Hi everyone , with our annual Midwinter Youth Cup only days away it has been a bit of a rush getting everything ready for the two day event but with everyone pulling together everything is starting to fall into shape now all we need is for mother nature to slow up on the rain and winds . With 30 boats already registered we are looking for winds from 5 to fifteen knots so not only the open fleet sailors can have a good regatta but also our green fleet sailors can enjoy it also , so heres fingers crossed that its will be an awesome weekend .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With good winds from the s/e around 6 knots it was a perfect start for our dedicated group of beginners . We set a nice reach in front of the club and told everyone to stick to tacking as occassionally there was the
odd 10 knot gust and considering the water temperature and no hot showers at the club due to the boiler breaking down we didnt want people capsizing . It all started out well with everyone just cruising around the course , Jade and Aithan were in the bics and sailing well especially Aithan who is finally gaining confidence with hiking out but Jade made a blunder while tacking by somehow getting her mainsheet caught on her neck which resulted you guessed it in a very cold capsize but with true determination and a warm up on shore she was soon back out there but nearly capsized again with the mainsheet caught again but managed to save it . Archie and co also went in and for two boys who are always asking when they can capsize the were soon back on shore warming up .

10.30 am Training:
With conditions getting more gusty we set the crew off on a longer reaching course again without gybes just to hopefully keep everyone from capsizing which was a pity as everyone wanted to practice for this weekends regatta . With most of the lasers out of action it was up to Abby to show the flag and she really did especially in the stronger gusts ( 14/15 knots ) where all you could hear was her laughing as her boat started humming and planing yep she was really going . Mason had some early troubles under the bridge but started to show some for once we towed him back out but the show off was Carl who finally after listening instead of talking at briefing just smoked it by hiking out keeping the boat flat and even threw in a gybe foe me just to prove he could . Not only were his tacks good but his general sailing in the difficult conditions really showed some form even his dad was smiling . Hopefully with everyone on deck next weekend we should have our biggest crew every in the Midwinter Cup so good luck everyone and dont forget to enjoy it .

1.30 pm Open Racing:
With only a small fleet of lasers to contest this club points race everyone looked pretty focused before the start and with the winds settling in from the s/e at around 10/14 knots the all lined up perfectly for the start and it was looking so good I didnt even have the recall flags out . As the time counted down there was the usual jockeying but again everyone was well behaved and virtually cracked the line as a group and off they went for a few triangles and windward leewards . Peter and Greg soon settled into a battle with Ben holding third and Kate and Casey starting their battle in 4.7s . Things were going well out front with the boys battling away until the second lap where both Greg and Pete missed the bottom mark B and after some yelling and horn blowing from the start boat the turned back and rounded the buoy but this allowed Kate Casey Ben and Simone to get away . The real battle was with Casey and Kate as the really stretched the 4.7s until Casey finally broke free and just took off . Ben held his position but Simone fell back into the clutches of Greg and Pete who both pulled out all the stops to catch up . I might be just a bit biased ( her coach ) but Caseys sailing was spot on just no mistakes and yes that smile was definitely there back at the beach .

UP coming ;
2019 John Murphy Midwinter Cup 29th - 30th of June casual volunteers needed
Reminder that Sunday the 7th of July is the gold Coast marathon so the roundabout at the club will not be open until around 8.00 am.
Holiday sailing camps ; we have two sets of camp dates 1st - 2nd and 8th - 9th of July

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well to start with this newsletter wont be the longest one I have ever written due to the fact that last Sundays weather was the worst for light winds we have had all year and I have just got my fingers crossed that it doesnt hang around for the midwinter cup in less than two weeks and speaking of which the entries are now starting to roll in with a good cross section of boats with Sabots, Optis, BICs and both Laser classes so yes lets have some wind!

8.30 am Sunday Juniors
Sunday started with the usual bright blue skies and surprisingly warm water but yes the slight breeze was a bit cool . We had our usual first time sailors who went with Torin and Declan on lasers with everyone else in Teras and bics . The briefing was done by Edwina and she did a great job talking about the course and conditions so yes here comes another assistant Instructor in the making . Charlie set a kind of a reach in the basically westerly winds well I say winds but probably should say zephyrs . It was a credit to everyone to at least give it a try and as usual Jade seemed to relish in the conditions as did Jack ( minus Dean ) yep jack is sailing solo and is really enjoying himself as is dean sailing with different crew . Being so light both Torin and Deco were able to get the first timers to even have a go at steering well lets face it not much can happen with an average wind speed of half a knot . Finally did anybody capsize at the end ? well the answer is yes of course they did , I think it was the most enjoyable part of the session.

