SOUNDINGS
THE
BI ANNUAL MAGAZINE of SOUTH of PERTH YACHT C LUB
• Sailing Prize Night • Windsurfer Worlds • Big Cat Country + PLUS ...
FROM THE EDITOR
This issue of Soundings was prepared by the recently formed Publications Committee, aiming to cover Club members’ activities without neglecting reports from each of the sections.
Our thanks to all contributors for making this an interesting read, particularly those who had to write their reports a long way from home.
The cost to the Club of mailing Soundings to each member is prohibitive, but it has been suggested that many members would prefer to add a small amount to their annual subscription to have the magazine delivered to their mailbox twice a year. If you agree the idea has merit, please raise it at the next meeting of your section.
Finally, a huge thank you to Cally Browning, whose skill and expertise in sorting our content to make our articles readable was invaluable.
Bernie Kaaks Editor
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 2023/2024
COMMODORE
Troy Dalglish
VICE COMMODORE
David Markham
REAR COMMODORE
Christina Heydon
HON. TREASURER
Chris Pearson
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Ash Hicks Chair, Pens & Moorings
Nikki Kukura Chair, Membership
Iain Somerville
Training & Development Rep
Thomas Purdon Chair, Works
Graeme Phillips Chair, Sponsorship
Claudio Mancini
Chair, Security
PATRON
Life Member & Past Commodore
Colin Cowden
VICE PATRONS
Kim Giddens MLA
Katy Mair, Mayor, City of Melville
Past Commodore Rupert Leslie
Past Commodore Les Swinton
Mr Len Randell
NOONGAR ELDER IN RESIDENCE
Marie Taylor
South of Perth Yacht Club
Coffee Point Applecross WA 6153
32.00.13 S 115.50.73 E 08 9364 5844
management@sopyc.com.au
www.sopyc.com.au
Office hours: Monday – Friday 9am ~ 5pm
General Manager Michael Sassella
Secretary Rachael Youssouf
Receptionist Maree Kosick
Finance & Administration Manager Dani Waller
Finance Officer Kate Knickel
Member Engagement Officer Nicole Taylor
Pens and Moorings Nat Ambrosio
Food & Beverage Manager Vanessa Toulabi / Renato Santoro
On Water Group Administrators Matt Doyle / Tait Kunzli
Facilities Manager Dan Lawrence
Head Bosun David Locke
Soundings Magazine is the bi annual magazine of the South of Perth Yacht Club
Published by: South of Perth Yacht Club
Design and Layout: Cally Browning
Cover Image: Bernie Kaaks
AKA The Blue Flash, Past Commodore Guy Skinner’s Thanet finally broke through to capture the coveted 400 number after winning the Club championship in 2023 following his near miss due to COVID two years ago.
Printed by: Vanguard Press
Copyright: All material appearing in “Soundings” is copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without written permission from the publisher. Indemnity: Advertisers and Advertising Agents shall indemnify the Publisher against any claims or action arising out of the publication of any material supplied for publication. With the exception of statements made by authorised Officers, all other statements and opinions in this publication are those of contributors and advertisers. South of Perth Yacht Club, its Management Committee and members accept no responsibility for statements made by unauthorised persons.
Advertising and article submission deadline for the next issue of Soundings is September 11, 2024
COMMODORE’S REPORT
Troy Dalglish Commodore
Dear Fellow Members,
As we enter a new winter and Power Yacht time trialling season, I reflect on the vibrant and eventful summer months we experienced. Over the last six months, our members have enjoyed a multitude of water and social activities while our dedicated staff worked tirelessly to organize and run numerous events including weddings, school balls, birthdays and Christmas functions at the Club.
2023 marked the 40th Anniversary of Australia II’s legendary win in the America’s Cup, a moment celebrated as one of Australia’s greatest sporting achievements. There were several events to commemorate this milestone around the river and we were honoured to have Skip Lissiman, a key crew member, as our guest speaker for our summer Opening Day. His declaration to open the season was a highlight of day, along with the naming of the second St Ayles Skiff, Ballina C, and the traditional sail past.
This period saw the completion of several important projects:
• Wave Attenuator on Jetty One: After several delays, this crucial structure was finally completed, providing essential protection to our water infrastructure.
• Roof Replacements: The main clubhouse ballroom, the Centreboard clubhouse, and the annex received new roofs. Additional internal roofing works are expected to be completed in the next couple of months.
• Centreboard Clubhouse Outdoor Area: The area underwent a major facelift with new flooring and a roof, significantly enhancing its appearance and comfort.
The Club successfully hosted the IWCA MPS Windsurfing World Championship during the New Year’s period, despite a short lead time and limited budget. The event was opened by Richard Court AC, former Premier of WA, who praised our facilities and the stunning view overlooking Perth City. The pop-up bar on the front lawn was a hit and I was inspired to upcycle the timber used for the Windsurfers stands framework into bar tables for future use - the Bosuns club obliged. The marathon event, with a one kilometre start line and over 250 competitors, was a spectacular highlight, a sight I doubt we will see on the river anytime soon.
With all the other extracurricular activities around the Club it would be unforgivable of me to forget all the Club weekly racing and activities keeping members and Club staff very active and busy. Numbers across most of the fleets remain steady with some really making a genuine
effort to expand and grow their fleets and crews. Captain Brian and Vice-Captain Wendy have been doing amazing job with the section. This is evident at many of the keelboat result presentations with a full house of members and a friendly and happy vibe. They secured a significant prize along with sponsorship from Century 21 River Residential and Nail Brewing for the Twilight series, something I am sure they will build on for next season.
The winter and Power Season Opening Day in May was a day full of tradition and new ideas. Under Captain Maria Cook’s leadership, the day included VIPs, members, and guests participating in the time trial on the water. I had the pleasure of skippering a vessel in an attempt to win the ‘Commodore’s Trophy’ but unfortunately, I did not. The day concluded with a lively party and band at the clubhouse. It was great to see the H28 crews, our traditional check point crews, back at the Club enjoying drinks, dinner, and their customary lively presence.
In May our Club, in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Melville and Applecross, successfully revived the Cruising Butterflies event after a five-year hiatus due to COVID. The dedication and enthusiasm of volunteers and organizers ensured a joyous day, bringing smiles to the faces of many children. Our community spirit was truly alive and well.
While there is much more to mention, I must conclude this edition of Soundings by congratulating Conor Nicholas and Nia Jerwood on making the Olympic Sailing team in the 470 class. As they head to Paris later this year, we will be watching and cheering them on from Perth, hoping they achieve their dreams and bring home a medal. Regardless of the outcome, we are incredibly proud of them.
As always, I would like to thank all our members who contribute to the success of our Club, whether it be volunteering, participating regularly, attending social functions and events, or just spending time enjoying the Quarterdeck with some food and drinks and take in the view.
It is sometimes said that ‘Too Few Do Too Much’ and that has been quite true. There are some who will sit on the sidelines and criticize those who volunteer their time, but stubbornly refuse to put their hand up. Perhaps it is now time for them to do so. There are many positions to be filled from Management down to sectional committees to volunteering on support boats and many other areas. We are all members of the same Club. We are passionate about sailing, time trialling or cruising. We have friends and family here. I like to believe that we all have the best interest of the Club at heart, so put that interest into positive action and get involved.
Thank you to everyone for your continued support and participation. As Past Commodore Mark Nicholas coined “One Club Many Passions.”
TROY DALGLISH Commodore
VICE COMMODORE’S REPORT
TDave Markham Vice Commodore
his edition covers our mid-year from October 2023 to April 2024 and whilst I’m very briefly skipping into May to pass comment about an accolade presented at the Winter Season Opening Day, I will leave the full details to be outlined by the Power Boat Captain.
The Rodney Nott Shield is for recognition of a Club Member for their outstanding volunteer contributions to our Club. Any member from any section of the club may be nominated. The worthy recipient in 2024 is Amanda Watson who has provided some amazing contributions to the Club since joining in 2002.
The new format of Chase the Ace commenced last August. This new format brought an increase in sponsors, over double the amount of minor prize cards, increases in the starting prize pool (now $1000), and the weekly jackpot increase (now $100). This change in format has seen a steady increase in regular Thursday night attendees to the point that bookings for a meal on The Quarterdeck are now essential. Our sponsors continue to support the event with additional prize contributions and the buzz coming from the members attending and enjoying themselves is infectious.
Arguably this is the most successful season of Chase the Ace since its initial inception 10-15 years ago when a group of dedicated members introduced this very popular event to the club. Whilst many know the contributions Amanda Watson has made to the Club, most would not know she was also the main instigator of this change in format we have now adopted.
The constant positive feedback from members, external functions and the regular high numbers booking The Quarterdeck, is testament to Andriy Boyev, our Executive Chef
and his team of the popularity of their efforts.
After a well-deserved break, Andriy returns with fresh seasonal menus to tantalize our taste buds. We also welcome back Vanessa Toulabi to the F&B Management Team, enriching our club with her expertise and warmth.
Our Facilities Manager Dan Lawrence along with Tom Purdon and his Works Committee, have been working hard on the removal and replacement of asbestos roof sheeting on the Centreboard Clubhouse, Ballroom and Coffee Point Marine chandlery. This project took around two years to get to completion with a variety of hurdles to overcome. Their list of ongoing maintenance of both land and water-based assets is sometimes overwhelming and seemingly endless, but we thank them for their persistence and efforts.
The World Windsurfing Championships held at the Club over the Christmas/New Year period, was an outstanding success. Part of creating a village type atmosphere for the competitors and spectators was the ‘pallet’ high tables and chairs that were set up on the eastern lawn area. A simple rustic look that created a very enjoyable entertaining area each afternoon and evening. Festoon lights added to the atmosphere. The number of members who commented on the area prompted many requests to continue the atmosphere after the Championships.
Board racks built for the event were eventually dismantled, providing a large amount of timber available to the Bosun’s Club for projects. One of the first completed was a handful of these ‘Pallet Tall Tables’. Festoon lights are being sought, so the village atmosphere can be repeated.
I mentioned previously that our Functions Committee has struggled without the leadership of a Chair. To that end the Committee has been ‘parked’ temporarily. To allow this loyal team to still work on club functions, a sub-committee was formed – The Function and Events Committee. Geoff Warwick has volunteered to assist the team and chair the committee. We look forward to seeing what this committee has in mind for some up and coming events.
Regards,
DAVE MARKHAM Vice Commodore
GENERAL MANAGER
FMichael Sassella General Manager
or nearly 18 months, the process of transitioning SoPYC to a more financially resilient organisation and future proofing the Club has taken strides. It is important for the membership to comprehend many of the issues the new team inherited at the start of January 2023.
To commence with, the Finance and Administration team has successfully purged our database of inactive and long resigned members which was not attended to by previous administrators. In essence, over 200 inactive members have been removed from our system to date, many of whom were still receiving renewal invoices for subscriptions thus artificially inflating reported revenues over past financial periods. This task has been an enormous and time-consuming undertaking for the team all whilst they have seen to their regular duties.
Further, both staff and Club auditors have been working closely to deliver more precise and transparent financial statements to members. The team has tidied up other backend financial reporting source data to ensure a more accurate financial picture of the Club. At times, both staff and auditors have grappled to comprehend the Club’s historical accounting treatment of many Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet items.
Other challenges inherited include the current bespoke pen fee charging system. This system was patched several times over the years as its inequity became apparent. In essence, the system undercharged many pen holders as compared to other pen holders. As such, the Club forwent receiving substantial revenue, funds desperately
needed for ongoing repairs and maintenance and capital expenditure programs. To rectify this issue, we have developed a new pen fee charge system designed to be equitable to all members over time. This system will be employed from 1 July 2024.
Moving forward, we are genuinely excited about the introduction of a new membership software program called Northstar. Our current platform is antiquated technology, and inadequate to provide essential data to both the Club and member alike. Northstar should be operational by the end of 2024.
With regards to future proofing the Club, we have commenced our restructure of the On Water Group. Historical numbers indicate that junior and youth membership categories are in steep decline at SoPYC. Hence the focus of the restructure will be to drive these membership categories along with revenue. With the Club’s ageing demographics, we need to replenish and expand our youth membership base categories.
On other matters, I would like to acknowledge and thank all our wonderful hardworking staff and volunteers for delivering day-in and day-out for members. This was certainly exemplified by the successful accomplishment of the MPS World Windsurfer Championship held over the 2023/2024 new year period. Congratulations to all involved for showcasing the abilities of SoPYC to host large regattas.
And finally, members and guests, please keep a lookout for our upcoming food and beverage specials:
• Monday to Friday “Happy Hour” (1730 to 1830)
• “Buy One Get One Free Wednesdays” (cheapest meal is free)
• “All Day, Friday Pie Day”, with salad bar ($25 including member discount)
• “Saturday Night Mussels”, 1kg of mussels with crunchy bread ($25 including member discount)
See you at the Club.
