Hi Everyone , Well to start with this newsletter wont be the longest one I have ever written due to the fact that last Sundays weather was the worst for light winds we have had all year and I have just got my fingers crossed that it doesnt hang around for the midwinter cup in less than two weeks and speaking of which the entries are now starting to roll in with a good cross section of boats with Sabots, Optis, BICs and both Laser classes so yes lets have some wind!

8.30 am Sunday Juniors
Sunday started with the usual bright blue skies and surprisingly warm water but yes the slight breeze was a bit cool . We had our usual first time sailors who went with Torin and Declan on lasers with everyone else in Teras and bics . The briefing was done by Edwina and she did a great job talking about the course and conditions so yes here comes another assistant Instructor in the making . Charlie set a kind of a reach in the basically westerly winds well I say winds but probably should say zephyrs . It was a credit to everyone to at least give it a try and as usual Jade seemed to relish in the conditions as did Jack ( minus Dean ) yep jack is sailing solo and is really enjoying himself as is dean sailing with different crew . Being so light both Torin and Deco were able to get the first timers to even have a go at steering well lets face it not much can happen with an average wind speed of half a knot . Finally did anybody capsize at the end ? well the answer is yes of course they did , I think it was the most enjoyable part of the session.

10.30 am Sunday Training
By the time we started to look at this session you guessed it the shies had gone grey and the rain started falling and the slight winds we had for the early class just disappeared so with the Midwinter cup only two weeks away I decided to see how long I could hold everyones attention with the theory of how to start a race . I know I had set myself a challenge as for thr younger generation the are more interested in speed but knowledge equalls speed anyway. I was actually surprised with the level of attention as I did go fairly in depth with crowded start lines , best start line positions , wind angles and tactics and I believe despite a few people getting and going for a walk everyone actually did take this theory on board and yes the proof will be hopefully seen on the water .

1.30 pm Open Racing
Conditions hadn’t changed much over the morning but everyone was keen to have a sail well except for Casey and Charlie so with my trusty crew we set off in Sarah Cooper to check what was on offer and you guessed it not much was out there so with my experience I managed to set a triangle course just below the canal with an upwind towards the club . It was decided also that we would change it from a championship race to non championship which we would transfer to next Sunday . So that meant that people like Case could go up in sail size from 4.7 to radial . With a basically light westerly breeze we set everyone off in what was basically a two knot breeze so it was perfect for all the light weights . Kate broke away and just took off around the course and surprisingly at one stage the wind speed went up to around three knots but you guessed ity on the last lap heading for the finish it dropped out again so basically everyone just ghosted over the line well except for Simone who was right there but not exactly over the finish line and despite her pleas to the finisher ( Charlie ) she wasnt ticked as finished until he was certain she was over now thats one tough finish line scribe . We decided that we would hold a second race if anyone was keen and a few were and just for the fun of it we put addy on Caseys boat and Casey had a go on Gregs new machine . With Addy weighing 20 kilos she was right up there with everyone else but as the rounded the top mark the lightning appeared in the north so racing was abandoned . All in all though it was fun just cruising .

Upcoming
2019 John Murphy Invitational Mid winter cup 29th and 30th June
Youth week at RQ 5TH TO 9TH July
Pleas note that Club Membership is up for renewal as from the 1st of July and can be renewed either on line our at the sailing office .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , With our annual Midwinter Youth Regatta now only 2weeks away we are still looking for help from volunteers in making sure we have a successful event so if yo have an hour or two to spare over the weekend just let us know by visiting the canteen on Sunday and having a chat with Casey and she can put your name down for whatever day and times suit you , even if you can only help with pack up on the sunday it would be great.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
Well with a slight nip in the air early but blue skies and light winds on the water it looked just perfect for this session and with a dozen budding sailors signing on and heading outside to start rigging their boats it was looking good for a great morning of sailing . OK you guessed it mother nature decided to turn the winds down low ok really low and with an incoming tide yes the bridge did come into play with nearly everyone drifting under the bridge at some stage but with Charlie in one boat and me in the other whenever anyone looked like going under the bridge we either towed or pushed them back out to the sailing area . With the really light conditions ( 1knot s/e ) Itold everyone who sailed solo to sit on the boom side and in that way the light breeze didnt need to hold the boom so that they could catch the wind and hopefully sail and I dont know what happened but at least half the fleet listened and after a couple of innitial laps Jade was the first to really get going followed by Aithan . Slowly everyone got the idea and we soon had less towing and pushing and more light weather sailing well I say light but really the wind was virtually still but they all managed a great effort at both tacking and gybing around the course . It was great to see a couple more young sailors asking for a go on their own and being such light windss it was a perfect day for mistakes that didnt result in capsize . Oh yes quite a few did capsize in the end yep we agree they are crazy!

