Hi Everyone The club after much thought has decided to offer more sailing experiences to our young sailors by innitiating after school sailing opportunities . We are currently looking at Tuesdays and Thursdays with a possible saturday mid morning session as well , these sessions will be made available to all our 10.30 training sailors innitially as it wll involve a reasonable skill level . Charlie Bratton and I will run these sessions and they will be open to Bic , Laser , Tera and the Taz sailors with the idea of giving everyone a greater sailing experience by spending more time on the water . If anyone is keen to give this extra sailing time a go just talk with John at the office and you can put your name down for the team , we are hoping that if there is enough support for this training that we will run the program until Easter 2020 .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Sunday morning started with blue skies and about 1 knot of s/w breeze which was a far cry for the weather forecast which was saying 25/30 knot westerly so luckily mother nature didnt read the forecast allowing us to rig boats and introduce some more new sailors to our sport . It was a bit hard at first setting a course as the westerly wind kept moving around causing some moaning from Charlie of the radio but it finally settled into a S/W wind of around 4/6 knots allowing both tacking and Gybing . Zac and Jack had some innitial trouble especially with tacking so I took them ashore and went through the tacking process until they got it right and were sailing around with more boat control . Tom had some trouble as well but Edwina took him aside as well and like me worked on his tacking close to shore . As usual our newbies went out with Declan and despite a capsize they all seemed to have a great time and yes Declan dry capsized which even impressed the new sailors even more , nothing like a show off right Declan .
10.30 am Training:
As usual this was a popular session and with the winds now up around 6/9 knots S/S/W everyone was keen to hit the water with people like Jade soon flying around the course wich was a basic close reach and a broadreach return at first . Jade did get a bump on the head from the boom in one gybe ( probably from the previous nights sleep over? ) which slowed her up for a while but the laser sailors just revelled in the conditions with Abby just flying around the course even when we added the third mark which included a veruy dodgy down wind where a few people had the odd swim which just proves that on the downwind you have to let the sail out right everyone ? We can tell from the safety boat how everyone is improving in all aspects of sailing and also enjoying their new found skills 
 1.30 pm Open Racing :
With the winds turning more S/E we set a course with a start north of the canal with a top mark down at Runners and then a third mark in the middle of Ephriam . We decided to start the Youth sailors with the open fleet as there was only Edwina and Jackson competing which made for a more interesting start line and gave our youth sailors a bit of experience at how the open fleet sailors start and race . As we counted done towards the start conditions started to change from 10/12 knots to 18/20 knots which ultimately caught Eddy out with a tangled mainsheet causing a capsize . We started the fleet and yes called Greg back for Individual recall then wel pulled Eddy up and out of her boat and put Declan in who sailed it home eddy had swallowed to much water so that was it for her race . Jackson although grossly overpowered did manage to make it around the course which totally impressed Charlie and I and he was even grinning while slightly out of control on the downwinds . Tom jumped in fron early with Peter in hot persuit and Casey behind . Casey was smart on sail selection as she went 4.7 as the winds increased to 25/30 knots so it became a bit wild out there . Greg stated to catch up slowly then Roger had a big capsize up the top of the course and once he was wet he soon pulled out of the race . So how did it finish well Tom capsized on the downwind allowing Peter to overtake him and finish first with Casey third just in front of a fast finishing Greg . Even Charlie and I were spent by the end from being thrown around in the safety boat by the waves . I should also mention Declan who went back to shore early and packed up most of the boats before we got back so well done Dec!

Upcoming :
First Aid Course : We are trying to organise a First Aid Course at the club for a saturday in Novemeber so if anyone either needs to upgrade CPR or wants to do the full course just contact the office .

Try Sailing Day : Our annual hospital fundraiser is on Sunday the 8th of December so invite all your friends along on what is always a fun day .

Christmas Party : Preparations are under way for our annual Xmas Party to again be held at the Sailing Club on Sunday the 15th of December and bookings will be essential for catering purposes , Oh yes we will need a few volunteers on the day just to help set everything up .

