RSAYS Squadron Quarterly Autumn 2016 by Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron

Quarterly

SQUADRON Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron

Volume 30 Issue 1 Autumn 2016

www.rsays.com.au

ROYAL SA YACHT SQUADRON Patron His Excellency the Honourable Hieu van le AO Commodore Rae Hunt Mahalo Vice Commodore Bruce Roach Antares Rear Commodore Colin Doudy Circe Treasurer Ian McDonald Rachel Committee Members Kevin Cook Summer Breeze Helen Moody Magic Beach General Manager 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 - Friday 9.00am - 6.00pm Wednesday during Twilight Race Season 9.00am - 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday Closed public Holidays and Easter Weekend RSAYS Foundation Chris Mandalov 0417 847 836 Racing Committee Roger Oaten 0408 415 138 Cruising Committee Kingsley Haskett 0419 844 772 House and Social Committee Andrea Mead 0417 887 818 Juniors Committee Mitch Mead 0447 333 001 Sail Training and Race Support Heidi Pfeiffer 8341 8600 Etchells Fleet Captain Andrew Waterman 0408 856 012 Trailer Sailers Steve Lewis 0418 275 710 Seaweed Gardening Group Robert Henshall 8332 0889 Slip Master Julian Murray 0414 365 294 Finance Manager Joann Galios 8341 8600 Accounts Administrator Kathy Bernhardt-Loechel 8341 8600 Member Services Annette Turk 8341 8600 Hospitality & Events Manager Kevin Grant 8341 8600 Chef Dave West 8341 8600

OPENING TIMES Dining Room, Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar & Quarterdeck: The dining facilities are positioned beautifully, overlooking the majestic view of the marina from all locations. The attractive setting provides a warm and relaxing feeling all year round

Opening Hours: Lunch from 12:00: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays when advised. Dinner from 18:00: Wednesday (Twilights), Thursday, Friday, Saturday (and Sunday on long weekends).

xxxxx Private functions any time by appointment xxxx

SQUADRON QUARTERLY TEAM Sally Metzer (Editor), Roger Oaten, Sue Buckley (Production), Barry Allison, Sandy Barker, Gill Hogarth, Steve Kennedy, Dick Richards, Bob Schahinger. (Regular Contributors). Anne Arnold, Fay Duncan, Peter Hansen, Ann Hastwell Lynda Walsh (Proof Readers)

Squadron Quarterly Deadline for Winter 2016 Issue is Sunday 15 May, 2016 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 can be forwarded to the Office at any time.

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

Squadron Quarterly Editorial Autumn 2016 Sally Metzer, Roger Oaten, Sue Buckley

NEW MEMBERS Categroy Boat First Surname Family Hullabaloo Liam Harris Family Partner Hullabaloo Ali Harris Senior Theo Strecker Associate Graham Mins Crew Richard Rol Crew Benjamin Shimeld Crew Melanaie Chant Crew Simon Anderson Crew Scott Hilditch Crew Anthony Wilson Crew Phillippa Murray Crew John Karam Crew Ben Maliszewski Crew Michaela Hill Junior Michael Jansen Junior Angus Sclater Junior Jacob Morelli Junior Ashley Darwood

Notes for Contributors Articles submitted should be typed as a Word document in font Arial 10 point, 1500 words max. 1500 words and 2 photos will cover 2 pages. Photos should be 1) in focus, 2) JPEG format at high resolution (300 dpi) 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.

Front Cover Renegade (Bob Francis) during the King of the Gulf Regatta at Pt Vincent, February 19 to 23, 2016. Red Cliffs in the background.

CONTENTS REPORTS From the Commodore �� 4 From the General Manager �� 5 Foundation Report �� 6 Functions Report �� 7 Racing News �� 8 House and Social Report �� 14 Juniors Report �� 15 Cruising Report �� 16

REGULAR ARTICLES Letters to the Editor �� 6 Around the Cans �� 10 Women on the Water �� 11 Sponsor Profile: Coopers �� 27 Senior Member Profile �� 34 Nature: Sassy Samphire �� 42 Staff Profile: Chef Dave West �� 43 Berths for Sale & Rent �� 46 Events Calendar �� 47

FEATURES King of the Gulf Regatta �� 12 Adelaide to Pt. Lincoln Race �� 13 Sail Drive �� 18 Althorpe Island Sentinel �� 20 Flotilla for Kids �� 22 Radio Protocols �� 24 My Boat - Aria �� 26 Sydney to Hobart �� 28 Rambler 88 - USA 2555 �� 30 HM Bark Endeavour �� 31 Piping Shrike �� 32 Clipper Race Update �� 36 Member Profile: Craig Mudge AO �� 38 Fishing Spots �� 39 Get Knotted! �� 40 Mechanical Matters �� 41 Anchors Aweigh �� 44 In Tranquil Waters �� 45

EDITORIAL

Autumn 2016 Vol 30 Issue 1 Published Quarterly ISSN 1037-1133 Print Post Publication No. PP532154/00016

ETERMINED to make the most of the last rays of the summer sailing season, Emma has been cruising to Kangaroo Island and back with a crew of keen overseas family and guests. Lots of laughter, fun, fair winds, and loudly sung sea ditties such as ‘We are sailing’ (with apologies to Rod Stewart), ‘La Mer’ (with a nod to Bobby Darren) and ‘What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor’ (with a cheer to Neptune - knows - who!) Perhaps the song I should have been singing was the Beatles oldie, ‘With a Little Help from my Friends’, because without the whole SQ team pulling its weight, driven on by Roger Oaten and Sue Buckley, this edition may never had got into your eager hands! When I was lolling about doing little on the high seas, they were feverishly following up stories and photos that I had determined should go in. My thanks to you all!

This Autumn edition is another interesting read, we hope you’ll agree! With reports from participants in all the major summer races, to articles on the activities of our adventurous cruisers (that’s me looking patriotic at the Stansbury Australia Day weekend!) Mark Sinclair has been doing his invaluable ‘thing again’ and checked out Althorpe Island for us. Photos of the recent ‘Flotilla for Kids’ highlight the joys of the day … particularly for Emma’s ‘Honolulu Washing Day’ crew … we won the ‘Best Themed Boat’! Barry Allison’s profile of long-time member Dr Alan Cotton is worth noting, as is the piece by RSAYS member Dr Craig Mudge was recently made an Officer of the Order of Australia. And there are many other stories too. Read on and revel in the colourful life that the Squadron offers you on the land and sea … no matter what the season!

FROM THE COMMODORE Although the slipway shed build has been a little slow in showing any signs of beginning, I can assure you all that the initial stages of the build will be underway by the time this Quarterly is distributed, and completion within a reasonable time frame is expected.

Rae Hunt

ELCOME to 2016 and I hope that you all had an opportunity to relax over the festive season and the New Year, with celebrations both on and off the water. Once again the club held a very successful Boxing Day lunch, when members could cheer on our Squadron entrant Enchantress and crew, as well as all of our other members who were crewing in the Sydney to Hobart race on various vessels – well done to all. The second half of our sailing season is well underway and busy as always. Our Saturday participants have enjoyed fine weather with steady breezes, whilst Wednesday Twilight races have been much more spirited but still enjoyed by all. Prior to the annual Adelaide to Lincoln Yacht Race and Lincoln Week Regatta in February, many members were busy preparing their vessels and getting crew familiarised with the boats, and the club hosted quite a number of interstate visitors. The King of the Gulf Race and Regatta scheduled for the same time was a great alternative for those who would not normally participate in the Lincoln race but still wanted to enjoy the camaraderie and opportunity to participate in a racing series a little closer to home. I hope you all had a very successful and safe sail in whichever race/ regatta you decided to participate. Whilst our racing and social functions are doing extremely well and keeping the club abuzz with activity, our Management Committee and Board are back to business. As you are aware, our Strategic Plan covering the next five years was released for consultation at the Quarterly Members’ meeting in December. It was available in hardcopy and via internet download for perusal and comment. The Management Committee has now arranged a planning day in May to look at further consultation and ideas, and the organisational and logistical aspects required for implementation in order to attain the documented goals.

The Management Committee is working closely with the Development Advisory Panel with regard to our slipway. Engineering plans have been developed for the remedial work and tenders will be called for the steel fabrication of rails. This is still on track (pardon the pun) with the rail replacement planned to be the end of April and beginning of May. This course of action has been taken to extend the life of what we have, whilst causing the least inconvenience to members and giving the Management Committee and Board the opportunity to further investigate the best options for the slipway upgrade and replacement. Current projects such as marina maintenance are underway, whilst the replacement of the decking of the Quarterdeck will commence shortly. Future developments such as an upgrade/expansion of Jimmy’s Bar and stage five marina are still high on the agenda, with investigation, pricing and demand being at the forefront of our consideration. At this point I would like to pass on the Management Committee’s and my personal sincere thanks to Geoff Wallbridge, who has resigned after serving on the Management Committee since 2008. His hard work and dedication have been valued by us all over this period. Geoff will still be working closely with the Management Committee as he continues as Chairman of the Development Advisory Panel.

There have also been some changes to the RSAYS Ltd Board since director Robert Henshall retired in December last year. Robert’s retirement was announced at the Quarterly Meeting in December. I’d like to reiterate our gratitude and thanks to Robert for all his work over the years. Two new directors, Chris Riggs and Bob Hogarth, were nominated, appointed and welcomed to the Board in February. Meetings are now held bi-monthly unless a more urgent meeting is required. The draft Constitution was released in December for member consultation and comment. Thank you to all who responded. This information is now being collated and will be presented to our corporate lawyers, together with a series of questions raised by members and management, prior to being re-presented to members. Much work has been done to date and there is still a way to go but we are getting there. Don’t forget to check the calendar and the e-bulletin for the latest events, whether it is social, cruising or racing. Book in for a meal or drop in for a drink – it’s a wonderful way to enjoy your club. Coming up, we have our Easter Regatta to be held at Port Vincent. Jeff and I hope to see many of you there so we can have a chat and share in the chocolate delights at dinner in the marquee or over a beer or bubbles at the Commodore’s shout. In Seamanship and Fellowship Rae Hunt Commodore

FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER these are not expected to be excessive. I am now working with Andrew Waterman to fine tune our expenses for the event so that we can provide an accurate cost to the 9er’s association for them to work with and set their entry price. Once we are signed off with the association, we can then start approaching businesses with a sponsorship package.

Andrew McDowell

XCITEMENT and activity around the club is hitting fever pitch as we sail through Mad March… While the membership has been enjoying the festive season, behind the scenes the management team has been working hard to finalise the plans for a number of infrastructure projects in the next six months that will see the club further strengthen its standing as the premier yacht club in South Australia. Members will be pleased to hear that the SE maintenance pontoons are being removed for assessment and repair in March this year to ensure their safety and longevity into the future. Also high on the agenda has been the repairs of the slipway rails and cradles. The management committee with the advice and guidance of the Development Advisory Panel has developed a practical and economical plan to replace the submerged section of slipway rails with a new strengthened section that will see the slip infrastructure given a new lease of life. The new repairs will also see the capacity of the slip increased to a more substantial level. Finally we have installed a new gas heater in Jimmy’s bar in preparation for the winter chills. This forms part of a staged redevelopment of Jimmy’s bar that will see it become more inviting and universally loved by the members and their guests all year round as we see the upstairs function room and dining facility becoming busier. The quarterdeck will be replaced in the coming weeks with a new long lasting composite deck that will give the area a smart contemporary look and provide members another facility to enjoy year round.

We have now established reciprocal arrangements with the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron giving us reciprocal arrangements with five of the six Royal Yacht Squadrons. Our request with the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes UK is due to be considered soon with their committee. This will be a great achievement to finally establish the link between all of the Royal Yacht Squadrons around the world. The exciting new strategic plan, released two months ago for comment, has been ratified by the management committee and we are now entering the second phase of planning to develop the operational plans that will underpin the goals of the five-year strategic plan. A meeting has been held to discuss the visit of Tenacious to SA waters and how the club could help promote the visit and hopefully host a dinner/information evening to both members and the public. Tenacious is one of two tall ships, the other being the Lord Nelson, run by the Jubilee Sailing Trust of the UK. The Trust gives both able and dis-able bodied people an opportunity to experience the thrill of being on a square-rigger that also provides personal development, team building & social inclusion. The final draft

of the program is being prepared at the moment and the vessel is expected to be in our waters around 9–24 October 2016. Tight management and the strong efforts of our Food & Beverage team have resulted in another rewarding set of results through to December with a substantial profit for the last few months. This is confidence building and we are now in a consolidation phase to maintain the growth for the future and put plans in place to increase service and benefits to members and their guests. The installation of a new set of ZipTrack Blinds to the SE BBQ area has now been completed and looks fantastic. This has been achieved at a very economical rate after negotiations with the supplier resulted in a club sponsorship arrangement. This provides another high quality facility that members can enjoy and use. Finally, the slipway-shed project is progressing well with plans lodged with council and works poised to start in two weeks. The club is excited to have services on site that benefit members and bring new potential members and visitors to the club to experience the facilities. 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’.

As part of our successful bid for the National 9er Association 2017 National Titles, we have secured access to the SA trailer boat club next door so that we can utilise their facilities to launch the 9ers for their nationals. There are some infrastructure issues that we will need to attend to but

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 12/01/16 Dear Andrew and Annette,

WAS absolutely delighted to read your story ‘Darcy the Squadron Cat’ in Squadron Quarterly. Also to learn that Darcy even has his own facebook page!! Wow. You see I have always considered myself to be Darcy’s godmother and this is why. In October 2007 several litters of red (ginger) and red and white kittens were born in Kadina quite likely the progeny of the same freelancing tom cat. Their mothers were rescued by two pensioners with hearts of gold who live in a broken down old miners cottage in the back streets. I visited and picked out my two, Saltbush Bill and Adrienne - whom I collected when they were twelve weeks old. In the meantime I was talking to Keith and of course he wanted a red kitten as well!!

Arrangements were soon made and we decided that Keith would collect his kitten on March 2nd (2008) at the Angle Vale Primary School, the venue of the first cat show for the year. It was a hot day. Tiff and Liz turned up first (from Kadina) with a hot and grumpy Darcy who had soiled himself on the trip down. Where to put him?? All exhibits for shows must pass a veterinary inspection before being allowed into the hall. Of course he used the handicap washroom and Darcy was popped into a sink of water for a good scrub.

N the most recent edition of the SQUADRON QUARTERLY, Summer 2015, Lynda Walsh wrote briefly about the Queen’s arrival at the Squadron on 9 March 1986, (see p40 “The Queen’s Steps”). Lynda had apparently been told that due to inclement weather a decision had been made for Her Majesty to be brought to the Squadron on board Aquilla. In the interests of maintaining an accurate record of this very significant occasion in the Squadron’s history, I point out that Aquilla was not involved with the Squadron until many years after the Queen’s visit

As the day wore on I became concerned that Keith would not make it, but mid afternoon he turned up with his good friend Linda, and so Keith met his Darcy - in a disabled toilet!! It was love at first sight. Darcy grew up on Aquilla and I suspect that made him a great deal more water wise than poor Bluey. I used to love popping in to have a drink with Keith from time to time - and I still miss him when I look across at where Aquilla used to be moored. Julian has done a wonderful job caring for Darcy. He always looks in the best of health. You never know where he will turn up next! One day I took a professional photographer (from Semaphore) to have lunch with me at RSAYS and she took a series of lovely photos of Darcy. Julian has some of them. He has certainly turned out to be a magnificent boy. I still have my Billie and Adie who are probably half brother and sister to Darcy. They are now retired from cat shows and live the life of Riley at home with all my pedigreed cats. By the way Darcy’s birthday is October 26th (a Scorpio) and he turned eight last year. Would like to meet you both one day. Thank you and best wishes. Maggie Johnston

and consequently played no part in the proceedings. In fact, The Royal Party arrived in two Royal barges after having disembarked from the Royal Yacht Britannia in the Port River.

THANK John Johnson for correcting misunderstandings I have suffered from concerning the disembarkation of the Queen at the RSAYS in March 1986.

For a factual account of the Queen’s arrival, interested members can read the RSAYS Newsletter of March 1994 pp 37-39 “A Most Memorable Day”, an article that I submitted to Dr. Peter Last, then Editor of the RSAYS Newsletter.”

Aquilla’s steps do indeed proclaim proudly that they are the steps Her Majesty used when she arrived, but perhaps they weren’t then Aquilla’s. I share John’s concern that this episode in the Squadron’s history should be properly recorded.

Yours sincerely John Johnson

Yours sincerely, Lynda Walsh

FOUNDATION REPORT By Chris Mandalov

HERE has been little activity over the past couple of months however the following points are the highlights from the Foundation report at the last Quarterly meeting. Currently the Foundation is holding $58,836 in donations. These funds are distributed over three project funds as follows: • Sport Development fund: $15,568 • Equipment Fund: $6,432 • Building Fund: $38,836 In the past months, the Foundation approved grants for:

• PFDs for the volunteers on Miss Robyn; • Replacement sails for the Junior Pacer boats; • VHF Handsets for Disable-Sailing. We are still looking into an alternate direct donation scheme, to avoid Government handling fees, for donors who don’t need the benefit of a tax deduction. The Foundation is open to grant requests for any worthwhile Squadron project. The application process can be found on the RSAYS website.

FUNCTIONS REPORT

HE Christmas trading period has been a busy time for the Food and Beverage Team. We have catered for weddings, corporate dinners, seminars and social clubs, including a dinner for the SA Car Club which has re-booked for next year. We continue to receive excellent feedback regarding functions and the Squadron Dining Room, with one example below. The Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sunday Seafood Platter special has been a winner and is selling well.

