HI Everyone , yes its only 4 weeks now to our annual Midwinter Youth Cup and we are already receiving bookings for the weekend event now all we need is plenty of sunshine and good winds hopefully around 10/15 knots which would just be the Icing on the cake . Two of our girls have just brought their own boats so they are really keen to test them out in the first of many future sailing events so good luck girls and I shouldn't forget the boys as there are some new purchases there as well . You can register either through our website or at the club office so see you there .
  
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With perfect skies and great on water conditions it was surely shaping up for a perfect start to sailing for the day and with over a dozen starters the boats were soon rigged actually they actually rigged too many boats as we had one left over so that proves everyone was really keen to get on the water . Jade and Addy ( new bic owner ) had the club bic rigged and on the beach early and all the teras were right behind followed by Declan how was taking Nixon out and actually let him steer unlike last week when Charlie took Nxon out and wouldn't let him steer because he was chicken about get wet in a capsize and yes we did rubbish him , Nixon soon had the laser cruising and Declan retired to the bow and just cruised . Captain Blake had  a few accidental falls from his boat again so he was back in form and even his sailing was good so he has asked to try 10.30 training instead . Elizabeth sailed on her own and like Blake sailed well in the shifty conditions as did Jade in the Bic when Addy jumped off and she now tells me she likes the Bic ! now she has come to terms with its slippery hull . To be honest everyone sailed the 4/6 knots really well even if there was the odd pull the sail on !!! command from the safety boat followed by let the sail out ! Just so everyone knows yes everyone wanted free capsize time and yes wel all agreed they were crazy but I did notice everyone was soon up and sailing to shore and heading for warm showers .
  
10.30 am Sunday Training :
After a briefing to discuss last weeks training and a lot of rushing around getting Bics ready ( yes they are starting to show their age ) and even the TAZ as Alex didn't have a bic as one is out of action and our new girl Ariel trying lasers plus the usual crew we set everyone off out the front in S/E winds around 6 knots and the instructions were gybing only and yes there was the usual moaning about gybes but everyone went out and gybed . We then set the task for everyone to sail south ( upwind and then north)  as that was going to be the race course for the afternoon . Our new sailor Ariel soon got the hang of the laser and showed her skills from Optis and Sabots as did Addy in her Bic . The boys improved on the upwind as the session progressed as did Abby and Eddy but there was a little bit of luffing going on right girls . Ben showed improvement but still sails away from the marks a bit as does Mason who like the girls points to high and starts luffing so definitely some work to be done there . Alex was a bit worried sailing the TAZ but with the extra room and no Jib he was soon sailing around the course well and he told me after the session that he really liked the boat and might try it again as it was a lot of fun and a little bit less demanding than the Bic . 
  
​1.30 Youth Racing :
As usual we all sat down for a pre race briefing mainly about the current wind direction and course set up which was the same as the training session but further down the waterway and longer . The starts are getting better but still need a lot of work so there is a hint for next Sundays training with the best at the line being Abby and Ariel who after starting managed to luff each other up allowing the rest of the fleet to catch up which really made a race of it . Ariel with her extra racing experience soon pulled ahead and for the first time Jackson who is now in his laser with a 4.7 set was right there with them but the surprise package was Addy who stayed with the lasers nearly all the way which was really an extension of her earlier training session efforts yep she was really quick . The 4.7 set and a few rigging changes made all the difference with Jackson who came in second behind Ariel but was actually first as Ariel wasn't registered to race and Abby and Edwina then Addy were close behind . After the race I suggested to Ariel that she move up to Open as her racing techniques need to be tested in a stronger environment so with a smile she agreed so hopefully we will see her at the start line next weekend .
  
1.30 pm Open Racing :
It was a bit tricky setting the course for the open race because the wind speed was somewhat flukey around 7 knots and there were some definite short term direction shifts so to make the race as friendly as possible Charlie and I set a triangle course from Runners up to the canal with a wing mark to the east to make the triangle . Charlie was very happy as everyone told him he had set a good start line with the help of Glen and unlike the previous week the recall flags weren't needed as everyone was on their best behaviour . From where I was I saw that Greg soon pulled away with Tom also breaking clear followed by Ben who seems lately to have settled into third place when racing . Behind them there was some good racing but one lapse of concentration and you soon lost ground especially if you missed the shift or a hole opened up in front of you . In the 4.7 Casey also sailed very smart and fast against everyone with bigger sails so I have to give her a well done ( that's from your coach ! ) Roger also sailed well as did Simone especially as this week her vang didnt break unlike last week which set her back to shore for quick repairs . Lance is also moving up the fleet as is Laurie and I think Russell was just cruising and enjoying the great weather and was still smiling as he went over the finish line .