Michael Sassella General Manager
Rest in Peace
to our Members who have recently passed
John Heppell ~ December 2023
Bryan George Carter ~ January 2024
Howard MacCallum ~ March 2024
Benjamin Saunders Marshall Snr ~ April 2024
OUR MEMBERS
ORDINARY
Hayden Smyth
Robert Thomson
Todd Triebler
Peter Wren
Nikolas Varga
Barry Warwick
Louis Sanders
Paul Sanders
Larry Stockil
Alastair Blair
Arnold Johnston
Stephen Oliver
Brendan Taddeo
Pau Curtis
Stephen Harrison
Vito Forte
ASSOCIATE
Michelle Beck
Jian Wang
Kirsty Sharp
FAMILY
Robin Wilcockson
James Bromberger
Ian Doubikin
Jade Nolan
Clint Harris
Chantal Miller Gittos
Alexander Mitchell
Bruce Cruthers
Jacinta Kelly
Julian Pemberton
Stephen Edgar
Vince Giglia
Nicola Sciorilli
Brett Heatley
Geoffrey Heatley
Alireza Khossousi
Philip Gardner
Nathan Martignoli
FAMILY ASSOCIATE
Carol Wilcockson
Amelie Bromberger
Amanda Doubikin
Bree Nolan
Emma Nolan
Natasha Nolan
Ruby Penello
Stella Penello
Anthony Gittos
Joanna Harris
Kobie Harris
Kai Harris
Melanie Mitchell
Ellie Lane
Jade Lane
Will Lane
Katharine Cruthers
Trisha Downs
Gaye Eley
Stephen Kelly
Asia Pemberton
Allegra Pemberton
Taj Pemberton
Alesha Pemberton
Rhoda Vassallo
Mollie Edgar
Samantha Edgar
Diana Giglia
Rosa Sciorilli
Jane Wilson
Dina Dehbonei
Jake Heatley
Lorraine Heatley
Nina Heatley
Rayan Khossousi
Talia Khossousi
Carmen Braidwood
Anthony Power
Deborah Gardner
Cherie Martignoli
SOCIAL
Matthew Fenton
Donato Manfredi
Marcus Hodge
Derek McVickers
Peter Nelley
John Stone
Catherine Thomas
Paige Exley
Paul Faint
Kylie Waight
John Wood
Fletcher Brand
Philip John
Wendy John
Mark Sheehan
Peter Chamberlain
Helen Coombs
Gary Storey
Lucinda Peters
Desma May Clark
Melissa Farrell
Paul Lloyd
Karen Murcia
Marc Wilshaw
CREW
Bruce Thorpe
Alexander Thorpe
Simon Carrell ~ May 2024
Kerran Campbell ~ May 2024
Darren Gilbert ~ May 2024
Bill Chapman ~ June 2024
Andrew Boswell
Allan Rose
Earl Ward
Michael Watt
Lisa Green
Darryl McKay
Luke Smith
Claudia Scalisi
Matthew Worley
Lily Zampatti
Brian Mahon
Giuliano Testa
Kathryn Gill
James McRae
Trudy Murphy
Natalie Carter
Byron Lewis
Jane Reid
Stephen Trevaskis
Guy Gibson
INTRO CREW
Lucinda EgertonWarburton
Graham Saunders
Nicole Quilty
Rodney Harris
Ruzica Jocic
Simone Eaton
Bruce Culver
GRAND SPONSOR ASSOCIATE
Ian Pound
Luke Dillon
Caro Tuckett
Carl Segreto
Sharron Segreto
JUNIOR
Ashton Marshall
Dylan Robertson
Lee Robertson
Thomas Carroll
William Carroll
Nate Aguilar
Ailee Milne
Roy Woodcock
Zorian Holland
Aiden McCartan
Elara McCartan
Kai Nakayama
Hugh Lupica
Olivia Pfefferle
Maya Ursavas
CENTREBOARD
Michael Compton
Craig Williams
SCOUT ASSOCIATE
Ivy O'Toole
Ryan Dudding
Naomi Dawes
William Satie
Gavin Satie
Elizabeth Burbidge
REAR COMMODORE'S REPORT
Christina Heydon Rear Commodore
There were three major events during the December and January period and our members competed in many regattas during the season.
The MPS World Windsurfer World Championship was held over seven days during the New Year holiday period. Prior to the Worlds event, SoPYC hosted the Windsurfer State Championships which was a good test run for both Sailors and Volunteers prior to the big event. Extended articles for these events appear in this issue of Soundings. Immediately following the Worlds we were the host club for the 9er Nationals.
Volunteers were the main stay of all three events (and all events) at the club. The biggest thank you to everyone for giving up your December/January holiday time. We had more than 100 people working as volunteers to get these three regattas over the line. Volunteer numbers are sometimes quoted as being the number of people “on water” and “working on shore” during the period of the regatta. We need to remember numerous volunteers who work behind the scenes before and after each regatta. The Bosuns Club worked for months creating the racks for windsurfers. After the regatta, the Bosuns Club dismantled most of the racks to create bar tables and other items for use within the Club. Bob Harrap is the coordinator of the Bosuns Club and if anyone would like to be involved with “hands on work”, please contact him via the Club’s email. In addition, many hours were dedicated by members of each organising committee.
There are many jobs where volunteers can assist, which can be structured around your time availability and your knowledge. A dedicated club member is currently writing up a volunteers’ document which should cover the numerous jobs available.
Each sailing fleet has a representative to attend either keelboat or off-the-beach meetings. These divisions have a Captain, Vice Captain and representative volunteers to go to other meetings such as House, Functions, Membership, Training and Development and Regatta. Each fleet may also need handicappers and measurers. I have not mentioned the Offshore, Power or Cruising sections, which are just as busy and also send representatives to House, Functions, Membership.
People who may not go racing can volunteer on the day to be on support or mark laying boats, start boats, the on land bosun or the galley ... Some events may cover a weekend, or a week, and you may wish to volunteer for "one off” events
and learn different skills, or be one of the “runners” for the event so I urge you to Please Volunteer!
On a last note: the Racing Rules of Sailing Winter Rules nights commence on Monday June 10th from 6 to 7pm for ten weeks. It is good to come to the whole ten weeks as we move around the “Allens” chart (above).
Finally, we pay tribute to our sailors who competed at National and International level recently. Our Off-th-Beach fleets are doing brilliantly at all levels.
National & International
CHRISTINA HEYDON Rear Commodore
During the last six months, your Membership Committee has changed slightly. Nikki Kukura (Chair), Sonia Johnson, Wendy Jorgensen, David Kazim, Lana Kaaks, Ann McCluskey, Debbie Swain have also welcomed Mary-Anne Reid. We now have representatives from the Sailing, Centreboard and Power sections, which will allow us to make more informed decisions, maintaining membership numbers and attracting future members. Of course, these decisions must all be ratified by the Management Committee.
Fortunately, we have the services of our Club Membership Liaison Officer, Nicole Taylor, who attends to the dayto-day administration of Membership. If you have any questions, Nicole will be able to assist you or direct you the appropriate section of the Club. I would also like to thank Louise Forrest, our minute taker, for her contribution.
Currently, the Membership Committee is looking at creating a membership drive that will target our Centreboard and Off-the-Beach sailors. This section of the yacht club
has always been a source of future Club keelboat sailors and occasionally Olympic and international sailors. After having spoken to our Club yacht owners, many are struggling to maintain crew numbers. If you have any children or grandchildren who would be interested in Sunday sailing, contact the Club. Also watch out for any promotional material in Coffee Pointers for future membership drives.
The Club at the request of the Membership Committee will be introducing an amended hard copy membership form to avoid any ambiguity and to pinpoint exactly the sections in which new members would like to be involved. This means that the various section chairs can contact new members directly to encourage participation.
Our induction meetings are conducted on every third Wednesday of the month, where we have new inductees joining our Club in different categories. We have introduced a guest speaker for each of these inductions. Mark Popham has been a
regular and has imparted information on DF95 radio-controlled yachts and Sailability. The latter drew much interest with some inductees asking to volunteer. Mary-Anne Reid spoke briefly about our Centreboard section at one of our inductions. After the Inductions conclude, we all adjourn to the Yachtsman’s Bar for refreshments, where we are joined by Members of Management who are present on the night and those members who have just participated in Wednesday afternoon sailing. Such a great atmosphere!
The New Members’ Cocktail Parties were held on November the 17th and April the 19th. Once again, the evening provided the opportunity for our flag officers, past and present, the Management Committee and Membership Committee to mingle with new members and share their experiences and stories of this wonderful Club.
Nikki Kukura Chair of Membership
LADIES' LUNCHEON REPORT
The Ladies Luncheon Committee has once again provided outstanding presenters and entertainment for their guests. Here is a little snippet of what our ladies have enjoyed during the past six months.
The theme for the luncheon held in October was Fillies on the Field. All the guests attending really dressed to impress.
Wooden horse racing games provided a fun filled day, with Past Commodore Paul Ward being our commentator. This was followed by a Best Dress, Fascinator and Hat Parade. In all, a great day was enjoyed.
Wireless Hill – A presentation by City of Melville local history officer Michelle Campbell and Museum Curator Emma Mroz in November explored the significance the site of Wireless Hill is, to the history of telecommunications in Western
Australia and its ongoing link to commutations today.
105 guests partied to a Christmas theme luncheon in December, with music by DJ Di. Market stalls surrounding the Ballroom also provided Christmas gifts ideas for the ladies.
The Path of Hope Foundation which supports The Salvation Army’s agencies and services to provide safety and empowerment to women and their children escaping family and domestic violence, was once again chosen as the Charity for Christmas, and was hugely supported by gifts pouring in from our guests.
Our first presentation for 2024 was “A Centenary of Achievement by the Country Women’s Association of WA”. State President Anne Gething took us on a journey from the Association’s formation in 1924 through to the present day, along with their aim,
vision, purpose and changes/challenges faced in today’s modern world.
Brazilian Professional Belly Dancer, Caroline Ribeiro Francasso really knows how to entertain. In March she displayed her dancing skills, with many guests encouraged to take part showing off their belly dancing talents. A special thank you to all our ladies who participated in this event making it a fun filled day.
We held a Fashion Parade in April with garments provided by Atika Boutique, of Alfred Cove. Our guests were able to view a full range of practical clothing & accessories modelled by our own ladies. Special thanks to our models, Helen, Wendy, Judy, Sue and Jacqui.
Once again the Food and Beverage staff have been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the past few months, making each luncheon a successful event.
To the dedicated committee, Rose Midolo (Chairperson), Val Barron (Co-ordinator) Lana Kaaks & Kristine Pettersen (Committee) who have worked tirelessly to provide interesting guests speakers and entertainment throughout the above months, thank you.
Val Barron
Co-ordinator, Ladies Luncheon Group Images by Kristine Pettersson
From the A RCHIVE
The Archives and History Group
The Archives and History group has been focused on a project which has been thirty years in the making. The work was started in the 1990s and has been a work in progress for many years. The Almanac began as a means of enabling staff to be able to answer questions brought to them by members and indeed sometimes originating from staff as well.
The Almanac is no less than an aide memoir that lists the senior management of the Club. It includes the patrons and vice patrons of the club, the secretary/ managers, treasurers, flags and the management committees that worked with them. On the sailing and power sides, the captains and vice captains are mentioned and then Almanac goes into the results over the life of the Club for the various fleets and divisions. It includes club, state, national and world champions where applicable. An oversight had left the Club’s life members from the Almanac, but this was rectified recently.
It is a shorthand history of the Club, with none of the embellishments that a historian will offer, but as an effective tool that answers questions it stands out. It will be available through the members’ portal and members are invited to review it and help us upgrade the knowledge base enclosed therein. The contact point for the archives group is provided.
Elsewhere the archives committee has been working on the relocation of some of the offshore trophies into a more pleasantly presented set of cabinets in the Wardroom and the ship’s wheel in the doorway into the Members’ Bar and Wardroom has been given a history and may be offered refurbishment in the Bosun’s club.
The Navigators Trophy
It was named as the Past Commodore’s W. E. David Navigators Trophy but carries the inscription: Matthew
Flinders Navigators Trophy. This ship’s wheel arrived at the Club in the late 70’s and was mounted in various positions in the building. The earliest photo we have of it is when it was mounted behind a podium in the centreboard clubhouse during the Club’s renovations with then Commodore John Forde BEM, flanked by Vice Commodore Barry Brittain and Rear Commodore David Locke. It’s hard to see whether the shields were already in place, but given its prominence, it was an important part of the Club.
This trophy is awarded to the navigator who gains the highest aggregate points in the three races conducted by the Club during the Fremantle to Geraldton sequence. The award may be competed for by all navigators, as nominated to enter, and is presented to the successful navigator and not any particular yacht. The purpose of awarding the W. E. David Navigators Trophy is to recognise the navigational and tactical skills required by successful ocean racing navigators and to reward those who show competence and understanding in this challenging art.
