Hi Everyone , Well its june so the open bic skiff states are getting close and its looking like its going to be a great weekend with 22 competitors already signed on and a few more pending . there will be three divisions starting with green fleet then silver fleet then gold fleet so all levels of sailing will be catered for now all we need is some wind to make it a successful weekend .
Once the states have been completed we will be changing our youth group sailing so that instead of three weekends of training it will be two weeks of training and two weeks of racing open to bic,s, lasers , optis and sabots but you must be a member of australian sailing to compete . We are hoping for some good competition amongst the young sailors but also have fun!
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Well as usual Hayden was in early just so he can learn more as he wants to move up to youth training so he has taken the list home so that he can brush up on what he needs to achieve to move up . Conditions were perfect on sunday morning with a westerly wind blowing at around 4 knots and blue skies . Charlie and Leils set a long reach out the front near the middle of the channel so that they could get the true wind away from the buildings and trees . With a consistant wind everuyone was soon sailing mark to mark and tacking well and a few people even tried some gybes which the pulled off well . 
We had a few assistants go out first on a few boats but as the session went on the slowly jumped on to the start boat as they werent needed as everyone was just cruising so thanks to halle Jack zach and Tj for your efforts .
10.30 Youth Training
With all boats rigged and with the queensland states only a month away everyone came in for a briefing but not before Charlie asked everyone what they learnt from racing the previous weekend and suffice to say without getting into it it was an interesting session I think our crew is finally ready to hit the competition on the 29th of june  the days lesson was sailing backwards but not only that but also doing turns while sailing backwards then sailing backwards without a centreboard all in the aid of boat skills and sure a few people struggled at first but with some individual coaching from the safety boat  they all nailed it in the end and even attracted an audience on shore , lets hope they dont need that skill at the states fingers crossed.

Queensland Open Bic Skiff State Titles 28/30 june

cu on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Looks like the rain might be back for the weekend but as long as there is wind we should be ok but dont forget to let us know your coming so we know how many we are catering for . Finally all the work at the club has been completed and now all we need is the money back from the insurance company which hopefully wont be too long . Now I can focus on the upcoming Open bic skiff states starting on the 28/6/24 which should as always be a great event especially this year with the importers being heavily involved in its set up. Its a bit different this year because of their involvement as we normally at that time of year run the midwinter cup which is open to sabots , optis and lasers as well but this time around because its the queensland state titles for the open bic skiff its only open to them but should still be a good event.
There has also been a change with our youth sailors in that as of july 7th they will now be racing every second and fourth sunday and training will be on the opposite sundays this way all the work they have put in early this year will now transfer to actual racing and yes it will be open to lasers ( 4.7 ) Optis and Sabots as well which should make it more interesting for everyone .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With the winds slowly building early in the morning it was looking like a good winds day and even sunny skies !
As usual hayden was first in which even though he is too early to start rigging he gets a chance to ask questions aas he is keen to move to 10.30 training and the way he is going he will soon be ther just have to stop facing backwards when tacking! . We had a couple of first timers as usual which Halle and Leila looked after and the tj and jack arrived to help with rigging the boats while charlie and I ran around lifting masts and boats . Charlie set a nice reaching course to suit the s/s/e wind which actually came in around 8 knots which was pretty solid for this group even Quinn had some dramas with the stronger winds mainly tacking but leila helped her through it . Halle and jack sailed with some new sailors while I did some training with tow boys as the tried sailing without help but didnt cope well some some tacking practice was needed in the shallows . I have to say it was just getting a bit chilly out there so Iam thinking its time for wetsuit pants just to stop the shivers , even quinn was shivering and she was wearing a wetsuit.
10.30 Youth Training / Racing
It was a perfect day for racing as it was the last sunday of the month and next month it will be the queensland open bic skiff states and then in july we start the new system of two race weekends and two training weekends as we think our group has absolutely gone forward in the sailing from the start of the year mainly thanks to their dedication and charlies hard work coaching 
Unfortunately the winds had dropped from 8.30 class that was around 8knots to roughly 4 knots so you guessed it slow was the operative word . We set a triangle with the start/finish near the club and using the minion buoys for the rounding buoys we set a mark up at the canal and one over towards ephriam to make the triangle . Our new sailor in Max ( 4.7) had to do one extra lap but that didnt bother him . The start was good although charlie did do some yelling at some people who seemed to find the no sailing zone early but with some coaching they were soon all out there giving it a go . Of course the wind stopped then started again so nothing unusual which did favour max ( waterline length ) but Tristan who sailed brilliantly kept him honest yes a bic kept him honest well until the light breeze kicked in but still there was daylight behind Tristan then leila and halle , jack and TJ . It was actually a good race between halle and leila which in the end halle won as leila capsized but got her boat back up to finish third and yes you are right Halle finished 2nd first time ever so well done Tristan and Halle for really sailing the conditions well .
So where was Zach well he is training for the kokoda challenge but will be back next week , well done mate !