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , With the long weekend coming up and School holidays in full swing its been a bit quiet at the club so for me it was a good time to catch up on my favourite club pass time paperwork!
We are still working on an extension to our caged area with councils help also a more permanent solution to our pontoon and the excessive sand buildup . We have even increased security by adding another camera to the northern carpark thanks to our caretaker Geoff and one of our long time supporters Jeff who paid for the camera and installed it . Today and tomorrow is our last camp for the holidays and the weather is looking perfect , numbers are small but we will still have fun
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With blue skies and mild conditions it was looking good for the early class and true to form being school holidays numbers were small but as I said to the kids it was a perfect day for us to teach they a lot more about sailing .
Declan took Milan out who has been away overseas on holidays and after a few laps of the reaching course he convinced her to steer and yes there were a few hickups at first but Dec soon had her cruising around the course . Our other two sailors in Ben and Archie who both can steer but have trouble with tacking mistaking a gybe for a tack so a lot of capsizing so we followed them around in the safety boat and worked on tacking and facing the front . Ok there was the odd hickup but all in all both Archie and Ben did really well with smiles all around back at the beach.
10.30 am Training :
With a few people turning up late we were a bit late hitting the water especially with the huntsman swimming around the boats that andrew had brought from home under his laser cover . Convincing everyone to just jump on their boat and go was a challenge as it seemed that standing there watching the spider come towards you a screaming was apparently more effective? Anyway once we had everyone on the water with a set upwind downwind course in around 4/6 knots the challenge then began which was to work on upwind , Addy with here recent competition experience soon mastered the course but everyone else took a bit of coaching to come to grips with the conditions . We did have to move the inner buoy as the tide went out and people were running aground trying to round the mark Alex and Zac struggled but throughout the session slowly improved especially on the upwind as did Nixon and Edwina . Eddy I noticed during the session was looking at here sail more and more so I think fore the last half we just left her alone . Our fastest sailor on the day was Addy so just think how much faster and smoother she could have been with a bit of roll tacking and gybing right addy?
1.30 pm open racing :
With the winds really swinging North we set a course straight up the main channel so a nice upwind then a run accross then back down to the start finish buoy so yes triangles and windward leewards . . The start was a bit hectic but Tom had it nailed by hanging just behind the line while everyone else hung back so as the flag dropped he was off and you guessed it he was never headed . Chris in the MG was soon up there with him but a sloppy gybe saw him loose his place but it was a dry capsize . Charlie with my full rig on was settled in third throuhgout the race but he did let Greg get past eventually . Roger was up there early also but had an incident and lost places then it was Casey who slowly came through the fleet but as the race went on her fitness and superior boat speed helped her move up to the front of the pack . The best effort came from both Matt and Stuart especially from our novice racer Stuart who has only just started racing and he managed to complete the course behind everyone with no capsizes and much improved upwinds so good effort Stuart .