The modern day GPS has made navigation simple, but from a tactical view point, knowledge of the currents, breezes and the coast line itself will always give a navigator the chance to prove themselves. The advent of the planing hull “skiff style” boats changed the racing to a degree, but when displacement boats were the thing, then a navigator was the one who could guide a boat to victory.
P.C. W E (Bill) David served as commodore at the Club from 1954 to 1957 when it lay on the other side of the Canning River and was a busy man at the Club for years after his time as a commodore. He was offered and accepted life membership in 1977.
Rick Steuart
The Archives and History Group
The Bosun’s Club never stops
With the launch of the second of the St Ayles skiffs out of the way after Sailing Opening day, we didn’t have to look too far for more work as it was a busy season at the Bosuns Club pre-Christmas, with the Windsurfers Worlds looming at us.
Frames to hold the boards and their associated equipment had to be built and not one or two but fourteen of them to hold the boards for 250 sailors. A large amount of timber was bought in and we were set loose with a set of plans and a dead line of two weeks before New Year’s Eve. We began at the end of October and by the 15th of December; all fourteen stands were built and assembled on the lawns. They were declared an outstanding success by the Windsurfers and the organisers were pleased with the result. Come the end of the event, we had to pull them to pieces again and stack and stow the timber out of harms way.
It wasn’t long before uses were found for the timber and so far we have rebuilt the tables and bench chairs for the centreboard section, made half a dozen bar tables for the Club on the Quarterdeck and lawn area and of course we are still looking at other tasks that we can turn the timber to. While all this was happening, the teams were preparing planks for the jetties according to the bosun’s needs. Not hard to do, but a chore that filled in the gaps in time.
Then the cannon from the Duyfken loomed at us. It had to be ready for May 4th for the power boat opening day. The team assembled to strip it back and attend to the iron work with rust converter and paint the carriage and barrel so that they would be in good condition for the next few years. Bob Harrap took to the brass plaque, polished it up and re-installed it on the carriage. We would like to think that a cover was made for the cannon to keep it in better condition.
The wooden club doors have been hanging around now for nearly 40 years and they have taken a fair drubbing in that time. The Bosuns Club was asked to revitalise them, so signs went up on the doors and they are being rubbed back ready for varnishing to protect them for the next twenty years. To help protect them, they plan to put kick plates on some of the more vulnerable doors which will help tidy up their appearance.
In the meanwhile, various projects are being put forward to the bosuns and we need to thank the team who have been working away, refuelling Club boats every week. This is a list of the volunteer bosuns in no particular order:
Doug Cowie, Dave Roberts, Bruce Cadee, Bob Harrap, Eric Schwab,Theo Berden, Brian Cross, John Midolo, Campbell Stewart, Rick Steuart, Mark Abercrombie, Bob Motteram, Kevin Doig, Alan Sharpe, Steve Grover and the odd one or two who have been popping in and out of the shed.
Rick Steuart
For the Bosuns Club
Left, the SoPYC cannon (image by Bob Harrapp) Below, board racks made by the Bosun’s Club
2024
Sailing
PRIZE NIGHT
For the first time since the Club moved from Olive Grove to its present location, the Centreboard and Keelboat sections combined their prize night and on Sunday 26th May more than 370 sailors and guests flooded the Ballroom, the Quarterdeck and the Main Bar areas to celebrate the occasion. The success of the evening makes it almost certain that a combined prize night will be repeated.
A highlight of the evening was the attendance of our Patron, Past Commodore Colin Cowden. With the support of his family, Colin was able to overcome the challenge of his declining health to join us and to assist with presentations.
Our Australian Sailing Team representative Murray Duthie enjoyed another stellar season in both Optimists and O’Pen Skiffs, but it was Rijk Batley who racked up enough points under the scoring system, to win the season’s Achievement Trophy. It became clear during the season that the O’Pen Skiff has captured the imagination of the younger set at the Club and it is going from strength to strength. One of the endearing characteristics of the class is its manifesto to teach sailors to have fun
in their boats and not just learn to sail around buoys.
The highlight of the keelboat presentation was the announcement of the Sailor-of-the-Year award. It is never easy to single out a particular individual when there are so many worthy nominees but this year the selectors could not separate the top two and decided to make a joint award.
Rita Nesdale was recognized for her 37-year contribution to the Club, competing in both Flying Fifteen and H28 classes and for her involvement in support and mark laying boats virtually every weekend.
Mark Gooding, a strong advocate for his favoured S80 class for more than twenty years, was recognized for his development of a keelboat training course, initially for the S80 fleet and expanded from there, and also for his extensive contribution to the Training and Development Committee.
These two outstanding members have both made significant contributions to the Club and are worthy recipients of the honour bestowed on them and the standing ovation which followed.
Bernie Kaaks
Charlie Purt
Victoria Chernoff Asher Williams
Eloise Chernoff
Patron Colin Cowden and family
Murray Duthie
Teo Edwards
David Atkinson - Tapestry April & Wendy Jorgensen
Brian Cross & Crew
Brian Saleeba
Mark Gooding
Olive Marie
Seth Till
Colusion
Harriet Mellor
Flying 15 gang
Mistress Quickly
Lana & Bernie Kaaks
Rijk Batley
Wicked
K-Factor
Nerrima
Red Witch
Problem Child
Mariner
Aloha
Helios
Conor Nicholas – Olympian
He’s earned this one.
From the early days when he was a sprout ragging around in a Pelican, moving onto an Oppy (Optimist), graduating to a Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4), then making his way up to the top of the tree in Australian Laser sailing at the Nationals in 2014/15, he could only look forward to achieving better results.
His biggest problem was that there were some very good sailors in front of him so he kept developing his skills and looked at every aspect of riding the rocket ships available to him. Be it a Bakewell 8, a foiling moth, a 36 foot Foundation for match racing and everything in between, Conor gave it a try.
For a while, it seemed as though he was just trying and not getting anywhere, but he was firmly embedded in the psyche of the Australian Sailing community and an opportunity presented itself in F18s with Darren Bundock taking him on board as crew for the F18 World Championships of 2019 in San Pere Pescador, Spain. They won on the last race, taking a two point victory over the reigning champions from Greece. He didn’t stop there of course and sailed very well in the ILCA 7s that season as well.
After a break from sailing for a couple of years, Conor teamed up with old sailing friend Tokyo Olympian Nia Jerwood of Perth to compete in the new mixed 470 category and they began to show promising results in 2023 with wins in the mixed European Championships in San Remo, Italy and then moved on to the Olympic Test Event in Marseille in July 2023 to obtain a respectable 11th place overall.
Since then, they have competed in both Sail Melbourne
and Sail Sydney in 2023 to obtain a Paris Olympics quota position and continued to do well in the 470 World Championships in Mallorca Spain to wrap up a gruelling pre-Olympic campaign.
Without the support of his family and parents Mark and Carol, he may not have been able to achieve so much and it has been a great pleasure to watch him grow into a sterling young athlete.
The South of Perth Yacht Club may never see the like of him again, but while we can revel in his achievements, let’s all hold our collective breaths and wish he and Nia the best in their quest to take Olympic Gold in Paris 2024.
Rick Steuart
Conor Nicholas & Nia Jerwood Image: Beau Outteridge
The people you meet, the challenges you overcome and the incredible memories you sail away with makes it all worth it and worth doing again and again!
It all started with a dream and having a partner that always has a plan. The dream turned into a reality. On the 9th of Sept 2022 (my birthday) we stepped onto our new baby, a 2019 Lucia Fountaine Pajot, we appropriately named Resolutions.
We have to give credit here to the organizers and setup of the Fremantle to Exmouth Rally. Neither Harvey nor I were new to boating, but cruising was a whole new experience. The advice, preparation and community support was invaluable and such a motivation to ‘get out there’.
This is where our adventure begins. Harvey, Reimi and a French bulldog called Quasimodo.
Our crew Kingsley Piesse, Barry and Betty Walsh ensured that our first venture to Exmouth was going to be exciting AND competitive. One night stands out in particular…. we had 30 knots true wind speed and 15 knots speed over the ground, a lamb roast, a bottle or two of red wine all whilst watching the footy. Geelong was playing of course. (Starlink is highly recommended for all communications,
BIG CAT COUNTRY
navigation and watching the footy basically anywhere you are!)
We were the first cruising vessel into Exmouth and eighth overall.
Just north of Exmouth is Long Island, otherwise called Serrurier island. It’s ideal for anchoring in most weather as it offers dual protection from prevailing winds depending on which side you pick. Also memorable was our first of many beach bonfires with fellow cruisers. There was food, jokes, stories, poetry, drinks abundant and of course many laughs. The
Montebellos offered great snorkelling. The bomb test sites were pretty surreal.
Broome – well it’s Broome. Large tides made parking the dinghy on Gantheaume Bay a bit of a mission but we found a good solution to this dilemma. Wheels make all the difference.
The Kimberleys – what can we say? There are rocks, waterfalls, tidal rivers, orcas, dolphins, lemon sharks, Humpbacks doing headstands BUT NOT ONE CROC!
We knew they were out there – but
luckily for Quasimodo, none were seen.
It was here we met up with two more intrepid adventurers, Wayne and Jenny aboard AliCat 3, a 44ft Leopard. Great sailors, great people and whole lot of fun. We ended up going places and doing things we would never have thought to do – and we had some of our best adventures.
Bit of R&R in Darwin. Life onboard is not all fun beers and chilling out, you do need a break from it sometimes. Big reality checkdefinition of cruising is ‘maintenance in exotic locations’.
Cullen Bay Marina highly recommended. Especially with Lolas Pergola just up the jetty.
Sailing out of Darwin was pretty stress free until the next major WOW factor. And that would have to be the “Hole in the Wall’. A one nautical mile passage through a tidal gorge between islands. You gotta get your timing right as the current flows FAST. Stunning scenery and spectacular conditions nulled the “HOLY S###” gut feeling. After that it was Thursday Island, then the most isolated hotel in Australia, Punsand Bay (great food and really cold beer) and onwards and upwards to the top, Cape York.
After rounding the Cape we faced 30-50 knot winds on the nose, on a swell of 2-4 metes plus and yes, it was about as fun as it sounds - NOT.
It was like this all the way from the top to Cooktown. Our cruising companions on Alicat 3 ended up coming into Cooktown missing something big. t was a tough leg, but it was an achievement we are all proud of.
Once we settled into Queensland living we decided that this was just the start. We had a new resolution and that was the decision to go bigger and better and do it all again. That resolution ended up being a Salina 48 Evolution Fountaine Pajot called Bijoux.
So after 3 months on the hardstand at Boatworks in Coomera (EPIC boating facility, 5 star!) Harvey and I finally ‘pimped our ride’ or as I like to call it Harver-ized it. And now we’ve set off again.
Hints to successful cruising
Preparation – safety gear, courses etc
✔ Spare parts – you never know when a spare filter, gasket or pump is a game changer.
✔ Weather weather weather, everything depends on weather – don’t do deadlines.
✔ If you don’t know ask! (I was super lucky to have Kingsley Piesse, Ryan Binedell and Kyle Dodds all on speed dial) An experienced sailor is worth their weight in gold.
✔ Food planning or learn to fish.
✔ Play with your sails often.
✔ And rum!
Harvey Symmons and Reimi Newman
Images: Reimi Newman
TBryan “BC” Carter
– Legend
he Club lost a legend in January when Bryan Carter, the Club’s most successful and decorated time trial competitor, passed away quietly after a long illness. We bade him a formal farewell at a celebration of his life in the Ballroom on 7th April.
Born in Chillwell, Liverpool, Bryan migrated to Australia in 1966 with his first wife Carmelina and their two daughters, Angela and Lorraine and settled in Perth, developing an interest in boating activities at South of Perth Yacht Club in 1969. Unfortunately membership was closed at that time so he had to wait until 16th November 1972 to finally become a member, volunteering for a variety of duties at the Club in the meantime.
Bryan’s rise in status was not without incident. His constant drive for perfection left him vulnerable to the “tall poppy” syndrome but there was no argument about the obvious – Bryan Carter was the best of the best. His friendly manner and easy demeanour made him a popular figure at the Club. He was amazingly generous with his time and talent, always willing to show newcomers how to master the sport of time trialling. His irreverent disregard for authority however, landed him in hot water on more than one occasion.
For example, a group of members at the notorious table near the fireplace in the main bar heard the commodore advise everyone that due to refurbishment works, the nearby toilets were unavailable. A private function in the Wardroom meant members should use the toilets near the on-water group office.
Soon after the announcement, Bryan Carter and Tony Mitchell felt the need, but deciding it was unfair to expect
them to walk all the way to the other side of the building and in direct contravention of instructions (a decision which may or may not have been influenced by their alcohol intake at the time), used the upstairs toilets in the Wardroom. The incident earned both of them a “caps-off” hearing and a three-month suspension!