10.30 am Sunday Training :
By the time everyone got rigged and we sat down for a briefing we actually had a light but consistant breeze ( s/e ) so at least it wasnt going to be as tough as the early session . We sent Jade of with Charlie to work on her upwind sailing as we had seen in the previous couple of weeks that she was struggling but with Charlie following her around the course which of course included an upwind she looked to be improving as the session went on . Addy was just off in the bic so we enchouraged the other Bic sailors to try and follow and watch how she worked upwind which over a few laps slowly worked and even though they couldnt point as high they at least did a reasonable job of the course . We had another new sailor in Jack who although he never says much at 8.30 class definitely looked excited about stepping into a Bic for the first time and after a few early hickups ( channel Markers ) he was soon sailing around the course . Abbey Eddy and Jackson in the lasers all did well mainly on the upwind but the top mark bearaways were a bit slow yep you guessed it they were all letting the sail out to slow resulting in their boats running wide around the top mark and then not letting their sails out enough on the downwind but a constant barrage of let the sail out from the safety boat slowly worked I thought !

1.30 pm Youth Racing:
With the adults off and away with Glen and Charlie in charge , we sat down for a briefing for the Youth race as it was going to be a serious upwind downwind course in around 4/6 knot winds so I thought I should target the action needed for a successful upwind and also downwind focusing on speed . Unlike previous weeks nearly everyone was at the start line on time well except for Jackson who started outside the line and had to come back and start inside the start area . Addy in the Bic just nailed the upwinds with good speed great hiking out and smooth bearaways . Abby and Eddy had a close race for about half the course then Abby started to pull away and Jackson with a good burst of upwind speed overtook Eddy who was just over pointing consequently slowing her boat . Jackson then caught Abby but after a bit of a tussle between then Abby again pulled away with both good upwind and downwind speed . In amongst the battle between the lasers Addy ( Open Bic ) just kept powering along with no mistakes and no capsizes which is looking good for the Mid Winter Cup in a couple of weeks .

1.30 pm Open Race :
After a good start and yes you are right no recalls which Iam now totally convinced they only do when Iam the starter just to make me work harder everyone headed of to A mark down at Runners in around 5/6 knots breeze.

In the Lasers Greg and Peter kept each other honest for at least half the race but with Greg in his first race in his brand new boat he slowly edged ahead which Iam sure brought a big smile to his face bring his new boat home first followed by Peter Murry Kate and Casey with Roger a DNF . Yep Casey was last and when asked what happened apparently sailing a radial is a bit different than a 4.7 so guess what her coach is now going to get her to start practicing in well that is after both Midwinter Cup and Youth week at RQ . Charlie and I kept in radio contact as we were both concerned about the wind dropping but both race groups wer lucky that the wind stayed around the 6 knots for both races . So where was Tom well he is off on a two month Bike ride around australia so have a great ride Tom and see you when you get back .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , With our yearly Youth Cup only weeks away and the current forecast for that weekend looking good for some exciting sailing all the bits that make these events are slowly starting to come into focus with the first thing being as a reminder for our great bunch of 8.30 am sailors that there will be no sailing on Sunday the 30th of June but dont forget to come along and cheer your Sunday Instructors on and yes you will finally have the opportunity to see them all really sail . Also dont forget that we have sailing camps on the 1st and 2nd of July plus the 8th and 9th of July with bookings already being taken for both camps so it should be a great learning experience again.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors:
Well the cooler weather is finally taking its toll on our Sunday numbers with only seven keen sailors signing on for their dose of Sunday sailing . The conditions were perfect with a roughly early westerly wind at around 5 knots with an occassional 7/8 gust and with smooth water and Sunny skies everyone hit the water for some tacking and the odd gybe . Aithen and Jade were in the bics again and to be honest they both had a few moments with the gusty bits but with the help of both Addy ( Jade ) and Eddy ( Aithen ) they both managed to improve with Aithen working on facing the front and Jade coming to grips with the bullets . As Jack was off sick Dean sailed with Archie and once they sorted out who did what they were off and just cruising with smooth tacks good steering and consistant sail trim . Blake and Caelan were a bit shaky at first as Caelen was steering but they soon had the course down pat with some good tacks and gybes and yes they still wanted to capsize at the end ? ok they had wetsuits on but it was still cold .

10.30 am Sunday Training:
Again we only had a small group of sailors for this session mainly all the crew who are entering the midwinter cup as they wnat the practice . We started with the pre sail briefing working on upwind and downwind sail set , rig set and weight position . I have to admit a few are now at least having a go at answering the briefing questions Ok we have to discount Charlie as he doesnt count . Now all we have to do is transfer the briefing to the water before we get out there ! We set a reach to start and then we sent nearly everyone off to the upwind downwind course . Addy just took off on the upwind as did Abby and Eddy ( in her new boat ) with Jackson now in a 4.7 rig not far behind but again at first the downwind still got everyone with not letting their sails out and not sailing around the downwind bouy hardening up then tacking that was until both Charlie and I started coaching them around the mark so tha the top mark was makeable in one tack not four so good work everyone as it looked really efficient towards the end with everyone sailing at good speed .