Upcoming
Queensland Open Bic Skiff state championships 28-30 june 

cu on the water
J Murphy

 Hi Everyone , after 16 years I have finally retired the club truck it has held up through thick and thin but with 550,000 klm on the clock she just  keeps having niggling issues so after much searching I settled on a holden commodore ute as the new tow vehicle . It was owned locally by long term friends of the sailing club so its staying in the area , signwriting will be going on soon so that everyone knows where it comes from and this one even has power steering Yeah!!! Those who attended on sunday got to see the final product in the new cage a now including new roller doors which are more suited to the sometimes windy conditions at the club and we even had time to re configure the storage so hopefully it will now work better .
We have been approached by keppel bay sailing club for the loan of a rigid inflatible so for anyone who is going you will see the yellow ( banana boat ) rigid up there with charlie in charge even in charge of towing her up and back , should be a great experience for him.

8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Mother nature was at her best keeping us guessing as to what it was going to do and with the BOM forecasting 35 knots and a strong wind warning current it really left us no choice considering our insurance liabilities  regarding safe operations . We posted on facebook and our website at 7am and felt confident that we had done the right thing as the wind speeds at Yamba were 25-30 knots southerly so it seemed to be on its way . It did blow up a little but then abated to around 10/14 knots but I will always go safety first so it is what it is and lets hope this weekend is back to good weather for 8.30 am juniors .

10.30 am Youth Training 
We did finally run this class although earlier it was definitely not happening but with mother nature being her fickle self it just settled to 10/16 knots so with only zach leila halle TJ and jack dropping in we decided to try something different and that was sail the pacer . Charlie went out with TJ first to show everyone the ropes while the rest came with me on the safety boat  and we even did a rescue of a stranded young sailor and his dad down near crab island , it was just too windy for the 8 year old and they were stuck on a sand bank and I new they werent part of southport as I had seen them out on saturday so duty of care took over and we towed them back to the beach up from the club . Once we were finished it was time for everyone to take turns on the pacer and I have to say they all did very well with no capsizes and the boat only half full of water ( forgot to show them where the bailer was ) Charlie and I were very impressed especially with Zach and Leila as they sailed well together with Leila on main and Zach steering . It was a bit sloopy on pack up but we got it there in the end and everyone promised to do better next time and yes there will be a next time .

Open Racing 1.30 pm
Our open racing series has been suspended due to lack of participants but we hope to restart later this year but we will keep everyone informed .

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi  Everyone , Seeing that I missed the news letter last week due to being in sydney I thought I would get in early this week and do it today ( tuesday ) . The big news is finally after delays with stock and tradies this week we have finally had the waterside door replaced and the upstairs carpets are being finished today and finally the storm damaged roller doors are being done on Thursday its been a long slog but its finally being completed now all thats left is the insurance claim on the 420 mast but I think they will wright it off so we keep the boat but just have to find a mast .After much searching we have found a new treasurer to replace kelly who asked to be removed as treasurer and our new treasurer will take a bit to get up to speed but it shouldnt be long before she has everything sorted . You may have seen recently another instructor at the club his name is mike and he is the green fleet coach for the states and is volunteering with us to get a feel for the club thanks mate hope you are enjoying yourself. A special thanks to jacks dad Ronan for fitting us in to his work schedule when water damage was found upstairs allowing the carpet people to lay the last of the carpet in the master bedroom now geoff and wendy can move back in instead of sleeping in the lounge room , what was the leak ? apparently incorrect fitting of the flashing under the tiles.