10.30 am Sunday Training
By the time we started to look at this session you guessed it the shies had gone grey and the rain started falling and the slight winds we had for the early class just disappeared so with the Midwinter cup only two weeks away I decided to see how long I could hold everyones attention with the theory of how to start a race . I know I had set myself a challenge as for thr younger generation the are more interested in speed but knowledge equalls speed anyway. I was actually surprised with the level of attention as I did go fairly in depth with crowded start lines , best start line positions , wind angles and tactics and I believe despite a few people getting and going for a walk everyone actually did take this theory on board and yes the proof will be hopefully seen on the water .

1.30 pm Open Racing
Conditions hadn’t changed much over the morning but everyone was keen to have a sail well except for Casey and Charlie so with my trusty crew we set off in Sarah Cooper to check what was on offer and you guessed it not much was out there so with my experience I managed to set a triangle course just below the canal with an upwind towards the club . It was decided also that we would change it from a championship race to non championship which we would transfer to next Sunday . So that meant that people like Case could go up in sail size from 4.7 to radial . With a basically light westerly breeze we set everyone off in what was basically a two knot breeze so it was perfect for all the light weights . Kate broke away and just took off around the course and surprisingly at one stage the wind speed went up to around three knots but you guessed ity on the last lap heading for the finish it dropped out again so basically everyone just ghosted over the line well except for Simone who was right there but not exactly over the finish line and despite her pleas to the finisher ( Charlie ) she wasnt ticked as finished until he was certain she was over now thats one tough finish line scribe . We decided that we would hold a second race if anyone was keen and a few were and just for the fun of it we put addy on Caseys boat and Casey had a go on Gregs new machine . With Addy weighing 20 kilos she was right up there with everyone else but as the rounded the top mark the lightning appeared in the north so racing was abandoned . All in all though it was fun just cruising .

Upcoming
2019 John Murphy Invitational Mid winter cup 29th and 30th June
Youth week at RQ 5TH TO 9TH July
Pleas note that Club Membership is up for renewal as from the 1st of July and can be renewed either on line our at the sailing office .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , With our annual Midwinter Youth Regatta now only 2weeks away we are still looking for help from volunteers in making sure we have a successful event so if yo have an hour or two to spare over the weekend just let us know by visiting the canteen on Sunday and having a chat with Casey and she can put your name down for whatever day and times suit you , even if you can only help with pack up on the sunday it would be great.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Well with a slight nip in the air early but blue skies and light winds on the water it looked just perfect for this session and with a dozen budding sailors signing on and heading outside to start rigging their boats it was looking good for a great morning of sailing . OK you guessed it mother nature decided to turn the winds down low ok really low and with an incoming tide yes the bridge did come into play with nearly everyone drifting under the bridge at some stage but with Charlie in one boat and me in the other whenever anyone looked like going under the bridge we either towed or pushed them back out to the sailing area . With the really light conditions ( 1knot s/e ) Itold everyone who sailed solo to sit on the boom side and in that way the light breeze didnt need to hold the boom so that they could catch the wind and hopefully sail and I dont know what happened but at least half the fleet listened and after a couple of innitial laps Jade was the first to really get going followed by Aithan . Slowly everyone got the idea and we soon had less towing and pushing and more light weather sailing well I say light but really the wind was virtually still but they all managed a great effort at both tacking and gybing around the course . It was great to see a couple more young sailors asking for a go on their own and being such light windss it was a perfect day for mistakes that didnt result in capsize . Oh yes quite a few did capsize in the end yep we agree they are crazy!

10.30 am Sunday Training :
By the time everyone got rigged and we sat down for a briefing we actually had a light but consistant breeze ( s/e ) so at least it wasnt going to be as tough as the early session . We sent Jade of with Charlie to work on her upwind sailing as we had seen in the previous couple of weeks that she was struggling but with Charlie following her around the course which of course included an upwind she looked to be improving as the session went on . Addy was just off in the bic so we enchouraged the other Bic sailors to try and follow and watch how she worked upwind which over a few laps slowly worked and even though they couldnt point as high they at least did a reasonable job of the course . We had another new sailor in Jack who although he never says much at 8.30 class definitely looked excited about stepping into a Bic for the first time and after a few early hickups ( channel Markers ) he was soon sailing around the course . Abbey Eddy and Jackson in the lasers all did well mainly on the upwind but the top mark bearaways were a bit slow yep you guessed it they were all letting the sail out to slow resulting in their boats running wide around the top mark and then not letting their sails out enough on the downwind but a constant barrage of let the sail out from the safety boat slowly worked I thought !

