d like all yachties to be fitted out in Musto all-weather sailing gear.

Here David tells how he got involved with this international brand – proud sponsor of the 2014/15 Racing Season and exclusive suppliers of apparel and uniforms for our club.

I first became interested in marine clothing after the challenging 2004 Hobart race. I’d raced on Secret Men’s Business 2 with Geoff Boettcher. We had 40 to 60 knots for two days, 10m waves and a big breeze. A cameraman who was on board who described it as a two-day car crash! I was working on the bow, just wet through and cold. My sub-standard gear totally failed and, not only did I get hypothermia, but I also got a full salt water body rash which one of the crew suggested would be improved with talcum powder... thanks very much, Craig Williams! I ended up with chemical burns on my backside and had to go to hospital before joining the crew for a beer at the Customs House in Hobart.

I was pretty annoyed with the level of product knowledge in the Australian market at the time, and really ‘pissed off’ at the retailer who was happy to just sell me anything. So I wrote off to Musto in the UK as a disgruntled customer. After six months of complaining about the local market, I was invited to present our model to the Musto UK board. Geoff Boettcher and I flew over and I spoke for an hour or so and the rest was history. “I loved the product so much that I literally bought the company!”

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Musto was founded in 1964 by Keith Musto, winner of a silver medal in Tokyo Olympics where he competed against Sir James Hardy. They are still friends today. Musto was the first company to work with ‘polar tec’ fabrics and created its first iconic clothing piece, the Musto Snug, which is still worn today. Musto also invented the 3-layer system, which is the foundation of all modern wet weather gear systems. Musto is the world leader and is the only company with the scale and resources to successfully innovate yearly. Musto UK still has a cut and sew room and can make a new set of test gear and have it out on the water the same day.

Musto’s HPX fabric is the only one to pass the stringent Volvo round the world race safety standard. Any boat which wants to race must carry a HPX dry suit.

“Once I got involved in Musto we made the decision to support SA clubs and events. SA sailing has never really had much support from the ‘big players’ in the industry.

I think we now are involved in some way with nearly every sailing event in SA from dinghy’s to keel boats, and I have made it a point to not refuse any request for help from any event,” says David.

Exclusive new RSAYS range – “first in best dressed”!

Musto is proud to be tailoring an exclusive new package of club essentials for Squadron members.

“The plan is to have our full range of Musto merchandise with many colour, sizes and variant options available on our new online shop via our website,” says RSAYS General Manager Andrew McDowell. “This is the first time the club has taken a modern approach to the sailing and lifestyle range of clothing and accessories that it offers. We will also be working closely with David to offer season specials and one-off products for specialist gift lines as well. Our staff will now be fitted out with Musto branded staff uniforms as part of our sponsorship arrangement and to highlight the wearability and style of the range on offer”.

‘Ollie’ has been a senior member of RSAYS for 14 years. My first boat was a Northshore 38 called The Bottom Line. I currently co-own and race Aikin, a Kerr 11.3 with Caillin Howard.

Our business is based in Sydney and I commute to work, which is why I am never at the club as much as I would like to be.

Through this deal with the RSAYS, he has managed to combine his loyalty to the club and the love of his brand. “The Squadron is my home club and I love being involved, and so does Musto!”

S.A. MOTOR TRIMMING CENTRE ( ALL TRANSPORT UPHOLSTERY ) ABN: 86 040 424 049

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HALF TONNERS

HALF TON CLASS REUNION Article & photos by Colin Fraser

Many yachties will recall the ‘Half Tonners’, the cruiser-racers which, took off in numbers in SA and interstate 40 years ago.

has a great memory and spoke of many of the identities of that era. Sadly Graham Jones, who built many Pions, was precluded from attending the meeting at the last minute by unfortunately locking himself out of his house!

But what was a Half Tonner? Briefly, it was a 30-32 foot keel boat that rated 21.7 feet under the I.O.R. rule.

Colin Doudy ran an interesting quiz to jog our memories of past and current nautical facts, with a few bottle prizes to quench out thirst donated by Kaesler Wines.

On Sunday, 7th December last year, our Commodore hosted a reunion lunch to celebrate the era of the Half Tonners. Some 20-30 yachts were represented in a gathering of about 50 past skippers, crews and families who heard how the class was started by Rick Ottaway and his building of Valkyrie, the first Van der Stat Pion back in 1971-73.

