Hi Everyone , We have just purchased three sabots on behalf of Sports House Varsity Lakes to help them cope with their ever expanding sailing program with more and more adults and children turning up each week and it is all run with volunteers so well done everyone for introducing all these new sailors to our sport .
With our pontoon being damaged in last decembers storms we have this week recieved news that our Insurance company has approved its replacement with a new pontoon and it should be in place in about 6 weeks . We have also recieved an update from the building company for a march update of our cage including the repalcement of some very rusty uprights on the cage so we are so far having a good year. 
Finally , just a reminder that if you want to book your kids into the next school Holiday Camps places are filling fast just like the last holidays so check with the office for a booking form as it looks like places are running out fast .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Sunday morning started very muggy and overcast and predicted light winds so we as usual assumed that we wouldnt have a big crowd but you guessed it we had all the usuals with Riley , Lincoln ,Tristan,Ben , Henry Willow , Reece just to name a few and then we had five first time sailors as well so it was all hands on deck getting boats ready including a few rushed repairs but we managed to have everything ready for the 9am briefing . Winds were light from roughly the west but not as windy as the week before where there were a lot of visits under the bridge . Thanks very much to Taylah and Torin for jumping on lasers with some new sailors and miinor experienced sailors while Charlie ( getting over a cold ) and Abby set courses and Jason and Nigel ran the white boat . Its interesting to watch how some of our young sailors are improving with people like Tristan and Riley just to name to showing more confidence every session even Willow had her first go at Lasers last week with Taylahs help and found it a bit tough but fun !!
10.30 am Training :
This group comprising of Abby , Taylah , Jade , Kaia , Ross and our new saiolor Bailey are really coming to grips with their sailing futures but I still can manage to throw in a curve ball occassionally like last sunday where I brought up apparent wind and its effects on sailing in general , it was clear that everyone had forgotten but on a day like sunday where conditions were light it was essential that they bring this into their sailing . It was Baileys first sail with us but he soon showed he had a grip on general sailing so much so that next week we are putting him in a laser 4.7 as we think he is good enough to give one a go ! We had everyone doing upwind down wind then triangles with the focus on boat speed which as the session continued became harder to achieve as the conditions lightened .
To my surprise and enjoyment everyone sailed the conditions really well probably the best I have ever seen them sail as a group and yes I even told them so at the de brief so again everyone well done for last Sunday!

1.30 PM Open Racing :
With the race on the day being a club Championship Race and the conditions become shifty we decided to set a triangle course from our canal down to near Runaway Bay Marina with the start at the canal . The wind was roughly south  east so we set the A mark pretty much in no sail zone and we only made it four laps with two triangles and two and a half windward leewards . The start was good with Greg and Steve right up the front and Russel right behind them and you guessed it after they left the wind shifted even more south so everyone had to sail wider to make A . Of course there were the odd lucky lift for some people with the best going to Steve who was right up with Greg and next minute he was pointing higher and maintaining boat speed as well ! I shouldnt forget our youth sailors who also did the race behind the adults with Jade and Daniel in Bics and Taylah in her laser and three nervous faces as they went through the start line . We had them only do half the course just to give them a taste but they all did well even with the top mark in a tough position and despite the two different classes of boat they all stayed reasonably together throughout the race with Jade crossing first with Talylah right behind her and Daniel a close third . In the open race Greg was first over the line after a good tussle with Steve who came home second with his now non leaking boat ( thanks John M for repairing it ) and Russel third ., Tom needed more wind as he just couldnt get the boat going ( should have put the full rig on ?)

P.S. Theres a rumour going round that Taylah is getting a newer quick laser and yes its true , she will be sailing a 216 boat , now the family just has to decide who gets her old boat Dad on Daniel ?

Upcoming : Easter School Holiday Camps 6/7 - 12/13 April spaces are filling fast booking through the sailing office .
Mid winter Cup 26th / 27th June