1.30 PM Open Racing ;
With the winds now coming from the S/S/E at around 7/ 9 knots we set a course starting the club side of the canal with the windward mark as usual down near Runners and a third mark at the top of Soverign making it a combination of windward leeward and a broadreach and windward return finishing at A mark . So how was the start ? well you would think with only seven boats at the line it would be pretty simple and you would be wrong yes a general recall this time started by Casey and Greg , everyone was so early we didnt even bother putting the flag up just sounded the horn as they all new they were over well except for Charlie and Simone . With a more orderly start the second time everyone was off but it was soon evident that we might have to shorten the course as the wind although still consistant dropped by a couple of knots really slowing the fleet down well except for Greg who just sailed away from everyone ? so how did he do it well he sold his laser last week so I offered him my boat which luckily for him is an X 2012 Perth worlds boat built for upwind and reaching ( my favourites ) . Greg said once he realised how high it could point he just let her go and she just cruised away and yes his new boat is coming with the same mast rake dimensions so look out . So obviously Greg was first with Russell second and Roger third and the overall point score for the year has Greg in front by one point over Casey and Tom third

HI Everyone , yes its only 4 weeks now to our annual Midwinter Youth Cup and we are already receiving bookings for the weekend event now all we need is plenty of sunshine and good winds hopefully around 10/15 knots which would just be the Icing on the cake . Two of our girls have just brought their own boats so they are really keen to test them out in the first of many future sailing events so good luck girls and I shouldn't forget the boys as there are some new purchases there as well . You can register either through our website or at the club office so see you there .
  
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With perfect skies and great on water conditions it was surely shaping up for a perfect start to sailing for the day and with over a dozen starters the boats were soon rigged actually they actually rigged too many boats as we had one left over so that proves everyone was really keen to get on the water . Jade and Addy ( new bic owner ) had the club bic rigged and on the beach early and all the teras were right behind followed by Declan how was taking Nixon out and actually let him steer unlike last week when Charlie took Nxon out and wouldn't let him steer because he was chicken about get wet in a capsize and yes we did rubbish him , Nixon soon had the laser cruising and Declan retired to the bow and just cruised . Captain Blake had  a few accidental falls from his boat again so he was back in form and even his sailing was good so he has asked to try 10.30 training instead . Elizabeth sailed on her own and like Blake sailed well in the shifty conditions as did Jade in the Bic when Addy jumped off and she now tells me she likes the Bic ! now she has come to terms with its slippery hull . To be honest everyone sailed the 4/6 knots really well even if there was the odd pull the sail on !!! command from the safety boat followed by let the sail out ! Just so everyone knows yes everyone wanted free capsize time and yes wel all agreed they were crazy but I did notice everyone was soon up and sailing to shore and heading for warm showers .
  
10.30 am Sunday Training :
After a briefing to discuss last weeks training and a lot of rushing around getting Bics ready ( yes they are starting to show their age ) and even the TAZ as Alex didn't have a bic as one is out of action and our new girl Ariel trying lasers plus the usual crew we set everyone off out the front in S/E winds around 6 knots and the instructions were gybing only and yes there was the usual moaning about gybes but everyone went out and gybed . We then set the task for everyone to sail south ( upwind and then north)  as that was going to be the race course for the afternoon . Our new sailor Ariel soon got the hang of the laser and showed her skills from Optis and Sabots as did Addy in her Bic . The boys improved on the upwind as the session progressed as did Abby and Eddy but there was a little bit of luffing going on right girls . Ben showed improvement but still sails away from the marks a bit as does Mason who like the girls points to high and starts luffing so definitely some work to be done there . Alex was a bit worried sailing the TAZ but with the extra room and no Jib he was soon sailing around the course well and he told me after the session that he really liked the boat and might try it again as it was a lot of fun and a little bit less demanding than the Bic . 
  
​1.30 Youth Racing :
As usual we all sat down for a pre race briefing mainly about the current wind direction and course set up which was the same as the training session but further down the waterway and longer . The starts are getting better but still need a lot of work so there is a hint for next Sundays training with the best at the line being Abby and Ariel who after starting managed to luff each other up allowing the rest of the fleet to catch up which really made a race of it . Ariel with her extra racing experience soon pulled ahead and for the first time Jackson who is now in his laser with a 4.7 set was right there with them but the surprise package was Addy who stayed with the lasers nearly all the way which was really an extension of her earlier training session efforts yep she was really quick . The 4.7 set and a few rigging changes made all the difference with Jackson who came in second behind Ariel but was actually first as Ariel wasn't registered to race and Abby and Edwina then Addy were close behind . After the race I suggested to Ariel that she move up to Open as her racing techniques need to be tested in a stronger environment so with a smile she agreed so hopefully we will see her at the start line next weekend .
  