1.30 pm Youth Racing:
With the adults off and away with Glen and Charlie in charge , we sat down for a briefing for the Youth race as it was going to be a serious upwind downwind course in around 4/6 knot winds so I thought I should target the action needed for a successful upwind and also downwind focusing on speed . Unlike previous weeks nearly everyone was at the start line on time well except for Jackson who started outside the line and had to come back and start inside the start area . Addy in the Bic just nailed the upwinds with good speed great hiking out and smooth bearaways . Abby and Eddy had a close race for about half the course then Abby started to pull away and Jackson with a good burst of upwind speed overtook Eddy who was just over pointing consequently slowing her boat . Jackson then caught Abby but after a bit of a tussle between then Abby again pulled away with both good upwind and downwind speed . In amongst the battle between the lasers Addy ( Open Bic ) just kept powering along with no mistakes and no capsizes which is looking good for the Mid Winter Cup in a couple of weeks .

1.30 pm Open Race :
After a good start and yes you are right no recalls which Iam now totally convinced they only do when Iam the starter just to make me work harder everyone headed of to A mark down at Runners in around 5/6 knots breeze.

In the Lasers Greg and Peter kept each other honest for at least half the race but with Greg in his first race in his brand new boat he slowly edged ahead which Iam sure brought a big smile to his face bring his new boat home first followed by Peter Murry Kate and Casey with Roger a DNF . Yep Casey was last and when asked what happened apparently sailing a radial is a bit different than a 4.7 so guess what her coach is now going to get her to start practicing in well that is after both Midwinter Cup and Youth week at RQ . Charlie and I kept in radio contact as we were both concerned about the wind dropping but both race groups wer lucky that the wind stayed around the 6 knots for both races . So where was Tom well he is off on a two month Bike ride around australia so have a great ride Tom and see you when you get back .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , With our yearly Youth Cup only weeks away and the current forecast for that weekend looking good for some exciting sailing all the bits that make these events are slowly starting to come into focus with the first thing being as a reminder for our great bunch of 8.30 am sailors that there will be no sailing on Sunday the 30th of June but dont forget to come along and cheer your Sunday Instructors on and yes you will finally have the opportunity to see them all really sail . Also dont forget that we have sailing camps on the 1st and 2nd of July plus the 8th and 9th of July with bookings already being taken for both camps so it should be a great learning experience again.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors:
Well the cooler weather is finally taking its toll on our Sunday numbers with only seven keen sailors signing on for their dose of Sunday sailing . The conditions were perfect with a roughly early westerly wind at around 5 knots with an occassional 7/8 gust and with smooth water and Sunny skies everyone hit the water for some tacking and the odd gybe . Aithen and Jade were in the bics again and to be honest they both had a few moments with the gusty bits but with the help of both Addy ( Jade ) and Eddy ( Aithen ) they both managed to improve with Aithen working on facing the front and Jade coming to grips with the bullets . As Jack was off sick Dean sailed with Archie and once they sorted out who did what they were off and just cruising with smooth tacks good steering and consistant sail trim . Blake and Caelan were a bit shaky at first as Caelen was steering but they soon had the course down pat with some good tacks and gybes and yes they still wanted to capsize at the end ? ok they had wetsuits on but it was still cold .

10.30 am Sunday Training:
Again we only had a small group of sailors for this session mainly all the crew who are entering the midwinter cup as they wnat the practice . We started with the pre sail briefing working on upwind and downwind sail set , rig set and weight position . I have to admit a few are now at least having a go at answering the briefing questions Ok we have to discount Charlie as he doesnt count . Now all we have to do is transfer the briefing to the water before we get out there ! We set a reach to start and then we sent nearly everyone off to the upwind downwind course . Addy just took off on the upwind as did Abby and Eddy ( in her new boat ) with Jackson now in a 4.7 rig not far behind but again at first the downwind still got everyone with not letting their sails out and not sailing around the downwind bouy hardening up then tacking that was until both Charlie and I started coaching them around the mark so tha the top mark was makeable in one tack not four so good work everyone as it looked really efficient towards the end with everyone sailing at good speed .

1.30 PM Open Racing ;
With the winds now coming from the S/S/E at around 7/ 9 knots we set a course starting the club side of the canal with the windward mark as usual down near Runners and a third mark at the top of Soverign making it a combination of windward leeward and a broadreach and windward return finishing at A mark . So how was the start ? well you would think with only seven boats at the line it would be pretty simple and you would be wrong yes a general recall this time started by Casey and Greg , everyone was so early we didnt even bother putting the flag up just sounded the horn as they all new they were over well except for Charlie and Simone . With a more orderly start the second time everyone was off but it was soon evident that we might have to shorten the course as the wind although still consistant dropped by a couple of knots really slowing the fleet down well except for Greg who just sailed away from everyone ? so how did he do it well he sold his laser last week so I offered him my boat which luckily for him is an X 2012 Perth worlds boat built for upwind and reaching ( my favourites ) . Greg said once he realised how high it could point he just let her go and she just cruised away and yes his new boat is coming with the same mast rake dimensions so look out . So obviously Greg was first with Russell second and Roger third and the overall point score for the year has Greg in front by one point over Casey and Tom third