UPCOMING:
THE CLUB IS CLOSED FOR THE LONG WEEKEND BUT MEMBERS WHO STORE THEIR BOATS CAN GAIN ACCESS BY CALLING THE CLUB

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , I cant believe its almost October and people are starting to talk about Christmas already so its time to start planning next year especially with the way the club is increasing its numbers so we will have to look at more sailing ideas to keep the increasing number of juniors occupied in 2020 . If you have any thoughts just let us know and the committee can discuss them and go from there . The club has endorsed Casey Evans as the new club Secretary replacing Simone who has cited work committments for stepping down and Charlie Bratten isbooked in with AS to complete a PRO ( principal race officer ) course , its great to see these young club sailors putting their hands up in support of their club
 8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Sunday morning started with the usual blue skies and some of our keen young sailors were arriving from 8.15 just to get their boat rigged early especially the Bic,s which are starting to become popular again with Cailem , Aithan and Jade really getting into them especially Jade whos general sailing is looking good we just have to work on the gybes ? right Jade . The conditions were perfect with winds around 4/6 knots from the N/W so yes a bit flukey at times but everyone was soon out there cruising around the buoys . Lucas and Jayden just continue to improve each week with their tacking becoming smoother with a good effort at facing the front speaking of wich Aidan still has a bit of trouble if not reminded and goes back to backwards tacking but we always seem to see it and remind him to face the front ! Jade took young willow out in the Bic and they actually sailed well together which is no mean feat in a Bic two up even if Willow did fall out at one stage but we knew by the smiling face that she was fine even if a bit cold .
10.30 am Training:
With the wind increasing to around a solid 6/7 knots from the N/E we set up a windward leeward course as part of race training which everyone seemed to negotiate reasonably easy so the previous weeks windward leeward training must have worked . We soon had everyone sailing down to the green channel mark and back with very little trouble although at times tacking at the green was a bit messy right Jackson . Aeriel was going well especially after we re set her hiking strap which was originally hurting herthigh muscles every time she tried to hike out which really affected her upwind  but on Sunday she was off and running . Addy had to pull out early complaining of a upset stomach but everyone else continued on in the perfect conditions .
Youth Racing : 
Yes it was also race day for the Youth and with only four lasers  ( Eddy , Nixon , Ariel and Jackson ) we set a narrow start line down at the canal and put the top mark near the club so a good upwind and fast down wind . Everyone was at the start line when Aidan dropped the flag and there was soon yelling of up up especially fro Eddy who pushed to hard and luffed up allowing the rest to get away , Nixon had to do a penalty turn which allowed Eddy back into third with Jackson and Ariel up in front . Eddy started to pull away from Nixon but half way up the track she got a heavy bullet and capsized resulting in Ariel first, Jackson second , Nixon third and Eddy fourth so all in all a good race . We did afterwards go for a reach down to the x mark where the winds were blowing around 15 knots which made for a fast ride in both directions for everyone just for fun !
1.30 pm Adult Racing:
With the wind really settling in tothe N/E at around 12/16 knots we set a course with the A mark at the top of Soverign and a Bmark at the top of Ephriam giving everyone a good work upwind and a wild ride downwind as the winds increased . Crash John lived up to his reputation whith he and Steve having a coming together at the start but from what Charlie told me the rest got away clean for the slog up to A .
Kate told me that she was really impressed with her sail as she was using a radial which by the book was a bit to powerful for her weight but she just compensated by dropping the main in the gusty bits . Greg was sailing well as was John with a few lead changes on the course but there was always that blond sailor 9 cASEY ) lurking in the background until she finally overtook them to take over the lead well until a very dodgy gybe put her in the drink allowing John to cross the line first with Casey second , Kate third then Steve . Where was Greg well his outhaul broke so that was his day done .

Upcoming:
October long weekend the club will be closed on Sunday so no Juniors or Racing
Holiday sailing camps : only one left thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of October booking esential

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone , Firstly thanks to everyone who let me know they were thinking of me during my recent illness itt always helps with recovery when you have support from as far away as South Africa with old sailing friends enquiring about my health so thanks again everyone for your great support . Last Sundasy was my first full day back and yes it was great to be on deck again even if I was a bit tired by the end of the day but by the same token I felt great being there doing what I love .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors : 
Sunday morning started with the usual blue skies and with everyone on deck to help we soon had everything up and running for what looked like a great day for sailing .We even had a new helper in Blake who just graduated to training at 10.30 helping with the new sailors and did very well for his first instructing day . With a mix of tera,s and Bics rigged and ready and a good group of 16 sailors including a couple of first timers all we needed was wind and you guessed it that was what was missing with only a light and shifty w/s/w wind that really tested everyone . We had a reaching course out there but with the shifty conditions it occassionally changed to close reach and broad reach which most people like Lincoln ,  caiden and Aithan ( bic ) soon mastered and were just cruising around the buoys doing both tacks and gybes which doesnt sound to hard but with the light shifty conditions it was a good show of their sailing skills . Unfortunately it didnt take long for people to become bored even with a shift in the original course toward the south for people asking the question ? ( can we go in ) so after 50 minutes we finally relented and sent them all back in and there wasnt a complaint among them .

