Hi Everyone , I often say to all the sailors at the club this time of year that they should wear a wetsuit as the water is cold but around half the time people don't take much notice and suffer the consequences probably because they think what would john know ! Well I can officially say that last Sunday it was definitely cold because I fell in much to everyone's joy , all the mums and dads plus everyone on the water must have been looking at me just at that moment so all I could hear was laughter yep that's right no sympathy just laughter!

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Everyone for this class must have been like me and not wanted to get out of bed making us a bit late to get under way , the winds were getting up there a bit but everyone was still keen to give it a go so we set a reach across the N/W wind which being westerly ranged from 4/10 knots with some really strong bullets . Jack and Dean came in early after being hit by a few really sharp bullets nearly capsizing then at one stage then on the flip side Alex just cruised around as did Josh that extra weight always makes a difference . We even had Mary's little sister on the safety boat with her best mate Athenia , she wouldnt get on our boat with Charlie and I then we realised we didn't have Athenia  so we called Casey over with Athenia and she jumped straight on board and who knows she might even join her sister Mary out sailing soon .

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
As the morning moved on the winds did increase so we decided where possible to get everyone to two up sail as the conditions were just getting a bit difficult for everyone with the bullets beginning to increase in sharpness and strength . We increased the course length just to give everyone more maneuvering room which paid dividends with some of the worst gusts right at the rounding buoys making it just tha bit tougher rounding the marks . I did at one stage see Eddy cop a really nasty bullet probably around 16/17 knots right on the turning mark but true to form she held it and kept going until she had rudder trouble and had to come in . The worst of it for the Laser that Eddy was sailing was that she had to cope with no turbo vang as both our units had been stolen the previous Saturday so we just couldn't tighten the rig enough to suit the conditions . Amongst the Teras Lucas and Mason went well managing to keep control in some of the worst gusts but even they looked a bit shattered by the end so well done everyone in tough conditions .
 
1.30 pm Open Racing ;
With the early conditions giving everyone a heads up as to what to expect out on the course especially as the wind speeds increased everyone downsized to either radials or 4.7 well except for Charlie but that's another story.

We set a course starting down at Runners with a top mark up at the canal so everyone had three laps of that section before heading up the Sovereign channel then a run back to the start finish line . With the gust around 25 knots there were dramas from the start with the start boat just after the 4 minute flag dragging its anchor and within seconds we were a good 60 metres away from the line so with a quick reset we gave it another go with everyone lining up perfectly against the raging current for a clean start . Just to be different I made everyone observe the nav marks which actually worked out well as the wind began to swing more west bringing with it some really fast reaching and the occasional capsize . It was actually great watching everyone absolutely flying along with some good tussles especially between Greg and Tom and Casey and Kate oh and Steve before he had a swim. The award for the best performance has to go though to young Caleb who because of the vang theft I mentioned earlier absolutely struggled to keep the boat up resulting in nine capsizes and then a broken mast then he gave in and we towed him home , well done mate !

In regards to our stolen turbo kits I would like to thank Performance Sailcraft Australia for the really great deal on two new units so at least our up and coming junior laser sailors can continue working on their skills in Lasers even in windy conditions , Thanks Jason and Chris.
​
Upcoming;
Pan Pacific Masters Games 2nd to 11th November ;
Just a reminder that the early bird discount offer for this event closes early 2 September , this is always a great event so why not give the boat a polish and join in the fun.

Bunnings barbeque fundraiser TBA 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , What a busy year so far with nearly every weekend full of club sailing plus school holiday sailing camps and school sport sailing groups and that's just at P.P.S.C. I even visited the Youth Week sailing at Royal Queensland Yacht Club where I not only had a chance to catch up with some old friends but it was also an opportunity to check out the talents of all the young sailors throughout Queensland which only shows that our sport is definitely alive and well .