Further history followed as David Binks shared his stories of building the Spencers and Coles in the 1970s which added to the class, and its sometimes fierce racing both inshore and offshore. More history and stories were heard from Brian Snowden (Redback), Mike Hambidge (Escapade) Ian Moncrieff (Pied Piper) Colin Doudy (Wheel Barrow) and Colin Fraser (Spoonbill). As no party is complete without a few words from Julian Murray, who

It’s a sad fact that, although possible, it is extremely doubtful that another class of yacht will ever come about in the Squadron to equal the Half Tonners. It is now cast into nostalgia with memories dear to a time that is now a wonderful era in the history of our great club.

A vote of thanks to past skippers Brian Snowden, Colin Fraser and Colin Doudy was given with much appreciation for their many hours put in, particularly Brian, over the past six months to bring about this memorable reunion.

Mike Hambidge (Escapade) Bruce Roach & Ian Moncrieff (Pied Piper)

Footnote: Watch out for more articles in subsequent Quarterlies from Half Ton skippers and crews.

BENETEAU FIRST 40 FOR SALE Concubine Beneteau First 40 $360,000 For sale with Vicsail Sydney sales@vicsailsydney.com Ph: 02 9327 2088 GCircle CMarine 90x205.pdf

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Squadron Quarterly

41

SAIL DRIVE

THE COORONG BY TRAILER SAILER

By Juliet and Hugh Browell

Coorong birdlife

barrage, we were interested to see the dozen or so Australian Sea Lions (seals) either lolling about in the water or sleeping on the barrage; and the abundance of bird life – pelicans, swans, ducks, grebes, cormorants and more. We sailed slowly for about an hour with just the jib up before reaching the Mouth where we motored through the channel’s wavering path, watching out for the deepest water.

Sometimes this is quite a challenge but it was easy this time.

Seals basking at the barrages

A really pleasant trip in a trailer sailer is to cross the Murray Mouth and spend a few days in the Coorong National Park where one can have a very relaxing time swimming, fishing, and walking across the dunes to see the exhilarating ocean.

The Lower Lakes area is an ideal place for a trailer sailer such as our 26foot MacGregor, Bella. Towing this boat is easy as it has a water ballast system and only weighs 1.2 tonnes. It has a draft of 0.3m with the keel up, so is ideal for shallow-water cruising. The MacGregors are extremely roomy and comfortable inside, having standing head-room and sleeping for 7 (5 without putting down the table), so we live in luxury with only 2 of us. These boats are also known for their speed under motor and so are brilliant for

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Squadron Quarterly

escaping a change in weather conditions, although it looks rather strange to see a boat with a mast towing a water skier!

The downside of the boat is that it isn’t fast under sail, although we easily keep up with the fleet when the wind is behind.

We are not competitive people but love touring on the water, and so our boat is called Bella as she is beautiful, and because of all the beauty of nature that she brings into our lives.

After launching at Goolwa, the lock is open between 8 am and 4:30pm.

(Editors note: The lock opening times vary between Summer and Winter.) The lockmaster has a lunch break at 12:30, although on our trip last October, we had to wait while he had an unscheduled morning tea break! Once through the

Once in the Coorong Channel and past the shacks, there were few other boats, and we pulled into Barker’s Knoll, nosing the boat into the sandy shore. We chose this spot for its boardwalk, which floats in the sand and takes you 1 km across the dunes to the magnificent rolling surf.

As well, there is a long drop toilet and you can also pay the overnight fee of $13 here. What a glorious place to be with a backdrop of white sand dunes, calm waters and the bluest of skies.

Having had a couple of nights with the Trailer Sailer Association of SA, our rations were down to baked beans, so when a boat came alongside offering freshly caught salmon, Hugh was delighted. We enjoyed the sunset while we dined and wined. There were very few mosquitoes, and we had the channel and the stars to ourselves.

Juliet and Hugh Browell sailing Bella

We were lazy and didn’t even go for a sail.

If you don’t have a trailer sailer or a 4WD, you can get an idea of our beautiful Coorong and the type of dawns we experienced by looking at www.georama. com.au/coorong. This website contains 360 degree views complete with bird calls, and is well worth a look.

The walk to the ocean in the morning was a very easy stroll but on the beach it is hard not to walk a very long way as your spirits soar with the spray and the roar of the waves. Collecting cockles is prohibited between 1 June and 31 October and, anyway, I read on the web that none can be taken between the Murray Mouth

and 28 Mile Crossing. I was quite glad as I don’t like eating cockles – strictly for bait in my book.

