Hi everyone , Well you guessed it after my complaining last week regarding Idiot jetski drivers wetting us on Sarah Cooper it happened again last weekend only this time with our youth sailors who are even more vulnerable to this sort of stupid behaviour as its only going to take a slight miss judgement on the riders behalf and a serious accident will occur as happened last year with Daniel . I am going to take careful notice next weekend and if needed I will make a report to Waterways and the water police as something needs to be done before a serious incident occurs ! 
Please remember that we will be closed for easter as most of our instructors will be away at Noosa for the all boats regatta  for the weekend and I wish everyone well and dont forget to have fun!.
A big congratulations to Charlie Bratton as he spent last weekend learning the inn,s and outs of being a sailing coach through Australian Sailing and yes he passed so now he will be even harder to put up with , but seriously he has done the hard yards and this is the proof of the effort he has put in to forge a career in the sailing industry.
Well done mate !
The 2022 adult championship results are finally finished and I will be sorting trophies and prizes asap , so what took so long well I couldnt at first find some results but the turned up in the centre console of Sarah C but all good now .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With only six people registering on saturday I knew we would end up with at least double so we catered for that amount and were pretty close 16 . We had 5 first timers yep one whole family who we put on lasers with Daniel in charge of one and Harvey and Tristan in charge of the other yep it was their real first sail on the laser so a lot of nerves but they did well except for a certain assistant instructor standing up while sailing which is a no no.
Both our Harrisons wanted to upgrade with Harrison Smith wanting to learn how to be an instructor and Harrison  ? wanting to give a laser a try and I have to say the both went well even if there were a few mistakes .
The conditions on the day were fine and sunny and with the wind roughly north east to east at around 4 knots it was perfect for our budding young sailors to give it a go . Jason and Guy were busy with a few boats drifting under the bridge and having to be towed back and of course the odd collision mainly from people not looking where they were going resulting in a few capsizes but all in all a good morning .
10.30 am Youth Sailing.
It was great to see Gemma back after her injury and she looks well on the mend , there,s nothing like a sail to shake out the cobwebs . After a roudy briefing were everyone just seemed excited to sail I decided to set our usual triangle as the wind had increased to around 6 knots and was really turning east so it was perfect for triangles using the green navigation mark . Jade and Dan waited for everyone to leave the beach before they joined the practice wwhich was definitely a good idea with people stuffing up on leaving the beach right Halle , yep climbing in the back of the bic is the easiest way to get on then its just a matter of sheet on and go ..Torsen sailed a Tera and was just cruising around the track and even Halle and Leila ( the wetsuit twins ) were managing to sail the triangle with a much better upwind performance ( close reach ) and even off the breeze . Another much improved sailor was Laya who used to really struggle upwind but she was also making it around the triangle and had no stall outs or capsizes . Taylah was also out mainly because she had made a promise to the group that she would sail and was forced to sail because of that but I think she actually enjoyed herself right Taylah?
1.30 Youth Racing 
With the wind coming from the e/s/e at around 4/6 knots it was a perfect day for a no sail zone start with A mark right in the middle of N/S and with everyone hanging just behind the line it was always going to be a contested start . Daniel got the jump with Harvey in hot pursuit followed by Reece and the rest of the pack close behind .
Torsen got a bit stuck by pointing just a bit too high at the start  and allowed everyone to get a break and even with a good handicap for the Tera just couldnt peg people back . The big race was between Jade , Harvey and Reece especially toward the end where after some good jockeying around the marks Jade managed to pull in front as she wanted to finish one two with Daniel as it was their last race in the Bic before they move on to the 29er. Tristan didnt hit any marks and except for some bad luck with no wind like Zach sailed well and Laya sailed consistently around the course . The worst spot for wind was at the green channel mark as the wind just dropped out and with the outgoing tide people just went nowhere until the wind came back . So who came first well on handicap it was Harvey , 2Reece ,3 Daniel and jade4 but well done to everyone  .