8,30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With as you guessed a perfect Sunday morning weather wise with the sun shining water temp improving and perfect learner winds but only a small group of sailors we soon had the boats set up and everyone inside for a briefing . Normally we always discuss the wind direction so we can work out the no sail zone but that was a bit of a problem as the wind ( about 1.5 knots ) was moving from west to north so anyone who mentioned either one of those directions got the nod . Once everyone launched you guessed it it went n/e but did pick up a bit allowing everyone to at least get a bit of sailing in well at least until someone suggested capsize which stated a series of capsizing manouveres whit even after some struggling we managed to get Athenia capsizing like the rest even Eddy jumped in and helped out . Athenia was the funniest I have to admit as we were all laughing at her efforts jumping side to side trying not to capsize but with a bit of help from the safety boat she finally went in then kept repeating the process .

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With quite a few new sailors progressing from beginners again this group is really starting to grow so we had a lot of slightly nervous but keen sailors lined up to take their next sailing challenge . The wind had changed from 8.30 class right around to a e/s/e wind variable to 3 knots so it was definitely a challenge . I took off with Teegan in her opti to work on upwind sailing and then Addy joined in with the target being the green channel mark which really tested their upwind skills . Addy wanted whistle gybes which means that whenever I blew the whistle they had to gybe then resume their course . A few of the others wanted to join in ( Eddy , Alex , Tain ) so we ended up with five boats gybing in unison and it actually looked really good . A special thanks to Mason for giving up a solo sail to crew for Mary who has been away for a while and was a bit nervous OK he did jump out at one stage just to show off but Mary just sailed on and picked him up on the next lap , good to see you back Mary.

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With the sun shining brightly and the winds out of the E/S//E at around 6 knots even if a bit flukey we set a start line down near the canal with an upwind well almost at unwind to A mark down east of Runners then a top mark half way up Soverign so the course was basically close reaches broad reaches and a bit of running so a fun sail as we thought the wind would drop . With sixteen boats lined up including Addy and Ollie in Bics plus Teegan in her Opti who were to do two laps in our channel it was a very busy start line especially with Teegan showing the way up front mixing it with the lasers . Teegan actually nearly pulled off a blinder by beating all the boats to the line just missing out by a boat lenght too early but hey a great try Teegan .Amongst the rest Greg was uncatchable and throughout the race just kept extending his lead and everyone else said they just couldn't catch him must be why he had that big smile as he crossed the finish line . Our junior sailors raced well with Ollie and Addy having a great battle but Ollie just powered home on the reach back to the finish with Addy hot on his heels then Teegan who struggled a bit upwind and no we didn't call her back for being a bit early because it was such a good start .

Upcoming ; Pan Pacific Masters Games ; 2/11 November our next major event 

CU on the water 
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , For a change this week the committee and I would like to thank all our volunteers ( including the committee ) at the club who donate their time to help keep our club a friendly place to bring families and especially children to start their Sundays with some active and healthy sport  . Everyone pitches in even if its only for a few hours on a Sunday and its much appreciated by all the members and visitors .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With the winter chills virtually gone Sunday mornings are starting to warm up but it cant be said the water temperature is following , its that first dipping of the toes when launching the safety boats which definitely wakes us up in the morning . The weather was nearly perfect with winds from the N/W at around 4 knots so we set a nice reach across the front of the club so that everyone could enjoy their sail . Alex had his first solo sail and with a bit of help from Charlie really started to sail solo well so much so that we have suggested that he move up to 10.30 class , Athenia with Josh as crew had another go at steering but the old attention span was a bit short resulting it a lot of course adjustment commands from Casey including the odd duct command . When Josh finally had a chance to steer the boat definitely had much straighter lines . It was great seeing everyone really giving it a go and even better watching everyone pitch in to pack up at the end .
10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With the wind filling in still from the N/W to around 4/7 knots it was perfect for this group to not only practice gybes but also Ollie,s favourite course yes triangles . In the briefing we discsussed what turns we would be making as in gybes , tacks and bearaways or hardening up . It took a lit bit of coaxing and a realisation that the triangle was reversed before everyone realised that their was no bearaway but a harden up instead . It took a while for Mason and Tain to come to grips with especially the harden up mark but with a bit of heavy coaching they both managed to make it back to the top mark . Ollie who doesnt like triangles ? and gybing sailed the course with ease even without gloves at first and Addy just nailed it as did Teegan . Charlie and I realised after following Tain for a while that we need to do some on land tack and gybe training because his feet position is all wrong so hopefully we will get the time next Sunday. Andrew sailed with Ben for the first time in his laser  as Ben is thinking of giving lasers a go , might be easier one up Ben as dad looked to be taking up to much room in the tacks !

