Hi Everyone , With our Gold Coast University Hospital Try Sailing Fundraiser last weekend being the only event for the day we pulled out all the stops to make it a fun and memorable day , so how did we go well starting with a very iffy forecast causing me to have several back up plans available mother nature turned on a perfect day with blue skies , warm water and light winds around 4/6 knots from the east including a 10.00 am high tide so what more could you ask for ! First boat out was Public Nuisance with its crew of lady first time sailors who set off with Andrew and Ben for a cruise around the Broadwater well that's what the girls thought but the guys soon had everyone winding winches and steering the boat and how did the session go ? well I am thinking fantastic after seeing all the smiling faces and laughter as Public Nuisance came back to our pontoon so well done everyone !
  
With our junior and senior members taking everyone sailing and the kayaks and paddle boards also on the water it was a bit crowded in front of the club but everyone seemed to avoid each other in general OK there were a lot of minor collisions , people trying to paddle the boards backwards ( yep that didn't work ) resulting in plenty of swimming then we had the kids in the kayaks which in general went around in circles , bumped into each other and generally had fun ! 
  
The club rescue jetski hit the water as well and despite an early hickup with a rock in the impeller it was soon in high demand with all the kids lining up for at least two goes . For the first timers I kept it slow with some splashy turns and circles and with the more experienced who have been on one before we gave the ski some extra speed and of course tried our hardest to spray the sailors on the water . All in all the jetski was a lot of fun even for me but did my back pay for it on monday!
  
I have to thank everyone who worked in the canteen also on the day as apparently they had a big day also,  I don't know who did what as I never got there once we took off but thank you everyone for your awesome efforts.. I would also like to thank our fellow sailing club SYC for the loan of their paddle boards which were a great success with both our young sailors and also the adults who seemed to do more falling off than the kids ? probably faulty boards right everyone .
  
THE CLUB ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY IS ON THIS SUNDAY AT THE CLUB PREMISES STARTING AT 1.00 PM AFTER JUNIOR SAILING COST CHILDREN $10.00 Adults $15.00 CATERED BY OUR LOCAL BILLYS CHICKEN SHOP AND INCLUDES FREE DRINKS FOR THE KIDS AND THERE IS EVEN A RUMOUR OF A FREE BEER ON OFFER AS WELL SO COME ALONG AND HAVE SOME FUN TOGETHER BEFORE ALL THE CHRISTMAS STUFF TAKES OVER !
  
The club will be closed from the 24th of December until the 3rd of January 2019

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi everyone , We are having a big week with school groups this week with over a 130 kids from two schools having their first try at sailing  so you will have excuse me if I forget anything in this news letter as its been a real challenge especially with the change in weather from Tuesday at 5 knots to yesterday 25 knots ! but so far Charlie , Casey and I have managed to keep everyone safe well except for a couple of oyster cuts but only minor ones and with one more school today and the winds backing off we are hoping for a better sailing day for the last day.
  
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Well with school holidays already beginning for some schools and the rest on their last week we had a big roll out for this popular introduction to sailing session with 18 budding new sailors signing on to either check sailing out for the first time or work on their skills . The winds were just right with a light north to north west wind at around 4/6 knots giving everyone the opportunity to practice their tacking . There was the odd tow back as people got caught in the tide but most just sailed to the western bank and walked back up the beach and had another go after all that's what sailing is about having another go . It was great to have these new sailors and their parents asking the question as to how they can progress in sailing as well so I introduced everyone to the club junior progression chart which shows what tasks each new sailor has to achieve to advance forward in our 5 level program and by the keen looks on some of the faces I think we will be getting a increase in our junior sailor ranks over the summer season .
  
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ; 
With the winds now settling in more from the north and increasing in strength it was perfect for our advanced group to practice both tacking and gybing starting with a long reach across the channel , the boys really started to nail this course with very crisp tacks and gybes while Casey's girls Addy and Eddy after cruising around on the reach were set of on triangles just to mix it all up but even with boats going in opposite directions on the course there were no near misses or collisions with everyone keeping a good lookout . The boys as a group listened to our instructions well and as the session progressed just got better and better with good boat control and awareness . This whole group is definitely looking like contenders for our junior racing team in 2019 where we hope to introduce their own race series at the club and with Queensland Youth week mid 2019 who knows who might join Casey in Brisbane to experience racing against kids from all over Queensland.
  