UPCOMING :
Just a reminder that Sunday the 7th of July is the Gold Coast Marathon so their might be some early delays getting to the club.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND ENTRY FOR THE MID WINTER REGATTA.

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone. Our next big event this year is the upcoming Mid winter Youth Cup which will be held on the weekend of the 29th & 30th of June so put that in your diary as their will be no Sunday Juniors or Open Racing that weekend but everyone should definitely come down and check out the racing and support or group of sailors who are either returning for their second or third year and also our first timers . Fingers crossed that the weather will be great this year with a bit more wind and sunny skies . Also don't forget that registrations are now open and you can sign up on line or at the club.  This year this is a credit card option for payments as well as direct deposit or at the club office.  Click here to enter.  

2019 EVENT SPONSORS ; BENDIGO BANK , RONSTAN AUSTRALIA , PSA , MANOS RESTAURANT

8.30 AM SUNDAY JUNIORS :
With Blue skies to start the day we soon had junior sailors signing on and with the prospect of perfect winds everyone was in a hurry to rig their boats and get them onto the beach . We were a bit short handed with instructors as Eddy was away in Sydney and Declan was off with a football injury so Charlie , Addy and I were somewhat rushed off our feet just getting everything set but we soon had all the boats out on the water in what were perfect morning conditions with the winds out of the S/S/E at around 6/8 knots but with the occasional gust around 14 knots . Addy took Jade out for her first go in the Bic and like all first timers in the Bic Jade looked a bit overawed but with Addy's help she managed a few goes at steering and tacking . Dean and Jack took out an extra in Zander on the taz which proved a bit of a challenge as Zander had to sit in front of the centreboard which made the boat nose dive in the gusty bits but they still managed to get around the course without a capsize . Even Charlie got in the action and sailed with  Nixon a first timer on the laser but he chickened out on letting him have a go at steering mainly because he didn't want to get wet . Finally I have to mention Blake who everyone who sails with him knows has a habit of falling out of his boat accidentally ?? but last Sunday there was only the one swim so now we know the water must be getting colder!

10.30 AM TRAINING ;
With the conditions freshening and the winds now around 8/10 knots with the occasional gust it was looking good for some tacking , gybing and overall speed . We did have a few missing with the flu which I can totally understand having had a bout of it myself but we still had three Bics , one laser and a Tera out training which were reasonably testing conditions causing some frustration amongst most of the crew with capsizing and hitting sand banks pretty normal . Mason and Carl struggled at first but once we got them to sail our course things started picking up , what course did they try to sail well lets just say the sailed south then couldn't get back without multiple capsizes . The boys in the Bics are starting to come to grips with main sheet tension and balance which is only achieved by sitting on the side of the boat and to prove it to them we actually videoed Addy in broad reaching , close reaching plus tacking and gybing and then played it back so that they can get a better idea of how its done and yes she absolutely nailed it so well done Addy.
  
1.30 PM OPEN RACING ;
With conditions improving with the winds up around 12 /16 knots from the S/E we set the same course as the week before with two windward leewards two triangles and one windward leeward to finish , the only difference being that this week we had an outgoing tide ! So how did the start go well lets just say I called for the general recall flag at 30 seconds to go and yes we did use it as most of the fleet was way over , start two was much better behaved and everyone got away clean well except for Simone who snapped a vang fitting and had to return to the beach for quick repairs . The racing was looking good and with Charlie using my hull ( lighter ) he slowly came to grips with the extra performance and broke away and was matching the front runners speed well that is until he missed the hiking strap in a tack and had two swims . Matt did a Edwina and forgot to figure eight his main sheet so when he capsized it out she came so we had to hold his boat so he could re thread it .
Out front it was a three boat race between Greg , Peter and Tom with some tight mark roundings and some good covering with the end result being Tom first followed by Peter and then Greg . There was a couple of retirements with Maurie loosing it in a gybe and Matt pulling out with a lap to go after one too many capsizes .
Finally for the first time I can remember on handicap it was a tie between Casey and Tom who both ended up with the exact same times , and guess who has just brought a new radial sail so look out after youth week everyone she wants to go faster !