New Wine List A new wine list for 2016 is under way. We also have a specials wine list for members looking for some of the old favourites, which will be available until sold out. Our General Manager Andrew, has successfully secured continued sponsorship of the wine prizes for Twilight racing from Porter & Co which includes Bethany wines.

New Dining Room Menu We are planning a new Dining Room menu for the start of March and are currently canvassing members for feedback.

Kevin Grant

Client Feedback

HE following is feedback after a York Civil Christmas Function for 120 guests on the Quarterdeck in December:

Hi Kevin, Hope you are having a good day. Please see attached letter from Ian and Dominic in relation to yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s function. I would also like to personally thank you for all your hard work and efforts to ensure everything ran smoothly yesterday and all your assistance prior to the day. You were a pleasure to deal with and everyone had a fantastic day.. Thank you again, it is very much appreciated. Laura Rule Personal Assistant Dear Kevin On behalf of Dominic, myself and the staff of York Civil I wish to extend our sincere appreciation for the excellent Christmas luncheon you provided yesterday. Your venue is first class, the food was fantastic and the service from your staff throughout the day was second to none. All feedback received thus far has been most favourable and I thank you again for making this special occasion so enjoyable. We could not have been happier with your club as our choice of venue. Ian Tarbotton Group Managing Director

AYR

Adelaide Yacht Rigging

Doug Gladman M: 0439 002 044

: Adelaide Yacht Rigging@hotmail.com ABN: 57 681 128 471

RACING NEWS Kelly, for hosting the after race entertainment and games, and to Reid Bosworth from Kaesler Wines, for sponsoring the event and providing the huge array of prizes and wines at the post race entertainment.

Heidi Pfeiffer

T’S been a busy few months leading up to the New Year and Adelaide to Port Lincoln Race, both on and off the water. We have been lucky this season to have a mix of conditions and, unlike the last few years, only a few abandonments.

We had almost 50 people at our Sea Safety Day where crews participate in flare demonstrations, in-water drills, man overboard, radio, safety, first aid emergencies, and general safety for those involved in the Adelaide to Port Lincoln race, racing or cruising. The aim of the day is to help crews and skippers understand how difficult dealing with emergencies can be you if are not prepared, and that emergencies usually occur in situations that are testing or trying. The Glenelg Gulf race was well attended with 11 boats starting in light conditions. They sailed under a variety of conditions, and were back just after sunset. Well done to Caillin

Howard (Aikin) who had an outstanding race, and finished with a nice lead on the fleet to take first place. And finally, congratulations to John Willoughby and the Enchantress crew in the Sydney to Hobart Race. I am sure the crew have plenty of stories to share as well as some that will stay on the boat!

Coming Racing Events End of Twilight Series - Wed 16 March Easter Regatta - March 25-27 Inkster Memorial race – Sat 16 April Skippers & Crews Meeting - Fri 29 April Presentation Night - Sat 7 May Winter Series – First Race Sun 15 May

The Women’s Invitation Race saw our usual fleet increase to a dozen participants, including boats from surrounding clubs. The day went to visiting boats Witch’s Thimble, (Robin Townsend), in first place, Sirius, (Tracey Peggler), in second place, and Circe, (Nives Vincent), in third. The Kaesler Cup was a sternchaser event this year. Sternchasers always provide a close finish which makes for interesting watching from the quarterdeck. 3 Cool Cats, (Scott Mutton), and Blue Diamond, (Mal Denton), were winners in Division 1 & 2 respectively. Ironically, Kaesler trailed the fleet to finish last in the race, but I am sure they enjoyed the day and the events following the race. I would like to give a big thank you to Peter

Sea Safety Day

Attention RSAYS Wooden and Classic Boat Owners -Yorke Peninsula’s Saltwater Classic By Rod Wellls

HE biennial Yorke Peninsula’s Saltwater Classic had humble beginnings back in 2003, driven by a small band of enthusiasts keen to preserve and restore examples of the small working boats that once plied the fisheries of gulf Ports like Stansbury and Port Vincent. Major sponsorship from the South Australian Tourism Commission has resulted in continual growth of this event. Initially attracting small trailer boats and dinghies, it has in recent years included a growing number of classic timber keel boats some fresh from the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart. Squadron vessels, Solace, Windsong, Wongga II and Moongara have been regulars at this event with others such as Demeter and Antigua joining the fleet. Trying to find the words to describe this weekend, I think ‘a real hoot’ would be an appropriate descriptor. Vintage cars, motorbikes, stationary engines & caravans, an eclectic array of vessels, many Ratty and Moles, lots of Tilley Hats, grey beards, steel-rimmed glasses and earnest conversations about gadgets and widgets. This is all supplemented by local art, craft and produce. The

Royal Australian Navy Band adds a festive air to the occasion. A reception for registered entrants and crews will be held at Stansbury on Friday evening 8 April. Saturday 9 April vessels will then proceed along the coast to Port Vincent Marina. An official dinner for registered skippers and crews will be held in Port Vincent. A grand parade of vessels around the inner harbour will be held on Sunday morning 10 April with vessels then on display at the marina. So all you romantics with wooden or classic* boats get your entry forms in, fill and polish the oil lamps, tune up the banjo, ukulele, violin or guitar and be prepared for a great weekend. *Organisers advise that if you think your boat is a classic, then it is! Boat registration $25. Dinner Sat. $25/head. Marina fees waived for registered vessels. Entry forms available from the Squadron Office.

Inclusive Sailing

Liberty group. I even had some rethinking to do, as a couple of the other entrants had beaten me in the past.

By Bob Schahinger

After the first day I scored two wins. I then held a post-race debriefing for the sailors and explained how I went about my setup, sail trim and tactics. Day 2 arrived with a nice sea breeze of around 12-15 knots, perfect for racing. And again I had two wins. Back to the drawing board though as some had improved their racing, and I had to work harder. The third day was a wipe-out. The forecast was for 30-35 knots so the Liberty fleet unanimously decided it was a day off. It was typical Melbourne weather. The final day was ‘perfect’ for sailing. With the rest of the fleet now nipping at my stern with their improved skills, I eventually managed to reach the end of the day with a further two wins, giving me a total of six points for the regatta. However, the aim of the exercise had been to improve everyone else’s sailing ability. Consequently, I have been asked to coach these sailors at the next Hansa Nationals in Queensland at Easter.

Bob at the 2013 X-Yacht Gold Cup Regatta, Copenhagen Denmark, on Black Butterfly

AM passionate about sailing for everyone, irrespective of the person’s ability, and I support sailors wishing to achieve greater sailing skills through competitive racing. One way to do this is to compete in high level events with an inclusive field of sailors. Sail Melbourne, which is one regatta of the ISAF Sailing World Cup Series at several locations worldwide, was held at St Kilda, Victoria, in December 2015. The event includes all of the Olympic and Para-Olympic

classes of dinghies, along with several invited classes. The International Hansa Liberty, which is regarded as the feeder boat into the Para-Olympic boats, was also invited. Off to Melbourne I went, towing Jonathon Livingston Seagull, to compete in the Sail Melbourne regatta. The series was programmed to consist of eight races, two a day. Each race was a windward/leeward course, and was about 40 minutes in duration. My role was to provide advice and some coaching to the other sailors in the

The International Hansa Class World Championships are fast approaching. They will be sailed at Medemblik, Netherlands, during the first week of June. The Hansa Family of boats consists of the 2.3, 303, Liberty, and the Para Olympic Skud 18. I am currently on the International Hansa Class Association’s committee, but I will be an entrant, along with my wife Deirdre, in the double handed 303 class. This should be fun. Over the years that Deirdre and I have been involved with sailing for disabled people, we have seen vast improvements in the sailor’s ability to sail competitively, and enjoy every minute. It is gratifying to see them after sailing whether competitively or socially, the cheerfulness is infectious. We will continue!

Jonathon Livingston Seagull racing at the 2012 Hansa World Championships.

Competing at the 2015 Victorian Hansa States

Yvonne (83yo) and Bob racing a Hansa 303 double (AUS 2024) at the 2015 National Championships, Derwent Sailing Squadron, Hobart.

AROUND THE CANS Wayne Knill, sailing Medium Rare, was this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Champion, taking out four wins from five races, a very convincing effort. In second place, and again the bridesmaid, (two years running), was yours truly, sailing The White Pearl, with four second places and a third. There was some close racing between Wayne and me, with two races coming down to nail biting finishes of less than a boat length between us. In a close battle for third place was Super Heat, sailed by David Henshall.

Andrew Waterman

INCE the last edition, the Etchells Fleet State Titles have been completed in the early part of the year. This allowed some competitors to prepare for the National Titles to be held in January in Melbourne. We had nine races, scheduled over the three weekends of 17 and 24 October, and 14 November. Poor weather intervened, as is usually the case when running a series in the early part of the season. This cost us one weekend, due to wind in excess of 25kts, and the last race of the series failing because of light and erratic winds in the late afternoon.

A similar weather plight fell on the National Titles held in Victoria at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, with the series held from 10 to 16 January. I was invited to attend as a member of the protest panel. A great way to watch some top flight sailing, with very little protest work, which is quite often the way in high quality fleets like this. The opening day of racing greeted the competitors and race officials with frustratingly light and variable winds. The second day, Tuesday, saw perfect weather, with winds 13 to 17kts, clear skies, and a very pleasant 26 degrees. They managed to get three races completed. Wednesday saw a major change, with temperatures in the low 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and a squall line appearing from the Geelong side of Port Phillip Bay, and winds reaching 45kts. This was responsible

for tearing the Spirit of Tasmania from its moorings, but luckily the Etchells fleet managed to just get back to their moorings before the worst of the weather hit. In true Melbourne style, Thursday saw the maximum temperature for the day staying at around 19 degrees, and winds blowing all day at 28 to 30kts, a major change from Wednesday. The last day of the series was held in winds sitting in the mid teens all day, and a temperature of 26 degrees. They managed to finish two more races. The winner of the series was Graham Taylor, with John Bertrand second,, both from Melbourne, and David Clark from Sydney coming in third. It was hard to pick any winners, with many of the top boats having more than one bad race. The Etchells in South Australia is suffering the usual vacuum after hosting the Nationals last year. This has resulted in a number of boats sitting on the hard stand and not being sailed. Amongst them are some boats available for hire for the season, if anybody wishes to get into the sharp end of one design racing. All you need is three or four people, with a total weight of less than 285kg. If you are interested, you can contact me to organise a sail and / or discuss this further.

WOMEN ON THE WATER

By Adrian Wotton, Helen Wilmer and Helen Kearney Post race - gathered around the traditional ‘Long Table’

The Women’s Invitational Race

ROUDLY sponsored by Nautilus Marine, the Annual RSAYS Women’s Invitational Race was held on 14 December 2015 with a great turn-out consisting of 12 entries, including three boats from the CYCSA. Sailing conditions were near perfect with winds varying from 7 to 15 knots in calm seas. It was a busy river start but the racing rules were observed expertly and there was distinct absence of shouting. Sirius (Tracey Pegler) and Outrageous (Helen Wilmer) got off to very good starts and cleared the river early. They were closely followed by Circe (Nives Vincent) and Taniwha (Barb Parker), and the remainder of the fleet who were having fun avoiding each other in the congested exit. The tide and wind were kind, however, and soon all the boats were on the way to the first mark. Conditions were perfect for Sirius and they rapidly disappeared into the distance. However, a race within a race soon developed between Blue Diamond (Robyn Riedel), Witch’s Thimble (Robin Townsend), School’s Out (Kerry Parker), New Morning III (Carol Haslam), and Nerana II (Jan Perry). The lead changed on several occasions but the spinnaker leg proved crucial. Blue Diamond slowly pulled ahead of this group, making ground on Taniwha who were trying out new techniques (not found in the text book) to

raise their kite. At the back end of the fleet, a great competition was going on between Miss V (Annie Rogers) and Freedom (Deirdre Schahinger) while Home James (Carol Wellman Kelly) was doing well, sailing above their handicap. After the first hour, the winds began to ease considerably and light-air sailing became the challenge. Taniwha sailed very well and made up lost ground on Circe but they held off the great challenge by Taniwha in the final 500 metres. The rest of the boats were now struggling in the diminishing winds and pulled out all stops to keep their vessels moving through the water. Witch’s Thimble sailed well in these conditions and slowly pulled away from the boats around her. The crews returned to the club and joined the traditional long table to share stories of a great day on the water and eagerly await the results. The handicapper did an excellent job as the corrected times were very close indeed. Final Results: 1st place – Witch’s Thimble (the smallest boat in the fleet); 2nd (& fastest around the course) – Sirius; 3rd Circe.

their introduction to the Squadron at this event. Good to see the evolution to the Coaching Series that returned to the squadron this year and resulted in new memberships. Given the great turn-up and fun experienced by all participants, we encourage more women to work on boat owners to give this fantastic woman-friendly event a try next season. The prizes were fantastic and the competition was keen and friendly – you won’t be disappointed! Snippets: • Annie Rogers skippering Miss V took out first place in a Friday afternoon Sternchaser. • Our current Eileen Hardy Trophy winner, Janet Thornley is about to set sail on a voyage eastwards on the newly completed Blue Dog. Janet has been a regular skipper in Ladies and Wednesday night racing and currently crews on New Morning III as she awaits ‘take off’ to new sailing adventures.

Prizes were presented by Annie Rogers who ten years ago as Commodore, instigated a successful Women’s Training Series. Many of today’s women sailors had their first opportunity to be ‘on the water’ through

the majority of the fleet had great winds to Orontes the faster boats were going so quickly that they kept sailing out of the wind band thus allowing the rest of the fleet to catch up. Once around Orontes the fast racing boats led by APC Mad Max, Crosshair and G-WIZZ, who were now all in good 12 knot winds, just flew home.

KING OF THE GULF REGATTA By David Eldridge

The presentation dinner at the Ventnor hotel had the hotel dining room at capacity and the fast moving evening featured an entertaining presentation by Quantum Sails, Ben Kelly, who talked about Sean Langman’s record setting sail from Sydney to Auckland. Ben’s experience in the crew of 40 knot speeds in the night with an average speed of 25 knots across the ditch was exciting to say the least.

HE 2016 APC King of the Gulf was another fantastic success with the fleet doubling to thirty yachts from our first event last year. It was fantastic to see a big increase in the monohull fleet along with several interstate multihulls. The regatta committee was excited to once again attract the extremely fast multihull APC Mad Max from Queensland. The series started with a passage race from North Haven to Pt Vincent; the racing multihulls sailing 50nm, the racing monohulls 40nm and the cruising boats sailing 30nm. A welcome addition to the event was the large motor yacht King Jo Jo who accompanied the fleet across the gulf, Dave Brooksby at the helm. However Dave and his boat was not required as everybody arrived at Pt Vincent without incident, although it was a reassuring comfort to have such support for the race. An exciting finish saw the cruising Corsair trimaran Eldo just beating racing APC Mad Max into Pt Vincent with the fast monohulls G-WIZZ and Outrageous just behind. A big Pt Vincent crowd was on hand to see the King of the Gulf fleet finish in front of the marina. Averaging a speed of 17.7 knots in the passage race some multihull geeks computed that a passage time from Adelaide to Port Vincent for APC Mad Max would be around one hour and 40 minutes. Now that is quick. The fleet then gathered on the marina lawns for a welcome dinner, which was provided by the day sponsor, the Ventnor Hotel. Multihull racing trophies went to APC Mad Max – George Owen (OMR) and Goldfinger Iain MacDougall (PHS). Monohull racing went to G-WIZZ – Greg Patten and in the cruising Peter Hastwell took the honours in Witchcraft. The Pt Vincent regatta was held in generally light to moderate winds with the usual Pt Vincent flat seas. The feature of the series was the incredibly close racing in all the divisions. One of the regatta highlights was the Canegrass Saltbush Lamb dinner cooked by the Canegrass company chef in a huge outdoor roasting machine on Saturday night.

A big thank you to Greg Patten and his company. Sunday saw the cruising fleet take off to Stansbury but they did not get close with the race having to be abandoned with absolutely zero wind. The racing fleets’ morning race was also abandoned but PRO Nives Vincent managed to get the fleet away for a windward leeward race once the sea breeze kicked in. The second race for the day was held in 7-10 knots with spinnaker handling being the deciding factor in the race. After the race finished the faster multihulls took a number of the Port Vincent junior sailors for a ‘Burn around the Bay’. The sailing juniors were returned safely to the beach with many of them telling tales of the 17.5 knots of speed reached in 8 knots of wind on these speed machines.

MYASA president, Iain MacDougall, acknowledged Nives Vincent and her team on Miss Robyn, the KOG committee, and the generous sponsors for their outstanding contribution to the event. The day sponsor, Quantum Sails, presented random nomination winner Kangaroo with a $500 sails voucher with Sundog taking home the $300 voucher. Before the fleet returned home, they had to visit Mario Minuzzo on his boat Miss Robyn as he had generously bottled a pack of 4 bottles of superb ‘King of the Gulf’ wine in a Beneteau bag for each and every boat. John Hardy of H&L had donated the King of the Gulf labels.