10.30 AM TRAINING;
Luckily by the time everyone had their boats rigged the wind had shifted a little bit more S/e and increased to around 6 knots so we sent everyone out to innitially go around the buoys with tacking and gybing with the windward buoy in the middle of the no sail zone so Charlie and I in separate boats were soon coaching everyone when to tack on the upwind and you guessed it let sail out on the bearaway well that was except for Addy who with her recent away sailing experiences just nailed it and was soon bored ! I sent addy of to the second green mark in the channel as the winds were slowly turning more east while we kept working with the rest of the group . It was especially nice to see Eddy out there on her boat after her long illness and she was looking very happy even if she didnt look at the sail enough! Nick and Ariel improved as the session went on and seemed to really enjoy the coaching and even Jack and Dean ( Torin crew ) and Blake slowly managed to get their sailing skills going and everyone then joined Addy sailing down to the second green and back so all min all a great session . Addy  and I practiced a new technique called blind sailing although Charlie said she was occassionally peeking ? so if you want to know what the technique is just ask Addy

1.30 PM Open Racing;
With the winds turning east / north east we set a course in the main channel starting at the x mark and set two buoys just above Ephriam Island for a triangle . The winds were around 6/.7 knots with the beginnings of an outgoing tide so it was perfect conditions for a start which everyone successfully completed . Charlie borrowed my full rig sail and had a great start but was so busy telling everyone that they all caught him and next minute he was 6th . As the race progressed the winds increased  and turned more N/E and with the increasing tide it soon became a battle to get around the course . Chris in the MG slowly pulled away ( two sails ) but the interest was behind him with the slightest mistake changing who was in the lead Charlie did fight back to second but apparently the full rig caught him out twice and he had a swim , Matt was also up there for a while and Tom was fighting back slowly coming through the fleet but each lap things changed including conditions with the winds building making the upwind tough work . Simone pulled out just buggered and Ben broke his boom saddle which he found out when he tacked and his main sheet caught around his next and went round in a circle then capsized ( been there done that ) but the rest battled on with the first boat over the line finishing in 1hr 48 minutes ( I think they want Charlie back setting courses his werent that long ? ) . So Greg first yes Casey second and Charlie fought back for third then clipped the finish boat and capsized again ! great day of Racing !

Upcoming ;
October long weekend the club will be closed Sunday so no Juniors or Training
Holiday sailing camps are on with two camps being run with numbers already growing , all dates are on our website and booking is essential to secure a spot.

CU on the water

J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Iam not fully back but at least I managed to help with our 8.30 am class and the 10.30 am training guys last Sunday . If all goes well at the doctors of Friday I should be back in full swing the coming Sunday so fingers crossed for a good result.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With everyone helping to get the club open we were ready early for this group . No sooner had we set everything they the sailors started to arrive and the boats were soon being rigged and taken down to the beach ready to launch. Andrew put me back in charge so I had to quickly check the wind and tides so that I could ask the right questions . Just like last week I couldnt believe how  they have all improved in their sailing knowledge with everyone who has been coming on a regular basis had i moved ahead in both their knowledge and skills .
Questions were being asked and answered well so in no time it was time to hit the water even little Milan turned up after a few months off and was soon on a boat sailing . The winds were a bit shifty out of the west so Charlie set a nice reach right in front of the club and everyone was soon cruising around the course . Young Jack and Dean again took new sailors out for a sail and even let them have a steer even if its always a bit dodgy which was occassionally confirmed by the look of fear on Jack and Deans faces when things got a bit out of control , they both survived and their were no swims. Another good performance was from Blake who really sailed well picking the shifts and managing to get around the buoys each time , I had him a bit worried as I said I wanted to see him after the session but it was only so I could tell him he goes to 10.30 am training next week the smile was precious!
 10.30 am Training:
Although a few were away we still had a reasonable group on the water and we soon had them sailing around the buoys on a reach tacking and gybing . The winds were coming up a bit with some bullets around 12/14 knots making the early reaches somewhat exciting . It was soon obvious that it was all to easy for this group so we set them off two the second green navigation mark so they had a broad reach down and a work back . The downwinds were a bit wild at times especially for those who let their sail out too far right Abby and Jackson? making the boat want to high side and throw them out . The upwinds were were also a challenge in the gusty and by now shifty conditions make for a few tacks on their way to the top mark bot Nick and Jackson struggled  in the lasers but they did make it then set for another broadreach back down . Young Jack was also giving it a go in the bic and for quite a while was managing to keep it up right but again like the others he let the sail out too far on the downwind and went in the drink twice by which time he was shivering so we pulled him off and Torin sailed his boat in yes Torin fitted in the Bic but only just. Finally returning to shore also gave them all a workout in the westerly with everyone at first trying to sail straight in but with a few tips from the training boat they sailed up toward the bridge then tacked for sure '