On the other side of the coin, Bryan was a tireless contributor to the Club. He served as Power Captain in 19741975 and again in 1988-89.
He was the Chief Fire and Safety Officer from 1989 to 1993. He served on the Management, Regatta, Pens and Moorings, Works and Ocean Racing committees. His contributions were formally recognized in 2011, when Bryan
Image: Bernie Kaaks
Image: Bernie Kaaks
was awarded the Rodney Nott Shield as Clubman of the Year. He also served as editor of the Club newsletter as it transitioned to Soundings.
Bryan’s experience and personal interest in radio brought him into the Club’s ocean racing community, where he organized and recruited crews for Tender 1 at Rottnest Island and Tender 2 at Jurien Bay, taking personal control of the latter. Yachts reported their position during regulated “skeds” which were recorded by Tenders 1 and 2 and passed on to Race Control Headquarters at Coffee Point. Bryan was involved in this vital safety service for offshore sailors for 39 years!
In 2002 the Freo to Darwin Splash charity yacht rally raising funds for the United Way, brought together some 50 yachts. One of the first people recruited by race officer Bernie Kaaks was Bryan Carter, to fulfil the vital role of communications officer. Bryan and his team shadowed the fleet in a large power yacht, acting as a radio relay vessel and assisting those who had problems. He did a wonderful job and the event raised more than $150,000!
His radio experience also made him an automatic selection as marshall on opening days, where he rounded up participating boats and sorted them into order for their sail past.
Bryan and fellow member John Powell (deceased) are credited with the establishment of the Yimbala and Eunna-Mara trophy events which bring together the sailing and power sections of the Club.
Following his separation from Bonnie and his daughter Natalie, Bryan met Lesley Rhall. The pair enjoyed a
wonderfully close relationship which lasted thirty two years, ending only when he passed away in January. Bryan’s connections to the Club continue, however. Bonnie’s sister Cherry Callcott is a stalwart of the ocean racing community, not just at South of Perth, where she has been an integral member of the Geraldton Ocean Classic organizing committee for many years, but with all offshore clubs, while Natalie’s recent application for membership has just been approved.
Bryan’s competition achievements are far too numerous to list here, but some highlights include:
• WA State Champion 4 times
• Bob Stanford Trophy 10 times, including 5 in a row (yet to be surpassed)
• SoPYC Club Champion 14 times, including 4 in a row
• Aub Berryman Starts & Finishes 17 times, including 4 in a row
• Zero Points Lost Trophy 3 times (1996, 2001 and 2008).
Bryan’s navigators, most of whom are no longer with us, were Bonnie Carter, Ron Hassen, Ron Dawson, Ron Usher, Maurice Cooper, Vicky Burt and Dee Kelly, all of whom have a permanent unbreakable unbreakable tie to the legend that is Bryan Carter.
R.I.P.
Bernie Kaaks
Image: Bernie Kaaks
The 2024 Power Yacht Season has officially opened with the 63rd Power Yacht Time Trialling season and Winter Opening Day being held on the 4th May 2024. Guests, Commodores, and members gathered in the ballroom for the official opening ceremony and firing of the cannon before heading to the jetty to watch the sailpast. Commodore Troy Dalglish and Power Captain Maria Cook along with past and visiting commodores, Management Committee, and section captains in uniform saluted the boats as they saluted back and participated in the sailpast.
The season started off well with 21 power yachts participating in the Commodore’s Trophy which was won by Amazon, closely followed by Stillwater (2nd) and Thanet (3rd). We also had three sailing yachts participating in the time trial to win the annual Dark Side Trophy. This was won by Scalloway but closely followed by Fremantle Doctor (2nd) and Ondine (3rd).
We also saw the Rodney Nott Shield awarded to Amanda Watson at the ceremony for her dedication, commitment, and contributions to the club over many years.
The 2023 Season Prize Night celebrations was well attended by the section. It was held in the ballroom and guests enjoyed the celebrations for
the 400 and 401 winners as well as the consistency awards, most improved boat, most points lost and the best first year time triallers. Thanet was awarded the 400 Club Champion boat, with Dalusional 2nd and The Dolphin 3rd. The Dolphin took out the 401 Consistency award, with Dalusional 2nd and Lone Star 3rd. Dalusional also took out the Aub Berryman Memorial Trophy for best starts and finishes, and Jola took out the Greton Trophy for the best first year time trialler. We also had Trailer Trash taking out the David Burton Trophy for the most improved skipper and Angel taking out the Maevana Trophy for the most points lost in an event.
Power Captain Maria Cook and Vice-Captain Jason Claricoates and committee members Sue Smith, Claude Mancini, Debbie Swain, Justine
Barron, Judy Bailey, Lynne Cooper, Darryl Wilkes, John Cooper, Graeme Phillips, John Meldrum and Steve Wall have formed a strong Committee which is always working hard behind the scenes to make sure the season and events run smoothly.
We are always welcoming and encourage new members to join and get involved in the Power Section. With the help of the Memberships officer Nicole, we promote and support participation and involvement within the Club to all new members.
Our section would also like to thank all of our sponsors for their support and their valuable contributions in supporting our season. Our sponsors are Bravo Marine Services, Capital
Demolition, Coffee Point Marine Services, Jennings Plumbing and Gas, Specialised Marine Group, WA Bos, Wilson Marine, SQP Engineering, Advanced Business Abilities, Tyrepower Port Kennedy, Success Fabrication, Century 21 River Residential, Metal West and Scribe Design Group. With their continued support we are looking at new ways of promoting our sport and rewarding members so that we can continue to grow and maintain a strong section. Justine Barron, Power Yacht Scribe
Justine Barron
Power Yacht Scribe Images: Bernie Kaaks & Richard Steuart
Its nearly the end of another season of summer racing at the Club and as I write this, I am flat out getting the prize night event together with Wendy and the team from the OWG office. I did not realise how much goes into organising these events.
The major “To Do List” has 23 key headings of major items. Underneath that, there are trillion actions to take to coordinate the event. I now have a new respect for my predecessors and the great team on the OWG office and front admin office. Without their major assistance, this event does not come together.
The same can be said of the people behind the scenes that make the racing possible. These people are, for most part, volunteers and every week on both Wednesdays and Saturdays these teams of volunteers come together to enable us to have yacht racing. Nothing I say will ever be enough the show the gratitude from those of us who race.
Hopefully we can do that by having a great turnout on prize night where we are intending to do something a little different this year. So make sure you come along.
By the time you read this, the season will already have closed, and I have had time to reflect on some of the things that your Sailing Committee has achieved. So firstly, lets recognise those who helped me this year on the Sailing Committee: Wendy Jorgensen -Vice Captain; Ralph Newton/ David Thoms – Div 1; Rob Male – Div 2; Chris Lewis Driver/ Marty Compton – Div 3; Matt Rose – SS27; Bruce Uren –SS22; Darren Brown – Red Witches; Mark Gooding – S80;
Ernie Little – H28
The input from this committee has been nothing short of fantastic with many initiatives being brought to fruition. Below are some of the key items discussed and approved by your Sailing Committee:
• Crew Finder up and running and managed by Bruce Uren
• S80 training program implemented under the direction of Mark Gooding
• Process to link with keelboat training participants set up by Wendy Jorgensen
• Sponsorship for this year’s Twilights (and weren’t they great) by Wendy Jorgensen
• Change of course to not use Martin & Weaver under 5 knots – Requested by sailors
• Changes to scoring system to allow points for vessels in races abandoned by the Race Committee –Requested by sailors.
Our “action list” is still full, and we will continue to meet over the “off season” to keep working our way through this ongoing list, as well as getting the Red Book out on time.
To you the members, thank you for your great support of our Sailing Section.
Let’s get out there!
Brian Cross Sailing Captain
DIVISION ONE RAMBLINGS
Another sailing season just finished, and the power boaties are gunning up their diesel guzzlers ready for the time trialling Season ... Oh, that’s right, I’m one of them as well.
Like many of our yachties at SoPYC, we have a foot in both camps, and maybe we have to split our time and energy away from the most important element at our Club: Sailing! Perhaps that is one of the many reasons sailing fleets are trending downwards: we all have too many tasks and obligations: family, work life, FIFO, relaxation, etc etc ... just life in general.
Late this season saw our Saturday Division One fleet become just a twosome, with Glen Thomas in Problem Child and David Thoms in K Factor being the only competitors. Earlier in the season, there were only six regulars for the championship Races, and just four for Consistency. Various suggestions to improve Saturday sailing are being made, which include combining Divisions One and Two, prize money (what a nasty word!) or maybe instituting one or two special trophies, similar to the great array of trophies that grace the H28 fleet. Talking of money, it is a regular reward at FSC to have a small envelope of cash handed out to the podium winners.
Wednesday sailing however continues to be well supported, and very competitive (sometimes rather too competitive?) On a recent Wednesday we welcomed two additional Foundation 36s from RFBYC to the fleet, making around fifteen starters. This made for great sailing and
very competitive with four Bakewell White 36s tussling for dominance throughout.
Paul Harry jumped aboard Eun-na-Mara a few times to helm whilst the owner graced the stern, just relaxing. A suggestion: why not a few swaps of helmspersons between yachts? It might give us all a taste of what its like to helm a quick yacht (any of those five or six always up front, allowing those skippers to come back to the rear of the fleet and help backmarkers improve or simply get a feel of what a big old slow yacht is like to manoeuvre around race marks?
The end-of-season Commodores Cup was well attended, and we congratulate Matt and Tait our Sailing Administrators in the OWG for very good handicapping.
In other news, Peter Vlaar is setting sail soon for his favourite cruising ground, the Kimberleys, in Freo Doctor. Peter is expecting to be away for several months over winter.
Tapestry (David Atkinson) left us for a while to compete at the Geographe Bay Regatta and also the Cockburn Sound Regatta, and then had some issues with his keel and/or rudder, so we are glad to see him back on the Swan and racing again.
Other Geographe Bay Regatta competitors were Spritzig and Maxstar
On a positive note, our Club’s twilight races were well attended by many Division One yachts, notably Helios II with guests numbering into the twenties, and Slippery When Wet, another regular with lots of guests on board. Mistress Quickly and even Eun-Na-Mara got into the act a few times.
Frostbites start in May. Currently numbers are very low for the first race, but we hope after you all get a breather, good fleets will return.
Over each year we race for 48 weeks, split into four x 12-week seasons, each with its own Consistency Series. Do we need to introduce more variety? More spinnaker races? Some Wednesday Invitation Races with RPYC? A Crew Skipper race each season? A Ladies Skipper race? Why not?
Until next time, Sail Fast and Bonnie.
Chris
Higham
Division 1 Scribe
DIVISION TWO REPORT
As the Seasons change and another fabulous Perth summer draws to a close, we can reflect on a fantastic summer sailing season for Division II yachts.
Whilst the results will show there has been some DSQ’s recorded, as well as quite a few RETs, it has been very competitive, action packed and great fun!
I don’t recall any serious equipment failures or damage this year compared to previous years. The odd boat without an operational engine (that should have one) but nothing a bit of TLC can’t fix.
Looking back over this Summer Season (23-24) compared to last year (22-23) there has been some statistics worth noting. Some comparisons are easier than others, as in some
cases the amount of actual scheduled races varied from year to year, but for the Saturday Summer Series there was the same number of races each year, so as a direct comparison. As below you can see that whilst we had less yachts register for the series, we actually had more yachts competing. It is even better when you look at the number of participants each year. In 22-23 we had 136 starters, (they may not have finished or recorded a score, but they were out on the water intending to race!) yet in 23-24 we had 158 starters, over 16% more than the previous year. Imagine our numbers if we could keep that level of improvement going each year!
Colusion (SP139) and Against All Odds (SP54) battle it out on the wind.
Wednesday afternoon (Midweek) racing maintained its presence looking at the registrations and participation numbers. 22-23 saw 19 registrations with 12 actually competing, whereas for 23-24 only 11 registered with all 11 competing at least once.
For the Twilight Series, whilst difficult to compare directly due to the different number of races each year, from the registrations and starters it certainly had a good year with participation improving 33% year on year, nine competing up to twelve last year.
On a personal note, we have found this to be fantastic way to attract new crew. Simply invite them for a twilight race, make sure they enjoy it and follow up with dinner and get the Commodore to present them with a “Welcome to SoPYC” pennant: hooked!
Then if they look like a suitable crew member, invite them back for a race the following week.
Twilight Series Participation
Whilst reviewing these results there is one boat that really stands out.
Congratulations to David Cowden and Ballina for competing in EVERY Saturday, Wednesday and Twilight race of the Summer Series. Now that’s true commitment!
Cole 32 Championship within Division II
This season’s Cole 32 fleet was a strong and competitive group of five boats with George Ruul being welcomed back to the Coles in Mingara. Good Act’s Greg Munt was very competitive upwind and with more consistent spinnaker legs will be a force next season. Peter Were, (Cover Drive) our most consistent competitor in both Saturday and Wednesday sailing, performed consistently as always.