The fleet was then hosted by the Port Vincent yacht club for a Sunday roast and the presentations were made by Lee Randall of Spirit Marine, the day sponsor. The long coastal race on the Monday was everybody’s favourite. The cruising boats started 30 minutes before the racing boats so they could see the racing elite speed pass them on the way to Orontes. Although

LLoyd Cushway (Quarante Deux) crowned monohull racing ‘King of the Gulf’

SERIES RESULTS Multihull – King of the Gulf

APC Mad Max (George Owen)

Monohull – King of the Gulf

Quarante-Deux (Lloyd Cushway)

Multihull racing (OMR)

1st APC Mad Max (George Owen) Queensland 2nd Fifty Fifty (Geoff Floyd) Victoria 3rd Crosshair (Gerald Valk) RSAYS

Monohull racing (PHS)

1st Quarante Deux (Lloyd Cushway) RSAYS 2nd Renegade (Robert Francis) RSAYS 3rd G-WIZZ (Greg Patten) CYC

Cruising division (PHS)

1st Aquitaine (David Eldridge) RSAYS 2nd Circe (Colin Doudy) RSAYS 3rd New Morning 3 RSAYS

Multihull racing (PHS)

1st Medosa (Brian Smith) CYC 2nd Crosshair (Gerald Valk) RSAYS 3rd Fifty Fifty (Geoff Floyd) Victoria

Full results : http://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2016/kingofgulf/index.htm

ADELAIDE TO PT. LINCOLN RACE By Mal Denton

AILING/RACING is one of those sports where you just walk down to the boat, get on and cruise along into the sunset sipping champagne isn’t it … not really!!! Whilst I have done quite a few Adelaide to Lincoln races on other boats, this was only the second on my own boat. The first one was a steep learning curve and I wasn’t going to get caught out with anything this time – especially not forgetting to sign on just prior to the race, as so many had reminded me. This year I was to make Stuart Ross smile and log on!!! A few small things that were done to make things smoother were a full rebuild of the anchor winch, a new ICOM VHF with DSC and GPS, new sheets and braces, a recheck of all safety gear and updates where needed, including replacing all first aid equipment. Courses were set in the GPS and plotted on maps as well – just in case. We were ready! When all crew don’t sail together continually it is good to have a practice or two. We managed a couple of sessions of practice and safety drills were worked through as well.

The crew of Blue Diamond

Thank you to my crew for the trip over. Well done all. Well done to those who placed in the winnings too – I can still see a smiling Trevor from Vicky J IV. Race week was a mixed bag of results some good, some less so. There were two windward/leeward races on Monday and Thursday, a long race (six hours) on Tuesday and a shorter course race on Wednesday. All who race at RSAYS know of my country sail – the number one that cost me a carton of beer and has a huge amount of sail tape on it. Well it got me a second in the long race on Tuesday but it is nearing retirement, especially when I had two other sail makers approaching me trying to sell sails.

Race Start – the hooter went and we were away, nerves settled and into the race. We had good speed and beat the other two Northshores, Tanqueray and Laurelle, to Marion Bay. Across the foot of Yorke Peninsula maintained our boat speed and were still doing well. Then the washing machine effect started and one by one I started losing crew, even though they had taken seasickness prevention measures. One down, then another until six out of eight decided the fish needed feeding. It was time to get the spinnaker up and with some persuasion up it went, the big yellow kite and I was still happy. This race is full of surprises for most people in it and mine was about to occur near Dangerous Reef – there goes the spinnaker with a large tear at the top and straight down to the foot along the luff tape. After I said “Oh bother” we got it down and got the second kite up. Unfortunately it put us out of contention but we kept racing.

We gained another second place in the very last windward leeward race when the winds were up. Trying something different, I went with a number two and a reef and kept the power low. Worked a treat. We came away with a matching pair of beer glasses with second place written on them. I just wanted to come away with something – other than the wooden spoon – and have a safe fun week. Boy did we do that, what an awesome week.

If you are a Blue Diamond you will always find something to be doing. Staying in the caravan park we were entertained with twirling fire sticks by Sarah, checking out local sights, the Crew Dinner and Skippers Cocktails, riding Makybe Diva of course, playing in the playground after more “elbow exercise”, joining in with others at presentations and the big Sunday rest day. Blue Diamond also won a crayfish and Sarah a Galaxy tablet through supporting events there. The week has drawn to an end … what a week. Three needed to fly home and five of us sailed. A nice sail with a stop in West Cape overnight. I am so glad my anchor winch was rebuilt (thanks Uncle Clive) as we kept dragging anchor. A symptom of a Sydney boat with a plough anchor, resetting about six times made for a restless night ensuring someone was on watch. Then a long final day and back home, all exhausted and all still smiling. What a trip. Good fun – yes. Exhausting – yes. Recommended for those who haven’t done it – yes, have a go.

The 66th Lincoln Race and Jimmy’s done most of them!

HIS short piece and photos on Jimmy Howell’s participation in this year’s Adelaide to Pt Lincoln race are reproduced courtesy of Take 2 Photography who provides a comprehensive photography service to Port Lincoln and across the Eyre Peninsula. Jim is a remarkable 93 years young and he has just skippered the yacht Vulcan in the 66th Adelaide to Lincoln race. Jim has done “pretty much all” of the Adelaide to Lincoln’s 66 races and his crew assure us he still plays an active part during the race looking after navigation and with tactical advice. Jim could be forgiven for curling up in a nice warm bunk but not so, he was awake and participating for the bit over 20 hours it took Vulcan to complete the race. Jim, we reckon you are what sailing is all about.

Jim Howell - with Adelaide to Lincoln sponsors Paul Johnston (Lexus) and Tim Cook (Club Marine).

The crew of Vulcan with the sponsors

HOUSE AND SOCIAL REPORT

HE House and Social Committee completed a busy and social year of activities for 2015 with the Pacer Cup and Christmas Party. The Pacer Cup again provided onlookers and participants with many laughs and much entertainment. The Australia Day BBQ got off to a slow start with around 50 of us gathered on the Quarterdeck for a bbq lunch of lamb, sausages and salads. Our beach cricket was in full swing soon after lunch with dogs, spin bowlers, underarm bowlers and the odd star batsman slogging it out in the hot sun on the lawn adjacent to the reception area, with shouts of “howzat” and “she’s out” followed by ambulance sirens as we all retired with one member of the team seriously hurt and needing some medical attention. Our 2016 calendar has begun with the Jazz afternoon on 28 February with the Lanie Jamieson Trio playing on the Quarterdeck. Sunshine, great friends and good wine – what more could you ask for? A great turnout for this fabulous afternoon was a spectacle for the club and another opportunity to show off our beautiful club house and soak up the friendly atmosphere. The Easter Regatta coming up on 25 to 28 March is always the highlight of the Squadron calendar and this year will be no different. Racing every day, the dinghy race, sharing tapas with fellow sailors, enjoying a drop of wine or beer at the annual Commodore’s Shout and the event of the weekend ... the much anticipated chocolate dessert competition in which participants this year, will be competing for a newly donated trophy and prizes.

Andrea Mead

The House and Social committee have had a quiet and restful summer and are now back in full swing organizing this year’s events. We look forward to your support and participation in our events during the year.

JUNIORS REPORT By Stuart Davis

Pacer Cup preparations

HE last junior sailing before Christmas on 6 December was held in a light breeze out in the river. Not only contending with light conditions but also some shipping traffic to keep things interesting. The light air provided a good opportunity for everyone to take a turn on the tiller. The Christmas celebrations on 12 December were a first for the Juniors. With the crack team of Jacob Morelli on the helm and Alistair Teagle crewing they managed to hold off a fast finishing Cooling family team (Pete & Maddie) to win the Pacer Cup.

Preparations are well underway for what the juniors would consider the highlight of the calendar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the sailing camp. Once again the junior sailing squad will be spending 11 to 14 March at Lake Schubert where the coveted Crusty Cup will be decided over a weekend full of thrilling racing. Look out for a full sailing camp report and photographs in the next edition. Sage and Sienna underway

Rigging the dinghys Sage and Sienna pushing too hard

But as they have practiced capsizing they knew exactly what to do and were soon underway. Some of the more experienced junior sailors rigged up the spinnakers and had some good runs out in the river.

Pacer Cup winners

The first junior sailing held since Christmas has been held in reasonable conditions with everyone getting practice on the helm, Sage and Sienna pushing their Pacer a little too hard as you can see in the series of pictures.

Spinnaker practice

Racing in the pool

CRUISING REPORT

Kingsley ‘Bones’ Haskett

REETINGS to all Members for the New Year, from me and the Cruising Committee. Our first event for the New Year is, naturally and traditionally, the New Year’s Eve barbecue at Browns Beach, Eastern Cove, Kangaroo Island. By Christmas, the seasonal east southeasterly winds had become well established at the 15-25kt average of most years. It was to be a windy New Year as well as a hot one, 38oC most days. Sue and I joined the Commodore and her husband on Mahalo for the sail to the Island and afterwards a cruise along the north coast. We departed the Squadron on 28 December in the late morning, with the wind on the nose. But we were free sheeted by Brighton

and Seacliff and had a lovely sail to Myponga Beach. I had not been into Myponga to anchor since sailing with Maurice Bellmans in the schooner Sari, but I remembered the anchorage well enough. We nosed into four metres, and with the anchor down and set, hung off the beach in the expected easterlies. A good dinner and a good night’s sleep followed. A bit of squiding in the early morning, with contributions from friendly locals, gave us breakfast. A lovely, seldom visited spot, but with much shoreside development. We upped anchor and enjoyed a pleasant sail to Second Valley for our next overnight anchorage. There is good holding and we had a pleasant night even with strong offshore easterlies. Much shoreside activity kept us amused during the day. On to Browns Beach next day, anchoring in a prime spot straight off the rotunda in three metres of clear water. There was good swimming, though it was windy and hot. We went ashore next afternoon and set up the genset, lights, music for the evening. We counted 28 keel yachts and five trailer sailers at anchor off the point. Approximately 100 people, including 30 or so from the CYC and some backpackers and locals, attended. We must thank Graham Ingram for much needed and appreciated ice. A terrific evening of festivities ensured the New Year was well and truly ushered in. Tidying up waited ‘til the next day. This combined event with the CYC Cruising Group and the Trailer Sailer Association was a great success and something to model future events on.

Black Point Moorings After a five-year gestation period the Black Point moorings were put in place on 1 March. This has been a Squadron members project all the way, with too many members involved to name and thank. These three moorings will comfortably moor the Squadron’s largest vessels.

We left Browns Beach on 2 January with a fine broad reach and brisk sail into Emu Bay, in company with Trieste and Natuna. We anchored at the eastern end of the bay in three metres, with Trieste to the west. Fishing was surprisingly unproductive so no fish dinner. It was still windy and hot. An enjoyable dinner with Tony and Viv Foster from Trieste made up for the lack of fish. Next day we sailed in company again on to Snellings Beach, to anchor inside the hook of the reef at the eastern end, off the river entry. Combined drinks and dinner followed, Trevor Manoel and Bob Smedley from Natuna joined us at anchor. We went ashore next day for swimming and sightseeing. This is a truly beautiful spot. Tony Foster and I dragged his rubber duck plus outboard over the sand to the river lagoon and motored some four miles up Middle River, a real Burke and Wills adventure. We upped anchor the next morning, 4 January, for a brisk reach back to the club – 96 miles in 12 hours – in company with Trieste. Natuna went further west and came home a few days later. A good cruise all told. The Squadron’s cruising notes give details for intending cruisers who haven’t ventured there yet. Of interest: the old Squadron war horse Seasalter, a T. Harrison Butler design, Clausen built in 1937 has been restored. Rebuilt in New Zealand she is now sailing again.

A knotty weekend at Stansbury By Ken Case. Photos by Phil Stump and Helen Prisk

At Stansbury with Carol now aboard, cruisers, were invited onto Stardust to “Splice the main brace” (enjoy a congratulatory drink after a hard sail). It was a most convivial time and many sailing stories and shared experiences were exchanged. The following day cruisers took tenders ashore to the BBQ area for an early Australia Day celebration. Phil Tassicker and Trevor Manoel and his family joined us by car. After the traditional Aussie BBQ we tucked into a very special Pavlova prepared lovingly by Sally.

HE call went out for members to join in a “knotty” long weekend cruise to Stansbury. “Get knotted” came the reply “We’re tied up” with other things (Ha ha). Some members however were “roped in” and took the “bite” between their teeth. The first Squadron cruise for 2016 was underway. The weather presented a “Gordian knot” but we began in the able hands of John and Veronica with Helen Prisk on Kooringal who had arrived in Oyster Bay early.

Then came the “knottiest” part of the proceedings. We learnt what a “thief knot” is and played at doing “Bowlines” one handed and behind our back. We shared

knots and stories and saw the simplicity of cladding an aluminium wheel for comfort and appearance. Marion demonstrated how to tie a really big “fishing knot” and Trevor slipped out a “hangman’s noose” whilst looking threateningly at me. Phil and Peta Stump arrived on Erica to join the proceedings and a great time was had by all. Thanks to all the water taxis who ferried my precious cargo about. The sail back was just as eventful with the wind pressing on the beam and seas rising. The weekend finished with everyone safely “tied” up in the Squadron pool and a BBQ on the Quarterdeck. Thank you to all who joined us. Look out for the next Squadron cruise.

The good advice was that it was a little windy but the moorings made for a fine time. The sail was a go and so three more yachts, Trevor and Sandy on Mary Claire, Sally and Jacques on Emma, Roger and Marion on Marionette IV and Rudi with me on Stardust, headed over to Stansbury. The forecast was for strong winds and lumpy seas but with sound “Rodes”, fresh shackle “mousings”, oh and sails “reefed”, we set sail at a ‘rate of knots’.

New Year at Pt Vincent By Lynda Walsh

ORT Vincent will never replace Browns Beach in the affections of the Squadron as the place to spend New Year, but for those who are short of time or uneasy about Willy Weather’s promises, Port Vincent has much to offer – fireworks and a street market among the entertainments.

Four Squadron yachts, Four Seventy, More Magic, Tarni Warra and Aqualass chose to go to Vincent and there enjoyed the usual yachties’ fellowship. Some CYC motor yachts, serious fishers, kindly gave us crabs from their catches. And if people start to think about a race, well, we have a cannon to start it!

SAIL DRIVE

South Australia’s Ramsar Wetlands By Trevor Hamlyn

Trevor Hamlyn paints a slightly different picture of the Lower Lakes and the Coorong from those that have appeared in the Squadron Quarterly previously.

It’s not unusual to wake up in the morning with a flock of finches sitting (or should I say sh’ing) on the lifelines. Sometimes these little birds fly around us as we sail, picking off tiny spiders from their fine trailing webs that have become entangled in the rigging. Once the morning and afternoon choruses abate, one can often hear a faint roar of the ocean, as distant waves break against the sandhills of the Coorong. Spectacular too are the sunrises and sunsets which fill the sky, unimpeded in the flat landscape. What a perfect place to spend a long weekend with friends!

Natalie Wells, Lorraine and Trevor Hamlyn aboard “Grey Nurse” amongst the reeds in Dunn’s Lagoon near Clayton

HE Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert area is arguably one of Australia’s most important wetland sites. Covering approximately 140,500 ha in South Australia the location was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1985. Lakes Alexandrina and Albert are comprised of fresh to brackish/saline waters with a diversity of ecological features that provide a wide range of habitats. Birdlife is abundant.

We are so lucky, living in Adelaide, as it only takes an hour or so to tow a trailer sailer to the Lakes, then another couple of hours to be rigged and on the water amongst the reeds. For a safe mooring in any weather we just nose up into the reeds, then lash a painter to an armful of stalks, using several round turns and a couple of half hitches. It’s important too of course to first choose a windward shore or all-round shelter. There are plenty to choose from. Once in the reeds, which can be up to three metres high, one could be thousands of kilometres from civilisation but here it is right on our back door.

Milang to Goolwa Race 2016 By Kevin Kelly - Musetta

ERRIFIC sailing conditions prevailed for the 2016 MilangGoolwa Regatta on Sunday, 24 January. In previous years when I have done the race I have found the leg across Lake Alexandrina to be very light for most of the morning, leaving many boats drifting slowly through light puffs of wind. This year a swirling 8-10 knots provided plenty of momentum and opportunity to capitalise on wind shifts. Our adventure to Goolwa wasn’t without a few hiccups – after racing the Wednesday Twilight at the Squadron my electric trailer winch failed, so I couldn’t get Musetta out of the water. After pulling everything apart and testing, a new battery was the solution, so Saturday morning I was ready to greet my crew, Rob Hutson, and prepare the boat for the road trip. When everything was ready

Musetta on her overnight mooring at Milang

Sunrise at Dunn’s Lagoon

Sunset at Holmes Creek

and we were on time to depart Rob said, “I’ll just check your trailer lights!” My last road trip was the Tripolis in December 2014. Needless to say none of the lights worked, so we spent the next hour fiddling with them and applying some magic contact spray. This did the job and got the lights flashing (albeit every light flashed on one side of the indicators). We took the Strathalbyn Road via the freeway to Goolwa, which had fairly light traffic and made for an easy drive. On arrival at Goolwa at 1300 it was launch and go. Our third crew member, Mark Herriott, arrived with provisions and drinks and we were off. The sea breeze of around 15 knots gave us a great ride along Hindmarsh Island towards the lake. We were cheered on by some fans, Peter and Lyn Mulvihill, who were enjoying happy hour as we passed through

Clayton. On arrival at Milang around 1815 we found the place packed – pretty much every sheltered spot was taken. In previous years I had tied up by a small jetty at the end of the row of shacks, so I thought I would give that a go. On approaching it we saw one possible space, but it was hard to get to in the shallow water and we touched the bottom. To our surprise the jetty owner came out, gave us directions into the deeper water, then told us we could secure our bow to his chain mooring and the stern to his jetty. This meant we could step on and off the boat without getting wet. Being the last boat to arrive at Milang we were very happy with our mooring for the night. It is always good to catch up with sailing colleagues and friends at the Pub on the Saturday night, and we found most people were in fine form.