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone yes we are back with our weekly newsletter for 2021 , we were going to start on the 7th of February to line up with the beginning of club racing but I had to travel to sydney for business and to catch up with family now the border is open again . To begin the year I would again like to say thank you on behalf of the club to Charlie, Declan , Abby and greg for their volunteering efforts over the summer holidays because without you people we couldnt have had such a massive success with both camps and school sport sailing between december and january . Each camp had numbers far exceeding our normal numbers and a school group of over seventy students on one day . Both the treasurer ( andrew )and I have also worked behind the scenes to set up ppsc for 2021 with the view to make your club even more successful post covid 19 especially in promoting junior and youth sailing plus we have also worked with our team headed by Tom Bourke at Sports House Sailing at Varsity Lakes which has also seen an increase in sailing since the return from lock down in 2020 and with the increase in numbers we have been supported by Gold Coast City Council with a grant to buy more boats including lasers and in the future Sabots to cater for the increase in its junior numbers .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
Well to start with on sunday the 7th we actually ran out of teras to sail as the group was over 20 sailors but with some many keen sailors there was only one thing missing was WIND !! well there was some wind but it was light and moved all over the compas so eventually most everyone went for a drift down the broadwater so with the help of the guys on the white boat everyone got to have towing practice including abby who was driving sarah c and despite a few innitial hickups soon had the boat in the right places to throw tow lines and drag everyone back up to the club . everyone still seemed to have fun anyway despite the conditions so another sunday juniors ticked off . Then we had last Sunday where we thought we would have roughly the same amount of sailors as the previous sunday and although we did have 13 sailors sign on there were quite a few missing until we realised it was valentines day so I am sure there were more import things to do for a lot of Dad,s . The forecast wasnt looking good and even though it started light we soon had boats in trouble being pushed under the bridge so casey and i yes Casey were kept busy towing boats from under the bridge back to the sailing area and of course the odd capsize . It was probably not the best conditions to give willow her first go on a laser but at least she had taaylah on board to help her out in the gusty bits but even they came in as the wind speed increased .

10.30 am Youth Training : 
This group on the previous weekend did manage to get some wind but again it was shifting all over the compas so it was a massive challenge for everyone to successfully sail it . We sent everyone off down to the canal as that was where the wind was well sometimes and even with a briefing on rig set and body positioning its really hard to get a boat goig in such fluky conditions although Taylah did get away for a while but eventually drifted back to abby , mason , Kaia and daniel ah well guys its all experience .
Then there was last Sunday and with Abby ( school assignment ) and Ross ( school team racing ) missing it was only our two Bic sailors in Jade and Daniel plus a very apprehensive Taylah rigged and ready to go . Conditions were becoming Quite windy with gusts of twenty knots followed by 10/12 knots winds so it was definitely going to be hard work but definitely fun . As I knew Jade just took off and had some very fast broad reaches disappearing in the spray as she has definitely sailed in more than that wind before . Taylah had some trouble with power just too much and ended up with a swim and returned to shore where we managed to convince her to go out with Casey and they were soon flying on the broad reaches which is one of caseys favourite angles . Then finally we had Daniel who had never sailed that much wind before so it was a bit wild but finally we noticed him startint to release more main on the breach and was absolutely flying and when I asked him back on the beach if he thought it was awesome fun going that fast I got a massive smile and nod !

1.30 pm Racing :
The first Sunday was definitely a mixed bag as conditions were light around 8 knots when we laid the course so everyone went radial including Abby as it wasnt predicted to go above 12 knots so you know what happened yes it blew eighteen plus so generally everyone was overpowered and struggled upwind well except for Tom who slowly got away from the fleet , the rest of the team struggled with quite a few retirements mainly exhaustion as both the upwind and down wind were punishing . Luckily we had Charlie out on the newly repaired jetski lending a hand to capsized sailors and andreww keeping an eye on abby who after two laps had a bad gybe and retired so all in all a pretty wild afternoon .
Then there was last Sunday and with winds reaching twenty five knots there werent many takers and even the one who turned up were a bit hesitant but like true crazy sailors they decided to give it a go . Charlie and I set a two buoy course with the start in front of the club and a top mark just before Allisee with three one lap races . Race one saw Tom stalled out in the gusts at the start and Casey soon followed while Greg just took off upwind . Casey who sailed radial so was overpowered soon had a capsize but she hasnt lost any of her determination despite 12 months away from racing and was soon off again as was Tom . Everyone was having trouble with the bullets ( up to 35 knots ) and having uncontrolled roundups upwind so it was time to let some vang off and get rid of wind but it was still wild we were evn getting spun around on the start boat in some of the gusts . So what were the down winds like well bloody awesome and these guys made it look easy surfing down the face of waves spray everywhere just awesome to watch !!!.

Upcioming :
School Holiday camps for easter are listed on the website 
Mid winter cup 26/27 June 
Manly Youth week one week after midwinter cup

Ok thats the first news letter done for this year with many more to come and no mention of things like Ben roake walking into glass doors at the club or Charlie being referred to as a girl at school !!!!