1.30 pm Open Racing :
It was a bit tricky setting the course for the open race because the wind speed was somewhat flukey around 7 knots and there were some definite short term direction shifts so to make the race as friendly as possible Charlie and I set a triangle course from Runners up to the canal with a wing mark to the east to make the triangle . Charlie was very happy as everyone told him he had set a good start line with the help of Glen and unlike the previous week the recall flags weren't needed as everyone was on their best behaviour . From where I was I saw that Greg soon pulled away with Tom also breaking clear followed by Ben who seems lately to have settled into third place when racing . Behind them there was some good racing but one lapse of concentration and you soon lost ground especially if you missed the shift or a hole opened up in front of you . In the 4.7 Casey also sailed very smart and fast against everyone with bigger sails so I have to give her a well done ( that's from your coach ! ) Roger also sailed well as did Simone especially as this week her vang didnt break unlike last week which set her back to shore for quick repairs . Lance is also moving up the fleet as is Laurie and I think Russell was just cruising and enjoying the great weather and was still smiling as he went over the finish line .

UPCOMING :
Just a reminder that Sunday the 7th of July is the Gold Coast Marathon so their might be some early delays getting to the club.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND ENTRY FOR THE MID WINTER REGATTA.

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone. Our next big event this year is the upcoming Mid winter Youth Cup which will be held on the weekend of the 29th & 30th of June so put that in your diary as their will be no Sunday Juniors or Open Racing that weekend but everyone should definitely come down and check out the racing and support or group of sailors who are either returning for their second or third year and also our first timers . Fingers crossed that the weather will be great this year with a bit more wind and sunny skies . Also don't forget that registrations are now open and you can sign up on line or at the club.  This year this is a credit card option for payments as well as direct deposit or at the club office.  Click here to enter.  

2019 EVENT SPONSORS ; BENDIGO BANK , RONSTAN AUSTRALIA , PSA , MANOS RESTAURANT

8.30 AM SUNDAY JUNIORS :
With Blue skies to start the day we soon had junior sailors signing on and with the prospect of perfect winds everyone was in a hurry to rig their boats and get them onto the beach . We were a bit short handed with instructors as Eddy was away in Sydney and Declan was off with a football injury so Charlie , Addy and I were somewhat rushed off our feet just getting everything set but we soon had all the boats out on the water in what were perfect morning conditions with the winds out of the S/S/E at around 6/8 knots but with the occasional gust around 14 knots . Addy took Jade out for her first go in the Bic and like all first timers in the Bic Jade looked a bit overawed but with Addy's help she managed a few goes at steering and tacking . Dean and Jack took out an extra in Zander on the taz which proved a bit of a challenge as Zander had to sit in front of the centreboard which made the boat nose dive in the gusty bits but they still managed to get around the course without a capsize . Even Charlie got in the action and sailed with  Nixon a first timer on the laser but he chickened out on letting him have a go at steering mainly because he didn't want to get wet . Finally I have to mention Blake who everyone who sails with him knows has a habit of falling out of his boat accidentally ?? but last Sunday there was only the one swim so now we know the water must be getting colder!

10.30 AM TRAINING ;
With the conditions freshening and the winds now around 8/10 knots with the occasional gust it was looking good for some tacking , gybing and overall speed . We did have a few missing with the flu which I can totally understand having had a bout of it myself but we still had three Bics , one laser and a Tera out training which were reasonably testing conditions causing some frustration amongst most of the crew with capsizing and hitting sand banks pretty normal . Mason and Carl struggled at first but once we got them to sail our course things started picking up , what course did they try to sail well lets just say the sailed south then couldn't get back without multiple capsizes . The boys in the Bics are starting to come to grips with main sheet tension and balance which is only achieved by sitting on the side of the boat and to prove it to them we actually videoed Addy in broad reaching , close reaching plus tacking and gybing and then played it back so that they can get a better idea of how its done and yes she absolutely nailed it so well done Addy.
  
1.30 PM OPEN RACING ;
With conditions improving with the winds up around 12 /16 knots from the S/E we set the same course as the week before with two windward leewards two triangles and one windward leeward to finish , the only difference being that this week we had an outgoing tide ! So how did the start go well lets just say I called for the general recall flag at 30 seconds to go and yes we did use it as most of the fleet was way over , start two was much better behaved and everyone got away clean well except for Simone who snapped a vang fitting and had to return to the beach for quick repairs . The racing was looking good and with Charlie using my hull ( lighter ) he slowly came to grips with the extra performance and broke away and was matching the front runners speed well that is until he missed the hiking strap in a tack and had two swims . Matt did a Edwina and forgot to figure eight his main sheet so when he capsized it out she came so we had to hold his boat so he could re thread it .
Out front it was a three boat race between Greg , Peter and Tom with some tight mark roundings and some good covering with the end result being Tom first followed by Peter and then Greg . There was a couple of retirements with Maurie loosing it in a gybe and Matt pulling out with a lap to go after one too many capsizes .
Finally for the first time I can remember on handicap it was a tie between Casey and Tom who both ended up with the exact same times , and guess who has just brought a new radial sail so look out after youth week everyone she wants to go faster !

