Hi Everyone , Well firstly our efforts at replacing the caged area ( rust ) are slowly moving forward with the final documents being signed off this week in regards to our successful grant application and hopefully work beginning on the 25/3/24 which should hopefully be completed by easter ? . On sunday the 24th the plan is to store as many boats as possible inside the club with the powerboats staying on the pontoon , should be a bit squeezy but Iam pretty sure it will all fit.
We are also currently working with our insurance company to have approved the replacement of our roller doors plus upstairs carpet and boat mast replacement as everyone can understand especially those who have dealt with insurance its a slow process but Iam confident we will get there in the end .
DONT FORGET EVERYONE THE CLUB IS CLOSED NEXT WEEKEND AS CHARLIE AND I ARE AWAY DOING A INSTRUCTOR COURSE 
TREASURER , We are still looking for someone who would like to take over the role of Treasurer at the club as our current treasurer (Kelly ) is looking to retire from the position so if you think you can help just let us know !
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
After a large influx of new sailors over the last couple of weeks we werent expecting many to turn up on sunday despite the favourable weather conditions but we still had 15 sailors signed on at 8.30 am . We soon had everyone signed on and geared up and out in the rigging area . We had a couple of new assistants as well in Halle and Leila who asked the week before if they could start helping , we never say no to these requests because we like to see our experienced sailors involve themselves with all the newbies . Conditions were good with a light ( 4/6 k ) s/e wind blowing and an incoming current . While everyone jumped on boats I stayed back and helped two new sailors learn how to steer which they managed to do all be it a bit wobbly by the end of the session . Our two new assistants in Halle and Leila looked a bit daunted but the soon overcame their nervousness and Halle even showed her group how to capsize and recover ! There were a few close calls with boats coming to close to each other but in general everyone went well , even the safety boat had a reasonably quiet day . 
11.00 AM Youth Racing.
Well after weeks of training the first youth race for 2024 was finally here and there were a lot of nervous faces rigging boats at 10.30 . We started of with a briefing where Charlie showed everyone on the white board the racing course with PORT ROUNDS ! and yes we had already practiced this course previously so we thought that it would be ok . The start was reasonably good with Harvey Reece Tristan Jack and Gemma away on time with most everyone else following along . Harvey was just flying upwind to A but Gemma actually beat him around the mark with a better lay line . The top mark rounding was definitely a struggle for everyone as the winds had increased to around 12-16 knots so the bearaway was a bit tricky with most people not getting far enough back and letting the sail out too far so yep there were some capsizes . The first retirement was zach as his outhaul just wouldnt hold so upwind was impossible but his boom is in the club getting a new outhaul ! All the boats either capsized our made course mistakes but overall Charlie and I agreed that considering the conditions they all really went well . The award for the best save goes to Jack how on a downwind lost control and should have really capsized as the boat was on its gunnel but it sat down and he managed to get it back Charlie and I thought he was gone for all money , all we needed was a camera ! 

UPCOMING 
Closed sunday 25/2/24
Race 1 Open Series 3/3/24
Juniors back 3/3/24

cu on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , thank you to our council and our local councillor in regards to the support we received in applying for a grant to replace our rusty cage and this week we started on organising the trades necessary to undertake the works , its actually very exciting to finally have the old rusty supports and roof replaced so no more actually picking up the west gate to open up as its post rusted out about two months ago and yes we are even getting new gates!!!
The club will not be open for juniors and training on sunday the 25th of february due to no suitably qualified staff being available as charlie and I are off to australian sailing school for the weekend , should be fun as we have to be taught how to drive safety boats as part of our new qualifications so that we can run the australian sailing powerboat safety courses . Just as an explanation without suitably qualified staff the clubs insurance isnt valid hence why we will be closed . The other good news is that it looks like our insurance claim for carpets roller doors and boat damage is going to be passed as well , this equipment was damaged in the christmas storm so fingers crossed it will be finally approved within the next few weeks .