We paddled about on the Coorong side and watched crabs, and birds, including emus, deciding not to move on further as we had everything we needed right there.

We noted the regulations say that ‘Dogs are only allowed on the ocean beach within the park, provided under your control on a lead’. We were not sure how we could get a dog there without contravening the regulations, so with the warning about poisonous baits, it is probably wiser to leave the dog at home.

POETRY Spare a Thought

Boat

Do not pity the sailor lifted to new heights by the waves, dazzled by shining walls of water, cooled by salt spray.

Using the sea for support, the wind for speed, the tide for direction.

And at the end of the day lulled to sleep and sea-dreams by the gentle rocking of the sea’s cradle.

Why is it that the bunk has shrunk the cockpit seats are harder the decks are more slippery the taps are more difficult to pump the outboard motor is heavier the lockers are too low the anchor weighs too much the gap between the seats has narrowed and the sides of the hatch scratch my hips?

Spare a thought for the sea.

Roughed up by the wind, pushed and pulled by the tide, cut by the prows of boats, bruised by cloud, needled by sleet, smashed against rocks.

And at the end of the day burned by the sunset, sliced by a crescent moon then drowned by the night sky.

Why is the boat out to get me?

The sunshade flips its holding hooks against my head the ropes blister my fingers the side wires bruise my legs the tiller knocks my knees and the boom threatens to concuss me.

Is it because the water in our anchorage has caused shrinkage?

Is it because the vessel is unimpressed with my increasing stupidity?

Or is it simply because I now carry too much ballast and too much brain failure to be a sailor?

Apart from these nautical verses, Judy Dally has published three collections of poetry – At Sixes and Sevens, Holding Up Mirrors and Across the Gulf (published by Friendly Street Poets and Wakefield Press) as well as many other works.

Judy and her husband John have been sailing together for 25 years and have visited the Squadron on a number of occasions as guests of Ken Case and Carol Laverick.

Squadron Quarterly

43

IN TRANQUIL WATERS Malcolm & Dianne Kinnaird

designed and built the Alice to Darwin railway and the accompanying port facility, was responsible for constructing the original David Jones, and building and developing West Lakes and North Haven from swampland into residential and business districts.

He was Chairman for the One and All and of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme and was State Representative on the Board of the Tall Ships Re-enactment in 1988.

His awards are too many to list but he received the AO in 1991 and the AC in 2009 and was named South Australian of the Year in 2003.

MALCOLM KINNAIRD AC 30 November 1933 - 25 September 2014 An Adelaide boy through and through, Malcolm attended Unley High School, and graduated in civil engineering at Adelaide University in 1958. He started Kinhill Pty Ltd in the 1960s developing it rapidly as a national company with much of its work offshore.

His achievements and directorships were varied and many. He was chairman of several companies, including Adelaide Brighton. He was also chairman of the consortium that

ROB KEAVY 24 June 1938 - 2 October 2014 Rob was a member of RSAYS for 39 years.

Rob was born in Melbourne and grew up in Geelong. He sailed out of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. He played AFL for Geelong Colts and won a best and fairest medal at 15.

In 1954 Rob joined the merchant marine, entering Articles of Indenture with Australian National Line. ANL carried cargo around Australia, India and Asia. Conditions were tough; numbing cold and wet hours spent on lookout on windswept flying bridges and loneliness and isolation from home life. Some officers who served during WWII were harsh taskmasters. Young seamen had very limited opportunities for social life, but they made up for it in port. A second year apprentice was paid three pounds 15 shillings. Beer cost a shilling – 75 beers a week.

At the end of his apprenticeship Rob won the most coveted prize: a brand new sextant awarded by the Minister for Shipping & Transport.

During the sixties as Second Mate on a ship in Brisbane Rob sustained a major injury. As his ship was leaving the wharf he attempted to save the ship’s mooring line which had jammed on the wharf timbers. His hand was caught, resulting in the traumatic amputation of the fingers on his left hand. Nobody gave him any chance of going back to sea. To prove he was able he had to demonstrate to the examiners that he could climb a rope ladder up the side of the ship with only one and a half hands. He did so and went on to become Master of his own ship and climbed countless ship’s ladders as a Pilot in Port Adelaide and the outports.