Tawake Rakai (Against All Odds) and Barry Arnold (Colusion) battled it out for the 23/24 Championship.
Colusion took the honours with five firsts after the two drops, followed closely by Against All Odds with a first, three seconds and a third.
Congratulations to all skippers and their crews for a great season highlighted by competitive sailing and entertaining camaraderie.
Your Division II committee meets regularly and this year responded to a request to change Course 1 due to a couple of valid reasons. This was discussed at a couple of Committee Meetings and hence the change to remove Bishop and Miller buoys and include rounding the outer start line mark and Sampson Spit.
If you have any questions or comments relating to Division II, please contact our Representative Rob Male on 0417 985 310.
Looking forward to a great Winter Series! Vince Bradley
There is something very “special” about H28s which is reflected in the number of boating associations around the world created exclusively for the owners. SoPYC is arguably, the only yacht club in the world that has regularly raced H28s as a single class division. The yacht was originally designed in the 1940s as a cruising ketch. Those readers wishing to learn more of the history of the H28s can refer to the H28 website (wah28.com).
While the H28 Division at SoPYC was not established until 1963, records show that H28s were active in local sailing clubs during the 1950s. Some of those yachts sailed in the early Fremantle to Cape Naturaliste and return races. Jon Sanders’ first ocean race was on board Wynella in such a race in about 1955. Imagine, a 28-foot wooden yacht, open cockpit, no self-draining, no depth sounder, no radio, no navigation equipment apart from a compass on a 200 nautical mile trip and at night on one of the windiest coasts in the world.
And speaking of this “special” yacht, the people who sail them are especially dedicated to the marque. Twenty six years ago, I was sailing a 45’ Beneteau from the Caribbean to Perth, when I encountered a H28 en-route from New Caledonia to Cairns. Closely overtaking him under sail, I looked down at the lone sailor on board and said, “I sold one of those to buy one of these”. He gave me a baleful stare and replied, “Yeah, well ya done the wrong thing there mate”. Yes, I have to agree. We are one of a breed and I have been back on board a H28 in the SoPYC fleet for the last four
years and loving it!
I initially joined the H28 fleet in 1985 sailing with Vic Court on Solo. Two years later I acquired Karoleeya and raced that for about eight years. It was known then as the Gentlemen’s fleet. It was fun times with up to twentytwo boats on the start line. Lots of barging and nothing gentlemanly about the language. But even then the camaraderie among the crew and skippers was second to none. Many colourful characters. Three siblings in one family each owned a H28. Brothers Bob Williams (Alma) Bruce Williams (Linda now renamed Anna) and their sister Delys Colquhoun and her husband Bob (Carina). I have to say that the Club was much more vibrant in those days. Wednesday twilight “races” were jam packed with family and friends. No problems sailing in the dark and afterwards a fantastic buffet meal. Each year, we enjoyed at least four trips on the ocean. One race was Fremantle to Rockingham hosted by TCYC, another the Billy Run and then two races on a course off Port Beach.
Anybody searching the Club records will find that many commodores were appointed from the ranks of the H28 Division. Many readers will also appreciate that many within the division are known for volunteering their services to get the job done.
Recently a H28 which had not raced for a few years, sunk in its mooring pen as a result of a bilge pump failure. It is amazing the amount of assistance that was volunteered by members of the division, recaulking and repairing the hull.
We will now soon have another yacht back regularly sailing in the fleet.
Currently, there are fourteen H28s in the Club pens of which only nine have raced this year. Wednesday is the more popular day when there are generally six or seven boats on the starting line. On Saturdays however, we are struggling to maintain the necessary five boats required to maintain our “class” status. This year, the division performed better than the previous year, thanks to the return of Nerrima into the competition. I am hopeful that Napea of Carrick and Carina will be added to the Saturday competition next season.
We need to attract more crew into the fleet. The plan is to target persons from the 50-year age plus group, who may think now is the right time to get into sailing. Wynella just recruited such a person who had not sailed before, except for one occasion when he was seventeen. He is one of the most enthusiastic novices I have encountered and he fits in perfectly with the character of our division members. His wife has told him that she had not seen him so happy. There are others in the fleet in that age group also recently similarly recruited. There will be a lot more potential crew like them out there. We just have to find them!
There has never been a better time to get into our fleet. Currently there are four SoPYC H28s looking for a buyer. Two of them are in the top finishing group and are ready to race with nothing to spend. The other two will need some TLC, but can be readied for racing within a short time if
purchased by someone with basic mechanical and carpentry skills. The H28 is a very forgiving and enjoyable yacht to sail upon! If you know someone who may wish to join our happy fleet, please get them to call me, Ernie Little, on 0419 907 822.
And finally, if you wish to get a full picture of our seasons sailing competition, with hundreds of action photos, take a look at the H28 website “wah28.com” and open up “on the water/in the bar”.
Ernie Little Chairman H28 Division
Images: Rick Steuart
WOMENS' SQUAD
Building on the growth and triumphs of 2023, the Womens squad set out once again in 2024 with the goal of fielding two strong teams against some of WA’s top female sailors. With SoPYC proudly hosting the Swan River Sailing (SRS) Womens State Keelboat Championships in April, we achieved success yet again by fielding two teams led by Mara Lowry and Kirsten Norris at the helm.
Team 1
Helm – Kirstin Norris
Trim – Wendy Jorgensen
Trim – Fiona Lyons
Main – Amanda Watson
Mast – Jacqui Lund
Pit – Therese Trouchet
Bow – Jan Stearne
Team 2
Helm – Mara Lowry
Trim – Sonja Vlaar
Trim – Deborah Conroy
Main – Trudy Murphy
Mast – Victoria Blackensee
Pit – Melissa Baines
Bow – Rachel Baveye
Throughout March and April, the Squad embarked on a series of training sessions aboard a mix of BW8s and Foundation 36’s, under the guidance of coaches Richard Maher, Guy Skinner and Alan Smith. Knowing that April generally brings with it some
shifty and fickle easterlies, our focus was honed on mastering spinnaker rotations, executing roll tacks, weight distribution and start line timing. Lucky, because that’s precisely the weather conditions we were fronted with on race day.
Anticipation buzzed among the seven teams as we rigged our boats moored together on the ends of Jetty 3 and 4. As we made our way out to the race area, the morning breezes hinted at their capricious nature. RO Les Swinton wasted no time, swiftly orchestrating six races to maximise our opportunities amidst the light winds.
Race 1 saw Mara Lowry and her team securing a victory with a 1st place finish, while Kirstin Norris and her crew secured a respectable mid-fleet
place. However, complacency wasn’t an option, with the determined team from MOFSC clinching a victory in race 2 and maintaining their momentum with three additional first place finishes, ultimately claiming the championship trophy. The teams from FSC and RFBYC provided stiff competition, forcing us to stay sharp and strategic amidst the ever-changing winds.
Despite the challenge of a few three lap races, Mara Lowry’s team secured a third place overall on a countback after tying with the RFBYC team. Meanwhile, Kirstin Norris’s team secured fifth place overall.
Two weeks later, the SRS Inter Club Championships unfolded at Mounts Bay Sailing Club.
The event saw six clubs competing
with SoPYC entering teams in the Veterans and Open sessions and the Womens Squad meticulously merged their two teams into one unit, ready to contend for victory in the Womens Session. With Kirsten Norris taking the helm this year, Mara Lowry transitioned into a crucial jib trim role alongside Wendy Jorgensen, with Trudy Murphy on main trim, Deborah Conroy on strings, Victoria Blankensee on mast and Rachel Baveye on bow.
Challenged by a north-easterly wind playing tricks as it danced unpredictably around Kings Park hill, we were surprised with unexpected white caps and a caution from the Race Officer of the potential for reduced sails. Despite this, the wind gradually dwindled over the two-hour session allowing for only four completed races. The results were a testament to the conditions with scores scattered across the teams, highlighting the intense competition.
After achieving scores of 3, 1, 5, 5 the Squad eagerly awaited the overall standings, acutely aware of the closeness of the racing. Initially disheartened by the announcement of a 6th place finish, our spirits were lifted when a vigilant crew member raised a scoring enquiry uncovering a calculation error and revealing that we actually secured third place, narrowly missing a tie for first or second by just one point, a decision also determined on a countback.
With our score of third combined with a fourth from the Veterans, a fourth in Open session one and Richard Maher’s impressive first place finish in Open session two, SoPYC clinched an overall second place in the Championships.
The Womens Squad extend gratitude to the On Water Group, the Training & Development Committee
and Coaches for their ongoing support. Thanks are also due to Rick Steuart for his media coverage and to Brian Cross for driving him around the course and of course all the volunteers for their support. Of course, these achievements aren’t possible without the driving force of the members, so thanks to Mara Lowry and Wendy Jorgensen for their organisational efforts and commitment to ensuring our participation in these events.
Reflecting on the season, we celebrate not only the victories and challenges but also the strengthened bonds, friendships forged and the memories created on the water that endure long after the sails have been flaked. Every moment on the water
serves as an opportunity for growth and learning that will continue to field our passion for sailing in years to come. The moments of triumph remind us of our collective potential and the heights we can achieve when we unite together towards a common goal and of the strength of our community and the power of collaboration.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the journey, on and off the water. We look forward to the adventures that lie ahead.
Full race results can be found at: www. swanriversailing.com/regattas
Wendy Jorgensen
Images: Rick Steuart
It’s been a busy season for the S80s. Boats from South of Perth Yacht Club have primarily competed in Association races. These races have been hosted by East Fremantle, Nedlands, Royal Freshwater Bay, Royal Perth, Koombana Bay and South of Perth. The Club has been represented by six boats over the journey:
• Abbey Road – James Barton
• Alchemy – Con Macarlino
• Don’t Panic!! – Mat Selby
• Fair Game – Sue Game
• Glasgow Kiss – John Hassen (owner Greg Tonnison)
• Shadowfax – Mark and Jim Gooding
State Championships –Owen Anchorage March 2024. This year’s State Championship was sailed off Fremantle is widely varying conditions. Ten boats from three clubs (four from SoPYC) contested the regatta, with eight races on a windward/leeward course. Strong easterlies gusting 28 to 30 knots at times made it tough racing for all on the first day. Some boats managed to stay upright for the journey, whilst others struggled, some losing people over the side during maneuver’s, requiring rescue boat assistance!! Day two was much calmer, with one race abandoned due to a 180-degree shift during racing. This greatly disappointed the crew on Don’t Panic, as they had managed to break away from the fleet in light and shifting conditions. Day three saw medium south westerly winds.
SoPYC had three boats in the top five by the end of competition.
• 1st Shadowfax – Mark Gooding crowned as well deserving state championship winners having won five of the eight races and dropping a 7th.
• 2nd Glasgow Kiss – John Hassen, runner up having a race win, 3 x 2nd, 2 x 4th and dropping a fifth.
• 5th Don’t Panic!! – Mat Selby, 1 x first, 1 x 4th, 3 x 5th, 2 x 7th and dropping a 7th, and
• 8th Abbey Road – James Barton
– 1 x 3rd, 1 x 6th, 1 x 7th, 2 x 8th, 2 x 9th, DNS and DNC.
Congratulations to Shadowfax on winning the State Championship.
South West Championships
The championship is a two-day event held in Bunbury each year. Shadowfax made the road trip down to represent SoPYC and came away in third place after some very close racing.
Swan River Championships (SRC)
This year the Swan River Championship was sailed in very light
conditions on both Saturday mornings with race officer Les Swinton utilizing a windward/leeward format. It was an incredibly frustrating event with multiple races abandoned as the breeze died on numerous occasions, however Les managed to get us through four races out of six. Shadowfax again was victorious with four wins out of four races, with Don’t Panic!! placing second.
UK Sailmakers Series (UKS)
This year the UKS was hosted by RPYC, with Pam Strickland as race officer and again sailed in light conditions, on both a late Saturday afternoon and a Saturday morning, utilizing a windward/leeward format. It was also a frustrating event with delays because of shifting or light winds. Only three of the four scheduled races were competed with the final race abandoned as the breeze died and the river glassed off and boats were unable to finish within the allotted time. On the first day, only Shadowfax and Don’t Panic!! took part, each securing a win. It was
disappointing not to have any RPYC boats show up, as it was their premier event! The second day was a Saturday morning with light and shifting wind. Only one race was completed with Don’t Panic!! securing a second and Shadowfax a third, enabling Don’t Panic!! to win the series.
Metropolitan Championship Series (MS)
The S80 season started with the Metro Series, established many years ago to support the river based clubs for their respective opening days. The first five races of the series involved varying conditions with strong winds for the Nedlands Yacht Club Opening Day. The series was well fought, with Shadowfax winning as they won all five races over the line. Don’t Panic!! was third overall.