Sunday Morning Juniors 8.30 am
With it being mothers day we didnt expect much of a turn up for 8.30 even charlie was late as he took his mum for coffee so well done charlie .As it turned out we ended up with 10 junior sailors signed on and with the help of jack , Leila and Halle , tristan and harvey we soon had the group rigging boats including the odd repair mainly minor stuff .Once the briefing was completed we soon had the boats on the water and with a n/w breeze around 3-5 knots it was perfect for the morning group. Hayden who is always first here asked if he could sail alone and Quinn was again in the bic with Leila as instructor. Itook two sisters and we did tacking near the shore then once they had it down patt I sent them out with everyone else . Hayden was doing really well as he wants to progress to 10 .30 class  practicing gybes and tacks  . Quinn learnt about Bic battens especially as the wind lightened out as they just wouldnt pop so she had a lot of practice shaking the boom . unbelievably there was even a capsize and yes it was on purpose definitely not for me as the water is getting cold . It was a great session even with lightening wind and of course one boat without a bung!!!

Youth Training 10.30 am
With the Bic states getting closer charlie had a question and answer session first and these guys and girls are starting to really think about sailing with some really good discussion and questions being asked such as buoy room and right of way its been a bit of a slog but they are all starting to become more focused which of course improves sailing we hope! Charlie set a windward leeward to test everyones upwind and downwind with roll tacks and gybes and pumping allowed . Being the first time for pumping and I think only the third time for rolls it was very interesting to watch with not all pumping going well and some of the roll tacks under rolling our slightly over . We had a new sailor in the laser in matt who is one of charlies students from yepoon last year and he had a great run as did harvey , reece jack and Halle well at least from what I saw . At the debrief it was good to see what everyone thought of their effort and even my new student TJ went much better with a bit more focus on the water and double checking his rigging .

Open Racing back next Sunday
UPCOMING 
queensland open bic skiff states 29-30 june 

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone  , Winter is on its way with cool mornings now the norm with fine sunny days and even the wind is coming back .. We are also well under way  with the preparations for the queensland Open Bic State Titles , this event is usually our Midwinter Cup open to optis sabots lasers and of course Bic Skiffs but we have been asked by Bic Australia to hold their State Championships instead and seeing that we have quite a few Bic sailors here we thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce our bic sailors to racing on the big stage . We will be looking for volunteers on both days as there are three divisions from beginner to open fleet sailors so yes it will be busy both on land and on the water so any help you can give us will be greatly appreciated .
Finally this week the temporary fencing has been removed from around the new caged area and even the new aluminium gates look good and yes it doesnt leak when it rains . We have decided to leave the Open Bic Rack inside for better protection from the weather and we are changing the general set up inside as well hopefully to make life easier especially for us that unpack and pack up the gear when we are operating . Finally our grant upgrades and storm insurance are slowly coming together with only the inner roller door and the water side entry door to be done and on the insurance side the carpeting upstairs is nearly complete and the outside roller doors should be done mid may , everything is slow just do to supply and trades people .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With the winds around 4-7 knots it was looking as a great morning for juniors and with ten sailors including a couple of newbies signed on we were soon into rigging boats and with Leila , Hallie and Jack out there showing everyone how its done charlie and I were left to do minor repairs and generally oversee rigging . Jack asked if he could present some of the session on the white board and he even brought his own notes  and did a great job for his first time now all we have to do is convince the other assistants to give it a go as well. Charlie was in charge of on water and no sooner was he out there the capsizes started happening . The winds were pretty consistant with the occassional puff which caught a few people out and also the odd accidental gybe . Hallie and her crew  were just cruising while Leila brought her crew in and went through tacking in the shallows while jack and i at first fixed the odd rigging problem then jack jumped on with charlie to help with towing and tip overs . I must admit it is getting a bit cool in the water so it might be time for wetsuits I know Iam going to start wearing mine .
11.00 am Youth Racing
The weather conditions were actually great for the race with the winds turning e/s/e at around 6-8 knots , we did have a bit of a chat prior to the race especially as we were using gates which did confuse a few people last time we tried it so with fingers crossed we set a course out the front with an upwind mark . 
The wind came in a bit before the start causing TJ to capsize but we had to leave him there until the rest started which was a bit iffy until the all got their act together with Zacn first on the course then Leila , Jack , TJ and Hallie . Some people had trouble with the No sail zone by easily finding it and stalling but the down winds although not perfect were much better than previous efforts . I have to say Zach blitzed it and even went back after finishing and helped Hallie around the course so well done mate . Leila and Jack had much better down winds as well but mark roundings proved a bit of a struggle . First was Zach 2 Leila 3 jack 4 TJ and 5 Hallie ( one lap down ) .
To round of the session Charlie jumped on Zach,s laser and did the actual race course to show them how even a rusty sailor would attack the course and where they all did the course around 15 minutes charlie did it in 6 minutes which seriously amazed them all especially his general sailing technique which the saw from the safety boat that followed him around the course and no unlike usually he didnt capsize even sailing a 4.7 !