1.30 pm Open Racing ;
With this the last race for 2018 and with conditions starting to build for the around Crab Island marathon 9 sailors rigged up for this marathon race . With winds originally N/N/E at around 12 to 15 knots it soon changed and by the time the class flag dropped for the start it was already around 20 knots so the upwind to the top of Sovereign was punishing . Brendan was an early casualty after several capsizes and then I believe main sheet trouble he made his way back to the club with Brian following him in the safety boat . The next to struggle  at first was Casey who had trouble controlling the radial in the 20 plus knot upwind conditions but once she reached the top and went on the broad reach she proceeded to slowly catch up with the fleet . Charlie who started last by 100 meters ( hit the sand back before the start ? ) was the standout and just creamed the upwind then as he beared away just started catching waves and slowly hauled in Ben , Steve & Roger who did capsize going past Curragee in gusts of over 25 knots then he caught Simone who was also flying . By the west cardinal even Casey had overtaken everyone as well but the upwind undid her again and everyone managed to overtake her again . Where was Tom ? well he after an early struggle with Steve just took off finishing first with Charlie a great second and Simone sailing so well on the run to the finish she was slowly catching Charlie who told me he was trying so hard on the upwind home to stay in front of Simone his legs were shaking from the strain . Yep you guessed it it was a fantastic race !

This weekend is our TRY SAILING HOSPITAL FUNDRAISER SO NO JUNIORS just plenty of sailing and fun.

Paradise Point Sailing Club Xmas Party is on Sunday the 16th  after 10.30 juniors tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids and yes we are holding it at the club so no dress up required.  REGISTER HERE.

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , It was nice last Sunday to be back to normal with all our budding young sailors many showing up early just so they could get on the water after a two week break and with perfect weather it was a perfect start to the day . TRY SAILING DAY is on Sunday the 9th of December so dont forget to invite all your friends along as all it costs is a minimum gold coin donation which we donate to the Gold Coast University Hospital  who do  fantastic job in our community..
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ; 
With Sunday starting with blue skies and clear water we were expecting a good roll up of sailors and we werent disappointed with 19 sailors signing on which included seven first time sailors who were keen to give it a go.. With the wind n/w around 4/6 knots it was perfect for a reaching course in front of the club and once everyone remembered how to do it after a two week break everyone seemed to sailing around the course in nearly straight lines even Cianna and her crew after some early circles were off and running. Torin was in charge of a club laser with three new sailors on board and with gentle conditions he managed to show them how to steer and tack well kind of? Eddy was also in a laser with a couple of our new sailors showing them how its done and just basically just cruising around the course.Now the water is warming up you guessed it nearly everyone wanted to capsize at the end so once they signal was given the normal capsize chaos began with lots of laughing and smiling faces which to me is one of the best parts of the morning.
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With the winds shifting more towards the north but still not very strong we decided to split the group with Casey taking both Eddy and Addy of on a training run while the boys were given a triangle course in front of the club which certainly proved a challenge especially with the upwind section which Charlie made a challenge setting the rounding buoy just on the edge of no sail zone . After watching everyone for a while I singled out both Tain and Alex for some coaching around the gybe mark . Tain was still facing backwards so we practiced some static gybes just to get the footwork right then he was back on the course and with some scrambling managed after a few laps to start facing the front and nailing the gybe . With Alex who,s sailing is improving each session we worked on sheet on in the gybe to improve gybe speed and with Alex all ears listening we soon had the gybes smoother and quicker . With the girls all I know from Eddy was that Casey was teaching them how to catch waves other than that we will have to ask Casey about the sessions outcomes which Iam sure would have been very informative to the girls because she has always been a good listener with her coach!
1.30pm Open Racing;
With the winds swinging more towards the N/E by lunch time and settling in around 8/14 knots it was a perfect afternoon for some exciting sailing . Tom was looking very racey before the start cruising past the start boat , Casey was just glad to be on the water racing and Ben was tuning up his rig with all the new skills he picked up at the Masters Games . As we counted down inside the 1 minute Tom decided to cut behind Kate to get the perfect start but there was a slight miscalculation on his part with the wind which resulted in a high side capsize you guessed it right in front of the fleet ! After everyone stopped giving comment to Tom and the laughter subsided off everyone went with Tom bringing up the rear , Casey and Kate had their usual tussle swapping places throughout the race Simone and Charlie were going well until the both tried a bit of dredging along the edge of the sand bank while Ben surged to the front . Tom told me later that he worked his guts out and slowly came from last to second just behind Ben for the run to the line , it was a close call but Toms full rig one the day against Bens radial with Tom cruising over the line first followed by Ben then Casey and Kate , the rest were some way back after their dredging efforts but all in all it was good racing. I mustnt forget our lone Bic sailor on the day Ollie who really struggled with the tide just to make the start line and despite doing a good upwind into the current pulled out before the end but a good effort anyway Ol .