8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Well with the weather on saturday slowly turning to rain and wind late in the afternoon it did not look good for sunday juniors and even at 2.00 am when the heavy rain woke me even I thought it would surely be cancelled but by 7.00 am the skies were clearing and a nice slow S/E wind was coming up the bay and with another large group of boys and girls booking in we were looking at a busy morning . We soon had everyone geared up and out in the rigging area learning how to rig a boat with charlie in charge while the rest of us ran around getting boats ready . Charlie and Harvey set a nice reaching course for the 4/6 knot winds and yes I even had a chance to sail a laser with three and four kids on board and my ankle didnt even play up , it was so much fun getting out there again and cruising around while charlie and harvey slowly towed boats back from under the bridge just like i did on saturday with the adult learn to sail group . All in all it was a great morning but I did make one mistake and that was I decided to do some submarining on the laser but I didnt know that she had a big hole in the bow? so yep by the time we got back in she was a bit hard to pull up the ramp and then we had to leave it draining for about 15 minutes so now its in the shed under repair. Apparently the other big hit on the day was the new twin milkshake mixer yep the old one died finally after at least ten years 

10.30 am Youth Training 
We I must say this group is definitely rising to the challenge as each week they are getting better . Charlie each week sets them new sailing challenges starting with explanations on the white board before hitting the water .
Last sunday was box sailing starting with figure eights then off to box roundings which included tacking / gybing / bearaway and dead down wind sailing . It all sounded easy but mother nature started to play a hand with the wind speed increasing to around 12-14 knots and gusts of another 4 knots so yes you guessed it there were a lot of capsizes well except for one wich was harvey who didnt even look like capsizing so well done mate . I have to also single out captain capsize ( Tristan ) not for capsizing but for sailing with an injury which was severe gravel rash mixed with salt water so well done mate !! I as was charlie was really impressed with everyones effort as conditions were a bit rough but no matter how many times they capsized everyone just got their boat back up and sailed on . The reaches were awesome with the fastest boat being Zach with Hallie as crew just for a try out and yes she loved it they had spray everywhere despite a very dodgy outhaul .
Dont forget everyone next sunday is your first race for 2024 so lets hope for good winds , race starts at 11.00 am.

Upcoming
sunday 18/2 first youth race 2024
Sunday 25th club closed due to staff training weekend
​Sunday 3/3/24  first open race 

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Firstly the club is looking for someone to take over the Treasurer duties at the club as Kelly has asked to be excused due to other commitments , the position entails keeping our financial records and working with the secretary and president probably a couple of hours per week depending on whats happening at the club so if you think you can spare the time and would like to help the club just let us know and we can have a chat !
The big news is that we have been successful with our grant application to council to replace the caged area which has a serious rust problem , we patched it up about ten years ago but its now beyond patching and with the support of our council division 4 representative Cr Shelly Curtis we have been granted the funds to carry out the repairs and we are even getting new gates so charlies welding job during the upgrade will just be a memory , it was a good weld to and its still holding ! 
The club 2024 sailing calendar is out with all the basic events listed including open racing and youth racing , other sailing club events will be added when information becomes available .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Compared to the previous weekends weather the forecast was good all week for sunday and with parents booking in as early as wednesday it was definitely shaping up to be a big morning . By Saturday evening there were 14 new and experienced sailors signed on so all we needed was reasonable weather .
Sunday morning started with light rain but it slowly cleared by 8.00am with a roughly westerly wind prevailing .
We ended up with over 20 yes 20 sailors signing on with the large being girls which was great to see . Guy was in charge of the safety boat while Charlie took on all the new sailors with he and harvey doing a rigging demonstration and ne doing a capsize drill .
Guy set a nice reaching course and with the wind only around 2/3 knots from the west it was perfect for beginners , there were some capsizes early and apparently they were accidental ???? but at the end we let everyone give capsize a try just in front of the club with lots of laughter echoeing accrocs the water . The pack up was just as good with everyone pitching in even young Toby was into it even if his hose work was occassionally a bit random.
10.30 am Youth Training 
Well this group never ceases to amaze me with nine sailors turning up for training . Charlie has really taken them under his wing and is really getting everyone involved in this session . The rigging is getting faster and the asking for help part is also diminishing . After a chat about the previous week we set them on box sailing starting with figure eights which I have to say looked good from the shore with good boat speed shown by everyone . The box sailing was a whole new level especially coming to a stop at a buoy with confusion at first but as everyone slowly got the idea there was some good boat control shown . I had a perfect seat on the shore so that I could watch everyone and when they all returned to the shore I managed to give a few people tips on how to improve now all they have to do is remember for next week right! halle Leila Zach , Jack , Kiera ?
Apparently there was a bit of whinging after about half an hour of drills about being bored and can we do something else but charlie stuck to his guns and said no and surprisingly most everyone managed to complete the on water task who knows they might even be able to use these new skills when they start racing on the 18th of feb.
Open Racing 1.30 pm
As I said earlier the club sailing calendar is out and it shows Open Racing starts on sunday the 3/3/24 , we wer going to start the week before but Charlie and I will be away on the 25th feb at a australian sailing course.. Before I forget good luck to Greg Phillips as he is in SA at the moment competing in the Laser masters , with over 200 competitors its sounds awesome fun.

