Wow only 27 days left before Santa comes then before we know it 2020 will be upon us . We have already started on next years sailing calendar and look out for some changes in 2020 with hopefully more sailing and more fun . We would like to congratulate Edwina , Abby and Declan for attending and passing their Assistant Sailing Instructors Course last weekend which now brings them up to speed regarding their duties as Assistant Instructors and we would also like to congratulate Casey Evans for her efforts in completing the full Sailing Instructors Course last weekend as well , these young people are the life blood of any sailing club through their willingness to learn and their dedication to their sport of sailing and willingness to help others who come along to try this sport.
With no racing scheduled this sunday we have decided that after juniors all the instructors are going for a sail , where ? dont know but we are going to have some fun so if you are bored join in !
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With Christmas fast approaching and students busy in completing school exams and parents organising everything around holidays our numbers are usually average for this class . Conditions were good for this class with winds around 4/6 knots and with Charlie setting a nice reach across the predominately North/ easter everyone was soon out there giving it a whirl Ben and Archie had a few problems but Edwina soon jumped on board with them one at a time and showed them how tacking and straight line sailing is done , they boys soon had the idea and looked more comfortable towards the end of the session . Aidan was also doing well in his Bic with dad taking video , his improvement comes from his sitting on the side of the boat and hiking out which he only learnt the previous week at after school training , Charlie and I were very happy after a lot of coaching during the week.Leila and keyaan also sailed well together thats what happens when brother and sister stop arguing with each other so well done guys 
10.30 am Training :
With the winds now settling in from the n/e at around 10 knots and with the odd bullet it was perfect conditions for this session . Keeping up her good recent form Jade soon came to grips with the tricky conditions and was soon off to the green channel mark getting good boat speed well as long as you dont count the backward flip capsize on the close reach which I have to say looked very funny as she fell in the drink and the boat kept sailing ! Abby and Ariel in lasers were just flying iin both directions and with good use of the mainsheet were keeping their boats really flat hence the speed folled up by good tacking and gybing . Alex ( taz ) and Zac ( tera ) who have struggled with keeping the sail on and pointing up in the gusts seemed to finally be getting the sequence together with alex showing much better control of the Taz which lets face it is a bit hard to sail at times . Blake and Mason were also out ( didnt sign on ? ) and were both doing well as the winds increased just have to keep your boat flatter boys but still a great effort all round .
1.30 pm Open Race :
With this the final r5ace for 2019 it was the annual around Crab Island Race which was originally going to include our Youth Racers but with Abby out and also Jackson Declan and Edwina decided to sail two up in Bad Decision and join the open fleet . We also had one of my old junior sailors who finally decided to come back and give it a try . As it was aan around the island race we set the start line down at runners and set a top mark across the top of Soverign mainly so people wouldnt run onto the sand bank due to the low tide . The start was very competitive with Paul ( the newby) Charlie , Tom , Steve and Roger right at the line as the flag dropped . I have to say Charlie had a blinder and was right up there with Tom well that was until you guessed it he got a knock and capsized half way up Soverign so there went second . Steve had to beach it as he lost his main sheet so heaps of dramas were happening . Lance and who was having his first ever sail around the island just kept it conservative while Edwina and Dechlan just argued about sail set and how high to point ? I didnt forget Paul ( 14 yrs since his last sail) he took over second and Tom told me he had to pull the stops out so that he could get away but then came Charlie who being a bit annowed with himself really flew on the down wind and the upwind slog to finish third behind Paul and Tom so a good comeback Charlie . Steve and Roger who doesnt normally like sailing these conditions ( 12/16 knots gusty )both recovered well and rounding out the fleet was Lance yes he beat Edwina and Dechlan by one second over the line and did we give them a hard time afterwards ? of course we did ok I have to be fair bad decision does leak and gets slower as the day goes on but it was still a laugh giving them a hard time ..