After the race briefing at 0800 the next morning the boats congregated around the start line (many on board with sore heads). It is such a spectacle to see so many trailer sailers, cats, tris, old wooden boats and the latest sports boats all on the water at the same time. Musetta participated in Division 4 which had 34 entrants and made for a fairly congested and somewhat exciting start line. The sail across the lake was very tactical and local knowledge seemed to play a part. We took a few more chances in the shallow waters this year which seemed to pay off. Once around Point Sturt it was pretty much a drag race in a fresh sea breeze towards the finish line in Goolwa. We finished the race in the middle of our division (17th) and sailed pretty much to our handicap compared with others in the fleet. All in all, a great weekend of sailing!

More on the race from Stuart Wells

50KM sail from Milang, across Lake Alexandrina, around Point Sturt and then down to Goolwa. This race has run in various forms since 1966 and under the auspices of the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club from 1974. Fields of up to 250 boats have sailed the course in recent years, with excellent backup from safety boats following the field. A number of divisions are available including; vintage river boats, trailerable monohulls, multihulls and sailing dinghies. This event would have to be the largest annual gathering on the South Australian Trailer Sailer calendar. Drawing a wide range of craft, including Noelex, Farrs, Sonatas, Ross, Van de Stadt and RL’s to name a few. Part of the attraction for many, including ourselves, is the whole atmosphere of the event. Many boats sail from Goolwa the day before and the GRYC puts on a substantial breakfast, sustaining the many crews that sail to Milang on the Saturday. This provides a good chance to check the boat over in preparation for the Sunday race. This year the Saturday conditions were excellent for this

and we enjoyed a very pleasant sail in our Noelex 25, Where’s my Water?. Arriving at Milang, a protected spot was found amongst the reeds, and introductions were made with those we pulled alongside. The local community provided a flotilla of small craft to act as ferries, for a gold coin donation, and we headed in shore to meet friends and enjoy the festivities. The historic Milang Pub is an appealing watering hole, however it is always booked out for dinner on the night. The foreshore has a range of food stalls run by obliging local organizations and the Milang Regatta Club also provides a friendly service, with their burgers always worth a try and Sunday breakfast also a highlight. In fact the clubhouse was looking very colourful in a new paint scheme. Eventually all are ferried back to their respective vessels for a peaceful night on the water. Sunday morning always seems to have a little tension in the air, many heading to shore for breakfast and the obligatory signing on. Then boats set out to the starting area, with

divisions being progressively sent on their way, between about 9 and 10am. As usual, the start this year was a tad congested, however the field soon spread as skippers chose their preferred paths to a relatively narrow gate half way across to Point Sturt. It was a touch on the nose so we tacked a number of times, negotiated the shallow section near Point Sturt and then relaxed more once it had been rounded. The run down to Goolwa was made more exciting by the odd gust and we negotiated the channel with ease. Reaching the bridge we had a successful tussle with a few close by boats and had to tack a few time to cross the finish line in front of the GRYC. We were by no means the fastest Noelex, but not the last either and had an enjoyable race. The sign off was enhanced by the food options available; from Goolwa cockles to Harndorf kranskys, washed down with choices of beer or wine. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and enhanced by a band providing live music. All in all a great weekend!!

Goldfinger (Iain McDougall) wins the multihull division

Iain McDougall (centre) at the presentations

Goldfinger during the race

ALTHORPE ISLAND SENTINEL By Mark Sinclair

LTHORPE Islands were named by Matthew Flinders in 1802, reportedly after Althorp Park in Northamptonshire, the seat of 2nd Earl Spencer, First Lord of the Admiralty from 1794 to 1801. Althorp Park is also the ancestral home of the late Princess Diana. When one is sailing back to Adelaide, the islands mark the transition between the navigationally challenging waters of southern Spencer Gulf and the exposed Southern Ocean, with the more benign conditions of Investigator Strait and Gulf St Vincent, which are progressively protected by Kangaroo Island. As one of our previous Commodores, the late James H Cowell, notes in Anchoring and Anchorages in South Australia, ‘The area around the Althorpes and Cape Spencer is an area of strong tidal streams with variable depths of water, directly exposed to the south-west swell’. He provides sage advice regarding the danger to small vessels of the numerous shoal patches under conditions of swell and stream, and recommends navigating this area with particular care. The Althorpe Islands are shown on chart AUS 126 (scale 1:75,000) and AUS 780 (scale 1:150,000) and are located approximately 90 nm from Adelaide Outer Harbor, 70 nm from Port Lincoln and 100 nm from Wallaroo, standing guard at the northwest end of Investigator Strait. The group consists of the main island, Althorpe Island, located some 4.5 nm south of Cape Spencer, and Seal Island and Haystack Island, which are inshore to the northeast. Althorpe Island has a hard granite base with chasms and crevasses around the coastline which is topped by a heavily eroded relatively soft rock consisting of calcium carbonate sand. The island has steep sides and a flat

top approximately 100 metres high. There is a rocky granite promontory extending north from the island known as The Monuments, which forms a bay on the northeast side providing shelter from the southwest through west. Of interest; however, is the observation made in the SQ article ‘The Limits of Cruising Guides’ published on page 21 of the September 2013 edition, which reported that a huge wave (which coincided with spring high tide) was observed to break across this protective north-south reef and wrap around its northern tip, surging into the bay.

I recently spent two nights at anchor at Althorpe Island, sheltering from a southwest gale whilst on passage from Wallaroo to Adelaide. I considered sheltering at West Cape Bay, but decided on Althorpe as the wind was forecast to veer north of west. During the visit, I conducted a large-scale sketch-survey of the main anchorage (scale 1:2,500) to assist those unfamiliar with the area; an image is provided here for reference.

I anchored in a depth of 4.6 metres over a sandy bottom in position 35 22.050 °S 136 51.750 °E on Monday 30 November 2015, then lay back to the breeze over the line of weed into deeper water. This was at an approximate bearing and range of 005 degrees and 125 metres from the end of the derelict lighthouse service-jetty in the southwest corner of the bay. The seabed in the anchorage is predominantly sand inshore of the 5 metre isobath from just south of The Monuments to close southeast of the head of the jetty. The holding is excellent and with plenty of scope provided by 12 metres of chain and 20 metres of warp, the CQR anchor did not budge during the two days at anchor; in fact, it was so well dug in that on recovery I had to use the engine gently to break it out. The beach close north of the jetty is well sheltered and I was able to land in the dinghy without getting wet, despite the four metre sea running outside. The jetty is unsafe and there are warning signs to keep off. At its head, there is a disused crane, presumably used to launch a boat hung from the now missing davits, and to land and transfer lighthouse keepers’ stores onto trolley on a tram track on the jetty, and then to the top of the cliffs via a flying fox.

Flying Fox

A steep track with many steps and a handrail zig zags up the cliff fronting the bay. Although in a state of partial disrepair, I found the track safe to use. There are many mutton bird burrows close to the track and a few on the track itself, so you need to watch your step. The views from the top into the bay and north to the Yorke Peninsula are simply breathtaking. There are two lighthouses, keepers’ cottages and a small airstrip. Unfortunately, these areas are part of Althorpe Islands Conservation Park which is a prohibited area, with access by permit only. There are three grave sites visible from the main anchorage at Althorpe Island. The earliest is of a sealer and is marked ‘To the memory of G Peterson – Aged 48 years – died October 8 1838. Above the jetty is a cross inscribed ‘SS Pereora - wrecked 18 September 1919 - JF Booth, JC Branthwaite and R Deebly RIP. This vessel ran onto The Monuments before a strong northwest wind, losing 11 of the 18 crew, with only these three bodies ever recovered. To the east is another cross which I think belongs to a crew

member of the fishing cutter Rapid, which dragged in the anchorage and was wrecked during a southeast gale on 18 September 1937. I counted a total of nine vessels lost on or close to Althorpe Island from historical signage on the island and in documentation, including Graham Scarce’s publication A Cruising Guide to Historic Gulf Ports.

I note the reference on the RSAYS South Australian anchorages web page, which recommends anchoring south of the jetty. During my stay, I found the gusty southwest wind wrapped around the island and hit in bullets. South of the jetty would not only be too shallow but also a lee shore!

There are two lights on Althorpe Island. The main light at the highest point flashes white every 5 seconds and illuminates the northwest end of the main shipping fairway down Investigator Strait. There is also a second smaller light on top of the cliffs near the northwest edge of the island; this forms a transit with the main light extending down the middle of the passage around the toe of Yorke Peninsula, from West Cape to Cape Spencer, and inshore of Emmes Reef. This transit is extremely useful when navigating by day. As well as the transit, at night the smaller light also provides a white sector to the northwest which delimits the edges of the inshore passage. The dangers to the east of track, off West Cape and Reef Head are demarked by a green light sector; while the dangers to the west of track, including: Emmes Reef, Brook Shoal and South West Rock, are demarked by a red light sector. The characteristic of this light is occulting with a period of 14 seconds. Note the light on Cape Spencer---flashing three every 15 seconds--also has a fixed red sector over Emmes Reef and Brook Shoal and can be used in conjunction. In any event, I recommend the largest scale chart be examined closely and frequently. Dangers are present not only from the rocks below but also from cray boats. As I approached Althorpe Island, I passed five boats tending lines of pots, some of which were laid across the inshore passage described above. Another was seen tending pots close north of Althorpe Island during the morning, then returned to anchor at Althorpe Island during the afternoon and evening. A good lookout is essential to avoid becoming fouled. While I was visiting, the cray boat operating locally anchored close east of the end of the jetty each day.

Recovering the dinghy

If arriving at Althorpe Island anchorage at night, you could run in on a course of 270˚T along latitude 35 22.050 S using the smaller light as a headmark, although this will disappear behind the crest of the island as you approach the anchorage. Since the water is very clear, the sandy seabed should be visible with a good torch as you cross the five metre isobath at longitude 136 51.750° E. Temporary anchorages are also reported to exist on the southeast and southwest sides of Althorpe Island for use under certain conditions, but I did not investigate these. I think Althorpe Island is a must-visit location; the scenery is fantastic and the wildlife abundant. Whilst I was exploring inshore in the dinghy, I was followed by a young seal which was as playful as a puppy. The anchorage is not suitable during southeast winds which are common in summer; but if a southwest change threatens, then take advantage and visit. As an added benefit, I received coverage from the Telstra network so could even keep in touch with my wife Rae, stay up-to-date with email, marina fees and Dan Murphy’s bill!

Grave Site

FLOTILLA FOR KIDS By Jennifer Griffin, Little Heroes Foundation photos courtesy of Little Heroes Foundation

Flotilla for Kids Sets Sail Again

LOTILLA for Kids returned to Port Adelaide on Sunday 7 February 2016, and what a day it was! We all had so much fun and are excited to make this wonderful event even better for next year! Over 75 boats registered to be a part of the day, which was a fantasic result for the first time it was run by Little Heroes Foundation. Meeting at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron in the morning, families, boat crews, volunteers and staff were greeted by

Best themed boat - Emma

His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO Governor of South Australia and his wife, Mrs Le, who welcomed Flotilla back to the Port!

The boats then made their way back down the river to the RSAYS, arriving to a freshly cooked BBQ and drinks.

Meanwhile, at the Wharf in Port Adelaide, the Wild at Hart markets were in full swing, offering fresh, local produce, gourmet food, and arts and crafts for the kids to enjoy.

Congratulations are in order to the winners of the competitions: Best Themed boat – Emma, Most Colourful boat – Outrageous and Outstanding Fundraising – the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, with a total of $1,550 raised!

The Flotilla arrived in the inner harbour just after 12pm, lead by the One and All, carrying a number of ‘Little Heroes’. Once anchored, the rest of the flotilla made its way down past the wharf, looping back and saluting the crowd.

A big thanks to all the boats who were a part of the Flotilla, especially the working vessels and the boats who hosted Little Heroes!

Most colourful boat - Outrageous

RADIO PROTOCOLS By Alan O’Donnell, Rae Hunt and Warwick Williams

Radio Protocols? “Roger that!”

OW to use your marine radio and what you should and shouldn’t say when ‘on air’ differs, depending on who you speak to. Some are sticklers for correct procedures and clarity in communication. The more laissez-faire are happy to do away with unnecessary verbosity and just want to get their message across, clear and simple. Some see the pros and cons of both sides. Here three Squadron members tell us how they think radio transmissions should be conducted.

Let’s refresh upon the basics for calling a base station… Firstly, name the entity you are calling, then name your vessel, remembering not to get this sequence reversed! Don’t start with the word ‘calling’, as the world already knows you are calling when you transmit. Upon contact, indicate your vessel’s identification, including what you are, and where you are. These latter are often forgotten. If you advise you are Lusitania, a 40 ft. power vessel 15 miles off Outer Harbor, tracking Edithburgh, then any other vessel in that vicinity will know the nearby sailing vessel is not you. This adds to situational awareness, and thus safety at sea, particularly if we all do it. Secondly, speak slowly, with emphasis on syllables. The word ‘Olympia’ is a good one for practice. I once heard a cool aircraft pilot request another to repeat his position “once slowly, or three times at his normal pace”. Regarding position, except when precision is needed, GPS co-ordinates are not as practical as saying for example, “Five miles NW Orontes Bank beacon”. Thirdly, know your phonetic alphabet and use it readily if need presents. It maintains proficiency as well.

Allan O’Donnell, former pilot and skipper of Aqualass:

ITH memories of years of aviation radio use fresh in the mind, I confess to admiring the concise and specific methodologies that are used. These anticipate reasonably clear VHF transmissions and continuous monitoring. In some marine situations, whether the manual says so or not, it can add to peace on the airwaves to at least consider the aviation model when such clear transmission is obviously present. For example, do you always need to call a station three times to establish contact? Do you need to say ‘over’ with each transmission exchange? The short answer is certainly not. Contemporary use actually demonstrates this. Consider the following. At the Squadron’s Opening Day this year, many will recall the large ship that descended upon the assembling fleet, with a large amount of radio communication to and from Miss Robyn. I listened most carefully, as most of the transmissions came from senior sources. Not once in all this was the word ‘over’ used, and mercifully on one occasion only, did someone feel called upon to call Miss Robyn three times to establish contact.

If requested to change to a certain channel number, repeat this back to the requester, pausing momentarily before changing. Loss of contact or even disastrous misunderstanding can be avoided by this simple habit. ‘Yes and no’ can travel poorly on the airwaves. It is good form to substitute them with ‘affirmative’ or ‘negative’. ‘Roger’ is of course also a common yes substitute, with ‘I understand’ also being implied in this term. Other radio niceties in common use include: “Request” – a polite way of asking for something you expect “Wilco” – I will cooperate “I say again” – I repeat “You say again” – you repeat “POB” – persons on board “Bye now” – this is a friendly way of finishing a transmission. And finally, watch that transmit key! Do place the mike back in its cradle. It’s surprising how many times the button will be pushed to transmit if the handpiece is left lying on a chart table amongst all that stuff! This is one of the great radio annoyances. It’s even worse than listening to people talk about non-operational yachting matters on working frequencies.

Commodore Rae Hunt, SA Sea Rescue Squadron volunteer and SASRS/Coast Radio Adelaide Radio Operator:

EING licenced to operate a marine VHF radio is a legal requirement. For one to obtain a VHF/HF licence, the correct protocol is promulgated as part of the course. 27mhz radio does not require the user to be licenced. In regard to the use of the word “Over”, it is taught as part of the Australian Maritime College MROCP or MROVCP course and is to confirm that you have completed that portion of the conversation and it has been handed “over to you”-“an invitation to the vessel/station called to respond, or to reply.” “Emma, Emma, Emma…, This is…, Mahalo, Mahalo, Mahalo…, On channel eight zero…, Over”. Calling three times gives the vessel/station you are calling the opportunity of hearing and understanding, if the receiving radios are set to “scan” or “dual watch”. As far as ending the conversation/ transmission, the word “Out” is used. (“Standing by” is yet another, and I have been known to use it as well) “Mahalo going back to one six…, Out” (or “Mahalo Out”) A quick online revision can always be done at http://www.amc.edu.au/handbooks but it is also useful to have a hard copy of the handbook on board your vessel. The VHF or MROVCP course has become more relaxed as far as protocols are concerned, but the principle remains the same.

AM in full agreement with Alan’s commentary on marine radio etiquette. I also support Rae Hunt, because she has been on air for many years and is a superb tutor for trainee radio operators.

“Over and out” should never be used – incorrect as well as confusing (do you want a reply or not) and to most radio operators, it’s like nails dragging down a blackboard! All cases, radio transmissions should be clear and concise to get your message across and remember to use the correct calling and working channels during communications.

I monitor a lot of marine radio traffic and sometimes wince when I encounter some radio chatter between vessels that I know belong to RSAYS!

There are many “versions, practices and habits” that are picked up and have been adopted by VHF & 27Meg users. Whilst on radio duty I hear some absolute shockers, but do admit a few have also been quite entertaining!

What do you think?

Warwick Williams, RSAYS member and Radio Operator for SA ST/ Coast Radio Adelaide

If you have strong views on what should and shouldn’t be said on the marine radio, why not send them in and we’ll continue with this emotive topic in the next edition.

New addition to the RSAYS Library Thanks to the generosity of long-time Squadron member Ion Ullett, the RSAYS Library now has a copy of the log of an adventurous cruise from New Britain to the Solomon Islands, undertaken by the Ion and his wife Margaret in the 1970’s in their yacht Alpha Centuari. Dr Peter Last and his wife Jenny, accompanied them for part of the voyage. The colourful record traces the Ullett’s exploration of these tropical and strategic islands, including Kennedy Islet where with the remains of US President John F Kennedy’s PT boat, which was run down by a Japanese destroyer during the Battle of the Coral Sea, is still evident today. Whether you are intending to undertake a similar cruise, or just interested in browsing, the book is now on the shelves and awaits your scrutiny!