Upcoming
Ester break club closed 
All boats Regatta 
Midwinter Cup

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , I have to start this weeks newsletter by mentioning an incident last sunday that really needs mentioning which involved the dangerous actions of a Jetski rider and the club safety boat where we were anchored as part of a race finish line and yes out of the main channel as well and this clown and thats the only description I could give decided to spray us mainly charlie and I at the back of the boat as we were doing race finish times .and he definitely got us . Lets just start with jetski rules and one is that their maximum speed less than 6o meters from an anchored vessel ( us ) is 6 knots , these people wonder why they have a bad reputation and this is why as they blatantly disregard the rules on the water and put other people,s lives at risk . This is not the first incident involving jetskis eitherbut for me its the final straw so Iam asking all of our sailors to where possible get these people,s registration numbers and give them to me and I will definitely report them to Maritime Safety as this reckless behaviour has to stop before someone gets seriously injured or worse and neither one of those outcomes is acceptable .Oh and by the way there were two very angry blokes on the start boat and yes if we werent at anchor we would have chased him and had a chat !
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
On saturday I had a couple of text requests regarding people wanting to sail alone two in Tera,s and one in a laser with all of them wanting to head for 10.30 youth training which is great and I was only too happy to oblige abviously with mother natures help ( light winds ) minimum sailor numbers so we had enough spare boats .
As it turn out both the numbers were suitable as was the weather so both Harrisons and Laya and Annabel were soon rigging boats and looking very excited . As always thanks to all the club volunteers who donate their time on sundays to make this all happen so from me a well deserved pat on the back.
The briefing was again run by Tristan while Harvey occassionally corrected him from the sidelines and we soon had everyone ready to sail in what was absolutely perfect sunny conditions well except for the 3 knot winds anyway .
The group who wanted a chance to sail alone were held back so that we could show them some of the technique,s of solo sailing like main sheet and steering operation and I have to say they all did really well so yes we will be seeing them 

. Hi everyone , just a quick update on our young sailor/Assistant Instructor Gemma who was attacked by dogs recently her mum says that she is well on the road to recovery and she hopes to be back at sailing soon oh and also the dog is also on the mend so good news all around .
Our one and only holiday sailing camp is filling fast so if you think that two days of sailing sounds good to you please email the club for a camp enrolment form so that you can secure a place . These camps are always popular as the give the sailors a more in depth sailing experience including more tacks - gybes - bearaways and longer distance sailing adventures and oh yes the Instructors enjoy it as well as we have more time to work with everyone to improve their knowledge and skills .. Please do not forget that the club will not be open on Easter Sunday as most of the Instructors and helpers will be away competing up north so good luck to everyone who is going to give it a try.
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
We had a visitor all the way from western australia in Cooper  who sailed with us up until 2018 when the family moved west and even though he was a bit rusty he never had a smile off his face as he cruised around in front of the club , it was great to catch up mate with you and mum and dad ! With seven people notifying me that they were sailing at 8.30 we soon had a good group signed on and rigging boats , as always Harrison was early and keen to help out getting everything ready as he is super keen at learning more about sailing so well done mate and keep up the good work.  We also have a ever increasing group of very young sailors in Tristan, Harvey and Reece who are all keen to help rig boats then deliver the morning briefing then take on individual sailors to teach the the basics of sailing , its just awesome to watch now all the have to wait for is to turn twelve so that they can become official australian sailing assistant instructors The winds were roughly from the north so the guys in sarah set a nice reaching course with tacking and gybing allowed as the wind speed was only around 4 knots and luckily the tide was near the top so everyone stayed away from the bridge . We had two boys wanting to prove that they can sail solo so Tristan took them under his wing and after some instructiion from the coach he started them sailing together with tacking and gybing a priority then he sailed them separately doing the same manouvres while the chief instructors watched on . Tristan definitely has the voice for instructing very loud and clear so well done captain capsize.
10.30 am Youth Training 
With the winds still light the briefing mainly comprised of light wind sailing techniques whit such things as setting forward and trimming the sail to catch the maximum amount of wind in the light conditions and also working the little puffs like coming up in the puff then bearing away as the puff slowed . The winds had shifted from the morning session more towards the East so a course was set from the red buoy at the pontoon down to the yellow at the canal making it a broad reach down and a close reach back . Once on the water everyone was soon away and I must admit everyone definitely was sailing better than previous weeks especially on the close reach upwind section , well nearly everyone except for Xavier who seemed to get slower as the session went on ? yep you guessed it he left the bung out and she was chockers and I mean chockers with water , so much in fact it was still draining 10 minutes later ? All the assistants from 8.30 class definitely got it together and not only showed good upwind but also downwind especially when you let the sail out right boys ! The best parrt of the session was the fact that at least this week we didnt have to deal with a whole bunch of inconsiderate jetskiers , lets hope one day the waterways authority puts a six knot speed limit in front of the club .
1.30 pm Youth Racing
With the winds still coming from the E/N/E at around 3/5 knots and a increasing outgoing tide I set a course starting at the red buoy at the pontoon and rounding down at the yellow navigation mark at the canal we soon had everyone circling around the start area . Guy had his first go at the flags while Jason was on sound signals while charlie , Taylah and I sat on the pontoon directing traffic . Charlie can up with an idea for Harvey to fake barking just before the starters flag to distract the other competitors , it didnt really work as he wasnt the only one to pretend bark with several boats barking their way through the start line . Jade got in too early while Daniel nailed it and was off with Harvey on his heals . Jade as usual streaked through the fleet in the light conditions and soon pulled out a large gap well until the last rounding at the red where in the gybe her rudder popped off but amazingly she managed to re-attach it and remained in front althoug Harvey and Daniel wer much closer behind . Torsen is coming to grips with the Bic and doesnt even forget the bung now ! which as we all know makes the boat a lot faster right Torsen ! So who won on handicaup well yes it was Harvey followed by Jade and Daniel . One sailor did loose focus as he forgot to stop barking after the start which wasnt concentrating especially in the gybes so next time Tristan dont listen to Charlies brilliant ideas.