Upcoming :
Well the big Event is only 10 days away and that is The Annual Fundraiser for The Gold Coast University Hospital so dont forget to tell everyone to come , its always a great day and lots of fun and dont forget all funds raised go to the Hospital . We are also going to attempt to break our Laser record by seeing if we can fit 20 people on a Laser which will beat our previous record of 17 so come along and get  involved 
Christmas Party bookings are now being taken so that we can properly cater for the numbers starting at 11.am with Lunch around 12 noon always a great fun day!.
Holiday Sailing Camps;
Camp one on the 16th / 17th December is almost full so if you want to book in let us know asap , the January Camps still have spaces starting on the 2nd of January so book early to secure a spot

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well its getting closer to both our Try Sailing Hospital Fundraising Day on the 8th of December followed by our Annual Xmas Party the following weekend . Firstly lets get the word out there to schools and friends for the Fundraising Day as this is a very worthy cause and we need public support to make it a great day for the Hospital . Volunteers will be gladly accepted for both the try sailing day but also our Xmas Party where we will need some help setting up the decorations and tables and cahirs for what should be a awesome celebration . If you would like to help just let us know this weekend as even an hour would be appreciated .This weekend quite a few of our young volunteers will be missing as they are attending both assistant and full instructor courses which when completed should give us a total of 7 qualified sailing instructors to help with our junior and senior fleets so good luck everyone attending .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Again this session had a great roll up of sailors with the usual first timers thrown in for good measure . The conditions were just perfect for this fleet with light winds ( 3/6 knots ) from the n/w to n/e so the course was set from the boat ramp to the bridge . It was pretty light near the bridge which created a few problems with people getting caught trying to tack and needing a bit of assistance to turn their boats around . Declan took a couple of newbies out in the laser and soon had them both steering ( with Help ) and working the main sheet so smiles all round . Jade took a friend on the Bic and with jades skill made it look easy for her friend . Leila and Willow had a go at steering and did struggle a bit but seemed to be getting it as the session went on . I did give Leila a tacking tip aferwards ( toes to the front ) so hopefully her tacks will get smoother next week . The rest of the fleet did quite well but I did miss Aithans best gybe all session hopefully I wont be distracted next time Aithan. To round the session off we have started the fun capsizing section at the end so everyone can get some pracdtice and cool down .
10.30 am Training :
With both Edwina out ( stiff and sore ) and Jacson out as well ( broken toe ) there was only a couple of people out for this session . We started with close hauled then a broad reach return which soon had everyone cruising around the course and best of all they didnt tack at the beach mark but actually sailed closehauled south then tacked to make the top mark ( no sail zone ) Jade led the way and I was really impressed with her decision as to when to tack to make the top mark , with no prompting she knew when to tack and layed the top mark perfectly . Abby was also just cruising especially when we sent them to the green channel mark but she somehow twisted her ankle and had to go in . Mason also improves each week with his upwind going well but just needs more sail out on the broad reaches but Iam sure he will get there . Finally both Dan and Aidan had a bit of trouble upwind just not getting the sail on and pointing up in the gusts the fine line between sail zone and no sail zone just need some more practice . Footnote : Aidan was at after school training on tuesday and we think he finally cracked the upwind bit , there was a few collissions with sand banks at First but once he got the idea no more sandbanks so great effort Aidan.
1.30 pm Open Racing :
With the afternoon weather forecast not looking to hot ( possible storm and 25knot wind ) we decided to start the race early to hopefully beat the predicted storm. Charlie pulled out before the start apparently too much partying on saturday so it was only Steve Casey Tom and Lance at the start line . The winds had swung e/s/e at around 12/14 knots so we started at the canal and layed a triangle course . Trisha and Michelle joined at the back of the start as they have both been out of the water for a while and just wanted practice . Tom was soon in front with casey second and steve third with Lance close behind . Lance was the first to retire after a couple of capsizes but still had a smile on his face then Casey retired supposedly from boredom but we think it was from too much partying as she couldnt stop yawning ? Again we miss counted the laps completed so as Tom went through the finish he gave us a reminder yell but we were set up for Steve . So did the storm arrive ? yes it did after everyone was on the rigging area so we all just watche the hail and rain for ten minutes then it was gone , actually it was that heavy we couldnt see the SYC sailors who were still out there when the storm hit .