MY BOAT - ARIA By Dick Richards

Another new boat enters the racing fleet

RIA arrived in the pool in mid January, just in time to enjoy the start of the racing program. She is a J 122 e, designed by Alan Johnston, creator of the legendary J 24 and founder, with his brother Robert, of the international company that has produced a great many successful racing yachts since 1977. Aria was built in J Boats Composites’ factory in France and shipped out to Australia.

The boat is reported to be ‘well balanced, an exceptional up-wind performer and highly manoeuvrable.’ Aria’s narrow beam and high-aspect rudder both contribute to the boat’s agility. Maximum waterline length is achieved by the plumb stem and the almost vertical stern with minimal overhang. The mast is aluminium with discontinuous rod rigging. E-Boats are known for their speed, comfort and the quality of their finish.

Aria’s overall length is 12.19 metres with a relatively narrow beam of 3.63 metres and a draught of 2.2 metres. She carries 80 square metres of working sail with a 150 square metre asymmetrical spinnaker that is flown from a retractable carbon bowsprit. Her jib is set on a ‘flat deck’ furler. The hull is vacuum infused e-glass and vinylester which produces a very strong and stiff hull. She displaces 6760 kg. Below deck she has two double berths astern plus a Vee berth forwards. The fully enclosed heads has a shower (hot & cold) and a toilet with holding tank. The galley has a double sink, fridge and gas stove. The navigation station is complete with VHF radio, repeater, plotter and chart desk. She carries 180 litres of water and 100 litres of fuel, and is powered by a 30 horsepower diesel.

Dee and David Henshall at the christening of Aria

Aria is owned by David and Dee Henshall and will replace their much loved Lara III, a Cavalier 395 designed by Davison of New Zealand, that they have raced and cruised for more than two decades in Adelaide, the East coast, the Pacific and Indonesian waters. Hopefully David and Dee will find some of the special qualities of Lara in Aria.

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LEFT PAGE SYDNEY TO HOBART By Ryan Godfrey. Photo: Omne van der Wal 2014

Sydney to Hobart from onboard Comanche remained down below, attempting to fix the steering system of the damaged rudder. After sailing downwind for half an hour or so, a make shift repair was completed and the possibility of turning back south was raised. Everyone was super keen to resume racing and the skipper made the call to spin around and sail upwind to test how the tiller repair would hold up.

OMANCHE returned to compete in the 2015 Hobart Race after placing second across the line in 2014. She was launched in the USA just a couple of months before that race. Fortunately owners Jim and Kristy Clarke, along with everyone involved in the program, were keen to return for another hit out. With a full year of sailing her under our belts, including winning the Transatlantic Race and setting a new 24 hour monohull record, the team felt confident that we were much better positioned to sail the boat to its maximum. We started this year’s race with a decent forecast of strong running followed by a windy southerly, expecting only a few hours of light airs at the very end. Feeling confident that we have a very fast yacht in all but the lightest of breezes, it was a welcome outlook. Things played out pretty much exactly as predicted and following a quick beat out of the harbour we soon settled into a fast and fun run under the A3 spinnaker with full main for the afternoon and early evening, pretty quickly dropping the following boats out of sight. Our navigator kept us on port gybe, making great miles southwards, right up until the last moments before the front finally came crashing into us in the early hours of the morning. One great feature of Comanche is that our spinnaker and heavy air headsails are all handled via furling units. This allowed us to have our jibs pre-hoisted and ready for use. The southerly breeze hit particularly quickly and we were able to furl up the A3 within seconds and safely leave it hoisted whilst we reefed the main and deployed the J3. After a few minutes of cleaning up and packing away the A3, we were settled down

and crashing upwind at 13kts of boat speed in 30+kts of wind and rain. All in all a great transition for us and we were happy to be punching south without any issues. Then things turned a bit ugly, as after an hour or so of upwind sailing, we suddenly heard some heinous banging and crashing happening under the aft, leeward sections of the hull. It was quickly apparent that most of the port dagger board had sheared off and was being towed under the boat by one of its control lines whilst smashing into the hull and leeward rudder. Before it could be cut free, it hit the rudder and forced it to rotate 180 degrees so the trailing edge was now facing forward. In the process, this rudder tiller arm suffered a major breakage and also caused a significant amount of damage to the inside of the boat where it had swung around into a position in which it was never designed to be. With steerage way lost, we furled up the headsail and dropped the main, the decision being made to turn around and make our way to Sydney. Whilst now sailing for port, the boat captain and a few of the crew

Through all this, our race lead of 30miles had reduced to nothing and we re-started the race back level with Rambler. Over the next 24hrs, we crashed up wind and despite not having a dagger board whilst on starboard tack, we slowly extended on the opposition boats and built a significant lead. This was greatly enhanced as the breeze moderated and ended up becalming the boats further to the north while we kept on moving, albeit in frustratingly light winds. After a nice run up the Derwent, we finished soon after sunset and were welcomed by one of the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds I’ve seen in Hobart. Personally, it was a great relief to get the win after the disappointment of 2014 and anything less would have been a complete shocker. The Hobart Race has a certain attraction and atmosphere that is unlike any other ocean race in the world. Hopefully we will be back in the future to defend our title. Comanche is capable of incredible reaching and running speeds and given the right conditions, could set an amazing record elapsed time. This was my third line honours victory after 2009 on Alfa Romeo and 2002 on Shockwave. My first Hobart Race was in 1998 on Helsal II with Keith Flint and with all the usual suspects in the crew, many of whom I see are still sailing together on Jimmy Howell’s Vulcan. Whilst only making it back to Adelaide once a year these days, I remain a member of the Squadron and always enjoy coming down to the club for a barbeque and catch up with some familiar faces.

Sydney to Hobart with Clipper Ventures Story and photos by Colin Doudy

parted and the spinnaker fell into the sea. This was actually a good thing as we had the other corners pinned and the wet sail was relatively easy to retrieve unharmed. The main was triple reefed, staysail and storm jib were hoisted and the breeze settled to 35-40 kts. The mighty CV5 dug in her shoulder and thundered off to the southwest at 10 kts, hard on the wind. After 24 hours I am told by those ashore, that we briefly held 1st position on IRC at this point.

CV5 on the start line

AVING long harbored a desire to compete in a Sydney-Hobart race and knowing I was unlikely to enter my own boat, advancing years dictated that I find another option. The answer was to buy a crew position on one of the Clipper Ventures Yachts. Some may remember the two Clipper 68’s which passed through the Club a few years ago – sturdy vessels built to race around the world in all conditions. Perfect for my aspirations and so I joined Clipper Ventures 5 now referred to as CV5. The new crew spent a week in Sydney learning how to handle these big boats – the No1 Yankee weighs 250 kgs! Emphasis was on safety, MOB and sail handling. We overnighted to Jervois Bay and back for a training run and cranked the old girl up to 19.5 kts at one point. Start day looked good and we headed out into the Harbour with over 100 other

CV5 entering Bass Straight

race boats and a rapidly swelling fleet of spectators. We had to sail past the committee boat with all orange sails up to sign on then put up the whites ready to start the race. Tension built as the mass of starters aligned themselves to one of the three start lines allocated we were on the second. We made a great start at the port (heavily favoured) end then quickly tacked onto port tack to clear the fleet. Unfortunately, we were a buffalo in a herd of gazelles and we were soon forced back onto starboard. After lots of tacking and heart-in-the mouth stern ducking, we emerged at the top mark in quite good order, ahead of all the Clipper 70s.

However the breeze dropped late Sunday night and dawn Monday saw us off Gabo entering Bass Strait in about 15 kts from the SW, all whites up. The dreaded Bass Strait gave us a drifter all the way, not ideal for a 35 ton yacht. We also enjoyed leaping, spinning dolphins (must be being chased by sharks said the poms!), a turtle, a small humpback and an albatross following the boat. Most of the sail down the east coast of Tasmania was in light winds and under the large spinnaker. Storm Bay gave us 10kt winds, again under kite and we made slow passage up the Derwent into the evening and finished about 2115 to the cheers of the shore support and the rest of the crowd. Would I do it again? Maybe, as long as I was not allowed forward of the mast!

Up with the kite and a nice controlled run down the coast and into the night, knowing a southerly buster was due before midnight. It arrived as a black cloud around 2215 with an instant wind speed and directional change of 50kts from the SSW and we still had the kite up! Not for long. The collapsed sail flogged briefly then bang! the halyard

Raggamuffin 100 tunes up

LEFT RAMBLER PAGE88 - USA 2555 By Barry Allison

Rambler made ready at Port River Marine

AMBLER was designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian of Argentina, built at the New England Boatworks on the U.S. East Coast and launched in December 2014. She is an all-carbon and canting-keel boat with long daggerboards and a deep chine. She is 27.0 metres long, has a 7.0 metre beam and draws 6.0 metres.

Fortunately, both operations were successfully achieved without any dramas and work then proceeded in wrapping the mast, worth A$2 million, prior to being shipped back to New Zealand for some major rigging changes. Once wrapped and water proofed, the mast had to be craned back onto a barge and towed around to Outer Harbor for shipping as deck cargo bound for New Zealand.

Owner George David, a former Chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corporation, entered her in the recent Sydney Hobart race to see how she would perform against the larger 100 foot super maxis. To her credit she finished third over the line behind Comanche and Ragamuffin 100.

Meanwhile, the hull was also inspected for any minor damage and the daggerboards removed. One daggerboard did have some damage having hit a submerged object during the race and had to be repaired prior to shipping.

At the completion of the race, the owners had to make a decision as to where best to take out the mast and lift the hull onto a pre-built cradle to ship her across to Italy for the upcoming northern hemisphere yacht races. The yards of Port River Marina in Port Adelaide were strongly recommended as having the required depth of water alongside a suitable wharf where she could be lifted out and placed on her cradle. The alternative was to sail her back to Sydney and face a far more expensive operation. So, with a crew of seven, she set off from Hobart bound for Adelaide and planned to enter the Port River on a suitable high tide. When thundering up the Gulf of St Vincent at 25 to 30 knots, there was some concern that they may arrive too early and miss the high tide and so they had to power down a little so as to enter at high tide. Upon arrival at Jim Theodore’s wharf, having bounced off a sand bar under the power lines, a crane was commissioned to firstly lift out the 42 metre (136 feet ) mast to be carefully placed on chocks on the wharf and secondly, the delicate operation of lifting out the hull and maneuvering her onto a pre-positioned cradle.

Full marks to Port River Marine in being able to successfully undertake such an operation; no doubt the news of the successful exercise will spread to other maxis who also require shipping out of Australia.

To support such a complex operation, Rambler has three forty-foot containers accompanying her everywhere she sails – one is a fully equipped workshop, another is a storage container for spare sails, rudder blades, booms, including the cradle, etc. The third container is for the storage of all the crew’s heavy weather gear, personal effects and day-to-day equipment required for competitive sailing. There is a five-man permanent crew and manager who are given the responsibility of controlling the logistics of maintaining this yacht in top racing condition. She normally sails with a crew of 20 experienced yachties who come from all corners of the sailing fraternity – and many from New Zealand. We hope to hear of her exploits in the Mediterranean during their summer sailing season.

HM BARK ENDEAVOUR

Photos by Trevor Powell

UST days after one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most modern ocean liners, the Queen Elizabeth, sailed into Adelaide for the first time, a replica of the centuries-old vessel James Cook captained headed into Port Adelaide for a week-long stay.

PIPING SHRIKE By Mike and Helen Fowler

Cruising Indonesia and Thailand

Piping Shrike in severe weather (Note reefs in main) and back together with errant dinghy

This article was taken from the Christmas Correspondence of Piping Shrike

015 – the New Year commenced in Langkawi at the Pier Hotel (an expats hangout), before taking a month or so to circumnavigate Langkawi and some of the surrounding islands. You can drive around Langkawi in a day – taking a month certainly gave us time to sit back and enjoy the anchorages. Early in February we sailed the huge distance of 25 miles from Langkawi to the Butangs (in Thailand) where we stayed for the duration of the 30 day visa. The Butangs consist of about six islands including the most wellknown, Koh Lipe. Whilst a bit touristy, Koh

Waterfall and bathing nymph on Rawi Island

Lipe is far less so than some other islands in Thailand. Compared to the water around Langkawi, the water at the Butangs is crystal clear and the snorkelling at some of the islands is pretty good. Unfortunately, during the early part of our stay and during a strong overnight wind our dinghy unshackled itself from Piping Shrike and went walk-about. After much scouring of outlying islands in another yachtie’s dinghy we assumed our dinghy was well on its way to Sumatra. However, such is the yachting fraternity that a yacht in the anchorage where the dinghy went missing spoke to another yachtie at another anchorage, whose girlfriend is Thai, who spoke to a park ranger, who told the girl who told her partner who told the other yachtie who told us they saw a long-tail towing a dinghy back to Koh Lipe two days previously. We hired a local long-tail to take us to Koh Lipe to seek out said fisherman (and dinghy) who was ‘found’ with just a little bit of asking. The finder wanted Thai Baht 30,000 ($A1,000) to give us back our property. Negotiations got the price back to $400 – still more than a carton of beer but much cheaper than a new dinghy and motor, especially considering the motor was only two months old. Needless to say our dinghy is now attached by two lines to Piping Shrike.

Longtail ride on way to collect errant dinghy

We had toyed with the idea of joining a rally that departed from Langkawi, down the western side of Malaysia, past Singapore to Tioman Island and then onto Tawau Malaysia on the eastern side of Borneo, but considered the travel time to be too fast to do justice to an area we had not explored. Therefore in April we headed south by ourselves anticipating going to Tioman and back to Singapore or thereabouts. Instead of the fast-track rally, we started a slow cruise to Singapore and then on to Tioman. Our first stop was a week in Penang, to make up for the two-day visit in 2007 on our way north to Langkawi. Penang has a lot of history, some great eating places and a well-situated marina at Straits Quay. The further south we headed, the more late afternoon storms we encountered but we

were mainly on anchor when they passed through. A few days were spent in Lumut where we met up again with Yindee Plus and travelled in loose company with them until we left Port Klang. Yindee Plus has now started a passage back to the UK via South Africa. The Royal Selangor Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in Malaysia and is situated in the Klang River, a very fast-flowing river, where we happened to arrive on the highest tide of the month. Yindee Plus and Piping Shrike were allocated berths on an anchored pontoon in the middle of the river. Each turn of tide piled rubbish (fortunately no bodies this time) between our boat and the

To kill a little time while waiting for the weather to change, we took a week’s holiday up the east coast of Malaysia at Cherating. The large resort which catered mainly for locals (not many foreigners) was hosting the local hospital staff for a family weekend. Despite all the stories one may hear, in this situation there was a very relaxed attitude to sexes mingling and partaking in all sorts of team sports/games. Harassment of opposing teams was encouraged and there was much laughter, water and sand flying around.

a week. It was here that Helen saw fierce monkeys and wild buffalo on the beach, and a tiger on the roof of a disused resort (or was it a big stuffed toy – who cares? We didn’t stay around long enough to find out.) Ramadan was in full swing so the majority of small resorts and stores were closed, and our supplies were running low. Fortunately we found a young guy, with the worst car on the road, to take us into a bigger centre to stock up. When we eventually got to duty-free Tioman, we stayed for a month, swimming and snorkelling in crystal clear waters teeming with a variety of colourful fish and coral, and met a new bunch of yachties to socialise with. Even though most restaurants and food stores were closed for the last two weeks of Ramadan and then a week after that to celebrate the end of Ramadan, we had a

Sand sculpture competition

We’re not sure what it felt like to be fully dressed rolling around in the beach break with sand inside the clothes.

And we had to pay for this priviledge

pontoon. Pushing the boat away from the pontoon allowed the rubbish to pass – only to arrive back on the next tide change. The fast-flowing river also caused the ageing and poorly maintained pontoon to break up. We tied it up with ropes from the supply of both yachts and eventually some crane webbing from the yacht club. From then on, by agreement, one boat crew would stay with the boats on the pontoon while the other crew went ashore. We were not sure what we would have accomplished but at least we knew the two boats would float together down or up stream! Our next main stop was Port Dickson for a week – considering it’s a mainland port in the Straits of Malaccca, the water in the marina is crystal clear with very little growth on any of the pontoons or the boats tied up there. Port Dickson is good for replenishing supplies of food and beer, and the pool at the marina was much appreciated. Local shops and restaurants have sprung up since we were last there in 2007. After three over-night stops, each with fierce thunder and lightning with white-out rain, we were anchored in Johor Straits on the Malaysian side of Singapore. Next, it was up Johor Strait to Puteri Harbour Marina where we spent the following six weeks waiting for the SW monsoon to kick in before heading across Singapore to the eastern side of Malaysia, then up and around the corner towards Tioman Island.

Singapore has very strict maritime rules which we ‘inadvertently’ broke by sailing into Singapore waters and were then requested by a fast patrol boat to vacate their waters. Their radio communications did not work and we could not determine what the issue was, although it was quite obvious we were not welcome.

thoroughly enjoyable time. The duty-free aspect and incredibly cheap marina were enhanced when Helen scored nine days of online work for her company – she’s seen here getting ready for knock-off drinks. We sailed back against current and wind over three days and spent a couple of weeks at various marinas in Johor Straits before leaving Piping Shrike in Sebana Cove in Johor. Heading back to Australia in late October, we undertook a number of house-sits for friends or contacts while we caught up with many friends and relatives.