Upcoming
18 feb 2024 Youth Racing 11.00 am start
Open racing 3/3/2024 1.30 pm start
Club Closed Sunday the 25 / 2/2024 ( no sailin at all )

CU ON THE WATER
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , We are slowly organising 2024 sailing and hopefully we should have a race calendar ready soon as we had to sort insurance quotes from the storm damage and reports to council about how the club came through regarding damage and also a report to the department of sport and recreation regarding damage and possible small grants . So what was the damage well both roller doors were buckled , the 420 dinghy has a broken mast , the 14 skiff is probably a write off and the caretakers flat was flooded so it needs new carpets and underlay so considering we got off pretty lightly
While talking with council yesterday they informed me that our grant application to replace the rusty cage area is in its final approval stages so hopefully there will be good news there soon as well .
We have also been approached by the Open Bic Skiff people about running the bic states in june and off course we said yes now its just a matter of sorting dates during the school holidays , this is all thanks to Nicola our secretary who talked with Bevan from bic at the recent lake catharaba event so well done Nicola 
Finally our Hospital Fundraising day raised $620.00 to go to the hospital so many thanks to our awesome volunteers and our local councillor Shelly Curtis who organised some funding for the event , we did have to shut down about an hour early just because of the wind increasing to around 15/17 knots so considering everything it was still a great day.
Our canteen is looking for casual volunteers on sundays so if you think you could spare some time the club would really appreciate your help just ask at the club !!!
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
After receiving several bookings on saturday night we knew we had at least seven sailors for this class which included some new sailors from the try sailing fundraiser .
The day started absolutely boiling with hardly any wind and lots of sun but thankfully by the time the kids hit the water we had a nice light n/e breeze around 3-5 knots . Most of the guys like archie and tom were soon out there cruising around while Daniel and Guy kept an eye on them on a nice leasurely reach while Harvey and I took our two new sailors aside and did a capsize routine and then we put jacob on steering while anna his sister worked the main and after a few practice turns we started them out in front of us and then out with the rest of the fleet and they even swapped skippers so that anna could have a turn and yes she did well for a first timer steering straight and only occasionally gybing instead of tacking but so did jacob  so all even at the end .
Although Iam sure it was accidental all the boats toward the end accidentally capsized and everyone was forced to swim around in the cool water but they all managed to survive and right their boats before returning to shore .
10.30 am Youth Training 
Charlie who is right into training and coaching since his time in Yepoon and then Green fleet coach at lakee catharaba recently already had a plan for the group before they arrived .
It was a big group with 9 boats rigging on the lawn without my or charlie,s help so yes its finally a job where we can stand back while they all help each other rig there boats which I think is awesome!
Charlie decided that they should work on lay lines plus tactics and strategy yep you read it right tactics and strategy !
It was actually a good class session as the group actually asked some good questions as charlie went through the process so at least they were paying attention.
So what happened on the water well the course was a gated course which most everyone had never done so there was a bit of confusion so when in doubt follow Harvey which would have been good only at the start even harvey went the wrong way around the course but eventually he did remedy that with Gemma following him around . The smartest sailor was Tristan who instead of going around the outside of the triangle went up the middle smart move mate . The bearaways wer very ordinary at first with people not letting sails out but after a half hour of yelling at everyone to let their sails out everyone finally started nailing the manouvre which resulted in no out of controls or capsizes down wind .
The one funny point for me was when Charlie started getting frustrated early in the session and started making comments such as what are you doing? pull the sail on its upwind! why are you going that far ? as it sounded just like me when I was teaching him all those years ago welcome to club coaching Charlie !
Upcoming 
Sunday the 28/1/2024 the club is open for juniors and training.( australia day weekend )
Racing is scheduled to start late february as is youth racing 