CU on the water
​J Murphy

Hi everyone , Well as everyone knows sailing was cancelled last sunday as there was a strong wind warning current and wind strengths at the club at 7 am had already reached 18 knots which is our usual cut off time for cancellation , So having made the decision to put it on facebook and our website I felt fairly confident that I had made the right decision but of course mother nature had her own ideas and by 8 .30 am the winds had stabilized back to around 8 knots and blue skies . Cooper was desperate to have a sail on his own BIC so he rigged up and went out but the outgoing tide proved too much so we had to tow him home . At 10.30 Jade , Ross , Taylah and Emerson turned up so we just did an impromptu sail in what turned out to be perfect sailing conditions in around 12 /15 knots , Jade complained about gybes Ross and Emerson decided to play capsize and drifted down the broadwater and no we didnt go down and tow them back while Taylah after an innitial collision with a starboard mark (apparently didnt see it stuck out there on a white pole with a big green triangle on it ? ) but after that episode she was soon off sailing close reaches / reaches and broadreaches and looking quite comfortable . When she came in her dad and I were keen to check the deck repair we did on wednesday ( deck plate had pulled out ) and it was looking solid and yes we will check again next weekend .
As the marathon was also cancelled until next weekend a couple of the guys ( Matt , Nic and Roger ) who turned up anyway decided to go for a sail to the top of soverign where apparently it was quite a bit windier resulting in quite a few capsizes which apparently Matt won hands down .Charlie and I decided to stay in the shade of the cage area while the guys were out where it was much cooler and our icecreams  wouldnt melt as fast , yep that was lunch! so back on the diet again.
UPCOMING 
Sunday the 6th of december is the re scheduled around Crab Island Marathon starting at 1.30 pm
Sunday the 13th of December is our annual GOLD COAST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL TRY SAILING FUNDRAISER starting at 8.30 am . This is always a great day with all funds raised going to the hospital in support of all the good work they do in the community . Apparently this years sailing challenge involves upside down Teras ? sounds like Fun!!!
Sunday the 2oth of december is our annual Xmas Party which will be held at the club again this year . As with last year this is a catered event so we will need everyone to sign up from sunday so that we know numbers .
Xmas holiday closure 
we are closed from  Monday the 21st of december until Sunday the 3rd of January 2021when Juniors returns .

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , It has been a long year but we are fast approaching the end of 2020 with our last official race of the year on this Sunday being our club marathon and this year we are including our Youth training team as part of their training for racing next year both at the club and the occasional away regatta,s . Two weeks later we are holding our annual Try Sailing Fundraiser on sunday the 13th starting at 8.30 am and fingers crossed it will be our best yet ! then finally its our annual club christmas party the following sunday the 20th starting at around 11.00am . Please remember there will be no juniors both those sundays although there will still be plenty of sailing on the try sailing day and hopefully a bit of a sail before the xmas party Charlie and I might even join in !!!
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
With perfect weather to start the day with a light s/easterly popping up and a large crew of sailors signing on ( 21) we were scrambling for boats and virtually had every usable boat on the beach by briefing time where we discussed wind directions and sail setting then it was down to the water and away . Thanks to all our experienced junior sailors who came up to me and offered to take the less experienced sailors out and show them the ropes . Our new bic sailors in Daniel and Cooper are looking much more comfortable in their boats with them getting better boat speed and we are definitely going to get Daniel into gybing as cooper is already into it. Another stand out sailor on the day was Willow who was one of our sailors who offered to take someone else out even though she was keen to sail alone but after half an hour her crew wanted to return to shore so she got the chance to sail alone and I have to admit in her last few sails she has really got the idea with both her tacks and gybes improving so well done Willow .
10.30 am Youth Training; 
With the club end of season marathon race on next weekend we decided that the group needed to practice both starts and actual racing . With the winds coming out of the s/e at around 4/5 knots and an occasional extra puff near the rounding buoy it was perfect conditions so we used the pontoon as a start platform and set the top mark on a close hauled angle about 100 metres away , The first start was a bit chaotic but everyone soon got the hang of it and all of a sudden their was lots of tacking and gybing with 30 seconds to go with people desperate to get the jump at the start . In the lasers it was really between Abby and Taylah as early in the session Mason lost his clew strap so he couldnt point as well as the others but he still hung in there . Jade was right in the mix as well in her skiff and even Kaia in the Tera sailed really well . As a group they were right with each other in every race well except when Taylor capsized and went from second to last but she was only just behind Kaia at the end of the race . Now the big test next weekend and its rumoured that a certain sailing instructor might even dust his boat off and join in !
1.30 PM Open Racing ;
With the winds settling into the n/e  we set a course with a start down near runners and a top mark between ephriam and soverign , wind speeds were around 8/10 knots but you guessed it by the time we got out there the winds had moved more e/n/e and increased to around 15 knots . Adrian didnt even make the start as he was too overpowered and had four swims on the way down to the start so he pulled out and Lance also pulled out at the end of race one again just too overpowered for his weight in the radial . The starts were hotly contested with everyone skirting with being recalled as they sailed down the start line and actually John Brown was actually well over in one but we let him go as it was such a good start and being a no points race it didnt really matter overall .
Steve was having blinder starts but Tom and Nic ran him down each time with Tom first Nic second and Steve third in all the races oh and Roger a good fourth in the 4.7 each time which was bloody awesome considering it wasnt really his conditions as the winds at times were up around 18 knots so well done Rog!