Open Racing back next weekend 
Mothers day sunday 12th of may 
Open Bic States 28/30 june 2024


CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi everyone , We may have a problem with the weather next weekend with strong winds predicted so keep an eye on the forecasts and remember that we will update everyone if we cancel via facebook and our website at 7.00am sunday morning but firngers crossed the bad weather from down south will make its way out to sea before getting here . Things are heating up for the Open Bic Skiff queensland championships 29/30 june with a volunteer committee being formed to help with logistics so if you would like to be on the committee or just help out by volunteering over the weekend just let us know on sunday or email the club , it should be a great weekend as we have done this event previously and they are always a lot of fun plus there is also some great racing among the competitors .
With our new caged area looking awesome all we need now are the new gates which Iam told will be fitted this friday fingers crossed and with new carpets going in upstairs on thursday and a new water side door also being fitted we are on the home stretch with repairs from the storm damage plus utilising the grant funds to upgrade the cage .., we should even be able to put the boats back inside next weekend as well with a few changes .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With a perfect day dawning and the first signs of autumn early with just a slight chill to the air at least we were assured of a nice sunny day . Once everyone was signed on ( 12 sailors ) Charlie and the AI,s as charlie calls them who are mainly our youth group sailors who have volunteered to help we soon had everyone in lifejackets and helmets and out being instructed on how to put a tera together . Hallie and Leila are really taking to this instructing caper and Leila especially was very clear and precise while putting the boats together . We had a new AI as well in Zach who trains on the laser have his first go at instructing and Iam sure he was a bit overawed by the whole thing but Iam sure he will pick it up as the weeks go by . The biggest challenge on the day was keeping everyone occupied as you guessed it the wind was virtually non existant but Jason and Guy did a great job organising paddling races and capsize competitions because there was literally no wind . The AI,s even got involved with them helping capsize boats and right them and doing a lot of laughing with the new sailors . 
10.30 Youth Training 
Well the conditions actually got worse by 10.30 with the water looking like a mill pond so after a bit of pondering we decided there was no point in trying to sail so we had our first ever classroom instructor session with charlie giving everyone a separate weather condition which each one had to present to the class which I have to say was quite a bit unruly at first but we slowly got everyone under control so that each instructor could present the sailing conditions . So how did they go well considering they actually had to talk not too bad considering it is a challenge standing in front of a class presenting a session especially at the age of 9 . We also had a chance to give all the AI,s a more in depth guide as to how AS,s behave and their general duties while in front of  a group so lets hope it sinks in ! The next part of the learning curve is safety boat driving and navigation which we will slowly introduce to everyone so by the time they are 16 years old they will just cruise through their boat license course .
1.30 PM Open Racing
Back next Sunday weather permitting
Upcoming 
Anzac Day 25/4/2024 
Open Bic Regatta 29-30 June 