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well its done for another year our annual Try Sailing Gold Coast University Hospital Fundraiser that was held last Sunday and I dont mind saying it was a great success with a good amount of money raised to go to the hospital on the day . People asked me on sunday why we do this event well we do it because it helps our community and obviously the hospital and its staff who I believe dont receive the full recognition the deserve but then again I am a bit biased as the have helped me in the past especially in 2023 .
Thanks to Gold Coast City Council and our Division 4 councillor ( Cr Shelly Curtis ) for making this years event even bigger by financially supporting the event by supplying a jumping castle , face painter and kayaks all of which made especially the kids smile , I even had my face painted yes me ! and its was fun with all the club kids laughing their heads off as I was getting it done .
These events cannot happen without volunteers from the people on the shore to the people on the water especially our sailors in Greg , Nic , Roger Leila, Halle , Zach , Daniel and Jade who wore themselves out just going back and forth , I heard Nic even fell asleep in his car at one stage . I didnt get to sail but I was talked into taking the jetski out for a run by Leila and then of course everyone else wanted a go well some more that others especially a couple of sailors who screamed that loud that I couldnt hear the jetski engine but they still got off smiling right Jade!!! .
Again thank you to everyone who donated their time on the day I personally appreciate everyones efforts as its a project that always been close to my heart..

Upcoming Events 
21/1/2024 Sunday Juniors returns 8.30 am
21/1/2024 Youth Training returns 10.30 am 
Club Racing will return towards the end of february as we are still sorting the years calendar

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well 2024 is here but what a wild ride from the 25/12/2023 I was luckily away so I didnt have to go through what would obviously have been a pretty scary experience and I honestly was shocked when I returned home on the 29/12/23 at the extent of the damage . I hope everyone survived ok and didnt suffer too much damage , even the sailing club got off pretty lightly with some boat damage , roller door damage and it looks like carpet replacement upstairs as it was soaked by the rain. Thank you to the locals who helped Geoff pull two dinghys from the water where the wind blew them and carry out temporary repairs to our roller doors just to secure them temporarily . 
Well thats the bad news now the good news which is that the gold coast city council has steeped in and is this year financially supporting this worthy event so we now also have facepainting , jumping castle and kayaking as part of the event so special thanks to our division 4 councillor Shelly Curtis for helping support this yearly event..
So when is it on well this sunday the 14/1/24 from 8.30 am until 1.30 pm so its a great day to bring family and friends to the club to have some fun and also try sailing with our members taking people for a sail and all it costs is a $5.00 donation to go to the Gold Coast University Hospital , no booking is required just rock up and have some fun !

8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
Well being the first sunday of the new year we didnt expect many sailors with a lot of people awayon holidays and as expected we only had 5 sailors sign on but that was ok as originally I wasnt sure if we would be operating as on thursday the water quality was not good but by saturday afternoon the smell had gone and the water was starting to clear. The boys all teamed up in a tera and definitely had some fun and I took two returning sailors and we went through some tacking  before they went out towards the buoys . The wind was roughly south with a bit of gusty moments which did give especially my two some moments but once the let the sail off in the gusts they were soon just cruising around . My two in jared and jule,s had such a good time they are looking at doing next weeks sailing camp so they can brush up their skills .
10.30 Youth Training 
As with the 8.30  class we new that this group would also be small with Halle , Leila and Zach turning up for the first sail of the year . Zach was a bit rusty on laser rigging mainly with you guessed it bowlines while the girls mainly leila were a bit rusty with rigging . The conditions were stronger than the early group with the winds turning more south/south/east and gusting up to solid 12 knots so you guessed it there were a few early capsizes especially on the broad reach back toward the beach . Everyone went in and they were all getting frustrated until they all finally listened to me regarding how much sail to let out and also what to do when the boat started to fall on the on the gusty broad reache,s ( pull the sail on ) Iam in the process of setting both their training and race days and it should be ready by the end of the month as this year there is more focus on training while still retaining at least one race day per month . Hopefully I will be able to start on it after this weekends try sailing day and monday and tuesday sailing camp.
1.30 Open Racing 
Racing back mid february currently Tom has a broken foot and Steve has a knee requiring surgery !