2019 MIDWINTER CUP ; Volunteers needed each day for on shore and on water help just let us know if you can spare some time 

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , I hope all the Mums had a great mothers day last weekend , Apparently for some even though it was mothers day sailing came either first with some mums having breakfast in bed or after sailing going off for a family picnic . Either way I hope everyone had a special day . We also had a Birthday celebration as it was Edwinas 12 th Birthday and yes there were cupcakes which Charlie and I tested first and thy passed the test so we had two more .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With the mornings starting to definitely cool but with the sun still shining and the winds good for this class we thought we might have 8/10 keen young sailors out there despite it being mothers day but it didnt work out that way as we had 16 sailors sign on for early morning sailing . We had one problem and that was with Sarah C in that she had a flat battery ( Radio accidentally left on ) so we were a bit late getting on the water . The winds were out of the S/E at around 8knots with some gusts around 12 knots so it was a bit testing . Elizabeth and Jade both took some new sailors out and did very well except when Elizabeth fell out but luckily the two boys were only just off the beach so we had them sail to shore while Jades boat picked up elizabeth and dropped her off with the boys and away they went again . Aithen again was in a bic and yes this week he did capsize several times mainly in the gusty bits but I think he learnt that you cant let the sail too far out in the bic because it capsizes , yes we had been telling him ! As I just mentioned it did at times blow pretty hard and a few boats went over but generally everyone managed to cope with the windy conditions with both tacking and gybing . Finally because of all the complaning we allowed everyone to capsize yes it was cold but it didnt stop everyone from tipping the boats in just for fun.

10.30 am Training
With a few sailors missing due to mothers day activities we still had 6 sailors ready to get out there but first we re discussed apparent wind as they were doing reaching , broadreaching and finally close hauled . The wind had dropped to around 8 knots with very little gusts and with three bics out one Tera and one Laser we sent them of on an upwind downwind course first . As usual Addy who was still getting over a dose of the flu just took off making it all look easy especially in front of our new boys having their second go in the Open Bic so I sent her off for some closehauled work which the boys soon followed even if they werent as efficient as Addy , Edwina ( Birthday Girl ) also took off with Addy and managed to get around the triangle but was a bit slow on the upwind but her reaches and runs were very good . Finally we had Jade in a Tera who has just transfered to this class and she did struggle a lot at first but with a slipping outhaul it wasnt surprising so finally I sent her to shore and taped it up and the boat was much easier to handle in the gusty bits which showed in her increase in speed so well done Jade ! Addy was the stand out in the session with Charlie and I barely giving her any instructions throughout the whole session .Opps nearly forgot Kaleb who also sailed very well ok except for his turns which still need a bit of work but we are getting there but his general sailing was very good with good boat speed and lots of hiking out .

1.30 pm Open Racing
We decided that because there were only three of our Youth Sailors signed on and seven open sailors as Charlie didnt race but instead help me on the safety boat we would start everyone together but have two separate courses using yellow buoys for the Open and Red for the Youth and yes I did stress that the open sailors do not go around red buoys and they actually didnt this time !!! . We set a start at the canal and positioned A mark nearly adjacent to Runners entry and in behind the green mark so it was a good upwind especially with a strong incoming tide . Everyone was well behaved at the start and they all took off in a good group but by the top mark Greg had developed a good gap to Peter Fell as they started two windward leeward legs followed by two triangles then a windward leeward finish . It was good to watch as Peter slowly caught Greg up and finally passed him after greg got absolutely stuck after rounding a mark allowing Peter to get away . Michelle also broke away and sealed 3 rd with Kate 4th Maurie 5th then Casy in the only 4.7 and Roger who said he just had one of those days . In the Youth group Edwinas upwind let her down allowing Addy to stay with her for the first two laps and Jackson third . But with some help from the start boat Edwina pulled away in the third leg but then lost the main sheet allowing Addy to catch up again then with her figure eight know back in Eddy pulled away and finished first overall . Addy wasnt that far behind but three capsizes while heading for the finish slowed her up a bit so you can imagine the look on her face as she went over the line ! We shortened the course for Jackson as he just struggled with the upwind and tipped it a few times on the downwind but he will probably be racing 4.7 as his laser parts should be here next weekend .

Invitation Midwinter Cup
29th / 30 th June
Dont forget that if you are using a club boat that you have to secure one by signing up at the club!

VOLUNTEERING;
If you think you can spare an hour on Sundays in our canteen just have a talk with Casey and if you can also help at the Midwinter Cup just again let Casey know or me as we have a few positions available and all help is greatly appreciated .

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well as we all know next Sunday is a very important day not only is Sunday afternoon racing back but its also Mothers Day so I hope that all our sailors out there get up that little bit earlier and make their Mums breakfast and serve it to them in bed because lets face it they deserve it just for being MUM !