Club Xmas Closure dates ; closed from 24th December 2018 re-open 3rd of January 2019

Christmas Party : This years party is to be held at the sailing club on Sunday the 16th of December starting at 1.00pm after 10.30 sailing , Cost ; Adult $15.00 Children $10.00 a christmas lunch and a free drink for everyone plus hopefully a lot of fun so to book your place either check our website or ask at the sailing office .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Yes the news letter is back after a break where we were the host club for sailing at the Pan Pacific Masters Games 2018 . Although its a long event ( 10 days ) its great to have sailors from other clubs , interstate and overseas coming to compete at our club showcasing their sailing skills no matter what their age ( oldest competitor 82 ) or sail boat preference .  Mother nature was generally very good with winds from 2 knots to 20 knots throughout the event giving everyone a full range of sailing conditions on the Broadwater and of course the odd swim but all in all everyone just had FUN !
  
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Well you guessed it after such great weather for the masters mother nature decided to make it difficult for our first Sunday Juniors and came up with strong winds and choppy water . We still had the group rig a couple of boats and then derig just for the practice . With a large part of the group being newbies we decided that we would give everyone a go with Casey on a club laser as conditions were around 18 knots from the s/e so we sent them off in groups of two for some great reaching action and yes it included a capsize a POB ( person overboard ) and of course some giggling from a couple of our regular juniors who thought the speed was fun which of course we always say it is . Once everyone had a turn with Casey they then jumped on our safety boat for a birds eye on water view of the on water action . Thanks to Casey's efforts all the juniors had a great experience with Casey's skills showing everyone how its done .
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
By 10.30 the conditions were around 15/20 knots s/e so we didn't expect many starters as it was a bit rough but despite the testing conditions Abby , Tom and Tain were keen to give it a try in tera,s so we rigged a couple of boats and let them go out for as they called it fun . Tom and Tain are really starting to work well as a team and despite the odd capsize sailed the boat well which included a lot of yahoos and giggling especially when the really hooked the boat up on the fast reaches so we are now thinking of putting them in the two sail Taz just to see how it goes . Abbey just cruised around the reaching course and at times just flew past the boys in the gusty bits and just to be safe she just stuck to tacking which meant she avoided any swims . Jonah turned up with his Bic for some practice as well as he is off to the worlds in New Zealand soon so the conditions were great and he was soon out their nailing some spectacular gybes and even sharper tacks , looks like the coaching sessions are really working there !
  
1.30 pm Open Race ;
With Tom back from NZ and Casey , Jonah and Steve keen to give the conditions a try ( gusting 28 knots ) we set a course in our channel with a basic upwind downwind starting and finishing in the middle of the course  .
The start was of course a bit hectic with the conditions but Tom and Steve were soon out in front with Casey struggling with the power of the radial that she had decided to have a go with despite her coach advising not to it was definitely a learning day for her . Jonah at times got caught in irons when tacking and towards the end had a couple of swims but I have to say he just got the boat back up each time and continued on. Casey also had the same in irons problem but just like Jonah she just kept getting the boat back up and going again after several capsizes . Tom and Steve were have a good run but the conditions finally got Steve as well and try as he might he just couldn't successfully get his boat up and it finally blew away from him , we were watching from the safety boat but then we realised we couldn't see him at his boat so off we went and as we got near we saw that Tom had stopped and picked him up as he was swimming to shore so we put him on Sarah and Charlie sailed his boat back to the club as he was buggered .Our difficulty in seeing Steve in the water came from his dark clothing so we have suggested he add a bit of colour to his sailing gear as even Tom had trouble from a distance seeing him . So yes all in all it was a busy afternoon on the water .