Holiday Camp 
With six sailors signing on and all of them having sailed before it was a pretty easy camp especially on monday where they all trained until lunch  and after lunch we let them have some fun on a tera . Annabel and Joseph sailed their own boats for the first time so there were some wild turns and occassional capsize but they had great fun while mitchel , jack , Leila and Halle kind of sailed a tera and I say kind of as they were having fun. On day two with light westerlies we decided to take them for a run to the deep hole and of course the moment we turned around to come back the wind died out so we firstly towed up the teras then went back for the bics who for some strange reason turned around and ended up half way to labrador before we could grab them apparently they thought we werent coming back for them ????? even though we told them  . The two boys got stuck drifting in front of hollywell but thanks to a couple of guys from SYC who had just come from the marina after fuelling they grabbed the boys for us and towed them until the wind came back . So who was the best sailor on the day well it was the least experienced sailor in little Annabel who when the wind died just drifted to the beach and started walking until the wind came back and then sailed home . Jade reckoned that she deserved a chupa chup for her efforts and we all agreed so well done Annabel.

Upcoming
Try Sailing Day 14/1/24 starting at 8.30 am 
Sailing Camp 15/16 january 9am until 3pm daily  

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Well we are fast approaching our last Sunday morning juniors and Youth Training  with next sunday the 10/12 being the last one for 2023 . The following sunday the 17/12 will be the last sunday before we close for Christmas/ New Year and on that day it is our AGM at 10 am followed by the annual club Xmas Party at 12 noon. The AGM is only for full adult members of Paradise Point Sailing Club and should not take very long so that we can get stuck into our christmas party decorations . Please remember that if you would like to come along and meet the club adult and youth sailors just let us know by friday the fifteenth of december so we can order the food for everyone . The cost is $17.00 for Adults and $10.00 for children under 19 yrs which can be paid on the day either by cash or card . Its always a great day with a very relaxed atmosphere . Included in this years celebrations will be the presentation for club race champion in seniors and the most improved male and female sailors in our youth group , we have never done this before so fingers crossed that the Trophies will be ready in time for presentation .Finally dont forget that on the 14th of january we are holding our annual try sailing fund raising day for Gold Coast University Hospital so please invite all your friends along to have a go at sailing while supporting a worthy cause.
8.30 am Sunday Juniors
With parents booking in from first thing saturday morning and the weather forecast looking perfect it was definitely shaping up as a big sunday and it certainly was with 16 new sailors signing on first thing in the morning and once kitted out they were straight out to the rigging yard . Ella and Hayden were first in and couldnt wait to get out there and with so many people rigging boats we soon had them down on the beach just for more room in the rigging area . The safety boat crew got into trouble as there were too many on the boat and no one one the beach so yes they got a radio call . Thanks to Harvey and Reece for taking young Toby out as he seems to be learning more each week including helping to pack up . I was on the beach and I have to say that despiote the odd dodgy gybe everyone went very well with some of the tacking just right and they even started pulling the main sheet on in the tacks after instruction from me . Why do you pull the main sheet on in a tack well it helps the boat tack faster and stops the main sheet catching on the back corner so well done everyone !
10.30 am Training Group 
These sailors were given the day off from training by Charlie as he said he has been pushing them all very hard lately and because of that it didnt take much encouragement to get them all on the water. Everyone went for a sale first then decided that capsizing was the thing so there were boats over everywhere . Zach had trouble at first in the laser but soon mastered the capsize and recovery while Halle liked sticking her mast in the mud same as ollie . Harvey Reece , Zach , Leila and Jack sailed down to the canal and back and out to the green channel marker just because they could while people like Kirra tried to master capsizing some even trying dry capsizing with little success , zach said he just couldnt get over fast enough but to be honest there wasnt a lot of wind 4-7 knots e/n/e . Charlie and I will have a talk about what challenges we set these sailors for next year . Finally for this group we have set friday the 15th of december for the proposed sail out the seaway weather permitting with most everyone keen to give it a go we brought it forward from january as more people are available on the 15th.