South eastern tip of Singapore ship clutter

Singapore Straits are incredibly crowded with shipping as can be seen from the photo of our GPS screen – the black triangles are ships, which come up on screen through the AIS system. One can certainly sail to Tioman in a couple of days, but true to form we took three weeks, stopping along the way to ‘smell the roses’, something we could not have done had we done the rally as initially intended. SE winds meant the anchorages at most islands were not as comfortable as we would have wished but we found an anchorage back on the mainland that was so smooth we stayed

We looked after cats and dogs in Melbourne and East Geelong enabling us to catch up with Helen’s family, then drove to Adelaide to house-sit (house only – no pets) where we caught up with lots of friends and spent far too much time eating and drinking. The drive back to Melbourne (four days) along the Great Ocean Road (and meeting up with more friends at Kingston SE) was an excellent and worthwhile trip. In mid December we flew to Perth to house-sit two dogs and a fish near our daughter Vicki’s house, enabling us to spend time (including Christmas and New Year) with Vicki, her husband Gary and all our grandkids. By the middle of January we’ll be back in Malaysia, preparing the boat for this year’s sailing to …

SENIOR MEMBER PROFILE By Barry Allsion

This is the next of a series of articles by Barry which records some of the experiences and adventures of our many prominent Senior Members of the Squadron. It is an interesting account of the long sailing career of Alan Cotton. three years with many voyages across Gulf St Vincent and to Kangaroo Island. It is rumored that Ardale is still in one piece and is moored at the Garden Island Yacht Club. Always skippering his own yacht, Alan joined the Squadron on 1 January 1962 when in his early twenties, and continued to crew for Richard Fidock, Ion Ullett and on David Judell’s Black Soo Jedda with the aim of improving his own yachting skills and competing in offshore races.

Alan Cotton

O many of our Squadron members the name of a senior member will be well known. However, that person’s exploits over many years will generally not be so clear and so the intent of these articles is to record those incidents for all to read. This account is of the long and varied sailing experiences of Dr Alan Cotton, who has been a member now for 54 years. Alan was born at Streaky Bay to a local general practitioner father. He grew up learning the skills associated with fishing for whiting with the local Streaky Bay fishermen and also catching large blue swimmer crabs to later be sold at sixpence a dozen to the seasick passengers on the visiting Yandra.

Later, Wyruna was purchased from Mike Tipping and provided many enjoyable cruises for Alan and his family. One particular cruise to Port Lincoln provided some memorable moments. On Christmas Day, when tied to the main jetty at Port Lincoln, Alan decided that it would be wise to move as a northerly had banged in. When trying to start the 6hp Simplex engine, it failed to respond. Wilson Hissey, a local yachtie and engineer, happened to be around the place and upon inspection of the dead engine, discovered that the head gasket had blown. Wilson then promptly removed the head and took this back to his well-stocked workshop where he planed the head, returned back to Wyruna to quickly replace it and was able to start the engine once again, much to Alan’s relief. Another particularly challenging cruise to the Sir Joseph Banks Group one year was when the fleets’ children all caught measles and had to be ‘hospitalised’ aboard one of the yachts anchored off Reevesby Island.

His early education commenced at St Peters College where he spent much of his time playing football and cricket, but also to build and sail one of the state’s first Rainbow class dinghies. Then at the age of 16, he began sailing as a fore-deck hand on 80 year old Len Walter’s Virtue Class yacht at the Squadron. Len Walter, of the Walter & Morris Timber Company, was a remarkable yachtsman and quite capably sailed single-handed onto and off his Squadron moorings. While Alan was a medical student, he bought his first deep keel yacht with John Jackson – the restricted 21 Ardale. She had been built in the 30’s and had a 3hp Simplex petrol engine. The next few years were occupied in rebuilding the hull, re-caulking seams, fitting a canvas deck covered with red lead, as well as re-rigging the vessel with galvanized rigging. She was sailed regularly for the next

Southern Cross

Wyruna was later sold and then came Alan’s first Sydney-Hobart aboard Jim Polson’s Narrandera in the early 70s, which was quickly followed by involvement in John Duncanson’s quest to build fiberglass yachts. The first of these, the 35 foot Satyricon, was strongly campaigned to compete in the next Sydney-Hobart. Alan, along with John Duncanson, Don King, Pat Hill and Dean Furniss became the ‘works team’ for the Duncanson 35s. The ‘works team’ competed in further Sydney-Hobarts aboard Maggie and Hornet, with Alan then joining Dick Fidock’s Cedalion. Hornet was also entered in the Southern Cross series on Sydney Harbour. In 1972, Alan sold Satyricon to David Judell and commenced some well earned long service leave from being the Senior Psychiatrist Clinical Director at Glenside Hospital. So with this time on his hands Alan commenced building the Duncanson 35 Circus with a plan to sail to Tahiti. Completing the yacht in record time, Alan, with crew Ian Beverly, Peter Grivell and Laurie Henbest set off for Hobart and on to the Tahitian islands. When three days out from Hobart and in the Tasman Sea with gale force north easterlies, the boat completed a 360 degree roll-over, ripped the mast out and half filled the hull with water. After a nerveracking five days, they managed to limp back into Hobart where repairs were carried out – a new set of Peter Cole sails and a new mast through Barry Quinn.

Cabaret on Opening Day 2015

David Judell joined Circus in Hobart and they pushed off again – initially to New Zealand for a six hour stop-over to collect vital navigation data and then on their way to Raratonga. Alan’s family, Janet, Annabel 8, and Belinda 6, joined Circus in Tahiti. Peter and Jenny Last flew up to join them and sailed back to Raratonga. When Alan developed Dengue Fever, Peter White flew up to Fiji to help complete the voyage back to Sydney and in so doing, suggested for therapy that they have 12 bottles of scotch for the voyage – one for each day at sea. They entered Sydney Harbour with a half bottle left !!!! After so many years at sea, the family bought a farm at Nairne, where the girls could ride their horses. Long time sailing companion Professor Seamark led a team on the human IVF program and with Professor Armstrong from Canada, they developed Embryo Transfer in small ruminants as part of the Human IVF program. Over the next ten years, Alan commuted back and forth to New Zealand marketing frozen embryos and set up high-tech artificial breeding programmes in angora goats and sheep. He was still able to maintain his ongoing psychiatric practice as well as weekend sailing. In the mid eighties, he sold Circus and bought the William Garden designed 52 foot bowsprit ketch Cabaret on which he and Bronwyn mostly sail today. In 1988, they decided to enter Cabaret in the Bi-centenary Tall Ships Race from Adelaide to Melbourne,

Melbourne to Hobart and Hobart to Sydney for the Parade of Sail. The only stipulation was that they carry a minimum of four cadets during the race. They provided quite a contrast when sailing alongside the visiting square-rigged ships from other nations. Also a great surprise was when many of Alan’s Opening Day crew arrived in Sydney to celebrate the great occasion. Alan completed his 50th Squadron Opening Day last year – largely with the same crew over all those years. In 1995, Alan bought a Beneteau 43 Southern Cross in St.Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands where his daughter, Annabel, had become a professional yachtie, sailing in the West Indies waters. This led to the next five years sailing up and down the many Carribean Islands from St Thomas to Trinidad, as well as the north coast of Venezuela. In 1999 the seas in these parts, particularly around Venezuela, were becoming rather dangerous with many acts of piracy and so it was decided to take Southern Cross to safer waters. Alan and Bronwyn sailed her through the Panama Canal, across to the Galapagos, Marquesas, Tahiti, Suvarov (Cook Islands), Samoa, Tonga and into Fiji where they sailed regularly for the next fifteen years. Southern Cross is now in Fiji at the Vuda Point Marina from where they set off each year to spend two months cruising the Yasawa Group.

keeps on a trailer at the Squadron. This enables him to trail a boat quickly to Eyre Peninsula ports, or even to the River Murray on long weekends. Then more recently he purchased a semi-displacement trawler style Alaska 46 Ithaca. She has twin Cummins 440’s and has proved to be an excellent sea boat for cruising the waters to Port Lincoln and of course the Sir Joseph Banks Group. Alan and Bronwyn recently hired a yacht to cruise in the Croatian waters, but to do this, Alan had to have a Skipper’s Certificate. In completing the application form, he was amazed to discover that in over fifty years of sailing more than four years had been spent on the water and in this time he had sailed over 35,000 miles. Bronwyn has been an excellent companion over these years as she does not suffer seasickness, loves adventure, and can read a book in any sea state. This year they plan to hire a canal boat on the Canal du Midi in the south of France and later to return to Fiji for six weeks. As both are nearing the completion of their working life, we wish them well in the many cruises planned.

Also around this time Alan decided to purchase Picnic, a 26 foot Noble Super V plated aluminium power boat which he

CLIPPER RACE UPDATE Compiled by Anne Arnold from Campbell’s log

Campbell Mavkie on the grinder

REVIOUSLY, Campbell Mackie has recounted the Clipper Round the World Race. Here he reports on Leg 3 from Cape Town to Albany, and Leg 4 which comprised three races, Albany to Sydney, Sydney to Hobart, and Hobart to Airlie Beach.

Leg 3, Cape Town to Albany, from 1 to 24 November 2015

IGHLIGHTS of this leg include the start when we led as we slid past the suburbs of Cape Town and the finish in the inner harbour at Albany where friends took Lorna out to greet us; the crew, all of whom I enjoyed getting to know, and of course the weather, wind and sea. The wind varied considerably. Early the first morning, we were close to Da Nang – Viet Nam. Rolling around in the swell in fluky winds with little steerage, a collision was imminent. Engines were started and a burst of power moved us apart. An extraordinary circumstance requiring formal reports from both skippers. In contrast, at dawn that same morning, the wind arrived. A savage squall with gusts above 60 knots hit us as we were reefing the main. The boat was knocked down and as she lay on her side with sails flogging, waves rolled up the deck and broke into the cockpit. This was a seminal moment. No one panicked and we soon had the boat under control, but we were shaken as we contemplated the ferocity of the incident and wondered what was to come. The variability of conditions in the Southern Ocean surprised me. Sometimes we had fog with visibility of 200 metres and almost no wind; other times, 50 knots of westerlies. One afternoon, squalls brought freezing wind and hail, but sunny spells in between. The constant is the sea: always rough and confused, so it’s hard to pick which waves to bear away on to mitigate the slamming.

Some waves were very steep and the crash when we fell off their back was spine-jarring. The cold was severe: air temperature of 5˚C, water temperature of 3.7˚C and the wind--chill. We rotated between the relative warmth of the saloon and the icy conditions of the cockpit. Rain showers added to the cold and misery on deck. I wore every layer I had: socks times two, two base- and three mid-layers and dry suit. The layers worked well, but hands went numb and sitting around inactive or getting drenched was unpleasant. I caught a cold and since this was not the place to get a chest infection, or worse, pneumonia, I was on antibiotics and confined to the hospital bunk for a few days. It was unusual, to say the least, having a medical examination in the saloon while the crew chatted and ate breakfast. Dr Leo used the satphone to discuss her diagnoses and treatment, and was most amused when told I should be evacuated if I deteriorated. Clearly they had no concept of our position. Leg 4, Albany to Sydney, Sydney to Hobart, and Hobart to Airlie Beach.

HE Albany to Sydney race, from 1 to 13 December produced rough, tiring conditions, beating into easterlies up to 60 knots with heavy seas. Once, the glass in the oven door shattered, and dinner was from the rough-weather bag: stale bread and jam with a hot cup of packet soup. These conditions ground the crew down. Where were the fabled westerlies of the roaring forties?

We experienced damage to sheets, halyards, vang and sails. Once, hearing a ‘pumping’ noise coming from a life raft near the communication tower, we waited nervously for an exploding raft. It never happened; we eventually realised the noise was coming from the hi-fi speakers lashed in the tower. What a joke! One 12--hour stretch was the most amazing sailing I have ever experienced. Our top speed was 28 knots, maximum hourly run 18 miles and top wind speed 76 knots. What a blast---everyone was simultaneously elated and gob-smacked. It was amazing we could sail through those conditions in racing mode. I will remember that day for the rest of my life. The southern ocean had delivered at last. With emotions running high, we had a small glass of wine with dinner to celebrate the end of that exceptional day. We entered Sydney Harbour in the early hours of 13 December at the end of a tough trip, with the familiar routine of arrival: a swig, then spray, of champagne, photos and familiar faces. Next was the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race from 26 to 30 December. 110 boats started the race, 78, including all the Clipper Race boats, finished. Garmin was 30th to finish and 5th in the Clipper Race division. This was a great experience, with arriving into Hobart the icing on the cake. I now understand why people return year after year to this event. We started on line 2 behind the super maxis in unbelievable traffic as everybody jockeyed for position. We crossed the line boxed in

and well back, but with no incidents, and tacked to the South Head turning marks, passing RSAYS yacht Enchantress. Shouts on deck heralded a 30 knot southerly change, the wind going from due north to due south in less than 30 seconds. The boat virtually stopped and with no steerage way, we could not bear away. The kite wrapped around both forestays and our attempts at a drop were too late and futile. So began three hours trying to get the sail down. The six of us on the foredeck were soaked to the skin as the boat shipped green water and slammed off the steep swells. We were frequently airborne and my life jacket automatically inflated. It was obvious the sail was not coming down, so Ash went up the mast and came down the forestay, unwrapping the sail. This resembled a Cirque du Soleil act as he was thrown around aloft by the severe motion of the boat. It was an impressive feat, and a cheer went up as the sail came down, albeit significantly tangled. I was bitterly cold both from inadequate kit and the wind chill and we were all bruised and sore. While conditions were no worse than others we had dealt with, getting caught aback by the wind change and the difficulties in dropping the kite had exhausted us, and the mood was subdued for the next few days. I seriously contemplated giving up the rounding again.

re-rigged the sheet and re-hoisted the sail. During this process, the tack trip-line fired. Panic ensued and the trip-line remade, but C2 flogged and blew out. It hadn’t even lasted 24 hours, much to the disappointment of the sail repair crew. Garmin opted for an inshore route to avoid the south--flowing East Australia current. The other boats stayed east and, initially at least, we were in a strong position. Halfway between Bateman’s Bay and Montague Island, we were officially 2nd behind Da Nang – Viet Nam with the others comfortably behind. One morning, we were awoken with panicked shouts from the galley---fire! The gas was turned off and the fire extinguished with no damage. In hindsight, one of the hobs may have been on for a while before lighting. The consequence was a meagre breakfast, no coffee and a makeshift lunch.

The weather deteriorated and everyone was fed up – we wanted sun, and wind aft of the beam. But what a difference a day makes--the rain stopped, the wind moderated and backed, and we enjoyed some champagne sailing into Queensland. We had not had conditions like this since the Atlantic. Days on one tack with no change in sail plan, and plenty of sunshine. For the first time since leg 1, I was not wearing thermals. We were disappointed to have lost almost 10 miles on Lmax Exchange but we were in the leading troika of GREAT Britain, Lmax Exchange and Garmin, and believed a 3rd in this race would secure overall 3rd. In the end, we inched across the line in a dying breeze at about 2300hrs, an hour and a half after Lmax Exchange and GREAT Britain, who were only 32 seconds apart!

Next morning, it was over. The sun shone, the breeze weakened, the boat was flat, and having slept well, thoughts of quitting receded. We were still in the Clipper Race; the Hobart race seeming less important. We approached Tasman Island with four Clipper 70 boats in line abreast, sailed up the Derwent and crossed the finish line without incident, motoring into Constitution Dock. To our amazement and delight, about 500 diners enjoying an alfresco dinner stood up in unison and gave us a prolonged round of applause. It was a wonderful welcome to a great city in full party mode.

Tracking up the Derwent

The last race in leg 4 was Hobart to Airlie beach, from 2 to 9 January 2016. This race saw further repairs, a slog north, the hope of a win, and some champagne sailing. The C2 sail was repaired a few hours before leaving Hobart. Unfortunately, after hoisting it, there was a problem so we dropped it,

MEMBER PROFILE: CRAIG MUDGE AO Craig’s first boat was a 10 ft clinker-built dinghy to which a centre case and mast had been added. During his extended time living in the US, he first had a 28 ft Pearson Triton called Bindi on Cape Cod, South of Boston. She was designed by Marblehead’s Carl A. Alberg with classic lines reaching back to Scandinavian Folkboats and was rather quick. However, she had way-overdone hull thickness because experience with the new fibreglass material was limited at the time. He said “The highlight of my racing in recent years was the five years from 2000 when I owned J/105 Kookaburra on San Francisco Bay. The round-the-buoys racing was outstanding with forty J/105s on the starting line, and the ocean racing outside the Bay had lots to offer.”

Dr J. Craig Mudge AO FTSE

HE Australia Day Honours List included the award of an Officer of the Order of Australia to 50-year member Craig Mudge. The citation reads “For distinguished service to science, particularly through pioneering initiatives in the information technology sector, as a researcher and author, and as a mentor of young scientists.” Most recently at the Squadron, Craig started racing an Etchells, Warkanu, on his return from the US in 2005. He began sailing at the Squadron as a teenager with Henry Wilckens on Tahuna and Colin Haselgrove on Cooroyba where he learned a lot from Colin and his crew. Some of the best South Australian cruising has been with Antony Simpson on Riot II, a predecessor to Riot III, which graced these pages in recent years.