8.30 AM Sunday Juniors :
With the morning starting with blue skies and just that first hint of winter chill we were soon under way setting up for the first session which as usual ended up with 15 budding junior sailors signing on . The first surprise was to see Ollie walk in at 8.00 am which yes is unusual but he was in early for a good cause as he was taking out one of his school mates for his first sail even with a cold giving him the sniffles . Once everyone was rigged and ready and with good winds from the South ? at around 3/5 knots it was perfect for everyone and with Charlie setting a nice reach off they went . Jack and Dean both took crew with one skippering the Taz and one on a Tera and as usual sailed well and Jade also took a new sailor out but was saving most of her energy for her first go at 10.30 class and Aithan had his first go on the Open Bic with Addys help at first then off he went on his own and despite our predictions didnt capsize . The most popular Instructor on the day was Edwina with all the young ones crowding around the laser practicing knots then she sailed with four crew so we named her the entertainment officer on the cruise ship ( well done eddy ). Finally you guessed it they all wanted to capsize and yes the water is starting to chill down but it was no deterent as the boats fell over everywhere and lots of laughing was heard from both the shore and in the water.

10.30 am Sunday Training;
With the conditions pretty much staying the same as the morning if not a bit lighter and with a windward leeward course set it was a definite sailing skill challenge but just to make it a little more difficult I thought it was time that I introduced apparent wind to their skill set . If you ever really want to confuse a new sailor this is the way to go as all you see in front of you is these confused faces but it has to be introduced so it was a good day to start the process . With no Abbey to show how the upwind was done everyone struggled at first and with the wind shifting and dropping out everyone really had to work hard even Addy who had the added burden of being sick as well but refused to not sail . Jade who was having her first go listened well and managed to pick it up , Jackson and Mason got the upwind but took a while with the down wind and the funniest of all was Karl who took off at one stage by controlling the boom with his foot and as charlie said hey if it works it works !

I have to say that considering the light and flukey conditions everyone did very well even though they didnt seem to think so but Charlie and I did so well done everyone .

Open Racing ;
Ok there was no actual racing but we still sailed just for practice . Lance Steve Ben and Greg went out first but I convinced Charlie Casey and Eddy that there was no hurry as you guessed it the wind was all over the place so we waited for about 45 minutes then launched our boats and became instant drifting obstacles . The other guys went back to the club but I was determined to have a sail and after a short time of no wind it finally came back from the E/S/E around 5/7 knots so off we went to the deep hole .With Charlie and Casey in radials they werent far behind and even Eddy who was having her first sail to the deep hole in the 4.7 wasnt that far behind but when she got too far we just went back so she could keep up . Once we round the west cardinal I challenged Charlie and Casey to a race up to Runners and yes I did flog them but you should have heard the excuses yes I have taught them well ! all in all it was lots of fun!

Upcoming ;
Midwinter Cup ; Just a reminder that if you are interested in sailing in the midwinter cup and want to use a club boat you will need to book your boat at the sailing office as boat numbers are limited . We are also starting to take names for volunteers for the event for on water and land duties , there will be a volunteer sheet at the canteen from this weekend so if you can spare some time just let us know as all assistance is appreciated .


CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well firstly or Midwinter Cup is getting closer with the official Regatta dates being the 29th and 30th of June . What is the Midwinter Cup about well its designed for Sailors from the age of 6 to 18 to compete in both an open class plus a beginner based class . The open class is for sailors who have had previous experience at this event or elsewhere in a regatta based format and the beginners or green fleet sailors are those who will be experiencing their first Regatta complete with simplified rules so its more about the experience and having fun so all in its a great weekend . If you are thinking of giving it a go just check at the club .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors
After a cool morning temperature wise sunday soon turned into a warm and sunny day with winds shifting at first from S/W TO S then S/E making it a bit of a challenge for Charlie to set the course with a few early adjustments but finally settling into the s/e at around 6knots so perfect for early practice . As usual we had a few first time sailors that Addy and Eddy took out for their first sail and with Eddy having the benefit of 5 year old Milan on the main sheet the were soon cruising around the course . Elizabeth and Jade sailed absolutely perfectly with good general boat speed and very crisp tacks so well done girls especially when you were showing the new sailors how it is done . In the boys they also generally sailed well even if the mainsheet was a little too tight most of the time but with a bit of prompting from the safety boat we soon had them nearly matching the girls speed . Aithan had to come back in with a siezed traveller but once we fixed it he was off as well . I think there is potentially a couple of possibles for the Midwinter Cup green fleet in this group.

10.30 am Training Group;
This group is really getting focused on race training which shows on the water and even at the briefing as they even ask the odd question abouy rigging and technique . To give everyone some practice before their scheduled champoinship race we set a reach then upwind downwind course and of course the reach was easy but the upwind and downwind was a challenge for most well except for Addy who just smoked the course which might have had something to do with the previous days coaching lesson but right behind her was Abby and Eddy who had their own weekly battle going on with Abby as usual getting away on the upwinds which Eddy could alos match if she just pulled the sail on more right Eddy! Jackson despite some frustration early on is starting to come to grips as is Ebony ( beter known as stingray girl !) especially on looking at the sail while going upwind more and how to react to sail changes so all in all a good session.