UPCOMING 
Club closed Easter Sunday
School Holiday Sailing Camp : 3/4 april
Lake Cootharaba 7-9 april

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , I have to start this weeks newsletter with a get well soon to one of our assistant Instructors in young Gemma who while walking her dog last week near her home was attacked by two dogs who had originally attacked her dog who by the way is as quiet as a church mouse . Gemma sustained some deep lacerations and a suspected fractured wrist in the attack and spent the night in hospital but is home now , I know everyone at P.P.S.C. wishes you a speedy recovery Gemma as we miss your big smile ! and I must,nt forget her dog who also is recovering from bight marks as well , We hope to see you soon as you recover from what must have been a scary experience . Its not far now to the lake cotharaba all boats regatta  and also our single sailing camp on the 3/4 april which by the way is filling fast so if you would like to enrol please email the club so that we can send you an enrolment form . As a footnote to the Cotharaba event if any club member is having trouble getting their boat there the club has boat trailer that can be borrowed at no cost so just email me at the club and we can work out the use of the trailer . Finally a reminder that the club will be closed on easter sunday as most of our instructors will be away at the regatta plus from previous experience if the weather is fine the waterway is always very congested.
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
It was great to see that the weather prediction was looking great for the morning especially with light winds and blue skies predicted , the numbers were back to normal after several weeks of max numbers at 14 young sailors signing on for this class . As usual there were a few rigging issues which had charlie and eye running around with drills and pop rivet guns but with the help of all the instructors we soon had all the boats ready to sail . The briefing this week was taken on by Harvey as Tristan was away camping and despite some original nervousness was soon running through the introduction despite some interuptions from the peanut gallery ( charlie and Dan !!!) he soon had everyone ready for a sail . Conditions were perfect with a nice northerly blowing at around 4 knots so Guy and Taylah set a nice reaching course but as usual there was the old yacht parked in the way causing a few problems , a complaint has been set to Maritime Safety as when I approached him he just ignored me so left me no choice by to take the issue further . So who sailed well on the day ? well I will start with Harrison who is really getting the feel for sailing plus Oscar who looks more confident every day . Lana and Indiana were doing really well but unfortunately suffered a couple of late capsizes ??? in the four knot winds but they were adamant that each one was accidental and Iam supposed to believe that sure thing girls!!!
10.30 am Youth Training 
Well firstly I have to say that it was great seeing the wetsuit twins back for their second go at this session as like most new 10.30 sailors they found their first session very frustrating so well done girls for hanging in there ..
We discussed apparent wind effects which as usual had a few people slightly confused but as I said its important to know what effect it has on your sailing angles , I never expect instant recognition as I know from experience it takes time on the water to come to grips with it . Our on water session started with gybing only and with one buoy perfectly placed where I could stand in the water and guide them round the mark we soon had everyone giving it ago ! So who was the best well everyone improved through the session with Harvey and Reece really starting to nail it and Zach speeding up changing sides while we worked on Torsen keeping the sail on in the gybe and the wetsuits girls practicing holding the steering right Hanna? We finally set them off around the triangle in winds around 4-6 knots east which in general was a good sail if you tack out the idiots yes I said idiots on Jetski,s who just have no idea about safety as all they are interested in is showing off no mater how close they are to especially young sailors . I am seriously considering a letter of complaint in regards to their behaviour which hopefully Maritime Safety and the water police will take notice of .
1.30 PM Open Racing 
With the winds turning E/S/E at around 6-9 knots we set a start line down at the canal and a top mark south of the yellow navigation mark near runners and a final mark half way up soverign . There were seven boats lined up to start and they even took note of the outgoing tide for a change with everyone starting legally . Nick and Roger were forst over with the rest of the fleet bringing up the rear and with the first leg straight up and back Nic was first to round C mark with Steve behind him. Casey Greg and Tom had shockers but were slowly making it toward the front of the pack and before I forget thanks to Russel who showed real sportsmanship as he did a penalty turn after touching the mark and honestly mate we werent going to say anything as you were last anyway so well done .
Greg seemed to be on a mission as did Casey but in the end Greg was uncatchable as he slowly powered ahead  with Casey second and Tom third with plenty of smiles as they went over the line .

