8.30 am Sunday Juniors
Sunday week was so far back that I cant remember everything except teaching more new sailors steering and tacking in light conditions which are just great for our 6/9 year olds now once we have taught them steering the next step is to have them share with the crews ! sounds easy but it seems theres the superglue effect at times right Tristan? Last sunday was a totally different day as not only were the winds from the west but they were also very gusty with some of the newer sailors striking trouble in the shifty conditions . The safety boat was kept busy towing people back to the sailing area until the winds finally settled in direction but not before a few people got a bit frustrated trying to reach the buoys . Talyah who has just converted over to laser struck trouble but with her trusty instructor at hand ( me ) we went back to the basics and soon had her back on course . Guys like Ransom and Havoc managed to come to gripps with the conditions and Jack and Dean had their crews sailing around the course with no dramas . Tristan and Harvey came in as they just couldnt handle the gusty bits so Ben yes ben roake jumped in and showed them how its done who knows we might even get Ben back sailing again ?
10.30 am Training
I wasnt allowed on the water so the safety boat crew had to put up with me on the radio constantly giving instructions . The conditions were a challenge not from wind speed but from the gusty bits and wind shifts but the crew soon had it under control well everyone except Dean who just wouldnt let go of the mainsheet in the gusts so went swimming ! yes in the cold water !!! his dad called him back in form a talk and he went out again so well don dad . It was pretty obvious that the rest of the group were coping so I radio,d the safety boat to set some practice starts with the pre start manouvering looking very good with Jack the standout with very sharp tacks and gybes even Ross was swinging around very confidently must be that new wind indicator right Ross ? Of course we should mention Jade who was lucky enough to recieve her new Bic and with the help of Charlie , Casey and Andrew that soon had it put together and she really had some extra pace on the water although I thought the giant smile might slow her down. All in all a great session !
1.30 pm Open Racing
With conditions generally west and a dead low tide the new race officer in training ( Charlie ) had a bit of a challenge but with a lot of thought a course starting at the top of crab and the A mark accross the channel near the boat ramps creating a challenging upwind for a couple of laps and then a run nearly to the top of Soverign for a couple of laps it looked a top course especially the section between A & C downwind because it was dead downwind and shifting bullets which had everyone scrambling from port to starboard as the winds shifted around . Adrian had a couple of swims at A mark but with a good tip about vang after the race we shouldnt have that problem in future . Greg was soon in the lead with Tom and Peter settling into a fight for 2nd and 3rd with some good boat speed especially on the reaches up to Soverign . Everything was going well and we had just anchored for the finish when I noticed a partially de rigged laser floating away from the club so you guessed it up anchor and off we went , By the time we got to the bridge Torin had paddled out in a kayak but she was getting away so we grabbed the laser and towed it and Torin back . Did we make it back in time to finish everyone ? well yes we did with Charlie driving Sarah C the fastest he ever has we just got their in time to finish greg while dropping the anchor at the same time . Who came in second Peter with Tom half a boat lenght and then Steve and John , definitely an exciting afternoon .
WEATHER FORECAST SUNDAY
OK everyone the conditions over the next couple of days are predicted very windy so I suggest all our Junior sailors keep an eye on wind speeds for sunday remember of 12 knots consistant you dont sail and our Youth sailors over 16 knots but we can do knots and theory YEAH! any concerns on the day give me a call 0407145397
Upcoming :
Try Sailing Hospital Fundraiser Sunday 13th december , We are approaching both our local member of parliament and our local council member to see if we can gain support for this worthy event especially with the current pandemic in Australia
Club Xmas Party Sunday the 20th od December , not sure of the theme this year so if anyones got any ideas just let us know .
CU on the water
J Murphy