Cu on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone Well it looks like finally the rain has at least slowed down with two perfect days this week for the holiday sailing camp that was well attended but more about that later . Those who were here last sunday were all impressed with our new not rusty cage area the guys from stratco did a great job and I would definitely recommend them  for work in the steel fabrication area . The construction fence is still around the cage as our new gates are still being manufactured as they couldnt take the final measurements until the new cage supports were in place but should be in place soon . With this major job complete we then have new roller doors , new security door and new carpets for the caretakers flat to go which were damaged in the storm so Insurance hence the wait . With all these upgrades complete the club should be looking good for the open bic skiff state titles in june .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Well on saturday the phone was going crazy with people wanting to book in for this class with at least 12 sailors signed up for the class but you guessed it the rain returned and simply bucketed down causing quite a few cancellations but we still had a few die hards plus a small group from TSS primary school . Luckily the rain stopped by 8.00 am and a slight breeze came in from the s/e and I mean slight but it least there was enough wind to get everyone moving . Harvey and I were in charge of Sarah C and we set a nice reach course towards the bridge and with Tianna,s help we soon had everyone launched and generally practicing their tacking and the occasional gybe which didnt really matter in the 2/4 knot winds as long as they ducked ! We even had a couple of old juniors turn up in jack and dean who have been doing surf life saving on sundays but wanted to come back and sail and they even sailed together and yes they hadnt forgot their skills including how to capsize ! hope you had fun boys.
10.30 Youth Traingin 
Well again mother nature wasnt being kind to our groupof keen young sailors but the conditions didnt seem to worry them as they all soon had their boats rigged and ready . Charlie was back from his time at manly the previous week and decided that roll tacking practice would be perfect for the day but yes you guessed it the wind played funny buggers again changing direction and dropping out and generally being a pain so there were quite a few swims not so much capsizes as just swims as people were rolling the boats and there at times there was now wind right in the middle of the manouvre so it was just a slow side over the gunnell . We even caught up on towing as the tide was going out and the current was strong and the wind just seemed to stop and away the boats would go drifting south so at least we werent bored ! Everyone did manage to get some roll tacks in as the session went on so at least we did achieve the goal of starting the process of efficient roll tacks and also gybes .
Sailing Camp ( mon-tue )
Normally I dont write much about our camps but this one was special with more laughter than usual and some really good sailing.
The most improved sailor I have to say was quinn who is seven ,she sailed so well on day one with Ronnie that we gave her the opportunity to sail solo on tuesday and she did a awesome job and from my point of view as her teacher she listened well and was soon out there tacking and gybing and occassionally capsizing but nothing phased her she just kept getting back in and going again . She actually reminded me of another young sailor many years ago who was the same and ended up solo sailing around the world at 16 . Quinn wasnt the only one as Ronnie and Flinders also went from strength to strength with Ronnie showing early instructor skills teaching the novice Flinders who it all happens . Sophie and Yasmin who have sailed before just cruised both days with the occasional swim mainly on monday but once the wind came in on tuesday they wer sailing around without a worry . We then we have a few of our youth group as well but not in Bic,s we gave them a challenge in the laser with one boat monday and then two boats tuesday and once they stopped running into other boats and sailed a proper course they actually got it even some of the roll tacks were good especially from Hallie !!! with jack as crew . Leila and TJ surprisingly when they listened also went well , whats my favourite saying guys oh yes went in doubt let the sail out ??? . They wer both really trying to roll the lasers with some success but one boat especially had trouble with weight distribution yep backside on the wrong side for too long but we are going to get faster at changing sides arent we leila .
See Leila I didnt tell stories about whale sounds when someone is asleep and thanks for the easter chocolates !!!
Open Racing 
No racing last weekend as most of the guys were away at Lake Cotharaba
​
CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Iam one day late this week with the club news just because the rain the last couple of days was just too dismal but now the sun is back out so time to catch up.
Because of the rain the replacement of our caged area was put on hold but the guys are back today to at least put the posts and new frame in luckily we had already said that we would not be open easter sunday especially now that we have everything stored either inside or on the front lawn . The outside area will be secured by temporary fencing over the weekend so access can only be gained through the waterside door but even that access is limited as the club gear is there . Again I have to thank everyone who helped with moving all the gear on sunday yes in the rain as we were all done by 1.00pm , it looks a bit messy inside but it all fitted . Our other works are also getting closer with new roller doors ( storm damage ) and access door being replaced after easter and now all we need is the approval for the 420 mast ( storm damage ) to complete the current upgrades.
8.30 am sunday juniors 
Firstly I had a bit of a surprise on sunday with one of our original instructors turning up having finally returned from  victoria so welcome back Tianna great to see you out there with the kids and I noticed your old skills soon came back to you even falling over in the water while launching ! The conditions were perfect with light winds from the south and just the start of the turning tide from high so as one of the girls said no mud on sails when capsized . As usual Hayden was first here but decided that he would like to learn about the safety boat I think mainly because there was no wind and no sailing mates . As I was safety boat driver for the day the crew and I set a nice reach in the 2/4 knot winds and we soon had nearly all boats on the water except for one crew who Tianna keep near shore while they were learning how to tack . there was the odd swim supposedly accidental ? while other sailors like Allannah finally got the idea about steering and tacking and then she passed her knowledge on to her crew ( Zippy ) Even our new assistants in Halle and Leila are starting to look comfortable taking new sailors out  just have to stop standing in boats right girls!!!
10.30 Youth Training 
Well it was the fourh sunday of the month so it was racing day and with charlie in brisbane working at RQ for the day it was up to Tianna and I to set a course in what was very challenging conditions with the winds still light from the south . To not make it too difficult I set a start at the club pontoon and for the top mark I used the starboard channel marker and yes I know you are not supposed to do that but it was raining and light winds so hardley any boat traffic .
Charlie has taught them well in their starts with everyone crowding the line which caused two general recalls and the attached confusion but finally start three was a success ok one boat was slightly over say 100 ml but I let it go . The best thing that happened was that the wind swung more west which made it a close reach to and and a broad reach back  . Gemma was soon out in front leading the fleet as was never headed with Reece sticking in second and Harvey third  over the line . Zack ( laser ) had trouble at the start but slowly managed to claw his way back to finish behind Gemma so good recovery mate and the rest of the fleet were not far behind well except for Leila who needs to work on straight lines between the buoys right Leila ? .