UPCOMING: 
Hospital Fundraiser  Try Sailing Day
Club Xmas Party
School Holiday Youth Sailing Camps  

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Paradise Point Sailing Club with the financial backing of Gold Coast City Council and the support of our local community has had an approval for an extension to the existing club premises approved for construction and although there are still a few hurdles to negotiate the club will soon be taking on a new look on the southern side . This approval has taken quiet some time with several disappiontments along the way but with perseverence , support and forward thinking the club has finally achieved its goal of expansion to cater for the ever increasing numbers of Juniors who want to give the sport of sailing a try . I would especially like to think both past and present committee members for their support in this project that is now coming into fruition .
Its like the old addage just because you have had a knock back doesnt mean you shouldnt keep trying so well done everyone .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
After a wild day on Saturday with strong winds blowing consistantly all day Sunday started with its usual blue skies and light winds . Our young sailors are so keen that we have people turning up at 8 am so we enchourage them to help with the crew to set up all the gear prior to rigging their boats . With over a dozen juniors signed on and the winds out of the N/E at around 3/5 knots it was a perfect day for some tacking and occassional gybing practice . With a few first timers and others with limited experience Elizabeth , Jade and Declan took the new sailorfs and showed them the ropes I even saw some people smiling at the first go . The laser always proves invaluable in teaching new and inexperienced sailors especially with steering and Declan always does a good job which was easy to see with both willow and leila both steering and looking good . The rest of the crew sailed well but with the ever increasing outgoing tide it did become a bit of a challenge . The last part I am sure the kids liked the most and that was the free capsize at the end where everyone had a go it tipping boats over and generally having fun..
10.30 am Training :
Well if I go by the sign on sheet noone was in the 10.30 training class ?  but I do seem to remember quite a few boats on the water so I guess there were a few people keen to train even though they didnt sign on? Conditions were becoming very difficult with constant wind shifts and ever increasing tide . I have to admit though considering the conditions ( very challenging ) everyone did very well with people like Abby and Eddy showing how to master such shifty conditions but not only did they show skills but so did everyone else with some good tacking and Gybing . I was especially impressed with Mason,s sailing who its seems over the last couple of weeks has really started to switch on ( thanks to Andrew who gave him a session with him on a laser ) Unfortunately towards the end of the session you guessed it the fickle conditions the wind died and the current took everyone south so everyone who was done near the canal had some towing practice including Declan on the power boat so for all the towees and tower that can not be ticked off on their learners list well that would be if they had signed on ????
1.30 pm Youth and Open Race 
We actually hung back a bit on setting a course just so the winds could come back which as I told everyone was predicted to return around 1.00 pm and as predicted it returned from the s/e at around 10 knots . We decide to start our youth sailors with the open fleet as it was only lasers but with two different courses . The start was a bit hectic with Abby a bit early so she had to sail away from the start line and come back but the rest of the fleet with a absence of yelling ( yep Gregs away ) started well . Edwina goty the jump at the start on both Jackson and Abby and was off like a scalded cat to their top mark but by the time they had gone down to the B mark at the club and came back Jackson had taken the lead and from there on it was a battle between them with the gap remaining the same on each lap ( three boat lenghts ) So it was Jackson first Edwina second and Abby third so great work everyone ! The Open fleet had to go to A at runners and then up to C at the top of Soverign Tom and Casey soon were out in front with Charlie holding third Ben fourth and Lance not far away in fifth . Casey and Tom as usual had a great battle with Tom in radial rig and Casey 4.7 and at one stage she looked like overtaking Tom until he pulled out all the stops and skipped ahead  (probably why he was puffing at the end !) so it ended up Tom first Casey Second and Charlie Third over the line but then again they might have to check the sign off sheet ???