Summer Series (SS)
The Summer Series was contested by Don’t Panic!!, Fair Game and Shadowfax, and comprised fourteen races over the season, rotating between host clubs SoPYC and RPYC. Boats contesting each race ranged between two and eight. One race in particular, with only two boats showing up, was contested in 25 plus knots. Don’t Panic!! did wonder if they got it wrong that day, but managed to get a kite up and go for gold. Other races were always hard fought with not more than 2 – 5 minutes covering the fleet in most races. Fair Game contested seven of these races, Shadowfax/ Glascow Kiss/Zinfandel sailed by Mark
and Jim Gooding contested nine out of fourteen, after suffering a set back with a broken mast early in the season and then sailing a couple of different boats. Don’t Panic!! was the only boat to have contested all fourteen races, ultimately winning the summer series with seven wins.
SoPYC Consistency Series –
Rapid Autobody Centre
This series was a subset of races hosted by SoPYC during the summer series and was contested by Don’t Panic!!, Fair Game and Shadowfax, comprising five races over the season, rotating between host clubs SoPYC and RPYC. Each race winner (handicap) received a bottle of red wine and the winner of the series five bottles of wine. The results were: Shadowfax 3rd, Fair Game 2nd, and Don’t Panic!! 1st.
Shameless Plug
If you are looking for exciting close sailing at an affordable cost, backed by a strong association, then come and join the S80 fleet. Just contact Mark Gooding 0419 921 095 or markgooding@bigpond.com
It has been another successful season for the SS22 fleet albeit with a small fleet. The competition between the top 3 boats has been intense with many highly enjoyable, friendly close tussles.
Perhaps the most memorable thing was David Mickle’s Mele Bilo III taking out the Commodore’s trophy in the closing day combined fleet pursuit race. It was a beautiful day for sailing and David’s crew including his daughter Imogen made the most of it. These are always fun races as the big boats try to mow down the smaller boats in the sprint to the finish.
Our fleet competed in SS22 Association races with satisfying results. Peter Lewis’s Crossroads came second in the Championship and won the consistency (handicap) pointscore. It was the first time in 10 years that the championship had not been won by a boat from SoPYC. The winning margin was a single point! Meanwhile Wildfire came third on a countback. The Association races are well liked by the fleet as it facilitates sailing against boats from other clubs at six locations around the river. This is one design racing at its best and we love it!
For the summer season just completed the results were:
Club Championship
1st Wildfire
2nd Crossroads
rd Mele Bilo III
Bruce Uren
Peter Lewis
David Mickle
Club Consistency (Handicap)
1st Wildfire
2nd Mele Bilo III
rd Crossroads
Bruce Uren
David Mickle
David Mickle
Colin Delane’s Eutopia won the Division 3 Summer mid-week series.
Bruce Uren
Wildfire
Mele Bilo III
Crossroads
Commodore's Trophy presentation
The 2023-24 racing season has been interesting to say the least. At the Association level, our racing fleet has diminished a little compared to previous years, but the stalwarts remain committed and our championship series enjoyed some competitive racing. Despite the majority of Spacesailer 27s being domiciled at SoPYC, this year’s State Championship was taken out by Carrageen II [RF190] skippered by Elise Manners. Carrageen II was originally helmed by Garry Manners, with his daughter Elise taking over the helm only 3 seasons ago. This marks the first season in over 30 years of racing, that Carrageen II has taken out the State Championship. On top of that, they also placed first in the State Consistency series. So, a hearty congratulations to Elise and her skilled and committed crew.
As can be seen in the results below, Paul Rees’ Karina [SP191] and Mark Popham’s Force Five [SP21] reaffirmed their competitiveness in the State Championship competition.
State Championship Results
2023-24 Season
Outright Placings
1st Carrageen II [RF] Elise Manners
2nd Karina Paul Rees
3rd Force Five Mark Popham
Consistency Series
1st Carrageen II [RF190] Elise Manners
2nd Force Five Mark Popham
3rd Karina Paul Rees
What about Abeelas [SP20] you ask ?
A double Man Overboard in Heat 1 followed up with a single Man Overboard in Heat 3 well and truly put pay to our chances this season, with such stiff competition.
Racing was equally competitive in the Club Championship series, with Abeelas, Karina and Force Five closely matched throughout the competition. In this instance it was technical issues that took their toll. Mark Popham suffered a broken shroud during one of the races. While he did a masterful job of keeping his mast upright, he was forced to retire. Then in the last championship race, a nasty easterly wind shift at the wrong time saw Abeelas come to grief. We managed to spear the Applecross Spit with a port spinnaker pole, snap the forestay and lay a 180 degree turn around the shallow side of the spit, while the mast snapped and came down lassoing the spit post with the spinnaker and halyard. Much to our own surprise,
we managed to disentangle ourselves, retrieve all of ship’s gear, make fast and proceed back to our pen under our own steam.
So the Club Championship results saw Abeelas and Karina both sitting on equal points in the end, with Abeelas taking the prize on count back.
Club Championship Results
2023-24 Season Championship
1st Abeelas Brian Saleeba
2nd Karina Paul Rees
3rd Force Five Mark Popham
Consistency Series
1st Force Five Mark Popham
2nd Karina Paul Rees
3rd Random Times David Hanham
Well done everyone and keep up the good work.
Garrick Aberle
RED WITCH REPORT
Congratulations go to Team Shenanigans on winning the Club Championship and the Club Consistency trophies this season, skippered by Kelvin Uren and crewed by members of Canning Sea Scouts. Second place in the Club Champs went to Hornblower, skippered by Tony Snow. Third place was achieved by Escapade, skippered by Issac Wyatt. Fourth was Be-Witched, skippered by Thomas and Darren Brown. Fifth was Witch Doctor, skippered by Daniel Marshall and sixth was Team Madge, skippered by Kevin Burbidge or
younger skippers in training.
For the Red Witch fleet, the summer sailing season has gone well. We’ve all had a lot of fun with good mid strength breezes, making fantastic sailing days and not too many strong wind days.
The Red Witch fleet has seen an upsurge in participation numbers with many new young people trying out Red Witch sailing and also taking a significant interest in keelboat sailing. I think Madge had a different crew sailing each time they sailed.
Yacht participation numbers for the season have been variable with many work, school or scouting events
clashing with our Saturday afternoon sailing. One event that many of you will know of, is our Swanabout 30hour sailing marathon, where the objective is to sail your vessel to each of the nominated bases (Scout Halls) on specific courses around the river within the 30 hours duration. Some amazing results were achieved this year by our young people sailing the Red Witch yachts. In the 30-hour period, Madge covered 44 kilometers, Witch Doctor covered 159 kms and Shenanigans covered 179.8 kms. The quickest long course (up to Fremantle hall and back) was set by Shenanigans in 221 minutes and the quickest short course (3x bases) was set in 38 minutes. It was great to see so many young people out on the water enjoying sailing.
Now whilst Swanabout and the Billy Run were on, here at SoPYC, we had a mixed pursuit race. I joined Tony Snow on Hornblower for this race. The SW breeze was blowing 19 knots and gusting to 28 knots. We mistakenly left the jetty with No. 1 Genoa and quickly realized we were vastly over powered and pulled into jetty four to change down to No. 2 Genoa. We left the jetty with only 90 seconds to go before our start time. So straight to the start line and off we go. We were the first yacht to start in this handicap start. Our boat speed during the race was very good achieving 5.8 knots upwind and over 9.7 knots downwind with just mainsail and genoa. We noticed the other yachts behind us were closing the gap but we prevailed without being passed and finished the race first across the line.
Young Skippers
It has been pleasing to work with and witness many of our young people stepping up and taking on the challenge of skippering (helming) these Red Witch yachts. On Witch Doctor, Daniel Marshall has skippered all season after Richard retired. He achieved some very good results and close races. On Shenanigans, we’ve had Daniel Marshall, Johann Lasmona and Ivy O’Toole who have skippered and achieved winning results each time. Whilst Tony Snow was away in England, Ryan Dudding took over the helm of Hornblower. So along with training the crew, they had a lot of fun. On Escapade, Issac Wyatt has performed very well, has had the lead numerous times and
achieved close races.
All of the skippers I have mentioned above are 18 years or younger, a true indication of a building and growing Red Witch fleet.
You need a good crew
Whilst on a spinnaker run towards Hallmark buoy on a recent Saturday afternoon race, with a very light and fluky South Easterly breeze, disaster struck. Hornblower was becalmed and drifting when it was hit by a very strong wind gust on the port side that flattened the boat. The crew were in the process of changing genoas at the time so no one was ready for violent weather. Both crewman Ryan and skipper Tony went overboard but surfaced holding the starboard rail along with skipper Tony. Ryan managed to quickly clamber on board, get the boat under control with the other remaining dry crew member and both help his skipper back onboard. Even after that disaster, Hornblower still managed to come in first on handicap for the afternoon.
Check your Standing Rigging
After one of our young people found a prickly nuisance wire on our backstay bridle wire, I realized it was time to replace the bridle and backstay wire on Shenanigans. After lowering the mast to deck level and removing what I thought were spider webs, it turned out to be four broken strands in our starboard side stay wire. So as a matter of good maintenance, I hastily removed and replaced all of the standing rigging, only to realize I had lost all of my settings and tuning. So after installing all of the new wires
(which were supplied 15mm shorter, to allow for stretch) I we had to tune the rig at 9pm at night ... Think I got it better than it was ...
• Swanabout achievements for Shenanigans.
• Team Shenanigans, winning the Jeff Claflin trophy
• Team Witch Doctor, second overall for the Jeff Claflin Tri Series
• Team Shenanigans winning the Daniel Wyatt memorial trophy.
• Daniel Marshall skippering Shenanigans to a win, with Team Shenanigans
• Hornblower with Tony Snow at the helm
Kelvin Uren
Red Witch Chairman and skipper of Shenanigan
The St Ayles Skiffs of SoPYC
Artisan craftsmen from the volunteer Bosun’s Section of the Club built two magnificent and detailed St Ayles Skiffs - traditional styled rowing boats requiring a crew of four plus a coxswain. Now these beautiful boats just need someone to love them.
Built with care from a design of the late Australian Iain Oughtred after the Fair Isle skiff he so admired, these rowing craft were sponsored by Club members and built by the Bosuns Club once Covid restraints were lifted in June 2022. Each boat has been test driven by the Bosuns Club and with handmade oars they make an attractive package for rowers.
Any Club member can join teams to row our two skiffs on the river. They need to be rowed regularly so we are looking for teams to take them out each week on relatively calm days. Club members are available to coach and steer for you and help you to develop your own team. Rowing our skiffs is a relaxing way of seeing the river. It’s not all about competition but belonging to a group of like minded folk.
A simple row up the Canning River will take you to Deepwater Point
Café where you can haul the boat up onto the sand and step up to the café for coffee and cake. It’s about three kilometres and the funky feeling of going under the road bridge on a high tide has to be seen to be believed. You need to have faith in your fellow rowers and the coxswain.
Being a bit more adventurous, we can cross the river going over to the shallows toward the Narrows. Who knows, one day we might even get under the Narrows bridge and visit Perth Waters. Now that would be a treat. On a calm day, the river is ours and trips to Royal Perth Yacht Club are
on the cards, though don’t forget you will have to row home again.
But why stop there?
Trips to RFBYC where there are another three to join us and another down the river in East Fremantle. More so, the pleasure of a run down to Denmark and Walpole for the regattas they run each year. Just book the accommodation, hook up the boat to the trailer and away you go.
Get a team together and get in touch with Bob Harrap at the Bosuns Club. He’ll be glad to guide you through the first steps.
SAILABILITY REPORT
Sailability at SoPYC is a volunteer-based program that provides opportunities for participants to experience joy of recreational sailing and boating on the beautiful Swan River, regardless of their ability, mobility, or circumstances.
2023/2024 Season (October to April)
19 Wednesdays out on the Water 795 Sailing Hours
If possible, we would have done more!
We couldn’t have done it without wonderful assistance and generous sponsorship. We express our gratitude and acknowledge the Club, our committed volunteers, SoPYC members, participants, and their carers for ongoing support.
A special thanks to:
• Peter Lewis who donated his Spacesailer 22 Crossroads, the latest addition to our fleet as well as paying for its water pen fees till 30th June ‘24
• Rotary Melville for their generous donation
• Nell Gray Fashions Pty Ltd for Sailability shirts at cost
• Wilson Marine SoPYC member Chris Pearson donated goods from his chandlery
• Tyre Power SoPYC member Port Kennedy Alan Wilson for replacing flat trailer tyres
• Bunnings Melville and Officeworks O’Connor for vouchers
• Parker Black and Forrest Pty Ltd who donated Raven Wheelchair Ramps
• SoPYC member Barry Walsh for donating a large number of yacht fittings
• Extreme X sails who repaired six sails at cost
Our fleet of vessels range from two-person 303 dinghies, Etchell, Windrush, Spacesailer 22, Red Witches, and powerboats. This range accommodates the differing needs of our participants. During our sessions, these vessels can only sail in designated safe protected areas and are supported by a safety boat.