Upcoming ; 
Gold Coast University Hospital Fund raising Try Sailing day 9th December starting at 8.30 am . This is an annual event at our club where we put a big effort in raising much needed funds for our local hospital so don't forget to invite all your friends along for what is always a fun day .
Annual Club Christmas Party Sunday the 16th of December starting at 1.00 pm ( after juniors )
This year we are going back to holding the event at the sailing club so no dress up required and instead of a barbeque we are going with catered food on site so it should be a lot of fun and included in the afternoon we will be announcing the 2018 Youth and Senior club champions so that more people can meet and cheer their success over the past year . Check our website for details !

CU on the water
John Murphy

 Hi Everyone , What  a difference a week makes from a weekend of pouring rain and 40 plus know winds on the previous weekend to last weekend where we were treated to warmer temperatures , blue skies , warm water and perfect sailing conditions . It was my first weekend of just a shirt and shorts not the five layers that I wear in the middle of winter and even entering the water was a pleasant experience . But best of all that finally Sarah Cooper was back on the water after her steering repairs and what a saga that was but at least she is back !
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Everyone seemed a bit sleepy including the instructors so it took a while to rig the boats but there was no real rush as the winds were light from the S/W and an outgoig tide so it was always going to be a challenge .
Taine and Hudson after a short attempt at sailing decided to start falling out of the boat which went a bit overboard and whit dads intervention we finally got them back sailing . Athian and Shayla sailed well both taking turns at steering and as the wind increased they really started to perfect their tacking and general sailing . Actually everyone sailed well especially as the wind swung S/E to around 4/6 knots which made it perfect reacing weather and of course with the water temperature much warmer and the pleading from everyone to practice capsizing I finally relented and let the real fun begin , there is nothing like laughter echoing accross the water to make everyone smile including the adults .
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
​If you want a perfect way to achieve a silent class just start explaining apparent wind effects on sailing boats , Iam not sure if I had everyone totally enthralled or totally confused but I certainly had a quiet briefing . The course set was again a long reach with both tacking and gybing up for practice and hopefully recognising the apparent wind effect? ? I am still teaching Eddy her new turbo rigging so we were last boat on the water but she was soon away and very comfortable on her laser . Ben and company were just cruising in the laser but had the occassional problem with straight lines and Teegan as she told me just got bored . Charlie struggled with her Bic aat first so I pulled her in to the shallows and worked on tacking with feet position and weight on the new side fast , she even started to feel the effects of apparent wind but most of all she learnt a new word for bottom but you will have to ask her to tell you next weekend . I nearly forgot Addy was out there as well in her Bic and just making it look to easy even with a sore back from falling down the stairs at school , hope its better now add!
1.30 pm Open Racing ;
With a good fleet of lasers an Opti and a couple of Open Bics it was a good fleet showing up fro the start . We set the course in our channell only as the firecast for later in the afternoon was for storms ( well it was Indy weekend ) . It was a good start from everyone with Casey and Ben really nailing it and all the other lasers right on their heels Jonah and Addy had a small meeting at the start line in their Bics resulting in Ollie just getting a good clear path to the top mark . The lasers were really packed together with Ben in the lead and Casey ( radial ) slowly breaking away from the pack and setting her sights on Ben . Roger apparently forgot to duck and had to retire with a nice bump on his forehead . Wonce Jonah got going he just took off after both Ollie and Teegan in the Opti and Ollie with his years of experience ended up doing two laps of the course as he was just to fast especially on his upwinds . Ollie was sailing well but had some capsize trouble at the gybe mark allowing Addy to overtake him and beat him over the line . We stopped the race on the short lap as we could see the Lightning and rain just behind the club so safety first and back to the beach . See Ollie I didnt say anything about you leaving your bung out and thats why Addy caught you so nobody will know ? I suppose I should mention the certain person who yes you guessed it chamoied her boat in the rain twice at least it was entertaining .
Finally who finished first well it was Casey then Ben and Michelle with her new laser radial sail .
Upcoming ;
​
Pan Pacifis Masters Games 2/11 november , Please remember everyone that there will be no juniors on sunday the 4th and Sunday the 11th of November 