Upcoming ;
October long weekend we will be closed .
September holiday camp dates will be posted next week on our website ( ppscgc.com )

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone , finally the newsletter is back up and running your intrepid story teller thought he had caught a cold then Influenza then pneumonia and after that it was all down hill from there but after some great support from paramedics , hospital staff and members of the club I was able to get back last weekend and help mout with Juniors so I can at least write about that 
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With brilliant blue skies and conditions a lot warmer than when I was last there it was a perfect morning and to show it once all the boats were finally rigged and ready we found we had 18 budding sailors signed on for the session . I sat back and listened at Andrews briefing and was at times surprised at the answers given which yes were right which to me shows a willingness to learn . Even though we had blue skies there wasnt much wind through the whole session with just a light breeze at of the North/e . It didnt seem to wory people like Aithan and Jade in the bics as they cruised around the breaching course that Charlie set and even Blake was on his best behaviour as he was being tested for 10.30 class as he had already shown Andrew and I his knots on shore , so did he pass yes he did so he now moves up to the more interesting sailing aat 10.30 so good luck mate . There was quite a few new faces there as well mixed in with the now old hands with everyone pitching in to help out the new sailors .
10.30 am Junior Training :
I couldnt stay for long for this class as I was on doctors orders but I did watch their practice race start out the front of the club with 8 boats jockeying for the best spot on the line but Addy creamed them all with a brilliant start and just took off whit Abby soon to follow . Its pretty obvious that Addys recent away sailing adventures have really helped improve her sailing skills . 

i am back next weekend again and I will be staying until lunch time so I will be able to put more information in the next news letter then finally a week later back to a full rundown of the previous weeks activities .

MEMBERSHIP : most memberships have been renewed but if you arent sure ask at the office on Sunday