A special mention to volunteers who have dedicated tireless hours for Sailability:
• Mark Popham our chairman who oversees the whole program
• Liz Warman our beach coordinator who handles the admin and communications with participants and volunteers
• David Staniforth-Smith for his dedication to maintaining our aging vessels, for organising fund raising club meat raffles as well as acting as our treasurer
• Jan Glancy for providing continuous safety, hoist trainings and assisting Liz with administration
• David Robinson for planning and execution of Bunnings Sausage Sizzle fundraising event (over $2000 raised!), and jetty marshal duties
• Peter Dawson, Bruce Thorpe and Graham Mathieson for stunning photos
• Xavier Aerts for being our engine specialist
• Greg Allen for acting as Safety Officer and providing drinks at the end of each session
Sailability doesn’t come to a completely halt as the cold winter months set in. In fact, it marks the start of a long list of vessel maintenance and repair duties by our volunteers. Duties extend to safety equipment checking and re-certification of participant slings, jetty hoists, and safety life jackets, all aimed at getting the fleet up and going for next season.
ongoing memberships, additional bar and catering income, as well as the Club being seen as a good corporate citizen in our wider community.
We were lucky this season to have a few university students joining the mostly ‘experienced retiree’ volunteers. As we look forward to getting our participants back on water in October 2024, we are hopeful that more volunteers will join our team. The priceless joyful expressions of our participants speak for the fulfilling hours spent. To find out more, drop us an email at sailabilitysopyc@ gmail.com to join or enquire, or look us up on Facebook at “Sailability SOPYC”.
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CRUISING BUTTERFLIES –
A Day to Remember
One hundred and sixty-nine children from seventyfour families converged on the South of Perth Yacht Club on Sunday 19th May to forget about their troubles for a while and enjoy some quality time on the water.
An army of Club volunteers presented these disadvantaged children with bright yellow shirts and a cheery welcoming smile. A quick stop for a souvenir photo and then a search of the Promenade Marquee to find the skipper to whom they’ve been allocated.
To take those children, families and carers out on the water required forty-six boats, ranging from Claude Mancini’s magnificent Legacy to a tiny party pontoon. Members from both the sailing and power sections were quick to volunteer their craft for the day, ensuring that all our guests were comfortably catered for.
Clear skies and bright sunshine made for a happy environment, even if the stiff nor-easterly breeze challenged boat skippers in leaving and entering their pens.
Photos from the day express the joy far better than any words can and we owe a debt of gratitude to the Rotary Clubs of Applecross and Melville, Ralph Newton and David Barton, who master minded the preparations and General Manager Michael Sassella, who roamed around the premises from early in the morning to ensure there were no unexpected hiccups. Our F&B staff were great in support.
The team from Kiind (previously Kalparin) who coordinate the care of these children, were able to sit back and watch their charges let go of their trials for a short time.
It was a timely reminder of how fortunate we are and how a little bit of effort on our part can bring so much joy to those who have to live their lives with illness or disability. Thanks go to those enthusiastic Club members who supported the event and to Rotary International for making this event possible.
Bernie Kaaks
Images: Bernie & Angela Kaaks
Open Skiffs Excel
South of Perth Yacht Club Junior sailors have been growing in both numbers and in talent over the last year. Today was the final championship race day for our fleet for the summer season, a time of excitement for those who are only a couple points away from a series title, for those who are moving into another class next year, and to some whose racing journey at SoPYC has only just begun.
The Open Skiff started out as a cross training boat at our Club, a boat to bring a challenge and fun to coached training sessions for juniors who were starting to explore life outside of an Optimist or were looking to learn some new aspects of sailing, such as the impact of apparent wind and other behaviors of a boat that is capable of noticeably higher speeds.
Over the last three years the class has grown from a handful of privately owned boats sailed for fun, to twenty six boats, most being sailed in our racing fleet with some still in the ‘Bronze’ training fleet learning to sail. With the support of our coaches, training academy and the great community of parents who participate weekly in the on water activities we see a continued uptake of sailors joining the Open Skiff fleet.
State Championships
East Fremantle hosted the 2024 State championships this year and we were lucky enough to have our own Bernie
Kaaks on hand to photograph the event. Thanks Bernie! The SoPYC’s Open Skiff fleet have featured in the pointy end of the results at all of the local regattas all year and this championship would be no different. At this regatta twelve of 23 boats were from South of Perth Yacht Club.
Being a race series in ‘The Cut’, the wind came from most of the directions at once. Observing the layout of the race course made little sense, until you motored to the top mark, and the bottom mark, noticing that the boomerang shape of the course did in fact result in what was mostly a windward / leeward set up. It was a mentally testing course, so reading the shifts and the pressure was going to be the name of the game.
Classic names in WA junior skiff sailing came to the front early with Murray Duthie and Hudson Armstrong showing that local knowledge was not the only way to ensure you were making good headway. Brisk winds and strong gusts on the first day caught a few sailors by surprise on the downwind leg. The little skiffs like to round up quickly if the sailor is not prepared for the puffs! These conditions tended to favor the stronger and heavier sailors, allowing them to harness the maximum power. Later days in the regatta provided more mellow conditions, allowing for everyone to show their boat speed and sail trimming skills. In the open division
five of eight SoPYC sailors were able to achieve some top five finishes, with Murray Duthie winning the regatta and Hudson Armstrong in second.
In the Silver fleet, Teo Edwards grabbed a dominant number of firsts to secure first place, with Miles Beck second followed by Seb Buckley third.
2024 Open Skiff State Championships – SoPYC results
1 Murray Duthie
2 Hudson Armstrong
4 Oskar Bromberger
5 Orlando Ligovich
7 Eloise Chernoff
10 Lailah Beck
12 Noah Tiller
13 Victoria Chernoff
15 Murray Somerville
Open Skiff Intermediate
1 Teo Edwards
2 Miles Beck
3 Seb Buckley
6 Lucas Cummings
Skiffs on Geographe Bay Regatta – GBYC
South of Perth Open Skiffs travelled to Geographe Bay for the annual skiff regatta again this year, in far greater numbers than ever before with eleven of sixteen boats representing SoPYC! The regatta is an absolute pleasure to attend, with families camping on the beach, watching the racing from the shade of newly installed shade sails and the kids having almost as much fun as their parents.
Racing kicked off with some fairly strong winds, again allowing the larger sailors an opportunity to put their hiking to work, with the exception of Murray Duthie, who was able to sail leagues out in front despite not being one of the taller sailors. He is very entertaining to watch as he maintains a massive lead while also appearing to take a nap at the front of his skiff! The remainder of the races were in light to mid-strength winds with consistent angles, giving opportunity for careful trim and boat speed work to play a larger part than raw power.
It was great for parents volunteer their own RIBs, and for the club to support the fleet with a club RIB for this regatta allowing for a separate race course for the junior fleets of Open Skiff and RS Quest. Maybe next year a SoPYC Quest full of juniors may make the trip to represent the club!
Geographe Bay Regatta Results
Open Skiff
1 Murray Duthie
2 Oskar Bromberger
3 Eloise Chernoff
5 Lailah Beck
7 Harriet Mellor
8 Victoria Chernoff
9 Lucas Cummings
11 Murray Somerville
12 Skippy Vitales-Jones
Open Skiff Intermediate
2 Miles Beck
3 Teo Edwards
Tim Beck Images: Bernie Kaaks
D95 RADIO CONTROLLED SAILING
Congratulations to club member
Nick Jerwood. Nick has won the DF95 SoPYC club championship, the DF95 state championship and the DF95 national championship. In addition he also won the state and national championships in the DF65 class, a smaller version of the DF95. In April 2024 Nick sailed in the UK national championships and achieved a very creditable result finishing in sixth place. In May 2024 Nick will be representing Australia at the DF65 world championships in Sweden.
Janet Jerwood (wife of Nick) has joined our DF95 fleet this year and is already showing the sailing skills of the Jerwood family. She was fourth in the SoPYC DF95 club championship and eighteenth in the DF95 national championship.
During the summer season we also welcomed Graeme Brown (312), Graeme Lillingston (285) and Lewis Arndt (295) to our ever-growing fleet. Ownership and sailing a DF95 at SoPYC is open to every category of membership. It is an inexpensive way to enjoy the fun of sailing. The yachts are easily transportable, and you don’t need to find a crew, pay for a water or land pen or pay for insurance and registration.
DF95 sailing takes place every Friday afternoon on the pond at the club with the first race starting at 3pm and the last race starting around 5pm, weather permitting. A club championship race occurs on the first Friday of each month starting in May and finishing in April each year.
Our existing members are happy for you to try sailing a DF95 before you buy, and are there to assist you in constructing, tuning and controlling your DF95. Come and have a go!
Mark Popham
Geographe Bay Race Week 2024
Fully powered up, sailing downwind at 18 knots in a high performance 30 footer or poled out at a sedate eight knots in the Jib and Main fleet, there was something for everyone as Geographe Bay Race Week celebrated its 21st regatta with near perfect sailing conditions for the 76 yachts competing. Geographe Bay Yacht Club, the organising authority for the racing and host for the after sailing socialising, flawlessly coordinated activities in February this year under the watchful eye of Race Director, Scott Olney. Amazingly the whole week’s operation was conducted and staffed by GBYC volunteers and with the assistance of some assets from kindred clubs.
Keel boats were allocated to four divisions with six races during the week; Division 1 racing and 30 foot high performance boats, Division 2 racing and SS97’s, Division 3 Premier Cruising yachts split into two sub divisions based on performance and Division 4 Jib and Main also split into two performance based sub divisions. A fleet of Vipers
and Flying Fifteens sailed their own windward-leeward courses for the first three days of the Regatta.
Competing yachts included ten local boats, a similar number sailed to Busselton from Koombana Bay Yacht Club (Bunbury) while boats from Mandurah, Fremantle, Hillarys and the Swan River clubs made the bulk of
fleet. Most of the keel boats sailed to Geographe Bay while some of the high performance boats joined the Vipers and Flying Fifteens for the road trip.
South of Perth Yacht Club members have a long standing participation with Geographe Bay Race week with some having been involved with all the twenty one regattas while others have
the
© Tim Campbell
© Tim Campbell
crewed on various yachts multiple times and this continued though to this regatta. SoPYC yachts new to the regatta were Tapestry sailed by David Atkinson, a well-known face at these regattas and Helios II sailed by Chris Higham who was welcomed back after an absence of ten years or more. They both sailed in Division 1 racing, while regulars Di and Gordon Dunbar sailed Spritzig2 in Jib and Main. Other regular SoPYC yachts had to opt out for various reasons including weddings, school commitments or because their owners were sailing the Vipers or Flying Fifteen fleets. The Viper fleet was predominantly from SoPYC with one Viper making the road trip from Albany and another from Mandurah, while the Flying Fifteens were all from SoPYC. Many of the Race officials were also from SoPYC.
As can be expected SoPYC dominated in the results for the Flying Fifteen’s. First was Ineffable sailed by Mike and Paul Dunbar, second A-Squared Andrew Knowles and third Follow Us Tim Walker. Viper results were similar with: first – You Get in the Bowl Skippered by Rod Beurteaux, second – Good Viperations, Graeme Monkhouse, and third – from Princess Royal Yacht Club, Murray Howson.
In the Keel boats SoPYC results for Division 1, Chris Higham’s Helios II was fourth and Tapestry sailed by David Atkinson seventh. In Jib and Main A fleet Spritzig2 sailed by Di Dunbar was first.
When the race week finished with presentations on the Friday afternoon, many boats set their sights on home, but not all. It is a perfect time to enjoy the calm waters of Geographe Bay, maybe watch the action as 5000 swimmers compete in the Busselton
Jetty Swim the next Sunday, cruise to Quindalup or explore the arts, crafts and wineries of the region. The regatta should be viewed as a doorway to a new sailing experience; if you were there you were a winner; there were no losers. Another take away was how GBYC managed to find so many volunteers for the week? The answer seems to be that people were personally asked to help and help they did.
Getting to Geographe Bay for the first time might seem daunting, “turn left after Fremantle and you can’t
miss it” is call someone who has never sailed to Geographe Bay might make. True, it is not difficult. There is VHF coverage all the way. Take some time to look at the charts, talk to fellow sailors who have been there and take (find) time to do your voyage according to the weather, your offshore skill level and that of your crew. If you don’t feel comfortable sailing straight through break your voyage into pieces. Fremantle to Mandurah (where offshore moorings are available or go into the marina) is a five to six hour trip or Dawesville (marina available; check bridge clearance) then next morning seven to eight hours to Bunbury with good anchoring and the next day a four hour run to Port Geographe Marina. You are then in the placid waters of Geographe Bay and you will wonder why you haven’t been here before.