Try Sailing Hospital Fundraiser ; This is looking to be the biggest year for this Event to date with the inclusion of fun races for the kids and even the adults  plus raffles so with all thsi happening mark it down in your calendar December 9th 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , As you all may have guessed there was not only no Sunday program last weekend but even our Saturday sessions were cancelled due to both rain and high winds . On Sunday morning the wind speeds at 7.00am were reaching 17 knots at the club and around 20/24 at the seaway and by lunch time the rain was coming through in heavy squalls and the winds were reaching on land 20/25 knots and on the water we estimated gusts in excess of 30 knots and by mid afternoon the seaway was recording 40 knots plus so it was definitely a wild few days on the water.
  
I have to admit both of our senior instructors and me  were thinking of going out mid morning just for some speed reaches but then we got the first of the heavy wind bursts and decided we didn't want to break gear or for that matter people so the plan was scrapped so we took Casey's dog Russell for a walk instead not as exciting as speed reaches but just as wet when it started bucketing down . Lets hope that this wild weather is over so that we can get some good sailing in before Christmas.
  
Broadwater Speed Limits :
Ron and I attended a Gold Coast Waterways Authority meeting on Monday night and one of the main topics was speed limits but sadly like many previous meetings in regards to this issue there is still no firm decisions on reductions and if certain factions get their way there will basically be 40 knots over the whole Broadwater which is in my opinion and I am sure the opinion of all of our senior racing sailors who have already had close encounters on the water absolutely crazy so its definitely one topic Paradise Point Sailing Club needs to keep monitoring . 

2018 Pan Pacific Masters Games 
This Event will mean that there will be no Junior Sailing or club racing on Sunday 4th and 11th of November due to these Sundays being the final race days and presentation of medals . This is a fantastic sailing event and is run via age groups whit sailors in their seventies still competing so if your kids are in need of a sailing fix bring them done after lunch and they can watch the final race and presentations and maybe cheer on some of our club sailors who will be up for medals . The canteen will be open and I believe there will be a sausage sizzle.  For entries and more event details, click here.
  
​Summer Holiday sailing camps;
Please check the front page for the summer holidays junior sailing camp dates we have quite a few on so if the kids are keen book them in for one of the summer camps maybe they would like to invite some of their friends along and show them their sailing skills 