C U on the water 
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , One of our young sailors seems to have developed a taste for competition after competing at Youth Week and doing really well especially being the only girl in her division and the only green fleet sailor sailing in the Open division she is now off this weekend to Humpy bong sailing club to compete there as well so I am sure I am speaking for everyone in wishing Addy all the best for the coming weekend she was even practicing her gybes at training last weekend .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Yes it was definitely cold last Sunday morning but the sun was shining and the forecast was for good winds throughout the day so we guessed that we would probably have around 12 sailors for the morning and as usual we were way out with 18 sailors turning up for both classes . The early group started with light winds mainly from the west so it was pretty easy to sail out and start reaching around the course even elizabeth who has been away for a while was straight back into it show good tacks and gybes . Addy captained a tera with two of our first time sailors and even had them steering by the end of the session well it was only blowing 3/5 knots but both her girls absolutely loved the challenge as did the boys on the laser with Torin who like most boys did nothing but argue wh was the best steerer . Aithan and Jade just cruised as did Carl being the most experienced sailors out there even if they did have a bit of trouble getting those pesky battens to pop in the light conditions right aithan ? but thats Bics for you . We said good bye to Carl as well as his family is returning to Sweden but he tells me that they are looking at returning in 12 months so hopefully we will see him again then and he can catch up on all that lost sailing time .
10.30 am Training :
After a few weeks break after the midwinter cup everyone looked keen on Sunday to get back out there 
with 8 boats waiting on the beach and nearly everyone at the briefing ( Abby ) where we discussed tell tales and would you believe I think they are starting to get the idea how they work so all we have to do now is transfer that to the on water section which is still a bit dusty at times . We sent everyone off down to the second green channel marker then a course between the green and yellow buoy with boat speed and tell tales the combination for the day . So how did they go well Abby just cruised and with a little prompting generated even more speed  with nice flowing telltales as did Alex in the Taz who had the Taz really hooked up and telltales flowing ( thanks to Charlie who stuck the telltales on before juniors ). Jackson had to borrow a club boat as dad was off fishing but even old bad decision was just cruising . Mason and Jade did struggle a bit but at least they were looking au at the sail and getting better boat speed . The best part of the session was when it was time to return and Charkie and I set a close hauled return from the canal back to the club and we were actually blown away by everyones efforts with everyone either making it straight back to the beach or very close so there were a lot of pats on the back for everyone back at the rigging area so all in all its looking good for the restart of youth racing on the 11/8/2019.
1.30 PM open racing :
With a dozen boats rigging on the beach it was a bit of a challenge in setting a good course with the winds around 4/6 knots from the N/N/W so Torin and I decided on a triangle course starting at runners for what was looking to be a tough upwind to A at the canal then a third mark back down on the west side near runners . Addy and I set a decent length start line but by the time the start came around it was looking like the wind just wasnt going to cooperate as it swirled all over the place and everyone just struggled through the line . Charlie had a rush of blood and decided to try and take casey up ( yes she was there hangover and all ) which ended with them both stalled out and everyone sailing away . Kate managed to just sneak in front on the way up with everyone behind her suffering some wild wind shifts like Greg who we saw going 90 degrees to everyone else at one stage just trying to find the wind . So can you guess what happened then yes the wind came up to around 12 knots and shifter N/E so the upwind became a really fast reach allowing Kate to just take off and never looked like being caught although Pete tried his hardest . So Kate was first with Pete second Steve third and Roger fourth , Casey managed to block Ben out after a mamouth battle on the last upwind with Greg just in front of them . We did have another boat out there which was Chris in his MG with superior boat speed came over the line first but he didnt sign on so hence Kate was first. 

Upcoming :
October long weekend 5/6/7 there will be no juniors that sunday as there was no club racing listed as well so the club will not be operating that weekend but members can access their boats if they want to sail.
Memberships and Boat storage are now due renewal forms available at the club office .

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone , Well its finally winter with the waters finally getting that winter chill feeling and the morning temperatures down around 3 degrees which just makes it that little bit harder when getting up at 5,30 in the morning , I have even started wearing my wetsuit bottoms mainly for the wind chill factor and even Charlie was complaining off the cold well he has been in Dubai and Italy for three weeks travelling around with his family so I suppose its understandable.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors:
This early session always amazes me with the turn out numbers especially this time of year with another great group turning up last Sunday which we didnt expect and with our group of instructors having to look for gear that was spread over the club from the Midwinter Cup it took us a while to rig all the boats as sometimes you just need an Adult look to find things . The conditions were perfect for our learner group with the winds out of the west roughly and a course set up and down the broadwater we set everyone off to do some reaching with tacks and gybes . Jack has really taken to the solo sailing thing and Dean o is getting very sharp with his crew especially in the tacks , Jade was just cruising as was cayden who also sailed solo and they both nailed the tacks and gybes plus general boat speed so well done guys . The winds did slowly turn s/s/w and at times had a few bullets in them which certainly got everyones attention but no capsizes although we did have one new 5 year old sailor who was out with Declan who had to come in as it was just a bit too much for her in the gusty bits but Iam sure she will be back for more as she likes sailing with Deco . Finally we even had a sailor returning apparently because his sister is out of action ( Eddy ) so now he can for now taking over the sailing duties for the family so well done Aidan!