He continues, “In 2000 I put together a crew of some mates from Australia and California and chartered Eureka a Sydney 60 to do the

Sydney Hobart race with Hugh Treharne, tactician on Australia II, managing the project.” Regarding the applications of mathematics and physics, “I have always been interested in better understanding performance, and hull and sail design. On J/105 Kookaburra we began by using a Palm Pilot to log all parameters from an extensive set of instruments for later display on a web site for crew to analyse a day’s racing. We soon added to the chart table a PC with a Velocity Prediction Program. This displayed our target speed on a hand-held device linked by WiFi.” In 2003, during the week of New Zealand’s poorly executed defence of the America’s Cup, he gave a lecture in the Computer Systems Laboratory at Stanford University, entitled “Computer technology in America’s Cup yacht racing”.

J/105’s sail past Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay. Photo: Rolex - Daniel Foster

FISHING SPOTS By Shane Mensforth, SA Angler Magazine

LTHOUGH our summer weather has generally been more conducive to sailing than fishing, it’s a fact that this is an excellent time to wet a line when the incessant south-easterlies take a break. If you’re out and about and would like to grab a feed when the sails are down, the chances of catching big Snapper, Calamari and succulent Blue Swimmer crabs are very good. Gulf St Vincent is full of all three species at this time of year, and you won’t need elaborate tackle or bait to be in with a chance. Let’s take a look at Snapper first. With their annual spawning migration completed, the Snapper schools tend to split up and settle on many of the recognised grounds in the upper part of the Gulf. The stretch northward from Port Vincent to Ardrossan is, arguably, the most productive Snapper territory in the state – maybe in the entire country! Developing a productive list of ‘drops’ takes both time and patience, but there are a couple that are both easily located and consistently rewarding. Among these is the Ardrossan barge, which was sent to the seabed back in 1984, in the hope of attracting big snapper away from the wreck of the Zanoni. This has been a resounding success, and the wreck continues to produce monster Snapper right through the summer and into autumn. The barge fishes best at dusk and dawn, but there’s always the chance of hooking a big one during daylight hours. Those cruising towards Port Vincent may also like to check the seabed on the north-west corner of the Orontes Bank, which features some excellent natural bottom. Snapper of various sizes can be caught in this area, particularly when the wind is right down and it’s possible to drift. Big baits of squid or fish are the go here, and there are often Bronze Whaler sharks as well to spice up the action! Catching a good feed of big blue swimmers is about as easy as it gets at the moment, and should stay that way until after Easter. There are plenty off metropolitan Adelaide, especially between Semaphore and Henley in 4-7m of water. Wonga Shoal is a popular starting point, but it can get very busy when the sea is calm and the tide is ebbing.

Across the Gulf you’ll find the crabbing action much the same. Just inside the outer pole at Black Point is excellent, but you’ll need a run-out tide to achieve consistent hauls. The same applies a little further south off both Port Julia and Sheoak Flat. Simply look for areas of broken bottom in 3-6m and deploy drop nets baited with squid or fish. Catching your limit of 20 crabs per person is rarely an issue when conditions are right. As the water begins to cool with the onset of autumn, squid numbers should gradually increase. It’s always worth dropping a jig or

two over the stern while you’re crabbing, particularly in locations where there is plenty of ribbon weed. Likely spots to try include Black Point, Ardrossan, Sheoak Flat, Port Vincent and Stansbury. So, accumulating a feed of fresh, delicious local seafood isn’t difficult at this time of year. Simply keep a couple of crab nets, a snapper rod and some squid jigs on board and, with a modicum of luck, you’ll be dining like kings and queens as you cruise our magnificent Gulf waters.

GET KNOTTED! By Ken Case school. A favourite task was to provide one end of a lengthy rope and require the student to hang on to it as I dragged them in. Meanwhile they had to tie a Bowline around their waist single handed before they reached me. If they didn’t “they had drowned”. Why the Bowline? It has the advantage of quickly producing a loop or a bight in the end of a rope that has integrity under load whilst also able to be untied fairly easily. Additionally there are numerous variations on the Bowline that add greater strength, the Bowline with Stopper or Bowline with Two Turns, and two loops, the Bowline on the Bight.

LEARNT my first knot as a Boy Scout in the 60s. Then it was the Reef knot and Sheet bend that had me in knots. I guess prior to that I knew the Granny Knot. Why is the Granny Knot so scorned? – because it’s so difficult to undo. Officially the most difficult knot to undo was the Gordian Knot of Greek legend. Gordias, a Greek peasant who became King dedicated his ox cart to Zeus and tied it to a post in the town square of Phrygia with a very intricate knot. The oracles declared “Whosoever could undo the Gordian Knot would become king”. No one was able to until Alexander the Great did so with one cut of his sword. The rest is history. Today the expression “A Gordian Knot” is synonymous with an intractable solution. What we need of course are knots that hold under load but can be easily untied. The Reef Knot satisfies the latter but not the former which is why it is useful for tying reefs in your sail or bags but knot much else. Who doesn’t know ‘left over right and under followed by right over left and under?’ But note, the Reef knot is a binding knot, not a bend. It enables you to bind an item. It isn’t capable of bending two ropes together with any integrity under load. For that you need a Sheet Bend or Double Sheet Bend. If you analyse these knots what you see is that the turns bent into the knot constrict or lock the section they bend around. This brings us to that test. The test of any true sailor: “You’re a sailor eh! You can tie a Bowline then.” Probably the most useful general knot in the book but you’d be surprised how many can’t tie it. Some years ago I taught Maritime Studies at a high

Another common knot is the Clove Hitch, made of two half hitches and used to tie a rope around a spar or life line as with fenders. It can be easily tied at the end of a rope or in the centre when temporarily locking a tiller. Again a variation on this, the Rolling Hitch can be used to take the strain on another rope. In this instance the strain is applied sideways. Use a French Spiral Hitching to clad an aluminium wheel. Begin with a Clove Hitch or a constrictor knot and then continue to make further Half Hitches as you coil around the wheel pulling each Hitch tightly. Finish each section with another Clove Hitch or constrictor knot. To cover the spoke section tie a Turks Head. I also used Turks Heads to indicate the centre rudder position.

But the one truism about rope: What yachty hasn’t pulled in a rope to fold away only to see it catch and jag on every little cleat or fixture on the deck. But watch a halyard disappear along the deck and up the mast with complete abandon. A good friend was sailing from the Coorong back to Goolwa and whilst motoring from the barrage decided to tidy up and clear the decks. A young crew trying to help, pulled in and folded his main halyard and to his consternation handed it to him having pulled it clear of the mast. Ironically what looked like a disaster turned out to be his saviour as on dropping his mast he discovered a severe crack in the mast step. There are many books available to help the yachty tie and understand knots but a particularly good one for me has been Des Pawson’s The Handbook of Knots and his Knotcraft. In these excellent editions Des Pawson cleverly uses clear, succinct instructions and annotated step-by-step photographs to make tying knots easy. The photos included here illustrate how well he achieves this. Please send in an example of a knot you found useful in a particular situation or a funny knot story.

Reef Knot

Sheet Bend

Rolling Hitch

Bowline

Clove Hitch

Turks Head and French Spiral Hitch

MECHANICAL MATTERS By Trevor Manoel

N October 2014 on a cruise to Edithburgh on my Lexcen 9.6 Natuna I had the misfortune to break the mast. We left the Outer Harbor at 0720 in company with the Duncanson 29 Effie. The breeze was 12 to 15 knots from the south, making for beautiful sailing in pleasant conditions.

At 0835, when about 5Â˝ miles south west of Outer Harbor, a gust around 20 knots resulted in a loud bang, followed by quiet. The rig had gone over the starboard side taking the VHF antenna with it. The Effie crew were only a couple of hundred metres away and in a few minutes were within shouting distance. I wanted to recover the rig to find out what had gone wrong and besides, the sails were only a couple of seasons old. My initial thought was to drag the rig aboard, lash it down and motor back home. After about five minutes it became obvious that the rig was too heavy to lift aboard and I went below to get the wire cutters I had bought when fitting out the boat 30 years earlier.

Trevor with grandson Riley Rankine at Stansbury

The backstay divider was draped across the wheel pedestal so I figured one cut above the divider was all that was needed there. Standing using the good quality Felco cutters like hedge clippers only made a minor dent in the backstay. I then grabbed the pliers and pulled the clevis pin on the backstay. Meanwhile I had asked John to let go all the rope rigging with the exception of the main halyard, i.e. other halyards, headsail furling line, vang and sheets. I then transferred the tail of the main halyard to the aft mooring cleat and then set to removing the clevis pins on port upper and lowers. I then let go the forestay with furler attached, but the inner forestay turnbuckle had folded over with the clevis underneath and this had the full weight of the submerged rig on it. John passed me the wire cutters and this time I set one leg of the cutter on the deck and I used my weight to bear down on the other. It cut easily using this method. I then cut the starboard rigging free. The rig was attached only by the tail of the main halyard secured to the base of the mast.

All this took around 20 minutes and it was comforting to know Effie was standing by. Satisfied that the area around the prop was clear of rigging I started the engine to see if it was feasible to tow the lot back to Outer Harbor. The best speed we could manage was around 1.5 knots. On the way I checked the internet for shipping movements and fortunately none was scheduled till 1800 hours. A quarter of a mile from the breakwater I called Adelaide Outer Harbor Channel 12 on my hand held VHF and advised our intention to tow the rig to the boat ramp near the Squadron. The crew of the fireboat Gallantry heard the call and offered to assist. I gratefully accepted and we transferred the tow line to them and with their power winch brought the whole lot up onto their deck over a super large sausage fender lashed to the transom. They then assisted us (Effie crew included) dismantle the rig and sails and stack it on the lawn by the RSAYS mast crane.

Fortunately we did very little damage to the sails and they were easily repaired. The mast failure was caused by the pulling out of the toggle base fitting just below the spreader on the port side (see photo). The mast was 32 years old and the standing rigging was 13 years old. The insurance company (Club Marine) and the loss adjuster were very efficient and the new rig from Allyacht Spars in Brisbane was stepped by Alegayter Sails eight weeks later.

The lessons learned: 1.

The hand held VHF which I have only had for a couple of years was invaluable. I have also mounted a separate emergency VHF antenna on the stern.

The money spent thirty years ago on top quality Felco wire cutters was money well spent, although I should have had some prior practice using them.

If the incident happened a few miles further on we would have had to ditch the lot.

NATURE: SASSY SAMPHIRE By John Curtin

The plant and the boat named after it! of the eastern dinghy shed. There are now a few Australian producers growing and selling Samphire as a herb or condiment. And some restaurants offer it in their menus. It should be noted that Samphire is native vegetation and in South Australia is protected by the Native Vegetation Act 1991.

OU may have noticed it on menus at avant-garde restaurants, and you’ve probably seen it boldly displayed on the stern of a boat as you wander down the walkway on the northern bank. But what exactly is ‘samphire? Why is it cropping up all over the place. And why did John Curtin name his boat after it! Read on and learn ... ‘Samphire’ is the name given to a number of similar looking edible plants that are found around all the world’s coastlines and in some inland marshes. In the United Kingdom Salicornia europaea is one of several edible plants known as Samphire or sometimes Marsh Samphire. Rock Samphire is another coastal species that used to be common on the cliffs of Dover and is Crithmum maritimum. It was an important local plant and it was collected and eaten and Shakespeare refers to this in King Lear-

The origin of the English name Samphire is interesting. It is derived from the Italian Herba de San Pietra (contracted to Sanpetra). The herb is dedicated to the fisherman saint because it grows near the sea. It came to England via France hence Saint Pierre which was contracted to Sampier or Sampere, and then Samphire, the current spelling. Recipes for using Samphire can be readily found on an internet search, most commonly for seafood dishes but also as a supplementary green for any meal. Plants of the genus Salicornia and Tecticornia did have other valuable uses. For example they are often referred to as Glassworts as up until the 19th century they were a major source of soda ash (sodium carbonate) and were essential for glass making and soap making. One species is effective at removing Selenium, another has shown considerable promise as a source of bio diesel, producing about 250 gallons per acre on a test plot in Bahia. Why did I name my boat Samphire? Well a bit about Samphire first. She is a Controversy 36 (actually 37.5 ft LOA) designed in 1960

by E. Farnham Butler of the Mt Desert Boat Yard, Mt Desert Island, Maine. She is a light displacement, reverse sheer cruising boat; these were somewhat controversial features at the time. I bought the plans (19 sheets of detailed drawings and tables) from Wooden Boat magazine. She was built over a ten year period but we moved house in the middle of this and most of the construction was done in the last three years before launching in 2003. Samphire was built using the WEST (Wet Epoxy Saturation Technique) method, cold molded with a triple diagonal skin and fiberglass covered all over. While she was under construction, a family outing along the Samphire Trail and boardwalk at St Kilda inspired me to investigate the word ‘samphire,’ and I subsequently discovered most of the above. With its long history and obvious maritime connection it seemed appropriate and it became the agreed name for the boat under construction in our backyard. She has proven to be a comfortable cruising boat and quite speedy with the sheets eased a little, and has been on many cruises to Kangaroo Island and around the both Gulfs and has made one trip to Coffin Bay. On that cruise we got hit by a front about midnight when 20 miles south of Pt Avoid where briefly, before we further reduced sail (already had two reefs in), we were for a short period doing a barely controllable 12knots.

‘Half-way down Hangs one that gathers samphire; dreadful trade!’ Today it is not so common on the cliffs of Dover but the earth removed in building the Channel tunnel has been heaped into a large mound at what was known as the Lower Shakespeare Cliff Site and has been landscaped and planted with wild flowers and grasses including Rock Samphire. As the result of a public competition for a name it is now known as Samphire Hoe.

Samphire plants in the Squadron basin

In North America, Europe, South Africa and South Asia edible plants of the genus Salicornia that grow on beaches, salt marshes and among mangroves have many common names including Marsh Samphire, Samphire Greens, Pickleweed and Glasswort. In Germany it has a name equivalent to sea-fennel: Meerfenchel. In Australia Samphire species are widespread and are primarily of the genus Tecticornia. Two Samphire species found locally in the St Kilda area, for example, are Tecticornia flabelliformis and Tecticornia pergranulata. There are or have been a few struggling Samphire plants in the squadron basin - on the ‘beach’ in front

Samphire moored at Coffin Bay Wharf

STAFF PROFILE: CHEF DAVE WEST

AM 30 years old and have a wife and two daughters (one nearly five and the other nearly one). I have type 1 diabetes which I manage with an insulin pump. Being a diabetic means I value good nutrition and well-balanced meals. I started my apprenticeship when I was 15 with Hospitality Group Training, a company which sub-contracts apprentice chefs to all the pubs, clubs and hotels around Adelaide. This gave me great experience in many different work places and cooking styles as we apprentices were moved around every six months. I did all my training at Regency TAFE over my four-year apprenticeship. I have mainly worked in pubs all around Adelaide, including The Alberton Hotel (where I started), the Buckingham Arms, the Hampstead Hotel, the Maid and Magpie,

the Maylands Hotel and the Hackney Hotel where I finished, and where I became the Sous Chef for four years. I then went to the Crown & Sceptre hotel as Sous, eventually becoming Head Chef for nearly three years. I then moved to the Prince Albert Hotel as Head Chef, but being a father with a young family, I realized I needed a change and moved on to become a breakfast chef, giving me nights off to spend with my family. I worked at Esca for a few months and then was approached by The Store in North Adelaide to be the lead breakfast chef. After nearly two years and just two weeks before my second daughter was born I was made redundant. I had a difficult decision to make; either find another quality breakfast chef position, (and these are hard to get), or go for a Head Chef job where I had the freedom to cook and create and really push myself to be all I can be. That’s when I saw the

AVE says that although he has seen in used in salads and stir-fries and has a good understanding of the plant’s flavours and uses, he has never used this elusive ingredient before. “I played around with it a bit and made up this recipe especially for you, our members, and it’s delicious! I couldn’t think of a better day than sitting on the Quarter Deck eating a plate of this with a nice cool drink and warm company. Please enjoy! Try the recipe yourself or come up to the kitchen and I can whip you up a plate. We’re featuring it on the Dining Room menu to complement the samphire story opposite.”

Warm Seafood Samphire Salad with squid, prawns, samphire, watercress and peas Serves 4 Ingredients: 20 green prawns, peeled and deveined 1 large squid tube, sliced into rings 1 clove garlic, crushed (1 teaspoon) 50gm fresh Samphire 1 cup fresh peas 1 shallot finely diced rind of 1 preserved lemon , sliced finely 2 bunch watercress extra virgin olive oil 30 ml white wine Method: Blanch peas and samphire in boiling water for 1 minute, take out and place in ice water In a hot pan add a tablespoon of oil, the garlic and shallot. Put in the squid and prawns and stir until prawns and squid are just cooked, deglaze with white wine. Add peas, samphire, preserved lemon rind and a pinch of cracked pepper.

advertisement for the Yacht Squadron and the opportunity that could not be surpassed. Most of my inspiration comes from books or cooking shows, where I see something and then take one part of the dish and make something new and different. I source fresh, local ingredients where I can, be it meat, seafood or fruit and vegetables. When coming up with new meals I will usually start with just one ingredient and try to make a dish around that ingredient. By the end it may not be the main component, but it is the seed that grows into a bigger better menu item. The samphire salad is a case in point, where one ingredient stimulated a whole new dish. I love getting feedback about my meals and specials, either good or bad because if nobody tells me then I don’t know. There is nothing better than customers taking the time to come up to the kitchen and giving us the thumbs up or calling out “Thanks Chef” on their way out after enjoying a meal. I like to think I am approachable and welcome suggestions for specials or changes to menu items. I am very proud of what I do and the level of service and quality of food we have created at the Club. I look forward to the future and furthering the Club’s reputation as a welcoming and high quality restaurant and clubhouse. My kitchen crew includes Cam, a super kitchen hand who is willing to do all that is needed and Brett, a chef with over 20 years experience to help share the load with cooking and functions. The last nine months here have been most enjoyable and everybody from staff to members have been more than welcoming and I am looking forward to a long and happy time ahead.