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Squadron Quarterly

Despite his extensive community and business interests, Malcolm found time for his passion of sailing. He first sailed as a young man with Leonard Wigan, a staunch member of RSAYS, and his sons John and Len. Their sister, Diane, became Malcolm’s wife.

Together Malcolm and Diane sailed Maid Marian, a 26’ wooden boat which they kept at Outer Harbor. With four children, Maid Marian became too small so they bought Bandit, a 36’ Duncan Stevenson fibreglass yacht, from Mark Tostyten. The family sailed her from RSAYS until Malcolm left to help

Family life needed him closer to home so he took a position as Superintendent of shipping with BHP in Whyalla. He became Commodore of the Whyalla Yacht Club. To compete in the Tripolis: Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla he bought a plug for a Serendipity, C’est la Vie, and completed it from a hull and deck and fitted it out – all with just one and a half hands.

He won the Tripolis.

Wharf disputes were violent in those years and extremely difficult to manage. After years of strife and death threats Rob moved the family to Adelaide where he became Master on the Troubridge.

He purchased a Dragon Gustel X1 which was brought to Australia for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. He completed an impeccable restoration of the yacht and raced it at the Squadron and the Geelong world Championships.

In 1983 he was appointed Harbor Master/ Pilot in Wallaroo. There he commenced building Mirrabooka, a 34’ Pugh, a steel boat, finished at Searles Boatyard. Keen to realize his dream of sailing the Whitsundays, within a week of hitting the water, he headed east. Upon returning eight months later he discovered that the split pins in the rigging bolts hadn’t been opened. Lucky the rig was well tensioned.

Rob met Di at the Squadron in 1996. Each new chapter in Rob’s life saw the acquisition of a bigger boat. They purchased a 44’ Adams Carina, Twilight Express. It was a beautiful yacht. Rob set it up with a cutter rig and added all the equipment necessary for short-handed long ocean passage making. He could sail it from the cockpit in his pyjamas.

In 2004, 2005 and 2006 Rob sailed to Noumea, Vanuatu, Fiji and the western Pacific. Twilight Express was a fast boat: 1100

form CYCSA in the early 1970s. Soon after, he commissioned Catriona, a boat designed with Alan Payne based on the yachts of the Great Lakes. Malcolm was keen that she should have a dynamic shape when heeling and therefore would travel exceptionally well.

She was finally launched in 1984. He always intended to call her Chaos, and indeed her prototype which he built as part of the design process, he subsequently named Farrago, which is the name of a part of the process to the state of chaos! Catriona’s vital statistics and potted history appear in the SQ of Spring 2014 and she recently sailed to the Wooden Boat Show in Hobart this year. Her proud owner Adrian Donald was unable to go due to work commitments, but met up with the crew latter.

Although one of the group which split from RSAYS to form CYCSA, Malcolm remained a member of RSAYS until very recently and gave willingly of his advice from time to time such as when the land was being negotiated for purchase by the Squadron in 2001.

Our condolences go to his wife Diane, their four children, grandchildren and great grandchild.

nautical miles from Port Vila to Brisbane in just 6 days. A second trip saw him awarded the Youth Trophy. Rob submitted his meticulously recorded account of the voyage and the many exhilarations and calamaties he experienced.

One member of the selection committee said they could hardly bear to turn to the next page; one disaster followed by a worse one as the voyage progressed, culminating in the tragic death of a young shipwright while the boat was undergoing repairs in Fiji.

Safely returned to her berth at the Squadron Twilight Express became a family cruiser/ racer and competed in several Lincoln races, across the Gulf and down to the Island, around the cans, in twilights, charity days and social cruising. Rob’s skills as a master mariner and keen yachtsman fostered his and Di’s children and countless friends’ enjoyment of sailing.

Rob spent his last days as close to the sea as he could, looking out across the Gulf from home at Tennyson. He fought his battle with melanoma with the same courage and dignity he faced in all of the challenges in his life. He was wise, generous and loving.

in tranquil waters She trained to be a registered nurse at the Royal London Hospital where she met Jim. Coincidentally, Jim’s father had been at the same hospital for his last year of training as a doctor. Later they married in Rugby, where her mother lived.

Unfortunately the sea did not agree with her. On a luxury cruise liner she was happy, but on a half ton yacht she was not!