1.30 pm Open Racing ;
OK mother nature got me again as I thought the wind would drop off so I only set a course in our channel with just a couple of windward leeward legs and triangles . So you guessed it the wind stayed in at around 6/9 Knots from the N/N/E and with the start line down near runners and not as much tide es expected everyone zipped around the course in roughly 40 minutes with Tom first over the line . As everyone still looked fresh we asked if they would all like to go around again and it was a resounding yes so we set a slightly shorter course and had race two . Addy and Teegan also did part of the first course and they both went well with them both getting over the line behind the main fleet and with a decent breeze helping them along the just worked their way to the top mark and then back to the finish , Teegan did a bit more with her dad following in his boat but Addy tied up to the start boat as she was also the race scribe for the day . It is rumoured that we might even be able to put the recall flags back in the bag as lately everyone has behaved themselves but then again maybe we should just keep them handy !

Upcoming ;

Bunnings fundraising barbeque : volunteers will be needed for this important event and as soon as we have a date we will let everyone know hopefully around september  .

Pan Pacific Masters Games ; We are starting to recieve entries and also an increase in entry enquiries so its looking good for a great 10 days of sailing in November  

School Holiday Sailing Camps ( September ) ; Two sets of dates have been set aside for this holiday event so chek the home page for details 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi everyone , Well after an extended trip to Sydney last week it was nice to finally arrive back on the Coast even if it was a day late due to extreme winds which apparently topped over 100 kph on Friday making takeoff and landings to dangerous . At least the Sydney weather in general was fine and sunny allowing my sister to visit friends and do some shopping it definitely was a well deserved break.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With the temperature in double digits at 5.30 am it looked like another great start on the gold coast for Sunday on the water. We didn't expect too many sailors as it was the first week of term but we still had eight starters with Charlie and Taine the first in the door . After setting up enough boats and with the winds coming out of the south at around 4/7 knots it was perfect for a nice reach across the Broadwater. So who sailed well ? just about everyone with Dean just cruising on the main sail trim and jack steering like a 10.30 sailor plus Taine and his crew who despite a collision with a mainsheet and a bit of coaxing from me managed to get back out there and sail well . Athenia just gets better every week as does Josh and Lucas who had a sail on his own and slowly managed to pick up the sequence between mainsheet and steering . Casey took a new student out for an intro on the laser and even had her kind of steering ? at one stage so well done Casey and Anna.

10.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Again with this class we didn't expect many sailors signing on but we ended up with seven sailors keen to improve their skills which included one new addition to this class in young Charlie who had decided to give this class a try . Oliie brought a friend along and they sailed a Tera and despite my prediction of a capsize with a chocolate bet I lost and had to pay up back on the beach Tain and Tom handled the conditions wekll ( 6/10 knots ) with Mason and Felix also giving it a red hot try well except for Felix's 5 capsizes but who's counting ! Young Charlie did find the whole thing a bit intimidating as everyone does at first but with some practice sailing with the coach she managed to start sailing half the course so well done Charlie . OK now for the outstanding sailors of the day and that was Teegan in her Opti and Addy in her bic and both girls showed great skills in both all out speed then tacking and Gybing with Teegan doing some of the best gybes I have seen in a while while Addy was just smoking on the broad reaches . All in all a great session !
1.30 pm Open Racing :
With the weather settling in from the s/e at around 6/10 knots I set a windward leeward in our channel then a run up to the top of Soverign to finish back near runners . With a start down near the canal and a very interesting start line I had Addy my scorer also pull out the recall flags as everyone was looking very keen to get away which usually means a recall but to our surprise everyone got away cleanly even Kaleb and Teegan were right there in their practice race section . Tom slowly got away with Peter chasing and then Greg and Matt . It was a close tussle until they set of up the main channel with Tom just pulling away uncatchable . I have to say the quality of racing gets better every week with the total bunch sailing much closer to the leaders with just under twenty minutes between the frist boat over the line and the last boat to finish being the 420 which doesnt run a kite but probably sailed the fastest I have seen the guys sail since taking the boat on . So in case you hadnt guessed it was Tom over the line first closely followed by Peter then Greg just over a minute away in third then Mat , Roger, Casey ( in a radial ) Russell , Ben, Charlie ( who also sailed well ) closely followed by Simone then Steve , Lance, Torin then Greg in the 420 .