Upcoming :
School holiday sailing camps : bookings are already being taken for both camp one and two ( 16th / 17th dec and 2nd / srd Jan ) so you will need to register soon to secure a place in these camps 
Try sailing Hospital Fundraising event : Sunday the 8th of December so invite all your friends to support this worthy cause 
P.P.S,C. Annual Xmas Party : Sunday 15th of December starting at 11.00 am cost per Adult $15.00 under 18 $ 10.00 for Christmas Lunch including drinks and snacks 

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Ok where did 2019 go ? everyone is not only talking Christmas but also what Regatta,s are on next year and even when is our annual Mid Winter Cup on , I can at least answer when the Mid Winter Cup is on which will be the last weekend in June so everyone should put that in their calendars now . For all our interested followers we have been working with Gold Coast Council in regards to a possible building extension and if the current indicators are good in 2010 we will see an extension on our caged area which will hopefully free up some room inside the club premises , finally after 10 tears of pulling boats out in the morning then putting them back in the evening we should be able to just pack up and lock the doors on Sunday afternoons . The committee has also decided to sell our flying 11 sailing dinghy so if you know anyone who might be interested just contact the office .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Sunday morning started with our usual blue skies and light winds so perfect conditions for sailing for our younger sailors . As usual we had a couple of newbies and a return sailor in Ryan so we decided to rig the club lasers for the little ones as the winds although within our limits were around a solid 6 to 8 knots at times so it was safer to have a more experienced person on board each boat . The winds were roughly N/E so Charlie set a course across the wind which resulted in a nice reach  for everyone especially the lasers which meant that the laser skippers could let the new sailors either run the mainsheet or try steering . Keyann after a bit of a messy sail last week just took of and from what I saw sailed well he even faced the front ! while he was out on the course I had his sister leila and Milan from some tacking practice after an aborted attempt of her and Milan trying to sail together . Despite a lot of I cant do this from both girls we did managed to have the girls succeed in tacking the boat and returning to shore so well done Liela and Milan.
10.30 am Training :
With  a few people missing it was only a small group on the water for this session and with the winds increasing it was definitely time to discuss hiking out and also upwind sailing . Zac and Alex although looking a bit confused with both hiking out reading the luff and upwind sailing seemed to grasp the idea as did everyone else . With help from Andrew Mason sailed really well and kept his boat on line and rode out the gusty bits by hiking out and working the sail Abby and Edwina just as usual whipped around the course which was down to the green and back so upwind and broad reach with them both at times absolutely flying on the broad reaches so well done girls . Our other laser sailor Nixon also improved from the previous week and who knows he might even get better if he turns his mobile off at the briefing!! Zac and Alex were both different sailors from the previous week where they really struggled in general but this week their upwinds did improve as did the broadreaches . Finally Aidan was really giving it a go probably just need the sail on a bit more in the Bic which will now probably happen as he has brought his own Open Bic Skiff so well done mate 
1.30 pm Open Racing:
With the racers preferring Charlies courses to mine he was put in charge of setting the course which included a start between Ephriam and Soverign a top mark up at the top starboard mark and a gybe mark back down in front of the gap between the islands . The start didnt go well with Declan stuffing the start clock resulting in a re start but everyone was soon away in N/E winds around 16 knots . Both Ben and Steve had new parts on board including carbon tops and new radial bottom fro Ben so their upwinds were much sharper . Greg and Casey soon emerged in a battle up front with Greg getting away but casey catching up until it happened ? what happened ? well the top mark decided to drift south by about 300 metres which Greg didnt see but Casey did resulting in her getting around the top mark first with Steve and Ben behind then Greg . Casey was screaming for the finish line when she was hit by a nasty gust which resulted in her losing control high siding the boat where we all thought she was gone but somehow she saved it and cruised over the line . Charlie thought they hadn,t completed the course because they finished too early until he realised the mark had moved and like a true PRO he ended up blaming Aidan who chucked the wrong buoy ( chain and rope too short ) over the side I might add under PRO instructions !! I almost forgot Charlie even set a starboard course and everyone actually went the right way !

Upcoming :
After School Training Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 4.30 pm booking esential

Try Sailing Fundraiser for Gold Coast University Hospital 8th od December , dont forget to invite all your friends its a great day and all funds raised go to the Hospital

Club Christmas Party 15th December booking essential , will be held at the Sailing Club so plenty of fun for the kids 

CU on the water
J Murphy