Rosemary Boucaut JP., SRN., Dip.App.Sc (Nursing) August 1930 - October 2014 Rosemary Boucaut, wife of long serving Squadron member Jim Boucaut, has sadly passed away.

She was born in India to British engineer Frederick Cahill and school teacher Nellie Cahill. After her father died, she and her mother were repatriated to England by wartime convoy.

Although not a Squadron member, Rosemary will be remembered for her support of Jim and John Powell, owners of half ton Caprice ll, a 29.75’ Van De Stadt Pion.

Along with Barbara Powell and other families of the crew she was in Hobart on New Year’s Eve 1983 to welcome Caprice finishing the Sydney Hobart Race. The crew were Jim and Tim Boucaut, John Powell, Sam Cowell, John Tucker and Michael Wilkinson. One opening day in the 1970s Caprice won first prize for best dressed yacht, each member and guest having the letters CAPRICE ll on their hats.

While working part time at the Queen Victoria Hospital, and bringing up four children, Rosemary was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study Family Planning organisations overseas. She attended the esteemed Marie Stopes Clinic in London and visited Japan, Europe, and America. Then for ten years she served on the selection

committee for choosing future Fellows.

On returning from her overseas study, she was appointed as the first Supervisory Nursing Sister to the Family Planning Association of SA. She was a pioneer and advocate for women’s health and worked tirelessly in achieving these goals. On leaving Family Planning she was appointed as Staff Counsellor at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, until retiring aged 70 years.

Rosemary was an Elected Councillor of the City of Adelaide for 16 years, and later an Alderman. In a recent tribute by Council members she was remembered fondly and with deep respect for her strong advocacy for the aged, disabled and women, in particular, and for her strong commitment to preserving the Park Lands. She was a member of the North Adelaide Society and served as a volunteer Justice of the Peace.

She and Jim spent time during the last few years cruising the Baltic, Asia and the Australian coast.

Rosemary is sadly missed by her family and friends, who will all remember her love, friendship, and kindness.

She is survived by Jim and her children, Ingrid, Hilary, Timothy and Madeleine, twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild

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Squadron Quarterly

45

bErths for sale

RSAYS - BERTHS FOR SALE March 2015 LENGTH (Metre)

BERTH TYPE

8.2 Hard Stands Best Deal - HS10 (Tarmac) 9.2 Dry Stand Best Deal - DS01 10 Marina Best Deal - I23 (Double) 11 Marina Best Deal - D15 (Single) 12 Marina Best Deal - C05 (Double) 13 Marina Best Deal - E02 (Single) 14 Marina Best Deal - I08 (Double) 15 Marina Best Deal - F05 (Single) 16 Marina Best Deal - J12 (Single) 18 Marina Best Deal - SI14 (Double) 20 Marina Best Deal - H01 (Cat) 22 Marina Best Deal -SI11 (Single Super) 25 Marina Best Deal - SI07 (Single Super) 27 Marina Best Deal - I27 (T-Head) 30 Marina Best Deal - SI03 (Single Super)

From $6,900.00

PRICE RANGE

$6,900.00

$5,000.00 $75,000.00

$5,000.00 $75,000.00

To $7,000.00

$80,000.00

$60,000.00 $38,000.00 $38,000 SOLD! $89,000.00 $54,000.00 $54,000 Reduced $100,000.00 $69,500.00 $69,500.00 $120,000.00 $90,000.00 $90,000 Reduced, All offers considered $195,000.00 $75,000.00 $74,500 Reduced, All Offers Considered $195,000.00 $120,000.00 $120,000 Reduced, All Offers Considered $175,000.00 $150,000.00 $150,000 All Offers Considered $130,000.00 $130,000 Neg $220,000.00 $160,000.00 $160,000 Reduced, All Offers Considered $225,000.00 $225,000 SOLD! $370,000.00 $370,000.00 $450,000.00 $450,000 SOLD!