2019 MIDWINTER CUP ; Volunteers needed each day for on shore and on water help just let us know if you can spare some time 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , I hope all the Mums had a great mothers day last weekend , Apparently for some even though it was mothers day sailing came either first with some mums having breakfast in bed or after sailing going off for a family picnic . Either way I hope everyone had a special day . We also had a Birthday celebration as it was Edwinas 12 th Birthday and yes there were cupcakes which Charlie and I tested first and thy passed the test so we had two more .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With the mornings starting to definitely cool but with the sun still shining and the winds good for this class we thought we might have 8/10 keen young sailors out there despite it being mothers day but it didnt work out that way as we had 16 sailors sign on for early morning sailing . We had one problem and that was with Sarah C in that she had a flat battery ( Radio accidentally left on ) so we were a bit late getting on the water . The winds were out of the S/E at around 8knots with some gusts around 12 knots so it was a bit testing . Elizabeth and Jade both took some new sailors out and did very well except when Elizabeth fell out but luckily the two boys were only just off the beach so we had them sail to shore while Jades boat picked up elizabeth and dropped her off with the boys and away they went again . Aithen again was in a bic and yes this week he did capsize several times mainly in the gusty bits but I think he learnt that you cant let the sail too far out in the bic because it capsizes , yes we had been telling him ! As I just mentioned it did at times blow pretty hard and a few boats went over but generally everyone managed to cope with the windy conditions with both tacking and gybing . Finally because of all the complaning we allowed everyone to capsize yes it was cold but it didnt stop everyone from tipping the boats in just for fun.

10.30 am Training
With a few sailors missing due to mothers day activities we still had 6 sailors ready to get out there but first we re discussed apparent wind as they were doing reaching , broadreaching and finally close hauled . The wind had dropped to around 8 knots with very little gusts and with three bics out one Tera and one Laser we sent them of on an upwind downwind course first . As usual Addy who was still getting over a dose of the flu just took off making it all look easy especially in front of our new boys having their second go in the Open Bic so I sent her off for some closehauled work which the boys soon followed even if they werent as efficient as Addy , Edwina ( Birthday Girl ) also took off with Addy and managed to get around the triangle but was a bit slow on the upwind but her reaches and runs were very good . Finally we had Jade in a Tera who has just transfered to this class and she did struggle a lot at first but with a slipping outhaul it wasnt surprising so finally I sent her to shore and taped it up and the boat was much easier to handle in the gusty bits which showed in her increase in speed so well done Jade ! Addy was the stand out in the session with Charlie and I barely giving her any instructions throughout the whole session .Opps nearly forgot Kaleb who also sailed very well ok except for his turns which still need a bit of work but we are getting there but his general sailing was very good with good boat speed and lots of hiking out .

1.30 pm Open Racing
We decided that because there were only three of our Youth Sailors signed on and seven open sailors as Charlie didnt race but instead help me on the safety boat we would start everyone together but have two separate courses using yellow buoys for the Open and Red for the Youth and yes I did stress that the open sailors do not go around red buoys and they actually didnt this time !!! . We set a start at the canal and positioned A mark nearly adjacent to Runners entry and in behind the green mark so it was a good upwind especially with a strong incoming tide . Everyone was well behaved at the start and they all took off in a good group but by the top mark Greg had developed a good gap to Peter Fell as they started two windward leeward legs followed by two triangles then a windward leeward finish . It was good to watch as Peter slowly caught Greg up and finally passed him after greg got absolutely stuck after rounding a mark allowing Peter to get away . Michelle also broke away and sealed 3 rd with Kate 4th Maurie 5th then Casy in the only 4.7 and Roger who said he just had one of those days . In the Youth group Edwinas upwind let her down allowing Addy to stay with her for the first two laps and Jackson third . But with some help from the start boat Edwina pulled away in the third leg but then lost the main sheet allowing Addy to catch up again then with her figure eight know back in Eddy pulled away and finished first overall . Addy wasnt that far behind but three capsizes while heading for the finish slowed her up a bit so you can imagine the look on her face as she went over the line ! We shortened the course for Jackson as he just struggled with the upwind and tipped it a few times on the downwind but he will probably be racing 4.7 as his laser parts should be here next weekend .