CU on the water
John Murphy 

Hi Everyone Summer must be finally coming because we are now starting to experience the afternoon thunderstorms which always go with the warmer temperatures but luckily for us Gold Coasters we generally miss the worst of the storms with the worst of them either going south or north around us so we end up with a lot of rumbling and a bit of a light show . With these conditions generally the days are fine like yesterday which allowed Trisha to practice for the upcoming Pan Pacific Masters Games  in perfect 10/15 knot winds and blue skies .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With for most of or juniors starting back at school on Monday we didnt expect many starters but as usual we were wrong with 12 junior sailors signing on for the session and gearing up and heading out to rig their boats . Unfortunately as the sailors rigged up the wind speeds started to top out at around 15 knots which is above our 8.30 class safe wind levels so we quickly rigged two lasers and Declan and Casey took everyone out in turns so at least they had a sail . It was pretty quick out there as one of the twins on Declans boat fell out then Declan capsized with the other twin so once Charlie deposited the deserter back on board off they went again . As usual Caseys crew just cruised and I believe even Athenia actually woke up while she was out there and realiused she was cold and had to come in . Charlie ( not bratton ) was a bit disappointed at first as she wanted to sail her friend in the Bic but she still had fun helping Casey sail the laser while her friend just enjoyed the ride . Opps I nearly forgot Charlie,s brother Taine sailed too or was it yelled for most of the session well either way he had fun .
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Well firstly big news for Eddy she finally had her brand new turbo kit fitted to her boat but she wasnt allowed to play with the strings just just sail the boat and while Eddy was getting her new rigging everyone else was rigging up in their Tera,s and Open Bic . We all sat down to discuss conditions which had actually backed off from the earlier class to around a solid 12 knots so there was a bit of nervousness from some of our newer sailors but still everyone launched and went out to tackle the reaching course with the emphasis on both boat speed and tacking . Alex and Lucas struggled at first but after giving Alex the tip off main on before you tack he was off and we finally got Lucas to face the front well that was after his first solo tack attempt didnt end well .
Tain and Tom who seem to enjoy sailing together also had a good session with really good team tacking just remember boys crew goes first ! Well now we have the girls so how did Eddy go with her new rigging ? well judging by the smiles I would say excellent OK there was an early capsize due to that pesky main sheet on transom problem but then she was off and flying so well done Eddy . Last but not least Addy in the Bic well what can we say she just flew around the course and even did a few gybes but I think they were to impress her dad who was finally allowed out after his broken arm incident and dad was suitably impressed as well.
1.30 pm Open Racing ;
With people coming to me for advice on sail choice which as time went on I changed to bigger sails as the conditions slowed I set off and layed a course starting at the Canal and heading up wind into the s/e wind to A mark situated at Runners then a third mark half way up Soverign . With a good fleet at the start line and yes still no Sarah Cooper but thats another storey Addy and I managed to start everyone in Rescue four . The start was stolen by Matt who just swooped in on port right on the hooter while everyone else started on Starboard and managed to stall each other out . Tom took off with Matt right with him while the rest of the fleet argued over places in the first couple of laps in our channel then as everyone rounded A and headed up towards Soverign and a perfect reach opportunity you guessed it Casey just took off and just flew past Matt and was on the hunt for Tom . Charlie had a good day as did Simone but Ben said he struggled with sail set and just couldnt get her going ( know the feeling ) Kaleb pulled out as he was just to slow in the 4.7 as the winds dropped as did Trisha but at least the were out there . Who crossed the line first Tom or Casey ( radial ) Tom but he was definitely looking over his shoulder with Casey finishing only 1 minute behind . I mustnt forget Olie our lone Bic sailor on the day yes he did have a good start but without competition it was a lonely sail but he completed the course even if the main wasnt really on on the upwinds but hey he had fun so well done Ollie .
Upcoming;
The next major Event is The Pan Pacific Masters Games November 2nd to 11th and with the competitor numbers slowly increasing its look like we will get some good sailing in both the dinghy and multihull sections but we are not really sure how we will go with the windsurfers as numbers are still low but we will keep pushing it all the way to the end .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well this weeks news letter is going to be a bit short thanks to the cancellation of both the 8.30 am class and the 10.30 class as well , why did this happen well to put it in laymans terms it blew a gale and bucketed down rain. The wind speeds alone where way above our individual session limits of 12 knots for 8.30 and 16 knots for 10.30 with winds at the seaway at 7.00 am around 24 knots and to top it of it was cold . 
  
I actually posted on Facebook and our website at around 6.30 am that everything was cancelled which seemed to work well except for one or two people who turned up anyway but soon agreed that it was way to windy and wet .
  
At least while I was at the club waiting for those sailors who didn't see the posts  I had the chance to watch some great sailing clips on Facebook especially some big boat sailing in wild conditions which relates to some wild high speeds oh yeah and the odd crash but hey that's sailing right! . What did your other instructors do instead ? well Casey said she was going to study ? and Charlie just went back to bed and me well you guessed it I went to Bunnings !!

Ok just a few reminders ;
On Saturday the 6th of October,  there is the Tastes of Paradise festival in Paradise Point and we have teamed up with Mano's Italian Restaurant to decorate the restaurant in a nautical theme so come over and check the night out its usually great fun !
    