For further information please contact Andrew McDowell - General Manager Email: general.manager@rsays.com.au or Phone: 08 8341 8600 Prices and availability are subject to change without notice All Berth Sales are subject to Terms and Conditions

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Squadron Quarterly

Fri 3 Sat 4 Sun 5 Mon 6 Tue 7 Fri 10 Sat 11

Sun 12 Tue 14 Fri 17 Sat 18 Sun 19 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Tue 28

Easter Regatta - PFL Hussey Memorial Race to Port Vincent Dining Room open for lunch & dinner, Squadron Office is Closed Easter Regatta - Germein Memorial Race Dining Room open for lunch only, Squadron Office is Closed Easter Regatta - Correll Memorial Race Dining Room open for lunch only, Squadron Office is Closed Easter Regatta- Harold Dicker Memorial Race to Adelaide Racing Committee Meeting, Junior Committee Meeting Friday Afternoon Sternchasers Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Kintore Cup Destination Race - Offshore Series, Club Series, Etchells S2, AMS Club Div 1 Private Function - Dining Room Jimmy's Bar for Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Combined Women's Series Grelka Cup - J-Squad Long Race and BBQ Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book RSAYS Ltd Board Meeting, RSAYS Inc Management Committee Meeting Wine Tasting - phone 8341 8600 to book Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Pointscore Series, Etchells S2, Multihulls Private Function in Dining Room Member's Dining - Jimmy's Bar for Lunch 12 noon & Dinner 6pm, phone 8341 8600 to book CLUBHOUSE OFFICIAL OPENING Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book ANZAC DAY - Squadron Office Closed RSAYS Trophy Races - Inkster Memorial and Close of Season Party Cruising - Sandbar Trophy Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Cruising Committee Meeting MAY 2015

Fri 1 Sat 2 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Thur 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10 Tue 12 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Tue 26 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun 31

Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Junior Sail Past and Youth Presentation Night Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Winter Working Bee Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book House and Social Committee Meeting Racing Committee Meeting, Junior Committee Meeting Trophy Polishing Night CYCSA Presentation Night Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book RSAYS Presentation Night Shorthanded Series Member's Dining - Jimmy's Bar for Lunch 12 noon, phone 8341 8600 to book Welcome to New Members Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book RSAYS Ltd Meeting, RSAYS Inc Management Committee Meeting Skippers & Crews Meeting Wine Tasting, Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Garden Island YC Cruise Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Garden Island YC Cruise Winter Series - CYCSA Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Shorthanded Series Social Event for Members TBA Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Cruising Committee Meeting Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Winter Series - RSAYS Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book JUNE 2015

Mon 1 Tue 2 Fri 5 Sat 6 Sun 7 Mon 8 Tue 9 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Tue 23 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28

House and Social Committee Meeting Racing Committee Meeting, Junior Committee Meeting Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Port Adelaide Dinner Cruise Lunch at RSAYS from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Port Adelaide Dinner Cruise Private Function Jimmy's, Quarterdeck, Dinghy Shed Lunch at RSAYS from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Port Adelaide Dinner Cruise RSAYS Ltd Meeting, RSAYS Inc Management Committee Meeting Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Winter Series and Plympton Cup Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Wine Tasting, Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Shorthanded Series Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book Cruising Committee Meeting Club Night - Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Guest Speaker & Dinner Lunch from 12noon and Dinner from 6pm - phone 8341 8600 to book Combined Winter Series Race 4 Lunch from 12noon - phone 8341 8600 to book

2015 EVENTS CALENDAR

APRIL 2015 GOOD FRIDAY - Dining Room & Squadron Office : ALL AREAS CLOSED

Squadron Quarterly

47

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UNLEY RENAULT

284 Unley Rd, Hyde Park / Ph: 1300 898 628 unleyrenault.com.au

LVD173. *Recommended drive away prices for Captur Expression petrol manual and Captur Expression petrol EDC (auto), each with non-metallic paint and Captur Dynamique petrol EDC (auto) in non-metallic or metallic paint. Valid for vehicles ordered between 05/02/2015 & 28/02/2015 while stocks last. Renault reserves the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. Offer not available for Govt. buyers. 5 years unlimited km warranty applies to all new Renault passenger vehicles and to all new Renault Sport models where order, purchase and delivery are all after 1 July 2014. Demonstrator vehicles receive balance of new vehicle warranty. Roadside Assistance terms and conditions apply. Call our Customer Service Team on 1800 009 008 or view the Terms and Conditions statement at www.renault.com.au/drivingpeaceofmind for details. Scheduled services capped at $299 per service for 3 years or 45,000km (whichever comes first) on new or demonstrator passenger models and 3 years or 30,000km (whichever comes first) on Renault Sport models (incl. Clio R.S. 200 and Megane R.S. 265). Offers based on standard scheduled servicing from new and normal operating conditions. If the vehicle is not presented within three (3) months of the due date for the scheduled service, the vehicle forfeits the right to that capped-price service under the program. MNR0541