Upcoming :
Pan Pacific Masters Games ;
This bi yearly event is starting to take shape with not only Aust based inquiries but also overseas inquiries as well and lets not forget the paperwork and meetings which is starting to really move along , luckily for me we have Ron Beswick helping me out as their is always a lot to do to make this Event successful with meetings and paperwork which becomes more involved as the Event gets closer so lets hope for a great event again for Paradise Point Sailing Club !



OK CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , We are really into our winter season now with very cool temperatures in the morning but luckily mostly sunny days even where I am in Sydney the days are good but the nights aren't cool they are more like really chilly .As you can see by our main page our next event for the year isn't far away and that is The Pan Pacific Masters Games which this year is even receiving enquiries from overseas competitors mainly in the Wetta class so far so its looking promising for an even better event this time around.

​8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With Charlie missing because of his Mum's Birthday and Casey weighed down by her medal it was up to me and Addy to set up the club for the mornings sailing. With a cold start we didn't think that we would need many boats but as usual we had to get 5 boats down for our nine starters . Nearly everyone was wearing wetsuits well except for Tain but he didnt fall in only his crew did on purpose? The winds were from the n/w and fluctuating from 2/ 6 knots so it was perfect again for everyone to practice their steering and sail set . A few skippers went a bit haywire not so much with their tacking just the straight line stuff but generally everyone had a great session so much so we let it run over to around 10.20 am just so everyone could take advantage of the conditions . A special thanks to Addy for taking the two new junior sailors for a session it certainly makes for a big day right Addy?

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
with again only a couple of sailors turning up for this session we decided to run both tacking and gybing plus some sail set work . We stretched the course out so that both Addy and Kaleb had a good distance between marks so that we could work on trim . Addy started a bit tangled in her tacks but her general speed was good where Kaleb tacked well ( even if it was backwards ) but wasn't trimming his sail for max speed . The conditions were a bit blustery with wind speeds anywhere from 2/ 12 knots so it was a challenge at times but after some tips from the coach boat they were both just cruising but then came the gybes ! Miss tangles ( addys feet ) was fumbling a bit but generally getting around reasonably well and Kaleb was getting around but with not enough speed again because of facing backwards so we still have a bit of work to do , there's always next week !

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With conditions settling in fro the north west I set a course starting at Runners with Triangles and windward leeward legs but the biggest challenge for the day was always going to be the tide because it was absolutely screaming out . Even Casey used a radial sail just to get some speed in the lightening conditions . Even the start was difficult against the tide so much so that we had to coach both Lance and Brendan just to the start . Addy was out there as well yes she had sailed both the previous sessions and was really struggling in her first ever open race against a punishing tide , we decided to up anchor and coach her up the track which to her credit she gave it her all but finally tiredness and frustration took its toll and we towed her home . While all this was happening the rest of the fleet started to loose the wind so we raced back down and shortened the course by one lap allowing Roger over the line first with Michelle second who I have to say sailed the conditions expertly and Russell over the line third just as the gust he was riding over the line just stopped at the line causing to nearly fall out backwards . Casey probably would have finished further up the ladder except for the weight of her first Youth week medal !