Upcoming 
5/7 april lasers at lake cotharaba
8/9 Sailing camp p.p.s.c.
Aus open skiff state championships 28/30 June 2024

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , yes its official Energex is now a sponsor of paradise point sailing club thanks to Guy for all his hard work in setting this up and lets hope that they stay with us into the future supporting children and their families in the great sport of sailing . We are also going to be the host club for the 2024 Aus Open Skiff Queensland Championships to be held at the club from the 28th to the 30th of June 2024 . This event is open to all Open Bic Skiff Sailors from green fleet to open sailors so it should be a great weekend of racing and fun.
Our big changes are starting this weekend with the removal of all our boats and gear in the cage to inside the club and some out the front so that the builders can turn up on monday to demolish the old cage frame which shouldnt take much considering the amount of rust in the old frame . We are looking for people to help us on sunday at around 1.30 pm to help remove all the boats so if you can spare an hour just come down and give a hand it will be much appreciated . The new cage should be up by the following friday but I wont start asking for helpers to put it all back until we know its finished just in case something goes wrong!!!
A special thanks to Gold Coast City Council and our division 4 representative Shelly Curtis for all their support for this project.
8.30 am Sunday Juniors
After being a bit iffy weather wise on saturday it actually turned out a great morning for sailing especially for beginners . We even had Charlie who was originally going to be away at Manly with TSS but he got a leave pass so he rocked up at 8.00am which certainly made life easier .
As usual Hayden was the first here and was itching to start rigging but charlie made him wait to most of the group had signed on . We soon had all the boats rigged and for a change I did the briefing and I even got the wind direction right as usually I forget to look . The winds were out of the s/e at around 4/6 knots so charlie and reece set a nice reaching course which some people even managed to sail mostly despite the odd capsize and collision because despite being told at the briefing to tack away from capsized boats they just sailed right into them so charlie had his hands full  trying to push masts out of the mud while avoiding boats behind sarah c.
I had lucy sofia and charlotte who did have a bit of trouble with steering but we swapped skippers and charlotte gave it a go and managed to go straight !! even if the tacks were a bit iffy anyway well done girls.

10.30 am Youth Sailing 
With the winds picking up to a good 6/8 knots from the e/s/e everyone soon had their boats rigged well the thought so right Jack ( mainsheet ) and Hallie ( twisted mainsheet ) anyway everything was soon rectified by beach control ( me ) and the full team was out there practicing starts again . I can really see the difference in everyone,s boat control with everyone holding station just at the line then taking off at the whistle . Hallie had a brilliant start on one go as did Zach , Harvey , Leila and Reece with TJ AND Jack right there as well much better that three weeks ago when no one was at the line so I have to say great perseverance Charlie as coach getting them up to this level . Charlie even let everyone go for a bit of a sail as conditions were perfect . Now we will see next sunday how everyone goes in a real racie when charlie is not there to yell at them yep he will be at manly..