Open Racing 1.30 pm
With this groups sailing series finished for 2023 a few of the guys came down for a sail and originally were talking about sailing off shore which Charlie and I werent keen on from a safety point of view but luckily the decided to sail outside soverign instead and apparently joined in with a southport start but at the back so as not to upset the racers  , apparently there was good wind around 12 knots so it was good weather for a sail and they all came back smiling . For racing next year we are looking at the 18th of February or there abouts . It all depends on when our annual aquatic licence application is approved by Maritime Safety but I feel confident that it will be approved by the 18th feb.

Upcoming
AGM 10am sunday 17th december 
Annual Xmas Party 12 noon 17/12/2023 
Xmas break begins on 20/12/23 
Annual Try Sailing Hospital Fundraiser sunday 14th january2024

cu on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , As the year draws to a close the club is getting busy with large annual school groups booked in for this week and next week , these groups are quite large with the first group being 95 students and the second being 85 students . Both groups are here all day and yes we break them up into manageable numbers and they all have a great sailing experience . A special thanks goes to Tom , Greg and of course charlie who have donated their time to give these boys and girls a sailing experience and yes we will all be shot duck by the end of each days sailing. The club will be closing for the xmas braek from the 20th /12 until the 5th 1 2024 but full members can access their boats as most have a cage key and if not and you want to sail your boat just let us know at the club and we can organise a key , all we ask is that you lock up when leaving!  I was asked by council to attend a meeting last week to discuss our cage replacement ( rusty ) and to my surprise they offered to complete a grant application through council and although it doesnt mean we have the money it will surely give us a better chance of replacing the structure so fingers crossed for early 2024 .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With the weather looking good it was always going to be a good day for a sail and although numbers were down on the previous week we still had a keen group signed on for the session . The winds were out of the n/e at around 3-5 knots with the beginning of an outgoing tide so reasonable conditions . Harvey and Reece were there to help everyone launch and we soon had everyone on the water . Charlie and Jason set up a nice reaching course which they expanded as everyone were too bunched up causing some near misses at the buoys so making it longer spaced everyone out so less close calls . So whos improving ? wel most everyone in Hayden Blake Jagger and archie and Tommy now all we have to get them to master is gybing which should be the usual challenge but they already like falling in the water . I have to say he might be the smallest and the youngest by Toby certainly stands out as the keenest sailor as he is willing to have a go at anything and always comes in with a smile on his face.
10.30 am Youth Training 
I was nice to see Annabel and Lana back in ten thirty after a bit of a break and after some early visits to the sand bar they were soon back into the swing sailing around the triangle course charlie had set . There was a discussion at the start regarding a proposed sail out the seaway that we have reset for the 15th of december so it looks like mother nature willing there will be a few sailors heading for a training run out the seaway on that day. I should also mention one of our newest 10.30 sailors in Kirra who despite some trepidation at first had her first real sail with the group and yes she did hit the sand bank like a few other people but soon joined the group and was just cruising. Everyone stood out in the session and really looked good in general but to me the standout was Halle who just nailed the course especially the bearaways just so smooth so well done Halle . The presentation for the most improved male and female sailor of the year in this group will be held on the Xmas party day so we will have to make sure a certain people are present . Charlie and I think we have picked the right people after a hard year but we will soon see !
1.30 Pm Open Racing
With this race being rescheduled from the previous weekend due to the metro,s in brisbane there were only a few hardy souls signed on but there was an added ring-in in one of our youth sailors turning up and asking if he could give it a go and of course we said yes . Dallas was one of the quick youth sailors until work and partying took over like a lot of young sailors but it was great to see him back.
Despite Charlie and I saying it would be more difficult Greg got his way and we had a down wind start to the deep hole with the turning buoy at the west cardinal then a battle up the Curragee side and it was a battle especially for those who followed greg who you guessed it went half way toward the seaway with Tom and Nic in close persuit the rest who were close to Charlie and Iso they turned at the west and began the battle north against 15 plus knots gusty n/e winds and a raging outgoing current . The best was the battle between Tom and ( radial ) and Kate ( 4.7) in the early stages of the upwind it was awesome to watch the tacking duel with tom finally breaking free and sailing away from the fleet . where was greg well for a while he was last behind Lance but by the top mark he had got past lance . On handicap Kate one with Tom second and Nic third , great race everyone . Finally the club champion 2023 presentation will be held at the annual xmas party on the 17/12/23 