Upcoming ;
Pan Pacific Masters Games 
Try Sailing Day
Club Xmas Party
also somewhere in there a Bunnings sausage sizzle fundraiser ?

CU on the water
​John Murphy



​

Hi Everyone , yes I am a day late this week with the news letter because I spent all of yesterday learning how to be a sailing instructor which I have to do every five years , not much study is required just a very long day . On brighter news Casey Evans who attended her first 5 day Youth week at RQYS last weekend which attracts all the best young sailors from around the state and was hoping for a top fifteen finish actually achieved an excellent result with a bronze in the girls division and a twelfth overall and yes she is bringing the medal on Sunday , congratulations Case for a stellar effort .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With brigth sunny skies and surprisingly light winds considering the forecast it turned out a perfect morning for yearly juniors . The wind was out of the west but the gusts were relatively mild so Charlie and I set a straight reach out in front of the club which turned out perfect for our learner group . We even got young Blake who was booked in for the camp this week to finally sail at the buoys after a few wandering journeys around the track . The best of the day was Athena who was the perfect crew straightening the steering occasionally and we could even see her giving a few sailing tips while keeping the main set right so well done Athena .

OH yes just in case you were wondering it was COLD ! 

10.30 am Sunday Juniors;
A combination of school holidays and cold conditions meant that only Addy was there for this session so Charlie ( coach ) and I decided it was a perfect opportunity to really get Addy to practice her upwinds in gusty conditions of around 4/10 knots which considering her weight has always been a challenge but after a few laps of upwind and some nasty gusts she we think has finally mastered this sailing angle . There were a few gybes as well but Charlie and I think there is still a bit of work to do regarding hands and feet oh and lets not forget bum in boat before she gets her gybes spot on .

1.30 pm Sunday Racing ;
With a good fleet of ten boats and winds now around 4/12 knots so very fluky and no Casey at the start line which was very strange Charlie started the early entertainment with a blood curdling scream when his roll gybe failed and he capsized ! apparently the water was cold?  Everyone was keen to get going but just as the starters flag dropped Greg who decided to swing around the front of the start boat ran out of wind at the crucial time and had a coming together with our anchor chain so you guessed it he started last again chasing the fleet up the track . Peter Fell got out in front with Roger close behind and Ben third and over the two laps in our channel it pretty much stayed that way until the set of in the main channel were slowly but surely Greg mowed everyone down finally finishing second behind Peter . I have to say everyone sailed well on the day resulting in a lot of smiling faces as they went over the finish line even Charlie who must have been absolutely frozen after his capsize and no wet suit . I should also thank Addy and her dad for coming out and helping with flags and finishing records well done guys .
​
Holiday sailing Camp;
We only ran one camp this holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and despite the weather being really cold everyone had a great time even with limited sailing time as really it was just too cold to have them out there too long . Thanks to Charlie for his help again which just makes the camps more fun and easier to run .

CU on the water 
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , With the John Murphy Invitational Mid Winter Cup successfully completed last weekend it will be back to our standard Sunday classes next Sunday followed by Sunday afternoon racing .

Mid Winter Cup ;
Fleet numbers were down on last year especially in the green fleet with only a couple of laser 4.7 and an Opti registering for the event but at least they managed to get a taste of what racing is all about . The open fleet however had a big contingent of both laser 4.7s and radials and also Open Bics with a 420 also showing up on Sunday just for the practice .