10.30 am Training:
Well with no racing for the month of July for our Youth Sailors we thought we would at least get a reasonable crowd for training but we only had the usual suspects with Addy Abby Jade / Dean plus Jack out there for some training with Eddy still recuperating from her Illness she was just a spectator but she is looking better . We set a windward leeward which has always been a challenge for our group but it doesnt seem to be that way anymore well except for the first couple of laps were some coaching was needed but then people like Abby and Addy just took off around the course . The winds had swung s/e at around 6 knots so the top mark was down near the green channel mark so it was all about angles on the upwind which did challenge both Jack and Jade but as soon as they started following Abby and Addy the soon got the hang of it . Jade returned to shore at one stage as she was a bit confused but after Andrew had a talk and Deano jumped on away they went and managed to pick up the pace around the course . So when is Youth racing back its August with racing twice a month on the second and fourth Sundays .


1.30 pm Open Racing :
With quite a few people away it was only Russel , Greg , Steve ,Casey , Addy and a late starter Roger who we there for racing and after a discussion regarding the light conditions and small numbers everyone decide to do some practice starts instead so we set a very short line down at the canal with an upwind buoy about a 100 metre’s up wind and away we went .The guys really enjoyed it but both the girls soon started complaining about being tired from Youth week so they pulled out but not before Casey made us all laugh when she caught everyone on port at the start and got such a shock that instead of yelling starboard she just screamed at them all but they still got out of her way . The conditions started to lighten out after a while so we ended up only having about 6 practice starts well seven if you include the general recall yes I couldnt believe it but they were all over I suppose it shows how keen they are or maybe they just do it for me to keep me on my toes . Lets hope next weekends winds are more favourable .


Upcoming :
MEMBERSHIP AND BOAT STORAGE FEES ARE NOW DUE AND PAYMENTS MUST INCLUDE YOUR RENEWAL FORM AND STORAGE APPLICATION FORM WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE SAILING OFF OR ON REQUEST
OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND FIRST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER HOLIDAY MONDAY
TRY SAILING FUNDRAISER & XMAS PARTY DECEMBER
CLOSED FOR XMAS BREAK FROM THE 23RD DECEMBER

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Wow what a couple of weeks its been with rain more rain strong winds no wind good winds and then finally some sunshine , Not only was the changeable weather hard on our annual midwinter cup but also for our sailors who signed up for Youth week and Royal Queensland last weekend but despite all this both events were a great success . I would like to mention one of our sailors who’s goal this year was the Midwinter Cup she trained hard and sailed well only to be struck down a week before the event and had to sit there and watch everyone have an awesome weekend so from myself and everyone at P.P.S.C.we wish you a speedy recovery Eddy. Finally we had two sailors at Youth week Casey and Addy and to find out how they went you will just have to ask them on Sunday and yes we are very proud of their efforts .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Well with the Gold Coast marathon on and rain absolutely bucketing down early it was always going to be a bit quiet on the day but luckily the rain cleared a light wind came up and we had a reasonable size group sign on for the learner session. As it was only Declan and I on duty the small numbers suited and with a 4/6 knot s/e breeze it was perfect for a reach out the front . We had a couple of first timers again so Dec,o rigged up the club laser and set off with his crew of three , the conditions were just right for him to let everyone have a turn at steering and mainsheet . Unfortunately as the session went on it started to cloud over which definitely made it much colder but everyone stayed out but definitely didn’t want to capsize although Jack and Dean were seen swimming afterwards ? They have both taken to sailing alone and Jack is going ahead leaps and bounds while Deano needed a bit of prompting from dad before he joined the group and really did well listening to his Instructor and tacking around the marks with boat speed and even facing forward so well don e guys.