1.30 pm Open Racing
The wind was solid at 8 plus knots from the e/s/e so we set a line south of the canal with a triangle course for everyone down towards runners . Charlie set the start to slightly favour a pin end ( starboard ) start and with only four lasers signed on plus one Bic ( Harvey ) it was looking good . Claire and Reece came along to see how it goes and we soon had the five minute flag up and the count down under way . As it came down to inside one minute harvey pulled up near the pin with Nic there as well but Harvey kept him out all the way to the start but the surprise was greg who came through on port and absolutely creamed the start . Heading up the inside he soon had a good lead and although Nic tried his best he just couldnt overtake greg all the way around the course even after greg caught his main sheet around his tiller from a sloppy gybe . Harvey had his own race with two very big triangles so a bit shorter than the lasers who also had windward leeward legs but he showed great boat speed around the course so Iam sure he will be back .
Final positions were 1 Greg 2 Nic 3 Steve 4  Roger .

Upcoming 
Club cage replacement  25 to 29 mch
Aus Open Skiff  28-30 june 2024

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , well it seems we are on a bit of a roll with not only our cage area funding being approved and starting demolition and replacement on monday the 25/3 we have also just received the news that a grant from the department of Sport and Recreation Queensland has also been approved which means we can now replace the rusty roller door inside the club and also the main water side fire door which is badly rotting , now all we need is the damage to the club caused by the christmas storm to also be approved by the insurance company lets hope that happens soon! 
We will be looking for a few volunteers on sunday the 24 - march to help put the boats inside the club which will mean a bit of stacking so will probably take about an hour so if you can spare some time on the day just let us know and yes to answer the kids questions regarding the pile of pool noodles at the club yes they are for stacking boats .
In regards to our event in june involving the Open Bic Skiff titles its slowly coming together so there should be more news soon , the proposed dates are from the 28-30 june 2024 so keep those days free as it should be an exciting event .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Well with parents booking in from tuesday it was safe to assume that this class was going to be well attended and I believe from memory that we had 14 junior sailors signed on and again with a large proportion girls in the group which I think is awesome  . Charlie has got a new way of starting the session with everyone learning rigging before a briefing and then on the water . Our team of young budding instructors in Harvey , Reece , Leila ,Hallie and Gemma were out rigging boats and talking with the students before setting off on the water . Gemma is getting good at rigging lasers well except for the clew strap and Harvey is looking very relaxed as he delivers his rigging course . Hallie and Leila who have only just started helping at 8.30 are starting to understand how it all works and they also looked a lot more relaxed with juniors on board . Harvey and I stayed with some new sailors in the shallows while Guy and Caharlie set a nice reach in front of the club . The new sailors we had asked form tacking practice so we kept them back for a while until the had the idea then we sent them off as well in amongst the group and yes there was the odd capsize , collision and even the occassional loss of a crew member but all in all a good session and yes the overboard crew members were returned to their boats !
10.30 am Sunday Youth Training 
With a couple of people missing it was up to the hard core sailors to endure another training session with Charlie and I know they are all trying because each week now Iam doing maintenance on the Bic,s things like rudder blocks , jammers , rope replacement and sail repairs all from constant use.
So what did Charlie have in store on sunday well it was starts and how to stay at the line , sounds easy but I think not as its always a struggle to maintain your spot and a few people even practiced back winding sails . I have to admit its hard just being boat crew as Iam so used to being in charge but Iam slowly learning to keep quiet and give no hints were to be at the line .
The session lasted for just on an hour yes just start lines and they all kept at it trying to sneak up to the line and slowly it all came through with everyone there with a little help from Harvey he kept telling everyone without a watch how much time was left ? well it ok to be helpful to your sailing mates right !
On the last start Hallie absolutely creamed it just breaking the line as the whistle went with everyone right there as well and charlie even let them sail up to the windward bouy before coming in.

1.30 pm Open Racing
Well after a lot of work setting this years open calendar only two sailors turned up so thanks Steve and Trish for making the effort apparently a certain persons Lexus broke down so the rest stayed away and there was even a rumour tha a certsin sailing instructor was going to race as well so maybe next race day he might get his boat out and brush the cobwebs off who knows he might even get his feet wet! 

Upcoming
Cage area replacement 25/29 march volunteers needed ?
The club will be open easter sunday for juniors 
Mid Winter Cup 28/30 june

CU on the water
J Murphy