Upcoming 
Annual Xmas Party and Presentation 17/12/23 booking is essential
Sailing Camp 18-19 december
Club closing 20/12/23

CU on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Firstly this week we have good news regarding the possible replacement of the caged storage area at the club in that our council has come on board and after a meeting last monday they have assisted the club in applying for a building grant and hopefully with their support we will be successful this time . Although it does not fix all the building issues it is a major part of the general overhaul of the premises so thank you to Gold Coast City Council and our local member CR Shelly Curtis for your support . Whats wrong with the current structure well mainly rust as the structure just cops it in storms with especially salt spray.
As of last weekend we have begun taking names for the annual Xmas Party being held on the 17/12/23 starting at 12.00 noon so if you would like to come along either drop into the club or send us an email with your booking numbers and yes you can pay on the day ! Also dont forget to mark the 14/1/2024 in your calendar for our annual hospital fundraising day all we need is good weather and plenty of people to make it a great day.
33 days until Santa Comes!
8.30 Sunday Juniors 
As of saturday afternoon I knew it was going to be a big day on sunday with at least 10 parents calling to confirm their booking on saturday afternoon evening and I wasnt wrong with 16 budding sailors signing on and rushing out to rig boats at 8.30 am . Charlie took charge while I signed everyone on and with Tristan Harvey and Reece helping we soon had everyone rigged and in the class area for a quick briefing. The winds were out of the n/e but soon moved e/s/e at around 4-5 knots so it was perfect for juniors to practice their skills . There was the occassional capsize and mystery falling out episodes but in general the was some very good beginner sailing out there . The sailors even swapped places so others could have a go at steering with some mistakes at first including collisions but towards the end they all just seemed to be cruising around . I also have to thank emilio how spent the session helping one of our new sailors learn how to steer the tera yes there were a few panic grabs at the steering by emilio  but by the end they were just cruising . Its great to see some of the more experienced kids helping out the new sailors .
10.30 am  Youth Training
 This group has come a long way this year starting with practice racing and then switching over to concentrated sail training . The briefings have changed also with more emphasis on sail sets , distance sailing and now rules . The rules part is a bit confusing but it must be learnt as its part of the hole racing experience so that if you know the rules you should be able to keep out of trouble ( theoretically ? ) As part of their ongoing training for 2024 charlie and I have come up with a bit of an adventure sail which involves going out the seaway on a suitable day hopefully Friday the 15/12/23 as part of training for sailing in swell , its not finalised yet but hopefully it will take place .
While Charlie was on the water coaching I stayed with Kirra who is new to 10.30 training but I feel after sunday where we worked on tacking and boat speed ( sail set ) she was just cruising buy the end of the session so hopefully she can join the group next weekend . The other sailor who is really adapting well is Zach who charlie decided to try in the laser and to our surprise he is really taking too it with smooth sailing very smooth tacks and gybes , we just have to learn how to rig a turbo boat right Zach ?

1.30 pm Open Racing
The last race of the year is this sunday with the annual marathon taking place , this is always a big race as its around crab island which weather permitting takes around 1.5 hrs , it was on the calendar for last weekend but greg had forgotten that the laser metro,s were on so hence the change !