Di Dunbar
Images: Tim Campbell
© Tim Campbell © Tim Campbell
© Tim Campbell © Tim Campbell
Windsurfer World Championships
This was not the first world championship run by the South of Perth Yacht Club, but in terms of the number of entries, it was by far the largest, with 252 boards taking part, representing twelve countries in a spectacular display on the Swan River.
Initially allocated to Mounts Bay Sailing Club, logistics challenges forced the club to rethink their commitment, leading to a suggestion that it might be run by South of Perth. With less than twelve months lead time, it is hardly surprising that there were mixed opinions about the decision to proceed but in the end, with past commodore Les Swinton as organizing committee chairman, the Club was committed.
Predictably one of the first considerations was funding. An event of this scale imposed a huge element of financial risk and with no sponsorship in place, an immediate campaign to find genuine sponsors to support the event began. Government assistance was expected but direct approaches yielded a negative response from both the sports and tourism departments, which left our club member and works chairman Tom Purdon’s MPS to take the lead and become the Championship
naming right sponsor.
An assurance to Management that the championship would operate within a strict budget meant that some of the “nice to have” features had to be sacrificed.
The greatest single cost item related to the International Jury, an essential element of a world championship, which ensures an even playing field without risk of bias. Jury members came from Singapore, Turkey, China
and New Zealand, with a further two from Australia. The Turkish judge in particular, required several flights and extra accommodation to get to Australia and back again (via the UK), which absorbed a large share of the budget.
Club members and supporters rallied to the call and provided enough in sponsorship to allow the event to run on a cost neutral basis.
• MPS (Tom Purdon) Headline Sponsor
• SQP Engineering (Dave and Heidi Miller). SQP also donated the championship medallions.
• Boats-on-Line (Graeme and Heather Monkhouse)
• Capital Managers
• Nail Brewing (John Stalwood)
• The Label Factory (Stuart Fysh) The event was underwritten by Australian Sailing.
Preparation for the Championship went into full swing, with Peter Rooke overseeing training for volunteers and John Midolo taking on the unenviable task of infrastructure. The On-Water group was tasked with the job of working with the Windsurfer Association to prepare the formal notice of race, sailing instructions and scoring system. Scoring for the regatta was unlike anything they had encountered before, being based on a points system for course racing, slalom racing and marathon, further subdivided into weight groups.
The Club’s permanent ablution facilities were clearly well short of requirements so portable toilets and additional showers were brought in. Two marquees were placed on the lawn to provide shelter and the biggest project was the construction of timber racks to hold 252 boards, masts and sails, which were built by our brilliant volunteer bosuns group, who were looking for a new project after building their second St Ayles skiff.
Royal Perth Yacht Club generously provided their start boat Challenger to supplement Coffee Point and Waylen Bay, while kindred clubs Royal Freshwater Bay, Mounts Bay and Nedlands all provided support boats. There were
RESULTS:
Freestyle
Course Races:
Light
Nicola Spadea (Italy)
Josh Green (Australia)
Medium Lars Kleppich
Heavy Dennis Winstanley (Australia)
Super Heavy Scott McKercher (Australia)
Women Bruna Ferracane (Italy)
Marathon Lars Kleppich
Slalom
Light Josh Green (Australia)
Medium Lars Kleppich
Heavy Michael Lancey (Australia)
Super Heavy Gordon Salvage
sixty-five volunteers involved in the championship, plus Club staff.
Given the searing temperatures during competition, hydration was critical and between 500 and 800 bottles of water were consumed by competitors and volunteers each day.
The West Australian State Championship, held before the main event, was a good opportunity to test the operational plans. Although the nominated Principal Race Officer was China’s Qu Chun, the role was effectively run by Les Swinton and John Rooke on the two courses. John and Rose Midolo oversaw the slalom course – on one occasion spending five hours on the water in an open RIB doing starts and finishes.
A village atmosphere around the Club, with two large marquees on the
lawns next to the beach, encouraged camaraderie among competitors and volunteers alike. A scaled back New Year’s Eve party turned out to be a highlight of the event as the Club’s F&B staff excelled themselves.
Bernie Kaaks
Images: Bernie Kaaks
Nestled in Nelson Bay
During a mid-March road trip, we found our itinerary allowed four nights to explore the mid New South Wales Coast to meet up with fellow members currently living and travelling ‘over there’. Shellharbour was our coastal starting point for the first two nights. Points of interest were the drive along Seacliff Bridge up the rugged coast road to Wollongong and then south to the beautiful coastal tourist seaside town of Kiama and the famous blowholes. New marina developments and retirement leisure boating facilities are exploding in this area just over an hour’s drive south from Sydney.
Garry had a sense of familiarity with our view from the bar stool at the new Shellharbour marina development and restaurant boardwalk. Brian and Tina Smith, Indiana, had posted a
photo from the same bar table the previous day in their travelogue. After a phone call to Brian, teasing and confusing him, saying we’re sitting at his table! Brian and Tina were soon joining us in the same bar as the previous night, sharing stories of their travels over a delicious meal and a few happy hour drinks. Having left Perth in December Brian and Tina are well prepared for their lap around the country tent camping, towing their rib, Rib It full to the gunnels or pontoons, across the bottom and now halfway up the NSW coast. Brian shared his horror experience of being stranded off Coffin Bay SA when both pontoons on Rib It deflated. Being right near Christmas, the unforeseen repairs necessitated detours, backtracking and rescheduling which seemed not to phase the newly retired Brian and Tina
who supplied the photos.
I noted Brian wearing his Rotto T-shirt, photographed aboard Rib It for morning tea exploring the Hawkesbury River.
For the journey north, we chose the motorway to skirt Sydney city and miss the harbour sights, to arrive mid-afternoon north of Newcastle into Port Nelson for two nights. This holiday haven settlement is nestled into the hillside with great shopping, restaurants and services within an easy walk down to the modern marina facilities, where we rendezvoused with our gracious friends and hosts, Past Vice Commodore Dave Ewart and wife Fonny, onboard their newest boat, a Clipper 51, Enigma
Dave and Fonny are happy liveaboards in the busy Nelson Bay Marina among the commercial fishing boats and other permanent live-aboard community. Now they are well known and welcomed among the local characters who benefit from Dave sharing his array of technical skills and Fonny’s culinary treats. Being happy with the facilities and lifestyle Dave and Fonny are closer
to friends and relatives near Sydney, a community and working base for the upgrading of electronic systems, galley improvements and reinstating her original name, all chores Dave has undertaken since purchasing the boat just eight months ago.
It was serendipity that Dave was berthed in Nelson Bay Marina when fellow club member Kris Townend, wife Amy with their young family chose live-aboard home schooling lifestyle at the same marina base. Proud owner Kris with his 10-year-old son Liam and contracted professional skipper and crew, sailed their Nordhaven 76 Spirit of Ulysses from Fort Lauderdale USA, through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific puddle via Galapagos and French Polynesia to Oz last year. With vast accommodation available onboard Spirit of Ulysses, Kris and wife Amy welcomed us aboard firstly with a guided tour, each taking us in different directions, followed by delicious home-made dips and crackers with local cheeses washed down with a few drinks … just to check the temperature of the icebox. Kris and Amy are photographed with fellow visiting Club members Ryan Lamp and Carmen Braidwood and marina neighbour, Dave Ewart.
Not long after our visit to Nelson Bay Marina, Dave shared details of a vessel fire where brigade teams were called to a 65ft Princess boat penned
a couple of pens away from Enigma Enigma had to be moved to a pen safely alongside Spirit of Ulysses Dave and Kris, Fonny and Amy were pen neighbours until Enigma was moved back to the original pen after the clean-up.
Amanda Watson
Mandurah Estuary Extravaganza
It has been a tradition to mark the calendar each year with the Mandurah March long weekend cruise. The Cruising Section have berthed in pens at MOFSC while their regular occupants visited Rotto. This year saw a change with Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club organising and hosting the inaugural Mandurah Estuary Extravaganza weekend of activities to include a time trial, a Hawaiian themed beach party with traditional long table buffet and finishing with a fun Sunday up-river rally.
The two-day event was supported by the CPYA clubs with members from kindred Clubs, Royal Peth and Royal Freshwater Bay in their “big boats” jockeying for space among our SoPYC boats on the collector jetty. Claude and Liz Mancini hosted groups onboard Legacy, cabins were full on VC Dave and Sue Markham’s boat Detour, John and Leesa Spanos travelled with Vern and Judy Bailey onboard Holidaze and guests with Justin Taylor onboard Stillwater had an extended four-day break. Most of our group had arrived by Friday evening, gathering at the bar for a casual counter meal.
The Time Trailing course had been sent to competitors in advance including information regarding the low bridges and shallow water. This meant the big boats remained tied
up on the jetty and yellow competition number numbers secured to the fleet of inflatable ribs, UBs and tenders to mix it with the experienced regular Mandurah members.
With the courses and time sheets in hand and flapping in the breeze, which was starting to steadily build, the fleet awaited the start signal from a point near the Old Peninsula Hotel site. The course took the fleet south under the new and old bridges, out into the broad expanse of the estuary waters proper, where the wind was blowing by now a brisk 15+ knots. Conditions understandably favored the larger boats with crews huddled together under jackets to shelter from the wind and support the navigators and skippers. Morrie Stevens, wearing just a singlet to begin with while navigating for Claude Mancini, was soon wishing the event was over as he was getting wetter with the waves crashing higher over Claude’s rib which was being blown off course. Keeping count of time in these conditions was challenging compared to the luxury of Legacy
MOFSC was transformed into a tropical holiday paradise ready to greet guests and announce results on Saturday evening. A live ukulele strummer, delicious slushy cocktails served from the Tiki Bar and the buffet table offering a selection of traditional Hawaiian delicacies as slow cooked
pulled pork, fish baked in banana leaf, mild curries, salads and sweets.
Vice Commodore Kerrie Andrews announced the results. Skipper Garry Morrison and navigator Amanda Watson onboard their UB Niminga won first place and least points pennants. It was all laughs and good cheer when Claude and Morrie were presented with the wooden spoon. Deck Games and laughs followed with Deb Swain and John Spanos testing their rescue and accuracy skills.
The weekend was a wonderful chance to catch up with past members who now call Mandurah home. Tristan and Heidi Kenney competed in the time trial in Dad’s Inflatable Toy. Dave Moroni was seen testing the ice box temperature on the back of Alan Wilson’s boat with Doug and the boys who planned but then abandoned a fishing trip. Members shared a drink with Mandurah locals and Club sponsors Carl and Shaz Segretto.
Thank you to the organising committee at MOFSC and the sponsors for hosting a fantastic fun long weekend of boating, competition, fun and inter-club camaraderie.
Amanda Watson
Images: Amanda Watson
GRAND SPONSOR DIRECTORY / 2023-2024
Interested in sponsorship opportunities at South of Perth Yacht Club?
Contact us on 9364 5844 or email marketing@sopyc.com.au
Abbots Chartered Accountants T: 9321 2642 abbotts.net.au
ADVANCED BUSINESS ABILITIES
Advanced Business Abilities T: 08 6001 6143 advancedbusinssabilities.com
AE Components T:08 9361 2772 aecomponents.com.au
@realty Erika Luff T: 0448 609 079 atrealty.com.au
Austex T: 9450 9400 austexeng.com.au
Automasters T: 9316 1117 automasters.com.au
Batteryworld O’Connor T: 9331 4572 batteryworld.com.au
Century 21 River Residential T: 08 6112 6112 southperth.century21.com.au
Cowden Limited T: 9322 4822 cowden.com.au
Darling Downs Drilling T: 9525 1754 darlingdownsdrilling. com.au
Fuel Distributors T: 9419 6599 | fdwa.com.au
owns
Hi Tech Marine T. 9309 2888 hitechmarine.com.au
Kerman Contracting T: 9364 8466 kerman.com.au
The Label Factory T: 08 9455 6180 thelabelfactory.com.au
Leamans Auto Electrics T: 9277 1811 leamans.com.au
GMF Contractors T: 9249 7333 gmfcontractors.com.au
Graham Knight Insurance T: 9478 1933 gskinsurance.com.au
Hagstrom Drilling T: 9456 0595 hagstromdrilling.com.au
Lewis Kitson Lawyers T: 9364 9555 lewiskitson.com.au
Metalwest T: 9453 1111 metalwest.com.au
Metlabs T: 9361 4995 metlabsaust.com.au
Nail Brewing Australia T: 0432 363 880 nailbrewing.com.au
Pumps Australia T. 9358 2323 pumpsaustralia.com.au
Rapid Crushing T: 9452 5888 rapidcrushing.com.au
SMS Mandurah T: 9583 5355 rmarinemandurah.com.au
Success Fabrication T: 9498 3000 successfab.com.au
Total Waste Disposal WA T: 9356 2771 totalwastedisposalwa.com.au