Stir around to combine everything and take off the heat. Arrange water cress over 4 plates and divide the rest of ingredients evenly. Serve with a cool crisp Chardonnay or a tall glass of Ginger Ale.

Over the next three weeks we rapidly got her ready for sea, as we had to sail her to Sydney where we were still living. The masts had to be stepped, provisions bought and stowed away, the galley equipped and hundreds of little jobs with fittings and rigging finished. We had a crew of six altogether to make the delivery journey.

ANCHORS AWEIGH By Gill Baker

On the designated day friends came down to the boat to wave us goodbye, but we had so much to do that they ended up quickly saying goodbye and leaving us still trying to get ready to leave. We finally left the dock in the Port River in the late afternoon, motoring out towards the sea. On the wharf at Outer Harbor were the stalwarts, friends Rosemary and John and our son Greg, who were all that were left to wave goodbye.

EMEMBER those exciting adventure movies that were very popular back in the 50s? The classic Captain Horatio Hornblower, All the Brothers were Valiant and Captain Courageous to name a few. Apart from very handsome and swashbuckling heroes, they all featured wonderful four-masted sailing ships with billowing clouds of white sail. What were all those different sails for? How did they work? How were they controlled? The soundtracks were loud with romantic, stirring music such as Anchors Aweigh! In the 70s, The Onedin Line was popular, featuring the stunning music from the ballet Spartacus. I saw these movies as a child and later on television, and always found them very exciting and adventurous, but from a completely foreign world. I had had the adventure as a child coming on a big liner from England to South Australia. That had been very exciting, but had nothing to do with sail; the stirring music was not a background to that voyage! How do you translate an ordinary suburban life in modern times to the actual reality of such endeavours? Little did I know what fate had in store for me! I didn’t do any boating until the age of 18 when I went in a race on a 20 ft sailing dinghy at Tumby Bay. It looked a lot of fun, but was absolutely terrifying and I decided then that sailing was not for me. Then I met Rick. His father was building a fishing boat, but it was still in the yard, so no worries there. We were married a couple of years later and about six weeks later we were sunbaking on the beach and looking out at the pretty little yachts on the horizon and Rick said the fateful words to me “I think we will buy a boat”. So we did and we both learnt to sail together and had a series of sailing dinghies. He wanted to race and I did not, and eventually when I became pregnant I stopped sailing and he bought a faster boat and I was left on the beach again but now with the children, looking out to sea at the

pretty little yachts. We eventually bought a racing keel boat which Rick raced and we managed to enjoy it as a family and had a lot of fun out on the water. We read many books about sailing adventures. Rick had loved Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons when he was a child and we both read Joshua Slocum’s story of sailing around the world, the first single-handed person to do so. The idea of sailing away and having some adventures ourselves took hold. So we decided we would like a cruising boat, but there was not much on offer and we didn’t have much money. One day there were more fateful words from Rick. “I think we will build a boat”. Of course he didn’t want to build a small boat. It had to be a big one, 53 ft long. I argued for about three months but that didn’t get me anywhere, so the endeavour finally began. The actual building of the boat involved many hours of hard, sticky unpleasant work with fibreglass, standing on scaffolding high in the air, spending all our weekends and holidays working on it. We built a wooden cradle on the upturned boat, and tried to find the money to buy the components. We moved the boat twice in the building phase which involved cranes and low loaders. The tasks were endless – melting lead for the keel, installing the diesel engine, making the rudder. We did all this with both of us working and bringing up a family of four children, but over the years we had massive help from friends. We moved to Sydney for work and intended to move the boat there to finish building but plans changed and we would come back to Adelaide in our holidays and continue to work on the boat. After 13 years it was finally ready to launch! We slipped it into the Port River one very cold December morning with a large gathering of family and friends and I was given the honour of launching her. I hit the bow with a champagne bottle and proclaimed “I name this ship Margarita. May the Goddess bless her and all who sail in her!” It was a wonderful moment.

Many thoughts went through our minds as we hoisted our sails and headed out into the unknown seas. How would we cope with this new creature we had built. Would she be safe? Would the weather be good or bad? How would we cope with the motion of the boat? Would we be seasick? Would the mast be strong enough? Would we be able to handle the sails? Sydney was many miles away through the dreaded Bass Strait! All these questions! As Margarita set out into the sunset we realised how small she really was, but we felt the waves around the hull and the wind in her sails and realised the hard work had been done and all we had to do was to put our trust in her and sail her. We had the wonderful feeling of letting go from the land and being in another world, the ocean. The stirring theme of The Onedin Line had done its work and we were ready to go – Anchors Aweigh! Let the adventure begin! It did for many happy years. Ed: The adventures on Margarita, their 53’ Bruce Roberts ketch, are sadly coming to an end for the Bakers as they have decided to put her on the market. Contact Rick on m: 0418 248 022 if you are interested in checking her over.

Anchored at Line Reef, outer Barrier Reef

IN TRANQUIL WATERS Mem was introduced to sailing at an early age as Laurie and his brother Perce sailed, cruised and raced their yacht Katie from the Squadron. In those times it was deemed proper for girls to spend more time on education and doing ‘ladylike things’. With her sister, and some cousins and friends, Mary was home schooled by her mother, later attending Walford Grammar School before gaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree at The University of Adelaide in 1939. She returned to Walford and taught Leaving Honours Maths and English. Much later Mary undertook a degree in librarianship and was second in charge at the University’s Barr Smith Library for many years.

Mary Hotham Howie 3 April 1922 – 4 August 2015

ARY, or Mem as she was affectionately called, was born at home in Foster Street, Parkside. She was the second daughter of Janet (nee Davidson) and Laurie Howie, her older sister also called Janet. Her mother was artistic and an exceptional weaver. Laurie was Principal of the School of Arts and Craft, and was well known for his paintings, wood sculptures and china artwork.

Mem and Janet enjoyed Scottish dancing and playing the bagpipes with the Royal Caledonian Society and were honoured to be in the first girls’ pipe band in Australia. After World War II, Janet married Keith Flint, an avid Squadron member and boat owner. Mem’s interest in sailing was renewed and at last she really experienced life on the water. She especially enjoyed Opening Day, Port Vincent at Easter, and cruising and exploring the islands in Spencer Gulf. However she probably derived the most pleasure in just going out for a sail with family and friends. Mary never married but was always busy doing the sort of things we all say we will do when we get time and which never

19 October 1980 - 5 November 2015

NDREW was born into a family that loved and respected the sea. His grandfathers were William (Jack) Ellison, ex Royal Australian Navy, and John Robb, sailmaker.

Mary had some notable relations. Uncle James Edward Davidson founded The News in 1923; Uncle Alan Davidson was an outback explorer and mapper. Mount Davidson in the Tanami Desert is named after him, and he is still remembered and respected by the indigenous people. At St Andrew’s Hospital in 2013, Mary suffered a stroke while awaiting tests. Unable to walk and with failing eyesight, she spent her remaining years in high care at Estia Health, Kensington Gardens. Life was a struggle. Mem will always be remembered with affection by her family, friends and neighbours for her caring attitude, generosity and love.

His father, John, was heavily involved with the RSAYS from his youth, and was well known in later years for his 22 years of voluntary work as OOD on Miss Robyn. It was only natural that Andrew should follow and have an undeniable calling for the sea and sailing.

again with David & Dee on Lara III. He also sailed with David Morphett (True Blue), Keith Flint (Helsal II), John Moffatt (Rimfire), Colin Fraser (Kaesler), and Jim Howell (Sunburst) amongst others. In the last couple of years he opted for a faster pace and crewed with Seb Bohm on Marabunta and then Slipknot.

The day that Andrew came out of hospital, when he was a few days old, he was off to the ‘club’ in a carry basket for a day out aboard Bill Yard’s Bird of Dawning. At only 10 weeks he had his first trip to Kangaroo Island. He learned to sail by joining the juniors’ programme, skippering Holdfast Trainers and 12ft Cadets, and later becoming a juniors’ coach.

Andrew brought music, his other passion, to the Squadron too. He played trombone and keyboard in various ensembles including the Lindy Hip Big Band, and quartets which played at Squadron Balls and Opening Days.

His first paid job, while he was still at high school, was as a weekend tender driver at the Squadron.

Andrew John Ellison

happen. She spent many years tending her invalid father, at the same time researching both Howie and Davidson family history. She published several books about the Howie family: A copy of Laurie’s World is in the RSAYS Library. Other interests were collecting stamps, bush walking, and visiting relations and ancestral places of meaning in England and Scotland. She was especially fond of her god daughter Janette and nephews, Ian and Graham, often helping care for them when they were young if Keith was busy at work or away sailing.

His most memorable and extended sea voyage was bringing David Henshall’s boat, Lara III, back down the east coast from Queensland in his final year of high school. What an experience for a youth! Andrew sailed with many well-known and experienced skippers over the years, first with the Etchells class with skippers David Henshall and Andrew Waterman, then to keel boats,

He was often found up a mast or crusted in a fine layer of salt on the foredeck waiting impatiently for another spinnaker hoist or gybe, dressed in shorts and t-shirt irrespective of the conditions. Andrew dreamed of completing a Sydney-Hobart however he never quite got there. His passion for sailing was second to none and there is definitely one thing to be certain: if he called starboard, be pretty sure he meant it! The family would also like to thank their many friends and members of the RSAYS for respecting their privacy. RIP Andrew

BERTHS FOR SALE & RENT Berths for Sale - February 2016

Length (metres)

Berth Type

8.2

Price From

Hard Stands Best Deal - HS23 (Tarmac) 9.2 Dry Stand Best Deal - DS01 10 Marina Best Deal - I23 or I24 (Doubles) 11 Marina Best Deal - B15 (Single) 12 Marina Best Deal - C12 (Single) 13 Marina Best Deal - E05 (Double) 14 Marina Best Deal - I08 (Double) 15 Marina Best Deal - F10 (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 Suoer) 27 Marina Best Deal - I27 (T-Head) 30 Marina Best Deal - SI03 & S106 (Single Super)

Price To

$2,500.00

$7,000.00 $2,500.00

$5,000.00 $5,000.00 $44,000.00 $80,000.00 $44,000.00 All offers considered $40,000.00 $66,000.00 $40,000.00 $45,000.00 $89,000.00 $45,000.00 Reduced $49,500.00 $100,000.00 $49,500.00 $90,000.00 $120,000.00 $90,000.00 Reduced. All offers considered $40,000.00 $145,000.00 $40,000.00 Reduced. All offers considered $120,000.00 $195,000.00 $120,000.00 Reduced. All offers considered $110,000.00 $175,000.00 $110,000.00 All offers considered $130,000.00 $130,000 Neg $160,000.00 $220,000.00 $160,000.00 Reduced. All offers considered $198,000.00 $198,000.00 $370,000.00 $370,000.00 $450,000.00 $450,000.00

For further information please contact Andrew McDowell - General Manager Email general.manager@rsays.com.au or Phone 8341 8600 Price & availability are subject to change without notice All berth rentals are subject to terms & conditions

Berths for Rent - February 2016 Length (metres)

Pen

Berth Type

Berth No

$ Per Week

Single

MARINA

B13

$88.63

Double

MARINA

D09

$96.69

Single

MARINA

E05

$104.75

Single

MARINA

E07

$104.75

Double

MARINA

I01 & I01A

$112.81

Double

MARINA

I02

$112.81

Single

MARINA

F01

$120.87

Single

MARINA

F08

$120.87

Single

MARINA

G06

$128.92

Single

MARINA

G07

$128.92

Single

MARINA

SI07

$381.73

Single

MARINA

SI03

$458.08

Notes

SUITABLE FOR CAT BERTH

For further information please contact Kathy Bernhardt Email marina.services@rsays.com.au or Phone 8341 8600 Price & availability are subject to change without notice All berth rentals are subject to terms & conditions TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PERMANENT RENTAL OF BERTHS, ALL VESSEL OWNERS MUST BE CURRENT MEMBERS OF RSAYS

EVENTS CALENDAR April 2016 Sat 2

Sun 3 Fri 8 Sat 9

Sun 10 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25

Racing

Inshore Series; Regatta - Premier's Cup; Commodores' Shield; AMS Club Championships Div 1 ; AMS Club Championships Div 2; State IRC & AMS Div 1; State IRC & AMS Div 2; Etchells Series 2; Multihull Series

External

Wedding in Dining Room - Members dining in Jimmy’s Bar

External

Daylight Saving Ends

Racing

Premier's Cup; State IRC & AMS Div 1; State IRC & AMS Div 2

Racing

Friday Afternoon Sternchasers

External

York Peninsula's Saltwater Classic (Wooden & Classic Boats)

Racing

Offshore Series Monohulls (Kintore Cup); Offshore Series Multihulls (Kintore Cup; AMS Club Championships Div 1; Club Series; Etchells Series 2; Tri Series

External

York Peninsula's Saltwater Classic (Wooden & Classic Boats)

Juniors

Grelka Cup; Junior Sail Training Long Race & BBQ; Club Championships 9&10

Racing

Women's Series

Social

Social Night

Racing

Trophy Race - Inkster Memorial

Social

Close of Season Party

Cruising

Torrens Island Cruise

External

Wedding in Dining Room - Members dining in Jimmy’s Bar

Cruising

Torrens Island Cruise

Cruising

Torrens Island Cruise

External

Anzac Day

Fri 29

Racing

Skippers and Crews Meeting (Season Debrief)

Sat 30

Juniors

Juniors and Youth Presentation Night

May 2016 Thu 5

Racing

Trophy Polishing Night

Fri 6

External

CYCSA Presentation Night

Sat 7

Racing

RSAYS Presentation Night

Sun 8

External

Mothers' Day

Fri 13

Social

Wine Tasting

Cruising

Port Adelaide Dinner Cruise

Racing

Shorthanded Series

Cruising

Port Adelaide Dinner Cruise

Racing

Winter Series

Squadron

Welcome to New Members; SQ Winter Edition - Deadline for Articles

Racing

Shorthanded Series

Sat 14

Sun 15

Sat 21

Social

Movie Night

Sat 28

Squadron

20 Year Members Dinner

Sun 29

Racing

Winter Series

June 2016 Sat 4

Racing

Shorthanded Series

Sat 11

Crusing

Garden Island Yacht Club Cruise

Sun 12

Cruising

Garden Island Yacht Club Cruise

Cruising

Garden Island Yacht Club Cruise

External

Queen's Birthday Holiday

Fri 17

Social

Wine Tasting

Sun 19

Racing

Winter Series; Plympton & Le Hunte Cups

Sat 25

Cruising

Cruising Night

Mon 13

CAPTUR

EXPRESSION • 7” touch screen media navigation system • ECO mode for lower fuel consumption • Rear view camera and sensors • Keyless entry / start • 16” alloys

KOLEOS BOSE

CLIO AUTHENTIQUE • Turbo-charged manual engine • ABS, ESC, ASR traction control and EBD • Stop&Start fuel efficient technology • LED daytime running lights • Bluetooth® phone pairing Renault CLIO MEGANE R.S. • Cruise control with speedRenault limiter

Expression Manual

265 Cup Manual

20k

• BOSE® audio system • Dark charcoal leather upholstery • R-Link Sat Nav with 7” touchscreen • Front and rear parking sensors • Hands-free entry and engine start • Blind Spot Warning (BSW)

46k or 0% p.a. *

Renault MEGANE GT-Line Hatch Auto

26k

Includes metallic paint

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tallic paint and Clio R.S. Sport, Megane GT-Line Hatch with metallic paint and Megane R.S. 265 Cup with signature paint valid for vehicles ordered between buyers. Renault reserves the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. ◊0% p.a. comparison rate available for 2015 Clio R.S., Megane GT 220 Hatch & Wagon, delivered by 31/1/16 to approved personal applicants and 0% annual percentage rate available to approved business applicants of Renault Financial Services roved applicant only. Excludes Government, Rental and National Fleet customers. Terms, conditions and fees apply. WARNING: This comparison rate is true es or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Comparison rate for the purpose of the National Credit Code is based on a 5 year secured s the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. †5 years unlimited km warranty applies to all new Renault ^ w vehicle warranty. Roadside Assistance terms and conditions apply. Call our Customer Service Team on 1800 009 008 or view the Terms and Conditions d maintenance services capped at $299 per service on new and demonstrator Renault Passenger and Renault Sport vehicles, based on standard scheduled rvicesLVD173. required every twelve (12) months 15,000km (whichever first) on Clio Expression, GT-Line and Demonstrator every twelve (12)vehicles months receive or †5 years unlimited km or warranty applies to alloccurs new Renault passenger andMegane Renault SportHatch, vehicles. balance of new vehicle warranty. Roadside renault.com.au le is not presentedterms within three (3) months of whenCall the scheduled service is required, right that capped-price under the program is forfeited. Assistance and conditions apply. our Customer Service Team onto1800 009 008 or service view the Terms and Conditions statement at www.renault.com.au/drivingpeaceofmind for

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details. ^First 3 scheduled maintenance services capped at $299 per service on new and demonstrator Renault Passenger and Renault Sport vehicles, based on standard scheduled servicing from new and on normal operating conditions. Scheduled maintenance services required every twelve (12) months or 15,000km (whichever occurs first) on Clio Expression, Megane GT-Line Hatch, and every twelve (12) months or 10,000km on Clio R.S. Sport and Megane R.S. 265 Cup (whichever occurs first). If vehicle is not presented within three (3) months of when the scheduled service is required, right to that capped-price service under the program is forfeited. MNR1432