1.30 PM Open Racing
With our good mate Peter Board doing the starts and Charlie helping as it wasnt a championship race I left them in charge while I looked after the Youth Race . It all looked to be going well to me but I should have remembered who easy it is to confuse sailors especially when I dropped a pink rounding buoy inside the open race buoy ( yellow) so yep you guessed it they started going around the pink instead which by the time we got out there to start the youth race it was to late to change and even though Casey and Lance did the right course they also were disqualified not because of the buoy fiasco but they all didnt complete the course ? ( yep they all wrote it down ) leaving out one triangle and a windward leeward . Funnily enough I was watching their race and thought gee that finished quick ? then I saw everyone lining up again for a second race with just a few windward leeward laps probably less confusing that putting triangles in right guys .

1.30 pm Youth Race ;
Prior to hitting the water we had a practice protest meeting as a guide to why everyone should avoid a protest room . It was in regards to buoy room then was it legal for the boat given buoy room to come down on the other competitor who then touched the buoy . As anyone who has been to a protest knows itts all about the details that cannot change but these sure did so basically the upshot was it was thrown out for changing details well at least it was an exercise . Ok now the race and with Ebony helping me with flags we soon had the group off and running Addy worked hard to stay with the lasers but had to keep an eye on Jackson who now that he is pulling his sail on and hiking out is getting faster but the tussle up front between Abby and Eddy was interesting to watch but as usual Abbys superior upwind skills allowed her to slowly pull ahead from Eddy and dad who was on board with ben showing him the ropes unoffically . There was even a comment from someones daughter about how slow he was cant exactly remember who but she came first over the line ? The results were out soon after the race with Ron bringing them out so the youth sailors could check their progress and without giving wnathing away its a pretty close contest so far so well done everyone .

Canteen ; With Caseys help we have re opened the canteen on Sundays until 11am and hopefully once we entice a few more people to put that last hour in we can have it running up until lunch so if you think you can help and yes casey can teach you on the coffee machine just let us know and dont forget the Midwinter Cup wher we will definitely need a few hands .
Upcoming ;
29th and 30th June Midwinter cup inviting both open and green fleet sailors
RQYS Youth Week 5TH / 9TH July

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well its just around the corner now yes Easter is here so make room for the easter eggs and to much food but also dont forget that there is no Sunday Juniors or club racing this Easter Sunday but everything will be back on Sunday the 28th of April so I hope everyone has a great easter break .

The last junior sailing camp ran this week with a great bunch of kids turning up and even though the winds were around 18 knots which made us pack up and move up to soverign we still had some great sailing with many thanks to our assistant instructors and volunteers for showing the inexperienced sailors who to sail the conditions , all we need them all to learn now is some better jokes because trust me some of them were definitely forgettable .

8.30 AM Sunday Juniors ;
With this being a school holiday Sunday we were expecting a pretty cruisy sunday with probably 10 junior sailors but you guessed it we ended up with over double the numbers which meant more boats down so that we could accomodate everyone , so with 3 lasers , 7 teras and the Taz we slowly got everyone on the water . There was an innitial shock from both the sailors and the safety boat crews when the saw me sailing a laser with a couple of first timers yes thats how busy it was as I hate sailing 4.7 lasers especially when tacking and yes I did get two bumps from the boom but still had some great fun teaching the new kids sailing . The course was a bit close at first but after the crews stretched her out we stopped having collissions . The wind was from the south east at around 6/8 knots so it was perfect conditions for a bit of reaching and tacking and gybing . It did build towards the end of the session but everyone just seemed to handle the change well with a few bow waves evident and hiking out just to coax that extra bit of speed from the boat . With the wind from the south and the water temperature getting a bit chilly we didnt think anyone wanted to practice capsize drills but you guessed it as soon as we said yes there were boats over everywhere with lots of laughing and smiling faces even some of the first timers jumped in and joined the fun.

10.30 AM Sunday Training;
This session was a bit down on numbers because of the holidays but we still had a mix of lasers , Teras and bics out for a training session in winds around 6/9 knots S/E . Abbey and Eddy continued their battle in the laser 4.7s and Alex and Addy were out in the bics with Alex just struggling with getting the bic to go upwind ok and occassionally downwind . In the Teras Ben was just having one of those days and ended up pulling out early being too cold from too many swims , Ben sailed a tera instead of his laser because he thought the winds were going to be too strong for him but you guessed it the wind increase didnt eventuate but at least he got on the water . Abbey is absolutely smoking close hauled lately and is just un catchable when her mind is on the job which gives Eddy the challenge of improving her upwind so she can keep pace with Abbey all in all a great training session .

1.30 PM Youth Rcae ;
With the winds building again from the S/E to around 10/14 knots we set a course starting at the club and running down to the southern side of the canal making a very close close hauled upwind and a broad reach back . Everyone made the start well with Eddy and Abbey son pulling away from Kaleb ( laser 4.7 ) and Addy and Ollie close behind . The fleet slowly pulled away from Ollie mainly because he has missed sailing for several months so he was a bit rusty but still had a good sail . Abby was first around the top mark but had to go back as she rounded on the wrong side as did Eddy who also had to go back then the did the same at the start line mark and I made them go back again which resulted in Addy who was also smoking the upwinds and down winds ( must have been saturdays training ?) jumping to the lead but once abby and Eddy started going around the buoys the right way they soon caught her and were over the line abbey 1st and eddy 2nd with Addy 3rd overall but it was addys day on handicap with a 1st overall , Kaleb finished 4th with Ollie 5th .