Upcoming Events 
29th Nov ; Club marathon race
13th Dec ; Try Sailing Hospital Fundraiser 
2oth Dec ; Club Xmas Party booking is essential cost per adult $12.00 children $7.00 Family of 4 $35.00 this is a catered event so we need toi know numbers early to order food and drinks 

CU on the water
​J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Firstly a reminder that our annual Try Sailing Hospital Fundraising day is getting ever closer ( Sunday the 13th of December ) which means firstly that there will be no Sunday Juniors that morning as well as no Training group so for all those budding sailors who want their sailing fix come down with your friends and show them your sailing skills while supporting the Gold Coast University Hospital and the great work they do!. We will also need on the day some adult volunteers to help our usual volunteers in making it a great day both on the shore and on the water so if you have an hour or two come along and join the fun .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With a total turn around from the previous sunday where the winds blew 20 knots and we had to use Casey and Charlie as skippers taking everyone for a sail last sunday turned out perfect with good winds from the s/e at around 6 knots making it just perfect for this session . We had two sailors trying the Bic skiff for the first time in Cooper and Daniel so we had two very excited boys learning how to rig the boats which is just a bit more technical than a Tera and also a bit more slippery than them as well . We had our usual first timers as well and Abby took them under her wing and showed them how to steer the boat and soon had them out with the fleet they even avoided Timothy who was again sailing alone and as usual having some trouble with sailing straight lines but most people avoided him and he was improving as the session went on . Oh how did Daniel and Cooper go in Bic,s well as predicted there were a few capsizes as we warned them but from all accounts they really enjoyed their first go in a true race boat so well done boys !
10 .30 am Youth Training ;
The conditions had improved by the time everyone had their boats rigged and ready with Ross Abby and Taylah in lasers and Maddy and Jade in Bics and finally Kaia in the Taz where she was trying the gyb for the first time . The winds had come up a bit from the first class to around 10 knots S/E so we set a triangle course just south of the club . Abby Ross and Jade soon had the course in their head and at first so did the rest but the winds soon picked up and Taylah and Maddy started to find it hard going . Taylah came in and picked up Andrew to show her how to handle the stronger winds while Charlie and I looked after Maddy who eventually in a capsize lost her rudder which meant we had to tow her in to shore but at least we still had her ruuder in the safety boat Kaia gave it a good go but as the winds increased she struggled with the gyb and started practicing capsizes not on purpose of course and I have to say she is getting very good a jumping back in and giving it another go . Ross and Abby were scooting around  but eventually tiredness had them capsizing and finally coming in while you guessed it Jade just sailed around the course and I could be wrong but I dont remember any capsizes ?

1.30 pm Open Racing
With the winds building from the S/E we set a course starting in the canal corner and a top mark the other side of the x special mark because Ben wanted an upwind and seeing we had the expert ( Greg ) on board we let him set the start line and informed everyone that all complaints on the day went to Greg ! It was actually a good fleet with 10 boats on the water although Adrian had to pull out with rig failure but the rest were soon lined up for the start which unfortunately Ben slightly got wrong and I had to call him back ( half a boat length over ) but to his credit he fought back and came home fifth . Peter Fell pulled clear early as his normal rivals were missing in Tom and Greg although he had to come from behind to do it with Matt out in front earlyand sailing well and Roger yes Roger who has been missing for a few months in third  in the only 4.7 rig . Greg brought a neighbour along and he sailed unfortunately a club boat with no turbo but he also showed some forgotten skills just a pity the boat is old and tired but I think he will be back . To top off what was a great day on the water we think provisionally that Roger might have even one on handicap on his first sail back !