Invitation Midwinter Cup
29th / 30 th June
Dont forget that if you are using a club boat that you have to secure one by signing up at the club!

VOLUNTEERING;
If you think you can spare an hour on Sundays in our canteen just have a talk with Casey and if you can also help at the Midwinter Cup just again let Casey know or me as we have a few positions available and all help is greatly appreciated .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well as we all know next Sunday is a very important day not only is Sunday afternoon racing back but its also Mothers Day so I hope that all our sailors out there get up that little bit earlier and make their Mums breakfast and serve it to them in bed because lets face it they deserve it just for being MUM !

8.30 AM Sunday Juniors :
With the morning starting with blue skies and just that first hint of winter chill we were soon under way setting up for the first session which as usual ended up with 15 budding junior sailors signing on . The first surprise was to see Ollie walk in at 8.00 am which yes is unusual but he was in early for a good cause as he was taking out one of his school mates for his first sail even with a cold giving him the sniffles . Once everyone was rigged and ready and with good winds from the South ? at around 3/5 knots it was perfect for everyone and with Charlie setting a nice reach off they went . Jack and Dean both took crew with one skippering the Taz and one on a Tera and as usual sailed well and Jade also took a new sailor out but was saving most of her energy for her first go at 10.30 class and Aithan had his first go on the Open Bic with Addys help at first then off he went on his own and despite our predictions didnt capsize . The most popular Instructor on the day was Edwina with all the young ones crowding around the laser practicing knots then she sailed with four crew so we named her the entertainment officer on the cruise ship ( well done eddy ). Finally you guessed it they all wanted to capsize and yes the water is starting to chill down but it was no deterent as the boats fell over everywhere and lots of laughing was heard from both the shore and in the water.

10.30 am Sunday Training;
With the conditions pretty much staying the same as the morning if not a bit lighter and with a windward leeward course set it was a definite sailing skill challenge but just to make it a little more difficult I thought it was time that I introduced apparent wind to their skill set . If you ever really want to confuse a new sailor this is the way to go as all you see in front of you is these confused faces but it has to be introduced so it was a good day to start the process . With no Abbey to show how the upwind was done everyone struggled at first and with the wind shifting and dropping out everyone really had to work hard even Addy who had the added burden of being sick as well but refused to not sail . Jade who was having her first go listened well and managed to pick it up , Jackson and Mason got the upwind but took a while with the down wind and the funniest of all was Karl who took off at one stage by controlling the boom with his foot and as charlie said hey if it works it works !

I have to say that considering the light and flukey conditions everyone did very well even though they didnt seem to think so but Charlie and I did so well done everyone .

Open Racing ;
Ok there was no actual racing but we still sailed just for practice . Lance Steve Ben and Greg went out first but I convinced Charlie Casey and Eddy that there was no hurry as you guessed it the wind was all over the place so we waited for about 45 minutes then launched our boats and became instant drifting obstacles . The other guys went back to the club but I was determined to have a sail and after a short time of no wind it finally came back from the E/S/E around 5/7 knots so off we went to the deep hole .With Charlie and Casey in radials they werent far behind and even Eddy who was having her first sail to the deep hole in the 4.7 wasnt that far behind but when she got too far we just went back so she could keep up . Once we round the west cardinal I challenged Charlie and Casey to a race up to Runners and yes I did flog them but you should have heard the excuses yes I have taught them well ! all in all it was lots of fun!

Upcoming ;
Midwinter Cup ; Just a reminder that if you are interested in sailing in the midwinter cup and want to use a club boat you will need to book your boat at the sailing office as boat numbers are limited . We are also starting to take names for volunteers for the event for on water and land duties , there will be a volunteer sheet at the canteen from this weekend so if you can spare some time just let us know as all assistance is appreciated .


CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well firstly or Midwinter Cup is getting closer with the official Regatta dates being the 29th and 30th of June . What is the Midwinter Cup about well its designed for Sailors from the age of 6 to 18 to compete in both an open class plus a beginner based class . The open class is for sailors who have had previous experience at this event or elsewhere in a regatta based format and the beginners or green fleet sailors are those who will be experiencing their first Regatta complete with simplified rules so its more about the experience and having fun so all in its a great weekend . If you are thinking of giving it a go just check at the club .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors
After a cool morning temperature wise sunday soon turned into a warm and sunny day with winds shifting at first from S/W TO S then S/E making it a bit of a challenge for Charlie to set the course with a few early adjustments but finally settling into the s/e at around 6knots so perfect for early practice . As usual we had a few first time sailors that Addy and Eddy took out for their first sail and with Eddy having the benefit of 5 year old Milan on the main sheet the were soon cruising around the course . Elizabeth and Jade sailed absolutely perfectly with good general boat speed and very crisp tacks so well done girls especially when you were showing the new sailors how it is done . In the boys they also generally sailed well even if the mainsheet was a little too tight most of the time but with a bit of prompting from the safety boat we soon had them nearly matching the girls speed . Aithan had to come back in with a siezed traveller but once we fixed it he was off as well . I think there is potentially a couple of possibles for the Midwinter Cup green fleet in this group.

10.30 am Training Group;
This group is really getting focused on race training which shows on the water and even at the briefing as they even ask the odd question abouy rigging and technique . To give everyone some practice before their scheduled champoinship race we set a reach then upwind downwind course and of course the reach was easy but the upwind and downwind was a challenge for most well except for Addy who just smoked the course which might have had something to do with the previous days coaching lesson but right behind her was Abby and Eddy who had their own weekly battle going on with Abby as usual getting away on the upwinds which Eddy could alos match if she just pulled the sail on more right Eddy! Jackson despite some frustration early on is starting to come to grips as is Ebony ( beter known as stingray girl !) especially on looking at the sail while going upwind more and how to react to sail changes so all in all a good session.

1.30 PM Open Racing
With our good mate Peter Board doing the starts and Charlie helping as it wasnt a championship race I left them in charge while I looked after the Youth Race . It all looked to be going well to me but I should have remembered who easy it is to confuse sailors especially when I dropped a pink rounding buoy inside the open race buoy ( yellow) so yep you guessed it they started going around the pink instead which by the time we got out there to start the youth race it was to late to change and even though Casey and Lance did the right course they also were disqualified not because of the buoy fiasco but they all didnt complete the course ? ( yep they all wrote it down ) leaving out one triangle and a windward leeward . Funnily enough I was watching their race and thought gee that finished quick ? then I saw everyone lining up again for a second race with just a few windward leeward laps probably less confusing that putting triangles in right guys .

1.30 pm Youth Race ;
Prior to hitting the water we had a practice protest meeting as a guide to why everyone should avoid a protest room . It was in regards to buoy room then was it legal for the boat given buoy room to come down on the other competitor who then touched the buoy . As anyone who has been to a protest knows itts all about the details that cannot change but these sure did so basically the upshot was it was thrown out for changing details well at least it was an exercise . Ok now the race and with Ebony helping me with flags we soon had the group off and running Addy worked hard to stay with the lasers but had to keep an eye on Jackson who now that he is pulling his sail on and hiking out is getting faster but the tussle up front between Abby and Eddy was interesting to watch but as usual Abbys superior upwind skills allowed her to slowly pull ahead from Eddy and dad who was on board with ben showing him the ropes unoffically . There was even a comment from someones daughter about how slow he was cant exactly remember who but she came first over the line ? The results were out soon after the race with Ron bringing them out so the youth sailors could check their progress and without giving wnathing away its a pretty close contest so far so well done everyone .

Canteen ; With Caseys help we have re opened the canteen on Sundays until 11am and hopefully once we entice a few more people to put that last hour in we can have it running up until lunch so if you think you can help and yes casey can teach you on the coffee machine just let us know and dont forget the Midwinter Cup wher we will definitely need a few hands .
Upcoming ;
29th and 30th June Midwinter cup inviting both open and green fleet sailors
RQYS Youth Week 5TH / 9TH July

CU on the water
John Murphy