1.30 pm Open Race ;
With Casey and Glen in Charge of the race start apparently everyone behaved themselves and the recall flags remained in the bottom of the boat ? and with the start set near the canal and A mark down near runners it was a good upwind slog followed by three downwinds back to B then back to A and of up to the top of ephriam for C mark for two more laps . When I set this section I tried to set it so that C to A would be on the edge of no sail and when I asked Peter how that section went he said it was perfect as everyone had to throw a couple of tacks in . I expected the first boats back in around an hour but you guessed it the wind went from a solid 12/14 knots to 7/9 knots resulting in the first boats back tacking over an hour and a half to complete the course . Greg cleared out on Tom and Peter finishing just on a minute and a half ahead and Tom 20 seconds behind him with Ben a further minute behind the leaders . Kate took my advice before the start and went 4.7 so I will take the blame for her lack of speed as I was thinking the winds were going to build not drop off that mother nature is so untrustworthy !

UPCOMING
CLOSED EASTER WEEKEND BACK ON THE 228TH APRIL

CU on the water
John Murphy

Hi Everyone , the first batch of school holidays are here and with only two camps set down for the break the first camp was nearly full and the second one next week is also nearly full so lets hope that next weeks group has the same great weather as this weeks group did with blue skies and light winds day one and 6 to 8 knots day two making for a perfect two days of sailing.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Although the early conditions were looking very light but with blue skies we still had our very keen young sailors arriving as early as 8.00 am wanting to rig their boats and get on the water . We had to hurry up ourselves so we could start signing everyone on but we were soon up and running with Lasers Teras and the Taz being pulled out and lined up for the session . We had a surprise for all the Tera sailors in that one of our great sponsors ( NEWHAVEN ) had commissioned 8 new tera sails and everyone couldnt wait to get them on the mast and in the boat . After a few photos of the new sails rigged and the boats on the water it was time to launch everyone in what turned out to be very light and flukey n/w to n/e winds around 2/4 knots . So who did well in the light conditions well starting with Jack and Dean in the Taz who sailed well especially with the help of a jib as did Elizabeth who continues to improve with her steering as did carl ( who looks like 10.30 material ) as did Curtis who is always the earliest to arrive . There was the odd tow back whenever the wind just died but towards the end the wind started to fill in making it at least possible for everyone to sail in the capsize area where everyone tipped their boats over but were not allowed to turtle and stick the new sails in the mud at least not on their first sail.

10.30 am Training ;
The numbers were down a bit for this session with only the really committed sailors out there keen to practice for this weekends race with Addy , Eddy , Abby , Ben , Mason and Jackson rigging up for some serious tacks and gybes . Mason stepped up into a Open Bic after trying one last year and going back to a Tera to learn more and both he and Jackson who also sailed a Bic both sailed the bic the best I have ever seen them sail ( nothing like pulling the mainsheet on right boys! ). After our training session a couple of weeks ago Ben continues tacking forward so no more hits with the boom and is also looking at the sail a lot more . Abby , Eddy ( laser ) and Addy ( bic ) all just cruised around the course which was a long triangle tacking and Gybing smoothly and having generally good boat speed , maybe it was from looking at the telltales more right girls? Oh yes we did discuss telltales at the briefing and what to look for and which side to get working first now lets see what happens this weekend when the pressure of racing is included , Iam actually looking forward to it fingers crossed !

1.30 pm Open Race ;
Thankfully by midday the winds had settled in and shifted around to the n/n/e at around 6/10 knots so we set a start line down in the runaway bay corner with A mark a straight accross the channel for a few windward leeward legs the the second part of the course was up the soverign channel about half way to the top green . How did the start go well you guessed it the general recall was called and how many boats were over well out of thirteen starters I think 8 boats were over and by how far ? well lets just say we started picking up the recall flag around 15 seconds before the horn it sounded like a convention of up callers . Charlie had a great early battle with greg and managed to break free and lead the race for almost half the race distance before the pack slowly overtook him towards the half way point but still only finished just over two minutes behind Tom withgreg second 35 seconds behind and Kate a further 30 seconds behind him coming in third . Ben and steve picked up their pace and around a minute and a bit next over the line with Peter Fell with a borrowed club Radial ( sorry about that mate that sail is really stretched ) following them in then Maurie , Casey , Roger , Simone , Brendan ( brendo had my steering assembly which made the boat go faster right Brendan ?-and Stewart .
All in all a good days racing!

Upcoming ;
This weekend is race three of our new Youth Series should be interesting !
Easter weekend the Club will not be open Easter Break and will be back for the following weekend 28th April

CU on the water
John Murphy