Upcoming ;
Try Sailing Day 13th December 
Club Xmas Party 20th December 

C U on the water 
​J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well its been a long road but the storage extension to the club is definitely getting closer with council fully supporting the upgrade and all documents signed its now time for our builder to sort out dates for the project to begin and fingers crossed it will be before Xmas and if so we will be able to enjoy the extra area just in time for both our Try Sailing Day and our Club Xmas Party . We have to especially thank our local councillor Cameron Caldwell who,s support of the club has never wavered and each time we have gone to him for advice or support he has always done his best to help us out so a big thank you to Cameron.
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
It was looking a bit iffy for the day with a forecast of 25/30 knots but earlier on in the morning things were looking good with the wind speeds hovering around 8/10 knots at the Seaway . I had a few early enquiries but the weather seemed to be holding on so I decided that Juniors would be on , things were looking good early and as everyone arrived the conditions only came up to around 10/12 knots so after a short briefing we took the boats to the beach and made ready to launch . Charlie and Abby set a reaching course in the S/E winds and we soon had as usual Cooper and Dan ready to go and you guessed it the moment they left it went from 10/12 to 20 plus knots and the boys only made it about 50 metre,s from shore and a big bullet caused them to nose dive so I turned around towards everyone else and just said know and we just put the boats back on the grass and packed up . Cooper and co had a struggle getting the boat up in the conditions but with a bit of help from the safety boat they soon had it up and back to shore with both boys looking decidely wet . We decided then to offer everyone and sail on the laser and both Charlie and Casey ( day off work ) took turns in taking everyone out and yes even the old laser was humming .
10.30 Youth Training :
With conditions worsening most of the group decided not to sail but we knew that for one Abby would go out as she had to try the new boat ( hull number 210 ) We did warn her it would be a wild ride as these newer boats are very quick especially compared to her old boat but she was determined so off she went and she soon found out that it was true with the boat soon humming on the reach but ultimately she blundered and went for a swim ! at least the new boat is easier to get up.
Ross and Jade also went out and as Jade said to her dad its only 20 knots dad so Iam going and yes she had an early capsize but then was just flying while Ross with the ever overuse of the main sheet had a few swims well at least until he put Emmerson on board for ballast which really worked resulting in a lot of yahooing on the broad reaches and yes he did use the 4.7 and not the radial which was a very smart move . They were back in by 11.45 apparently because the safety crew who were wet were just too cold and pulled the pin . These youth sailors totally impress me as this isnt the fir4st time they have ventured out in 20 plus and actually enjoyed the rush so well done everyone !
1.30 pm Open Race;
With Cconditions getting even windier most of the silors pulled the pin but the die hards in Greg Tom Ben and Nic were still keen to give the conditions a go and seeing that it wasnt a championship race we decided to set a start down at the canal and a rounding mark at the x ( which is illegal ) at crab and a shallow wing mark and have a series of 1 lap races . Conditions were around 25plus knots with some nasty gusts so it was going to be a real test even the starts were tight with the odd yell of starboard . Tom just relished in the conditions and was never headed while Ben nad Greg fought over second and third while nic who is non turbo brought up the rear but not by much . The down winds were awesome with some great speed but the best was Greg and Ben in the last race fighting over second and coming right at the finish boat and you guessed it they both picked up a bullet about 5 boat lengths out so yes they were just holding control so much that we on the finish boat started moving over to the starboard side as we thought they would capsize over the top of us but no they cruised past with big grinns on their faces not sure if the grins were because they had a great finish or that they actually made it ?

29th of November is our annual last race marathon so everyone should wipe the dust off and join in to celebrate what has been a very interesting racing year!