UPCOMING :
Sailing Camp 3-4 april
ALL BOATS REGATTA 7-9 APRIL 
P.P.S.C MIDWINTER CUP 24-25 JUNE

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , With today the first of march the year is starting to gather momentum with Easter School Holidays only weeks away with one sailing camp on the 3/4 April and the following weekend is the all boats regatta at lake Cootharaba near Noosa . From what I hear we have a good team heading there this year especially amongst out Bic Skiff sailors so I wish them all good luck and good sailing.. The club has just submitted a grant application with the community benefits fund to hopefully raise enough money to replace our original cage with a brand new structure  plus some extra building upgrades so fingers crossed that we are successful and we can finally get rid of the old rusty structure .

8.30 AM Sunday Juniors 
Sunday started with blue skies and light winds so with 12 people already letting us know that they would be attending we knew we were going to have a big morning but hopefully not as big as the week before where we nearly ran out of boats but this week with 19 budding sailors signed on we knew that we would be just cruising along.
Briefing was again done by Tristan as he learns more about teaching people to sail and how to present it at the white board before he jumped on a boat and took a sailor out to show him tacking and general steering , Jade took some new sailors out as well while Taylah Dan and I did some in shore teaching before letting everyone go out with the rest of the fleet .
Jason and Guy set a nice course up and down the channel to cater for the fleet in a nice easterly wind at around 4/5 knots which gave everyone the opportunity to practice tacking and gybing in the gentle conditions . Gemma found a new way to return to shore while the student steered and that was to jump out of the boat and get dragged along by the traveller , fair enough it worked but I think I will stick to a more conventional return by pointing the boat up to no sail zone but who knows Gem your new way might take off !!!
10.30 am Youth Training 
With a couple of first timers ( wetsuit 1/2 ) having their first go we had to put Zach in the Taz as we had run out of training boats but he took to the boat like a duck to water and was soon cruising around the triangle definitely faster than the Bic,s especially with the bigger sail which is also new so plenty of power for the light winds .
The wind started to go E/S/E around 4 knots gusting to 7 knots so we sent everyone around a port triangle which nearly everyone got well except for the wetsuit sisters who did struggle for the first half of the session but some intense coaching from the safety boat soon had them doing much better , dont forget girls we all have to start somewhere and there is bound to be a few swims along the way but I think you will make it . Generally amongst the rest everyone went well even Gemma found the benefits of when gybing hang on to the steering as this avoids circles and capsizes right Gem ? Torsen who has graduated to the Bic from the Tera slipped a slid a bit but overall was much improved especially as he now sails with the bung in ! sorry torsen I had to mention it but well done mate ..
1.30 pm Youth Racing 
With the winds staying roughly e/s/e at around 4-5 knots we set a start line at the pontoon heading south towards the green channel marker and with 8 boats circling around the start line watching the flags it had the makings of a great start by everyone , ok there was some coaching from the gallery but generally everyone was behaving up until the 1 minute flag where the start line area started to get a bit congested so by the time the start flag dropped we did have an over early in Tristan who as a true professional when informed turned around and came back and re started . Jade just bolted and soon had a handy lead while Daniel was being harassed by Harvey and Reece but he slowly pulled away leaving Reece and Harvey to battle it out while Zach was holding his own in 5th place  . Tristan slowly fought back from last after his restart but in his hurry to catch up he hit a mark resulting in a penalty turn and then to round of his day he capsized in the down wind but still finished 6th . After the race I showed him the times and it worked out that if he didnt get the penalties he would have at least finished 4th if not better so keep trying mate theres always next race . Positions 1st Harvey , 2nd Jade 3rd Daniel 4th Reece 5th Zach 6th Tristan 5th Torsen and 8th Laya . There is a time penalty on Jade and Daniel of 1 minute per lap as they are basically racing in green fleet so that all the green fleet sailors have a chance at beeting them and to also improve Jade and Dans race skills .

Upcoming 
Easter holidays camp 3/4 april
All boats Regatta lake cootharaba 7/9 april

CU on the water
J Murphy