Upcoming
2023 Open marathon 26/11/ 23 
AGM 2023 10.00 am 17/12/23
XMAS PARTY SUNDAY 17/12/23 STARTING AT 12.00 NOON 
Sailing Camp 18/19 december 
Club closure for Xmas 20/12/23

Cu on the water
J Murphy

Hi Everyone , Christmas is not far away now the year seems to have gone by really quickly just cant believe how fast so lets hope next year is a bit slower .
We have had a few lucky breaks with new sponsors and current ones helping support our events and equipment purchasing, with some new sails on the way and new helmets and jackets as well which should be in use as soon as we get them signed . Our new councillor ( shelly curtis ) has generously said that she will go to council to try and raise some funds for our annual Try Sailing Day which raises funds for Gold Coast University Hospital , We are hoping to get the jumping castle back next year for the event if we are successful in receiving some funds from council .
Just a reminder that the club,s annual xmas party is on the 17/12/23 and booking is essential so we know how many to cater for plus Greg Phillips has ordered more chips as apparently the kids ate all the chips last year .
The annual marathon that was scheduled for this sunday the 19th has been postponed until the 26/11/23 as the laser metro,s are on this weekend and most of the guys will be attending so we just moved it one extra week.
The school holiday sailing camps are up and running with the first camp( 18-19 dec ) almost full but their still spaces left of the two january camps .
8.30 am Sunday Juniors 
With perfect weather predicted for sunday the phone was ringing hot with parents booking their children in for the 8.30 class and on the day we certainly werent disappointed with 17 keen learner sailors and a couple of newbies turning up and signing on . Charlie had a break from teaching so I was back in charge of 8.30 class which I thoroughly enjoyed after being away for a few weeks recuperating . The conditions were perfect with the winds out of the e/n/e at around 6 knots and the beginning of the outgoing tide . It was great to hear the kids describe the camsize routines and which way to tack as well . All the boats had a skipper on board so even though I offered most everyone was confident about tacking . Charlie and Guy were in charge and Harvey and Reece were crew . The guys set a nice reaching course that everyone soon came to grips with even if there was the odd low speed collision and the odd case of falling out but after a while they extended the course just to split everyone apart and avoid the collisions . All in all it was a good session well except for a little bit of first aid but thanks to Claire the damage was soon repaired .
10.30 am Youth Training
 With a good crew turning up plus a couple of ring ins in Taylah and Jade yes Jade on a laser and a radial too it was looking good for a sail but before everyone hit the water Charlie had a special surprise for everyone in that he rigged his boat to firstly show everyone rigging. We did hit the class room first just to go over the previous weeks lesson on rigging ( rain ) then they all went out and charlie went through the changes that can be made to a race boat to suit conditions . To round it off we put everyone on Sarah C and Charlie hit the water to physically show everyone Tacking including roll tacking , bearaway retaining speed and of course smooth gybing . So did he capsize well of course he did on his second roll tack but you guessed it he didnt even get wet as he just climbed on the centreboard , we are hopeful that some of what he showed them works > Once the demonstration sail was done everyone just hit the water and from what I could see everyone was dooing well . I say Leila do some very smooth tacks so well done Leila and jack in his new boat was down to two capsizes and he even knew why so thats good . I took our latest 10.30 sailor out in Kirra as she was telling me she was nervous with the wind and tacking . The biggest issue with her was you guessed it facing backwards but after lots of practice she was starting to look good next we will have to work on gybes !
1.30 pm Racing
Racing was set for next weekend for the marathon but it is now on the 26th of november so a few of the team went for a practice run which seemed to create a bit of carnage with Casey really smacking a sandbar ( split centreboard ) Tom tearing his sail at the tack and greg arguing with a channel marker resulting in him headbutting the mark leaving a nice bump on his forehead . As special thanks to Tom as he donated his damaged radial to the club as its in really good condition and after repairs at evolution she will be back out there on a club boat .

Upcoming
Club Marathon 26/11/23
Club Xmas Party 17/12/23
Holiday Sailing Camp 18-19 / 12 / 23
Try Sailing Hospital Fundraiser  14/1/2024

CU on the water
J Murphy