The Executive Committee and members would like to welcome the following new members to Safety Beach SC. We look forward to meeting you at the club or on the water in the very near future.

A group of new members enjoyed drinks and nibbles at the Club on Sunday afternoon while watching the OTB sailors battle the wind and waves to actually get "off the beach". They were welcomed to the Club by Ann Matheson and Chris Allan from the Social Committee and Fiona Lowe from the Executive Committee. The new members were keen to learn how to get involved with sailing or to become a volunteer and many stayed on to watch the keelboats race to the finish line. This was followed by Sunday Sounds with Blair Manie and Erin Cornell. Thanks to everyone who helped make the afternoon a success.

Howdy OTB Gang.

Wow, what a day we had on Sunday. Forget about the fairy tales, this one was straight out of the Stephen King play book! Like watching one of his movies, it was both exciting and terrifying at the same time and just after the start you were wondering if it was really the right place to be. I know I spent a lot of time with my eyes shut and chills running down my spine, but that was just some of those huge waves breaking down the back of my wetsuit! There was also lots of screaming, and that was not only on the reaches, man were they fast! And just to complete the picture, in the third race, (yes, three races!) Duncan Mc was bearing down on Fiona M in one of those said reaches, when a giant, evil clown reached up out of the sea, grabbed him and dragged him under! Well that’s what it looked like to me anyway.
 

With a lot of our regular sailors away at the annual Cairn Curran Regatta, especially the 420’s, our numbers were way down on the week before’s thirty or so boats. Of the 12 that started, 9 were there at the end, and of those I think the gutsy award goes to Zac L and Glenn L in the Lasers, a really tough day at the office for those little round bottomed beasts (the boats people, the boats). I heard Glenn say he hadn’t worked that hard in 35 years! Another Stephen K mind bender was seeing Gingerbread Bill M roaring around in a Tasar, what is the world coming to? And just like coming out of one of those movies, once we were back on dry land and realised that the clown wasn’t coming after us, it was grins all round and a lot of back slapping for having made it through. What a brave bunch!
 

Apart from the ones that didn’t come out (for good reasons), the people I felt sorry for the most were Ross and Natasha M, who crewed on the RHIBs for the day and had to watch close hand all the action when I’m sure they would have loved those conditions and would have done nearly anything to swap places. Come to think of it, I think I might have seen a bit of red and white makeup on Ross back at the Club rooms. As a consolation prize, Ross and Greg Weston, one of our new RHIB drivers, did manage to rescue one of the keelboats that was in trouble with a down motor and taking on water, so some action for them after all.
 

Also on the RHIBs was Never Say No Norm K, who filled in at the last moment as he so often does. I know I say it over and over, but without these volunteers putting in each week, especially Wonder Geoff and Super Deirdre , who go out every week, way before the sailors do, sometimes to wait and wait in bad weather only to have to come back in without laying a mark. Please, please let them know how grateful you are.
  

Lastly this week, there has been a change in the Sailing Instructions to reflect the dodgy start to the season we’ve had. A lot of the weeks the weather has been unsuitable in the afternoon but sailable in the morning but the old SI’s didn’t allow a change of start times after 18.00 hrs Wednesday . As of now the new SI’s allow a change up until 12.00 hrs Friday. This will only be used if the Sailing Committee feels that if we keep the start at 2.00 pm we won’t get a sail in at all. It is not intended to get extra races in. This might not suit everyone that have other morning commitments ( like a well deserved sleep in )but we will endeavor to give at least 24 hrs notice and only after much consideration.
 

That’s enough for now, see you all this Sunday for perfect wind and clear skies. And Duncan, don’t forget to check under the bed for that clown. He’s a fat bugger but he can sail ,( the clown people, the clown )!
 

Cheers, Pete Chippy

Well done to the 16 boats that attempted to race on Friday night in 0.5kts wind and drizzly rain, before all retiring.  And thanks to Amanda Malin and Mr Bojangles crew for running the tower – at last you stayed dry!

Sunday Club Championship Race 4

Thank you Judy Champion (RO) and Ross Churcher for your time in the tower on Sunday, as well as Geoff Eldridge and Deirdre Snook who got the race underway from the start boat.

For all boats planning to head to Geelong for the FOS 2024 please get on board with the Passage Race from Mornington YC. 

This is part of the Festival of Sails Entry and sounds like a great fun way to get your boat and crew to Geelong.  To enter CLICK Here and select the ‘Mornington Peninsula Series’

Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron is pleased to announce entries are open for the 2023 Petersville Regatta, December 27-30 sailed in the pristine waters off Blairgowrie and surrounds. Join us for four days of fun, on and off the water.

Free marina berthing for the event with option to stay on.

Limited to 39 visiting boats and filling fast.

NoR, entries and more info at petersvilleregatta.com.au. or call Race Director Phil Beattie on 0408 502 698

 

This year’s Cock of the Bay is expected to draw boats from around the bay who enjoy that festive sail from Melbourne to Mornington.  Bring your friends and family and join us as we aim for 100 boats enjoying fun in the sun.  Early bird entries close on Saturday, December 2.  https://www.orcv.org.au/cock-of-the-bay

Get you order in now to ensure that you are decked out in the latest Club Merchandise for he start of the 2023-2024 season Contact Marg Fleming on her email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss your options. The youth t-shirts (with names on them) will have another order put in soon, so if you missed out on first round orders, please contact Marg to make sure you get one in the next batch, which will be processed by end of March. These t-shirts have been a hit with the juniors and will be great to wear to regatta's etc. 

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