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , With our two major events coming up next month we are looking for volunteers to help out on the day with both firstly our Annual Try Sailing Fundraiser on the 13th of December and then our Christmas Party which is again being held at the club premises on the 20th of December . 
The try sailing day will ned people to help with booking people in , rigging boats , sailing  , safety boat crew , and help with the canteen so if you think you can spare an hour or so just let us know . The Christmas Party just needs people to help decorate the club for the day ( as Iam useless at it ) and set up tables and chairs with the party hopefully starting around 11.30 am and yes there is sailing from 9.00 am just for fun !
Our summer break Sailing Camps are starting on the 14th and 15th of december so I would suggest that if you are thinking of booking the kids in for either the december or january camps do it sooner rather than later as if the last school holidays are any guide we will be swamped with applications again and quickly run out of spaces forms will be available from the office or by request via email , the last holiday camps were a lot of fun and certainly developed many new sailors skills so well worth the effort..
8.30 am Sunday Juniors ;
After saturday weather and yes Charlie and I were out in it !!! Sundays forecast for much lighter winds and no rain was always going to attract a big group of sailors and with people booking in last minute on saturday afternoon it was surely looking that way . Sunday arrived with perfect conditions well except for lack of wind and with 18 juniors signing on we new we were going to be in for a busy sussion especially with Charlie joining in by taking a school friend out for his first sail . With Charlie busy sailing it was my turn to drive the safety boat and Abby as crew it had been a while and wouldnt you know it I got the very shifty winds which meant everyone was going backwards , sideways and not at all well except for Charlie of course just shows what experience can achieve and boy did he let everyone know it ! It did take a while but eventually the wind settled in and everyone started cruising around the course which was roughly a reach so easily doable . I could go through and mention everyone individually but I think tha just saying that our current group of consistant sailors are starting to look really comfortable in boats and a special thanks to Taylah who gave Willow her first real steering experience on the laser and she did really well with some good lines and smooth tacks . I hear the two sailors have been offered the chance to sail bic,s next sunday providing the winds are reasonable so fingers crossed that conditions are good and Cooper and Daniel get the first go .
10.30 am Training ;
With conditions settling to around 4/6 knots it was always going to be a struggle setting up something that would challenge this group so we started out front but soon left and headed down to the canal area where there was more wind even if it was a bit inconsistant . To help the team understand the course we set we decided to show the group around the course which included sail set and tacks gybes and bearaways so no problem right ? well not exctly as the first thing that happened was that Abby and Jade followed Ross who instead of going upwind back from the green went off on a reach  over towards the trees on ephriam where you guessed it there was no wind and just to make it more friendly Kaia decided to join in as well , we did finally get them all back on track so we went off to help Masison which was another mistake as you guessed it again they all started going the wrong way again oh joy oh fun !!! Charlie is truly becoming an instructor as he spat the dummy with everyone constantly getting it wrong so he is truly starting the intricacies of being a sailing instructor , welcome to my world Charlie ! 
1.30 pm Racing;
With me feeling a bit off colour Charlie decided on the course for the day which was a start between ephriam and Soverign and a top mark up above the last green and a turning mark over to the east of the start line .
Conditions had improved with a good n/e wind around 12 to 15 knots and a half metre wave on an outgoing tide so yes it was a bit of a struggle on the upwinds . We figured on a tight start as the boat end was favoured and with Greg squeezing Kate at the boat it was definitely tight and competitive . Tom broke away and we thought he went the wrong direction with the current but he soon caught up with Greg and Kate and it became a tight struggle between the three of the as they rounded for their second up wind . Kate had a swim at the gybe mark so dropped back a bit while tom and greg kept battling it out while Russell just cruised along in fourth . Chris did turn up as well but just cruised the course as apparently he had forgotten his battens and had to go back to the club and put them in well at least he didnt forget his PFD right greg and st6eve ? Adrian made it around while stuart lost a tiller while going up wind ( gotta remember the rudder pin next time ) at leaast he had a laugh after the race ! I became a bit of a passenger as i finally sucumbed and vomited yes vomited on the boat on Charlie and the finish sheet folder and in the water apparently there is a stomach bug going around so lucky me as I must have been the lucky reciepient oh and Charlie to vomit even though I was sick on his foot tough stuff Charlie .

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well it has certainly been a busy week at paradise point sailing club with christmas fast approaching and 2021 right behind it its getting closer to our two major events for this year and then we have 2021 which will be a back to normal year fingers crossed . Despite early dire predictions regarding the corona virus and its long term effects the club has come through this years problems well as has our other sailing facility at Varsity Lakes with our general participation numbers showing good results with all our current activities showing significant increases in participant numbers . Its great to see all the smiling faces every sunday from juniors to adults just out to either learn more about sailing or just learn more ! from children like Tristan all the way up to our adults like Lance who are out there learning to sail and have FUN!
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
With the weather forecast predicting doom and gloom sailing conditions I did my usual thing and fell back on the BOM website to check out the actual weather charts for the next four days so that I could gain a better understanding of what to expect . Most people just watched the news so decided not to come as they predicted 20 knots plus but my reading of the charts said more like 15k from the north which we are somewhat protected from and as it happens the winds on the day were actually just right for everyone with wind speeds around 5/8 knots . We had a few new sailors for the first time and thanks to Mason for taking them out and showing them the ropes he even had Jason steering on his first sail . Taylor was out in the laser and her brother had a Tera on his own and was sailing well with good tacks now all we have to do is get him gybing like his sister who showed some very smooth tacks and gybes on the nice reaching course , all in all a very productive lesson.
10.30 am Training ;
We had a new member for this group in Taylah yes we finally convinced her to step up to 10.30 training and see how she goes . We all sat down for a briefing and again worked on upwind sailing including where we sit sail trimmed on using telltales and how to take lifts instead of bearing away. As is usual with this group we set triangles and everyone except Jade was told to start with reaching , why did Jade have to start with triangles and noone else ? well she is just getting that good at working the most efficient angles . We soon had abby and ross doing the same while we left Taylah and Mason doing reaches with tacks and gybes at the buoys . Roos was struggling at first so Charlie swapped places to show him better upwinds and also the main sheet flick in the gybes as he was using a radial for the first time and to his credit once he jumped back on his boat he started emulating what Charlie had taught him . With Jade we just improved her gybe technique ( body position ) and we also had Abby going upwind better and flick gybing as well . Finally we stretched out Masons and Taylah,s course so that the could work on boat speed and turns . Did anyone go in ? well yes Ross had a swim but that was early before Charlie showed him how to use the gusts .
1.30 pm Open Racing;
The winds had turned toward the n/e when we ventured out to set the course so we set a start down at runners with the first upwind in our channel up on the east side then a long run up the east channel just short of the top green nav mark . Conditions were choppy with the wind and tide against each other and the wind speeds were around 12 to 15 knots but at times early in the race somewhat flukey with Nic just in front on the first lap and Greg and Tom close behind . After two laps the then had to head north in the main channel but Nic got it wrong and went up the west again and even though we tried to get his attention he got about half way up before he realised his mistake and had to tack accross the sand bar put him right down the fleet . Chris took over third place but no matter what he and Tom did they couldnt catch Greg who just literally sailed away finishing minutes before everyone else in 1hr 13m then Tom and Chris . Steve came home last but considering he forgot his pfd and had to go back for it then start not a bad effort and he nearly caught Lance on the finish leg except he made that fatal decision and just let the outhaul off just a bit more and you guessed it in the drink !