​Pan Pacific Masters Games: During the games the club will not be conducting juniors or Club Racing on Sunday the 4th of November or Sunday the 11th of November but everyone is invited down both to check out the sailing and also to check out the afternoon presentation of medals to the successful sailors.  Don't forget if you're available to lend a hand, let us know.  We need canteen coverage and the usual rescue boat and launch area coordination.  Click here for more details on these events.  #PPMG18
  
Try Sailing Day Hospital Fundraiser:  9th of December 
This is a yearly event at our club where the main focus is to show people our sport of sailing and how much fun we have with it but its also an opportunity for our community club to raise much needed funds for our local Gold Coast University Hospital who use the money we raise each year to help purchase much needed equipment for the Hospital. After my recent visits to the Hospital and the excellent care I received I am even more passionate in my support of this Club Event so Invite all your friends and family along and donate your $2.00 to this worthy cause.  Sailing is a sport that can be participated in at all ages.  At our club we support kids from as young as 6 year old to adult including many masters sailors.  Come down and give it a try.
  
Club Christmas Party:  16th of December
We are looking at the Paradise Point Bowls Club again for this gathering as everyone has so much fun with the barefoot bowls especially the Adults who were the hardest to get off the greens when it was time to sit down for dinner at the last gathering for the Midwinter Cup.  Not only was the food great but the company was a lot of fun.

Club Pontoon:  If you watch Facebook you would have seen our pontoon has a large crack in it caused by grounding at low tide which I only noticed last Sunday while checking the weather, but thanks to Brett Meadows Marine it is still serviceable thanks to some rushed temporary repairs we just need to keep our fingers crossed that we don't get anymore storms until we can effect permanent repairs so fingers crossed 

Ok CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , I thought summer was fast approaching with the temperatures slowly on the rise but this week Monday and Tuesday was feeling like July again with all the junior sailors at this weeks camp wearing wetsuits including the Instructors . It was so cold that I went back to wearing my winter offshore sailing jacket although it didn't stop both the juniors and the instructors jumping in the water and sailing with our new young sailors . Just to clarify the jumping in the water statement Eddie , Addy , Brendan and Declan jumped in the water not Charlie and me although we did get wet anyway as the conditions deteriorated by each afternoon with high winds and very choppy water .


8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With the sun shining and perfect conditions for our beginner fleet consisting of 12 budding sailors including a few newbies the boats were quickly rigged and everyone moved into the class area for the pre sail briefing . I was impressed by all our previous weeks sailors and their being able to point out the wind direction and where the no sail zone is . The conditions were excellent with a wind of around 3/5 knots which was definitely a lot slower than last week where everyone had both towing and capsize practice where this week it was all about trimming the sail to get the best results  Daniel and his crew were just cruising in the taz and Ciarna and Zoe showed good skill with both of them having a go at steering around the course with some very good tacks and sail trimming to catch the best amount of wind . There was a bit of towing as well as the outgoing tide increased and everyone started drifting south but then the wind picked up and everyone sailed back up to the capsize area and yes you guessed it they all started capsizing which rounded out a great morning session .

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With this class rebuilding again as others move on to racing it is attracting a very keen group of level three sailors who are up for the challenge of this new learning curve in their sailing experience . Guys like Tain and Tom who only recently moved up plus Alex absolutely enjoyed the conditions with the winds at a consistent 4/6 knots meaning they could hike out more and gain more speed through the tacks . The wind speed did improve as well during the session  making it important for everyone to hike out and keep the boat level right Eddie ? which gave everyone more speed resulting in better tacks and gybes . There was the odd mainsheet tangle and letting go of rudders resulting in the odd coming together but overall I think everyone was pretty happy with their efforts on the day .