10.30 am Training:
Well all I can say is we must have worn everyone out at the midwinter cup or the overcast weather kept everyone away as we had no takers for this session and Declan got so bored he fell asleep in a chair while the rest of us just chatted and checked on line to see how Casey and Addy were doing so that was Training for the day.

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With Peter Board on deck as the usual suspects were either away on holidays or racing elsewhere and me as crew we set a course in the Soverign Channel as the winds were perfect for a windward leeward course with a breeze of around 12/15 knots S/E with the occassional extra puff everyone lined up well for a clean start with Greg and Pete leading the way and Ben right behind them . Pete , Ben and Greg broke away out front with as usual Greg and Pete having a good tussle and Ben a dogged third well that was until a sneeky gust on the top mark bearaway and leaning forward to release everything caused a high side crash and a slow recovery allowing Kate in a 4.7 to take over third which she didnt relinquish .

Roger picked the wrong sail ( radial ) for the conditions and really struggled towards the end especially in the bullets and was looking decidely worn out as he went through the finish . The final placings were Greg who’s new boat is really showing some speed then Peter fell and Kate brought up third and there is even a whisper that she might join the club as she is hungry for points which are always available after racing thanks to Rons work behind the scenes doing daily results so that everyone knows where the are for the year .

Upcoming :
Our last two major events at P.P.S.C. are our annual Try sailing Fundraising day and of course our Xmas party and we are also trying to organise a club maintenance day and also safety boat crewing day as well which will both take place on a Saturday .

First Aid : A first aid course will also be conducted soon through surf Lifesaving Queensland so if you are interested in either an upgrade or learning how to do first aid just let us know and we can add you to the course .

Opps almost forgot a special thanks to Declans mum for opening the canteen last Sunday as originally it was not opening as Casey was competing in Brisbane and helping Dec and I pack up at the end of the day.

GET WELL SOON EDDY !

CU on the water
John Murphy

Well hi everyone I hope all our Sunday sailors survived no sailing last weekend and are ready to hopefully get back into it this weekend . Just a reminder also that the Gold Coast marathon is on this Sunday so the roundabout in front of the club will be closed until between 8/8.30 am before they will allow traffic through , you can park and walk accross for 8.30 class but everything should be ok for 10.30 class .

John Murphy Midwinter Cup :
This years Regatta had the biggest fleet in years with 34 entries with sabots and optis showing up in good numbers and our largest fleet of lasers but a little down in the Open Bic but all in all a good fleet . Mother nature certainly gave us some challenges with good winds at first then high winds and finally rounding out with light winds and that was only saturday then sunday was absolutely still until 10.30 ( 9am original race start ) when we finally detected some wind so it was a mad rush to get everyone out there for the last two races . The green fleet ended up with a paddling race as the conditions were just too difficult but the open fleet showed real skill sailing in what was originally very light winds . We couldnt single out any class as the best in the conditions as everyone showed not only skill but a heap of determination it the challenging conditions .

So how did our sailors go well in the green fleet our sailors had wins in both laser ( 1st and 3rd ) and Open Bic 1st and in the open fleet we had a second in lasers ( guess who? ) and a hard fought 3rd in open bic all in all a great result for the club . If you have been following facebook you can check out all the winners and some great sailing photos . We have to thank the Queensland Sabot Association for sending down a great fleet and RQ , Lake catharabah and SYC for also supporting this annual regatta and we look forward to next years event with everyone promising to return again.

Click here to visit the results.

Click here for photos.

Starting on the 5th of July is Youth week at RQ and we have two entries with Casey returning for her second time ( 3rd last year ) and Addy has signed up for green fleet open bic but her coach has told her not to go out if the weather is to rough which it is looking like for the first few days otherwise she will be out there soaking up the atmosphere so good luck girls and happy sailing.

CU on the water
John Murphy