We are looking for some volunteers on Try Sailing day on the 13th of December so if you can spare even an hour to fill our positions just let us know 
Beach controller 
Sign on 
Rigging 
canteen 
barbeque 
jumping castle observers 
all help greatly appreciated 

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone , this week I had an interview with 91.7 ABC radio as they wanted to hear about our sailing club and you would think for a have a chat like me it would be a breeze but there were a few nerves as I steped up to the microphone but my passion for our sailing club soon kicked in and away I went and from reports from people who listen in apparently I did OK . It was just great to think that the word is out there that Paradise Point Sailing Club is a great place to send your children for a introduction to the sport of sailing so well done everyone for your efforts at supporting the club and its goals .
We have also been looking at some repairs to our caged area in conjunction with GCCC and we have been advised that the upgrade plans have been approved so fingers crossed that we will soon have our upgrades in place .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors;
As everyone knows the morning started with some pretty ordinary weather conditions predicted and it was surely looking that way by 7.30 am so as a safety precaution I posted that all juniors would be two up sailing due to the conditions . It seems we have a big group of very keen junior sailors as despite the already windy conditions we still had a large group of sailors signing on and rigging boats . With the winds up around 8/14 knots we decided on just a reaching course  tacking toward the bridge and yes there were a few capsizes with I think the first boat in was Willow and Emma but they soon had their boat back up and off they went again . Tristan and his crew had a few issues early mainly not enough weight but after a break on shore they were again back out there giving it a go , Cooper and his crew had a great sail and from memory I dont think they had any capsizes all I remember was some very smooth tacks so well done boys . I have to mention two young sailors who were just so funny and that was Madison and her brother Timothy who was very nervous in the windy conditions which soon turned into a bit of screaming as his sister built up speed on the reaches and when timothy reacted she just smiled  and smiled typical sister mine would have done the same but he did survive and probably talked about it for the rest of the day!

10.30 am Training ;
With the predicted increase in wind speeds not eventuating this group set their boats up for wind conditions around 10/14 knots n/e which is well within their range of skills so Charlie and I decided on triangles but before we went out we had a briefing about upwind sailing with firstly downhaul and outhaul settings but most importantly mainsheet block to block upwind sailing . To achieve better upwind we explained that the mainsheet blocks should be no more than 100 mil apart on the upwind and that it was very important to take the lifts when available . Madison opted for a tera because of the windy conditions and despite struggling at times in the gusts and her light weight she managed to sail well . Emmerson struck rudder trouble so had to pull out early while Ross just as usual gave it his all but did struggle with taking lifts resulting in a few swims and a small rigging failure with the main sheet unravelling and the tiller coming out of the box? Cgarlie wanted to show Abby how to go upwind and gybe the boat so he swapped places and we followed him for a couple of laps so she could see how its done , so how did it go well no sooner was she back on board her boat speed just increased and she was absolutely smoking on the reaches and broadreaches . Not sure who had the most fun Abby or Charlie.