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With what was looking like one of our bigger fleets ( 18 boats ) for Sunday racing and winds basically easterly it was a perfect day to run both channels starting down at runners and firstly doing a couple of laps of the soverign channel then rounding the day out with two laps of our channel finishing at the club . Everyone was keen to get going and with the OK dinghy sailed by Michael sitting right on the start line with less than thirty to go definitely made for a good start well except for Steve who got pushed out and had to come back and start again . With the ok slowly pulling away the race between the radials became a bit of an epic struggle with everyone seeming to have a go at leading the bunch . Everyone was giving their all with some really good speed shown but the battle allowed Michael to jump away in the lead and even though Ben (radial), Matt ( full rig ) and Casey and Michelle ( radial) tried to bridge the gap Michael sailed over the finish line with room to spare followed by Ben, Matt, Casey and Michelle . Everyone actually sailed well with even our relatively new sailors like Lance showing a big improvement well maybe stop letting go of the steering in the gybes right Lance !

Bunnings Fundraiser ;
I would just like to thank everyone who donated their time last saturday with our fundraiser and even though the overall customer numbers were down not only with us but Bunnings also on the day we still managed toraise money for more safety equipment for the club . A special thanks to Charlie B who went the whole day with me starting at 6.30 am and finishing at 5.00 pm truly a big day !

Pan Pacific Master Games only 5 weeks away and yes we would love some volunteers especially during the week so let us know if you are available .  Click here for event details.

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone,

We have a big weekend coming up this weekend with our annual Bunnings Sausage sizzle Fundraiser at our local Arundel store which if its anything like last year will be a big day for our fundraising efforts . Where does the money raised go ? well it goes to new PFD's and we are also looking at some extra helmets  due to the increase in our Junior sailor numbers . We have created a roster for the day but if you cant spare some time why not drop down and catch up and buy a sausage maybe even a drink .

As you all probably realise there was not much sailing last Sunday due to the winds reaching over 35 knots by lunch time which forced the cancellation of both the 10.30 class and Open Racing but we did at least make a start on 8.30 class .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Sunday started with light winds from the west so we thought we would at least be able to run this class successfully  especially since we had some of our keenest new sailors turning up at 8.15 am and signing on and straight outside looking for boats to rig which was a bit of an issue as Charlie , Casey and I had been taking our time setting so a bit of rushing around was in order . By the time the boats were rigged and the briefing done the winds had started to turn southerly at around 8/10 knots which was probably the strongest winds most of this current group had ever sailed in but we thought we should at least give them a try at the conditions . How did this go well lets just say that both safety boats were kept busy helping with capsized boats and people drifting into Public Nuisance and under the bridge right Daniel ! During all this activity you guessed it the winds really turned southerly and increased to around 15/17 knots so everything was put on the shore well except for Charlie who took a couple of keen sailors out for a blast in the laser radial I was actually keen to have a go but Charlie beat me too it and the best part was to see the smiles on the crews faces after Charlie had taken them for a fast ride across the Broadwater .

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Well as you can guess by this time the winds had increased to twenty knots and with quite a few concerned faces from the group this session was cancelled as not only was it way past this groups wind limits but it was quite choppy as well so there was smiles all around but you know I think if I had said yes we go in close to the club they probably would have given it a try but there is always next week !

1.30 Open Racing;
With the winds by 11.30 reaching 33 knots at the seaway and after some discussion around should they go and chance breaking gear everyone decided that again there is always next week . We let everyone know but I think most people already knew the outcome by just looking at the weather updates . By 12.30 it was definitely over 30 knots and very choppy which made even getting the inflatables on their trailers difficult plus then we had to winch up Public Nuisance on her bridle as the winds were really buffeting her . Speaking of Public Nuisance and her aversion to low tides in the Broadwater we are looking at Saturday lunch time sailing in October as the tides are very favourable for sailing her . The plan is to if the winds are suitable sail her out the seaway into deep water where she can stretch her legs so  yes we will be looking for experienced crew to come along so if anyone is keen let me know as we can comfortably take six crew , should be a great experience and fun !

Upcoming ;
November is Pan Pacific Masters Games and we are looking for some volunteers both weekends and week days to help man the safety boats so if you have the time just let us know at the sailing office no boat license is needed but is definitely an advantage and the duties are mainly fleet control so just making sure everyone has safety support on the water . The event is on from Friday the 2nd of November until Sunday the 11th of November not including Monday the 5th which is a rest day ( 9.00 AM UNTIL 4.00 PM )

CU on the water
John Murphy