Every year the annual Midwinter Cup presents its own challenges in making sure the event is always a success, last year was a lack of wind over the two days and this year was looking the same with race one of the five race calendar starting with 2/4 knots then virtually dropping off to zero . Luckily the afternoon races did have around 3/5 knots so that not only could we get the open fleet around the course but we could also give the green fleet sailors something to sail too . The racing was close throughout the fleets on Saturday with everyone trying to get that edge on everyone else which in some cases succeeded and in others just didnt make it but thats what sailing is all about .
​
Sunday started with no wind again so as in the day before racing was postponed while we waited for the southerly to creep up the coast which finally popped in around 10.30 so with a bit of a mad panic it was off to the start line which we set down at our canal . Greg and I set a good upwind followed by a complete triangle just to give everyone a challenge . Start one was hotly contested especially down at the pin end but blowing away the whole fleet was Torin who took the chance and started on port and cleared the whole fleet , we thought on the start boat that he wouldnt make it but with that extra bit of pressure in front of the fleet he proved us wrong . Race two was a whole different ball game with the wind now around 8/12 knots the startline became very busy with a few minor collissions but nothing serious . As everyone started to line up for their start to the last race and the one minute flag down I asked my crew for the general recall flag because I knew that we were going to need it ! yes everyone forgot the outgoing tide which resulted in two general recalls and then prior to the start the third time Andrew and I spent the last two minutes waving everyone back allowing a clear start .

Our own club sailors represented their club well in all divisions and from what I could see all of them improved their sailing techniques over the two days .

There was one very funny incident in the last race which had Andrew and I in stitches when we heard this little voice at the start line yelling out for everyone to get out off the way who was it it was our only Opti sailor Teegan who is nine telling all the lasers to get out of her way and you know what they did which made Andrew and I laugh even more , well done Teegan .

Acknowledgements ;
Fiirstly thank you to our sponsors ; Bendigo Bank , Ronstan , Performance Sailcraft Australia and Hungry Jacks for your support in this Event . Secondly we would like to Thank Australian Sailing , Queensland Yachting for their support of this event and also Paradise Point Bowls Club for supplying the fun on Saturday night and also a great meal .

Our thanks also go out to Member for Broadwater Mr David Crissafulli for kindly presenting all the prizes on Sunday .

Finally to both the staff from Bendigo Bank who volunteered their time over the weekend and most of all to all our club volunteers who unselfishly donated their time to make it a truly awesome event .

CU on the water
John Murphy

** No Juniors or Club Racing this weekend - Come down and support your club members in the youth regatta!  We have a number of entries from people at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and Southport Yacht Club so will be a great fleet.  **

Hi Everyone , Firstly there is no Sunday Juniors this coming weekend due to the annual Junior Midwinter Cup being held on both Saturday and Sunday but even though there is no general sailing on come along anyway and cheer on our own sailors who are taking part in the event . In the open fleet we have Casey, Charlie and Brendan in Lasers and in the Open Bic we have Addy then in green fleet we have Eddy and Kaleb in lasers , we are trying to convince a few more to give green fleet a go so who knows . The club canteen will be open both days so you can come down and watch while having a coffee and a snag off the barby or a nice hot pie.
 
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With bright sunny skies and a very light westerly wind it was always going to be a struggle finding a good spot to lay the course buoys . With Casey and Charlie on the beach getting everyone ready to leave I finally settled on a reaching course roughly north south and gave them a call to start launching , the water was apparently pretty cold as all I could hear was Charlie moaning as his feet hit the water . Once everyone was out there drifting around I pick up the instructors and showed them how to do push sailing ? push sailing is when you bring the rescue boat up to the transom and push the boat forward , its easier than towing . Taine kept yelling for a tow but his boat was the only one that didn't need it as he and Dean were actually sailing . Finally the wind came in and everyone took of even Marcel who was having his first go in a Bic and didn't even capsize just had a bit of trouble with popping his battens in the tack even with Addy's helpful instructions from the safety boat . I think by next year there will be a few more of our junior sailors signing up for mid winter cup !

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With a few people suffering rigging problems in their lasers it took a little while to get everyone ready for the session but we finally got everyone out there for a pre regatta training run . I mistakenly sent the start boat out without me to set a reaching course with a start line in the middle as this will be the configuration for green fleet sailing next weekend and yes you guessed it they couldn't agree where the buoys went but after a few radio calls we had something reasonably right . It was interesting to see the total nerves from everyone except Teegan and Addy who have raced before but once we got them started everyone was all smiles as they raced each other around the course especially if they got a top three finish place . As expected Addy was the quickest and most consistent but as the session moved on the whole fleet started really giving it a go with Edwina ( eddy ) really getting her laser motivated . OK there was the odd mess at the rounding buoys but hey its racing !