1.30 pm Open Racing;
With the conditions staying around 10/14 knots and it being a non championship race we only had a small group so we decided to head out into the main channel to do some windward leeward short races and yes including downwind gybes which ultimately caused a few problems with Peter wrapping his mainsheet around the boom and Nick snapping his gooseneck in race three .We had atemporary PRO as well who I must say needs some work on his communication skills as he had us totally confused as to where he wanted the start line but we put it where he said  which we new would cause complaints from other sailors which it did so we moved it to a proper upwind start but again true to form as PRO he said thats where he wanted it anyway and that it was our fault as we didnt go to his briefing ( by the way there wasnt a briefing ? ) so who was the in charge yes you guessed it Greg !!! The upwinds were tough with the current absolutely roaring out so they were sailing right over the sand bars where Ben forced Greg to run aground and hit a mark and we couldnt get the smile off his face even Greg was laughing as he went over the line . Race four conditions really changed with the winds increasing to a gusty 20 knots making the upwind really tough but the downwind gybes were fantastic well except for Bens last gybe wich you guessed it put him in the drink all in all a good sail.

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone you are going to notice changes at the club this weekend as the Gold Coast City Council has decided to remove 90% of the fencing bordering the park area and I mention this as when the park wasnt fenced of from cars previously we had problems with people driving cars in the park and diging up the grass both day and night . Our caretaker is not looking forward to this as its his duty to notify council of suspicious behaviour ! fingers crossed the Idiot section of our community stays away ??? 
8.30 am Sunday Juniors :
It was again absolutely perfect for this session with winds around 4 knots from the s/e and blue skies to greet all the sailors . We soon had a course set and Charlie and Abby on the safety boat to give assistance . Taylah who has come far especially after the last camp where charlie worked with her on the club race laser had her brother on board and they really went well in the conditions . Everyone else struggled a bit early in the session but with some help from the coach boat they were soon just cruising . I had a request from Willow to teach her how to steer so we did the usual standing in the water doing practice tacking then off in front of me about half way accross the set course and then with a bit of enchouragement she was off around the whole course . We had will in the taz and at first he struggled so again I gave him some tips about where to sit and how to change sides and he was soon out there cruising around with everyone else . Cooper is still going forward and even surprising mum and dad as is Rilet and Griffin especially sailing solo . The best part is the constant questions and the keen look in everyones eyes so who knows we might get more people heading off to 10.30 training soon .
10.30 am Training;
With our hard core group of Jade , Ross , Abby , kaia , Madisonon all ready to go with boats rigged we had our usual briefing about rig settings for the conditions ( e/s/e 4/6 knots ) whith the usual slightly confused looks on a few faces their challenge for the day was to sail to the yellow x donw opposite Runners , sounds easy right well you would be wrong as the current was absolute murder coming in . Jade got it early as did Kaia who was sailing the Taz ?? and Ross who sailed with Emmerson on his laser were at first nearly going backwards until Charlie and I got them both to move up the front amazing what a differency it makes right boys? Abby had good boat speed upwind but she just needs to pull the main on harder by about two hundred mill then it will really go upwind . Charlie and I spent a lot of time with Maddison ( Bic ) improving her upwind which was as usual down to sail watching and concentration but she managed to sail with the fleet . The x mark proved ellusive with noone actually making it with Jade , Abby and Kaia getting the closest before we ran out of time and had to turn back for the club . The session showed Charlie and I that these people are really improving their skills so its time to go even further with a few more sailing challenges , WELL DONE EVERYONE!

1.30 pm Open Racing :
With it being a club championship points race we had a good turnout of 10 boats at the start line which we set down past the canal on the western side including both windwartd leeward and triangles . Everyone has been well behaved at the start line of late but not on sunday where everyone was a bit keen to get a good start so they crowded each other at the pin end for a starboard start except for Adrian who decided on a port start at the committee boat and you guessed jamed up the people on starboard and eventually pushed himself and Steve into the start boat anchor chain but with a bit of help from Charlie they were soon untangled and off racing . Greg and Tom soon settled into a battle and were constantly cahnging places throughout the race . The conditions were shifty but tyhere was one good lift starting down near allysie which if you snagged it just lifted you all the way up to the mark , it was awesome to watch when someone snagged it and just sailed waay from the other boats . Michelle was back out as well and although looking a bit spent as she crossed the line she said she had a great sail , I even have photographic proof with a few pictures going on facebook . Oh yeah who came first out of Greg and Tom well Tom buy about 9 seconds and Nick third .

Adult learn to sail ;
We are currently running a course on Saturdays so who knows we might have a few more racers out of the group which includes Maddisons parents !

CU on the water
J Murphy