1.30 pm Open Racing ;
Thanks to the sailing gods by the time I had set the triangles and windward leeward course just south of the club we had a consistent wind from the S/E at around 7/7 knots I set the start down near the canal with a nice long upwind to A mark . Everyone behaved this week at the start with no recalls just good starting . Tom and Greg were keen to try out their new full rig sails and with everyone else in full or Radial except for Casey they were all powered up for a good race . Again Tom got in the lead with Greg right behind him but just couldn't seem to haul him in might have been the new sails as they seemed to have a big wrinkle in the middle with Greg's looking a bit worse the Toms . Right behind them everyone else were doing well and Michelle with my full rig bottom was right up the front giving the boys what for . Despite her only sailing a 4.7 Casey still did well on time handicap but just remember everyone once she does youth week in July she will start sailing Radials so look out . Finally you have to know its cold when Roger wears a wetsuit !  DON'T FORGET NO CLUB RACING THIS WEEKEND

Upcoming ;
John Murphy Invitational Mid Winter Cup , Even if you aren't competing come along and support your club and also don't forget to book your spot for the Saturday night party including barefoot bowls at the Paradise Point Bowls Club its always lots of fun ! Trophy presentation will take place around 3/4 pm Sunday with special guests on hand to present the trophies and prizes so come along and cheer everyone on !

To book your spot for dinner on Saturday night - click here.

​To enter the regatta - click here.

CU on the water 
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Firstly a reminder that there is no Sunday Juniors on the 1st of July because of our annual Junior Regatta The John Murphy Invitational Midwinter Cup but we would still like to see as many of our young sailors and their families come along and check out what the future holds if they continue their sailing adventure . Also don't forget that we are having a get together on Saturday night at the Paradise Point Bowls Club with dinner and barefoot bowls (always lots of fun ) which will include the drawing of the raffle prizes, tickets are available at the website or at the sailing club .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With a temperature of only 8 degrees at my place at 5.30 am it was certainly a cool start to the day with even Charlie wearing a jumper . The sun was shining though and the water was clear if not a bit cold but the down side was the wind was a westerly which means wind all over the place . I set a course for everyone angled from the club to the bridge and luckily the wind was generally fairly light conditions . Casey again had the junior/ junior sailors on board teaching them some very funny steering moves I think their called circles? while both the Taine's just cruised around the course and Charlie under her new coach Addy worked on her tacking technique ,yes apparently Charlie Bratton has been given the flick as Charlie's coach not sure what happened there maybe it was a difference of coaching style ? All in all it was a great session which was followed by very warm showers. Oh I almost forgot there is a rumour that Casey may have a new nick name thanks to a well placed booger by one of her students but you will have to ask her what it is !

10.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
By the time we got underway with this session the dreaded westerly had picked up in strength and was becoming very bullety with quite strong gust coming through making it very difficult to sail. Flinn and Kaleb in lasers had a bit of trouble at first with the gusts resulting in a few capsizes but after some instruction from Casey and Charlie B in the safety boat they started letting the main off earlier and hiking out which generated more speed and stability . Addy and Ollie in the bic,s just cruised around the course showing their improved style over the last few weeks which is looking good for the Mid Winter Cup . Eddy had some trouble with the gusty conditions which were not helped by her turbo laser being out of action which resulted in her not being able to flatten everything out so to her her along her coach sailed with her during the session and no I didn't get wet or fall out NO WAY TOO COLD !! both Eddies and Kalebs laser have been repaired and should be ready for a practice run on Sunday prior to the Mid Winter Cup.

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With bright sunshine but a very cold N/W wind at around 2/ 18 knots I set a start down near runners with a top mark just past the canal and a third mark over near the boat ramps at runners so that I could get some windward leeward and triangles in . Yes after recent start line experiences the first start resulted in a recall with my count of seven boats over at the start and how early were they, well lets just say they were all looking back at the start boat when the horn went . Start two wasn't much better with a collision at the start between Tom , Casey , Greg and John P which was at speed but amazingly no injuries or damage . Casey was forced down by Tom who had nowhere to go so effectively they were both barging and Greg came out the worst starting last and a bit cranky . I have to say that cranky works well for Greg as he just sailed the pants of his boat and yes you guessed it he came first over the line after an hour and twelve minutes and just 3 seconds in front a truly awesome comeback . There where a few swims due to the massive knocks and a lot of very cold looking sailors at the end and I have no doubt everyone slept well on Sunday Night !

Upcoming ;
John Murphy Invitational Mid Winter Cup 
Pan Pacific Masters Games 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone. Firstly just a reminder that there will be no Sunday Juniors on July 1st due to the club conducting our annual Mid Winter Cup . The club and its committee would still like to see everyone there on either Saturday or Sunday to check out what sailing activities and types of boats are available for your children's future sailing pathways . Don't forget also our junior sailors who have entered the event need a cheer squad so come along and support your club sailors.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With again blue skies and clear water it was a perfect morning for Junior sailing especially beginners to learn more about the great sport of sailing . With the winds coming in at around 6 knots from the north early we set up a long reaching course which was just perfect for people like Taine and Charlie to practice both tacks and gybes . We were focusing on getting everyone to pull the sail on just before tacking and gybing to make the turns more efficient and with the teras to stop having the mainsheet catching on the transom which was generally successful even if occasionally a capsize occurred right Taine . Casey took a couple of new sailors out on a laser and even had them doing a bit of steering which was a bit tricky as the wind slowly swung south .
Speaking of capsize Charlie went for a swim towards the end of the session and how do we know well it was probably the scream as she hit the cold water !

10.30 Sunday Juniors ;
This group has dropped of in numbers in recent weeks which is a bit sad but its also good for those who turn up as they get more personalised training . Addy was back after being ill the week before and with Charlies help she got to use the new mast , sail , boom , rudder and centreboard for the first time on the Bic . Addy reckons the new gear made the boat faster but I think it was the coaching from her instructors which she followed perfectly. Even our new sailor Teegan went well and gained more speed in her opti through understanding what her tell tales were telling her to do with the sail set . Our only laser out was sailed by Kaleb who is using this session as practice for the Mid Winter Cup and he seems to be listening more especially in the hiking out department . Well done everyone !

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With the winds settling in from the S/E at around 10/12 knots I decided to set a course starting in our channel but then heading off up the soverign channel for a couple of laps . The start was another hotly contested affair and with 15 boats signed on it was certainly busy especially throwing the 420 into the mix . Ben had a shocker starting late which is probably my fault as I told him to slow down a bit as he is always a couple of seconds early and then Simone called starboard on him just to compound the problem . With Greg , Tom and Peter out front closely followed by Maurie , John P , Casey and Steve it was a closely contested first couple of laps with any mistakes quickly punished by Kate , Michelle , Charlie and Roger . Teegan pulled out in the opti as it was only a practice run and the 420 just couldn't get the jib on hard enough allowing Torin to pass them and tack on to the back of the fleet .,Heading for home Greg lost ground and Peter and Tom battled out first place with Tom coming home first then Peter and then a close call between Kate and Casey with about half a metre in it with Casey just scraping home in front . all in all good racing and great weather conditions .

Upcoming;
John Murphy Invitational Mid Winter Cup 30th June 1st July registrations are now being taken and don't forget that the Saturday night we are holding a barefoot bowls dinner at Paradise Point Bowls Club so even if your aren't competing still come along and meet everyone it should be a fun night ( details on the website )

Public Nuisance ;
Nearly made it this week but broken the water pump drive belt , should have a new one for next week .

CU on the water
John Murphy