Howdy Gang,

Not much to write about this week unfortunately. The forecast for Sunday was never great but we live in hope and as they say “Hope springs eternal”. Sadly for us it was eternal gale force wind ! We had a cracking team set to go in the support boats, and they were ready early for an on water start for the keelboats ’but it was a case of ‘Hurry up and wait’ as the weather got wilder and wilder. RO Stu Scott ran up the old postponement flag but it was more a case of postponing the inevitable as the rain was belting against the glass upstairs and the waves were crashing over the rock wall twice the height of said wall. The lucky thing was that the front didn’t come through before the opening of the first junior training session in the morning. I’m sure there will be more about this in the enews, but I just wanted to say congrats to all concerned as it was a great turnout and reward for a lot of hard work by the junior training team both young and old. 

 

Some additional news in that regard, Mem Mackie, our former Secretary, has managed to secure a grant of $15 THOUSAND ! DOLLARS !!! To go towards our sailing and junior training programs. This was gratefully received from The Bendigo Bank (one of our regular sponsors) and has earned them the naming rights for both the OTB and Keelboat Club Championship series, to be known for the next three years, and hopefully longer, as the ‘Community Bank Southern Peninsula Club Championship’. Great job Mem, and thanks to Bendigo Bank. They really are a great crowd to deal with so please give them a thought if you are thinking finance.

 

When I got to the club, with absolutely no thought of getting a sail in, I was amazed to see a dozen of our young people in the water in front of the club body surfing on some enormous waves. These waves would have made Mick Fanning happy, and not a shark to be seen! If you check out the picture and take note of the size of the person in the foreground and compare them to the person in the middle, then to the wave in the background- that’s a Dern Big Wave! I’ve also included a photo, compliments of Linda Wooley, of a new wind indicator that the Club is trialing. When they say the wind is strong enough to blow a dog off its chain, this is what they mean! 

 

Then, as so often happens, just as it was too late to launch RHIBs and the Start boat, the wind eased right back and the sea flattened out to a great looking sailing area. But alas, by then there were few sailors left and it would not have been viable, or fair on the race team to try and start something. Not to worry, there is always next week.

 

On a different note, I’m thinking of starting up a bio segment to introduce our members, new and old, to each other with things we might not know about them. For example, did you know that Ross Martin is completely bald and has worn a toupee for years. This came about from a nasty incident while smoking and walking behind his old schoolmate Rob Campbell when he was practicing his hands free (and trumpet free) trumpet solo. So if I happen to ask you some questions about yourself, you might as well answer, cos I’ll just make it up anyway!

Cheers for now, Pete Chippy

 

 

1st	Rawhide	Meaghan Densley
2nd	Maximum Limit	Rick Rogers
3rd	Marrakesh	Neil Hawker

1st	Just Cruisin'	Lorraine Whitaker
2nd	Christela	Glenys Hitchen
3rd	Rawhide	Meaghan Densley

Thank you to our tower crew on Friday night who did a sterling job - Ross Martin (RO), Duty Boat 'Organised Chaos' and Tower Assistant Elaine Nicholas.  For those sailors who haven't experienced a Friday night tower duty, with a setting sun and 20+ boats racing to the finish line it can be challenging identifying sail numbers!!  So a huge thank you to Friday night's team.

 

Weather abandonment.

 

 

As most of you are aware, 'Single Malt' (from Clarky’s

Adams 10 collection) has been up in Townsville the last couple of years, mainly used as the TYC all-girl crew. Following on from the SBSC 'Malt-Teasers' all-girl crew, this bunch call themselves the 'Northern Malt-Teasers'.  They have had a stellar sailing season, cleaning up in numerous series including the 2024 Commodore's Cup Club Championship series! Photo below from the annual TYC GaLS Regatta

 

 

 

Are you planning a short - or longer-term investment?
A Bendigo Bank term deposit may be just what you need to get the most from your money. Talk to the team at one of our three branches, Rye, Rosebud, or Dromana, and watch your money grow at ​​​​​​​​Bendigo Bank

Bendigo Bank
Community Bank Southern Peninsula
Rye | Rosebud I Dromana

 

 

West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint (Saturday 23 November) 

The West Offshore Coastal Sprint races kick-off in just a couple of weeks! The second of three coastal sprints on the ORCV calendar, the race on Saturday 23 November will see crews start at Queenscliff and compete over a 55nm course that will have you home before dark. The Coastal Sprint races have been designed as short-distance ocean sprints to provide a crew development pathway for longer ocean races and as a stand-alone coastal racing program. Enter here: www.orcv.org.au/coastal-sprints 

 

Safety and Sea Survival Courses (Sunday 1 December) 

Register for ORCV’s Safety and Sea Survival Courses on Sunday 1 December! As well as ensuring your boat has the required number of certified crew, these courses allow you to confidently support your Skipper and other crew members by gaining a deeper understanding of safety and survival. December’s course is your last chance to obtain certification before the Melbourne to Hobart race, so check your currency, and register for the refresher or full course.

Ronstan Cock of the Bay (Thursday 26 December) 

 

What better way to spend your Boxing Day than competing in one of the most iconic events on the Australian sailing calendar! The traditional course of approx 21nm starts near Station Pier in Port Melbourne and is designed to sail past major bayside locations for sailors and spectators alike to view. Some say there is no better way to work off the excesses of Christmas the day before! Enter here:  www.orcv.org.au/cock-of-the-bay 

 

Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ (Friday 27 December) 

The  ORCV ‘Westcoaster’ is a legendary yacht race where tactics and sailing well can crown you as the race champion, regardless of boat size. Across the 435nm passage, yachts contend first with Bass Strait before taking on the wilderness and ruggedness of the West Coast of Tasmania and the long ocean swell of the Southern Ocean before turning towards the finish line and the shifting winds of the Derwent. For more than 50 years, the Westcoaster has provided sailors with a unique race full of tactical challenges. Early-bird entries close on 10 November! Enter here:  www.orcv.org.au/hobart  

 

Melbourne to Port Fairy (Friday 14 February) 

For 2025, the ORCV’s traditional race to the historic and picturesque port of Port Fairy has been rescheduled to mid-February, taking advantage of more favourable weather conditions and providing a feeder race for yachts planning participate in the 75th Adelaide to Port Lincoln race. 

The 135 mile course runs SW from Queenscliff past the coastal resorts of Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay, before rounding Cape Otway and entering the southern ocean. It’s also Valentines Day, so what better what better way to celebrate your one true love – sailing! Enter here: www.orcv.org.au/port-fairy  

Well, we finally began our junior sail training on Sunday, and we welcomed 12 juniors to the club. The weather was instantly a challenge and head coach Nick Meijer made the smart decision to keep all the kids on the beach, as the wind ease off to almost glassy conditions, then blew back into shore with cyclonic strength. Thankfully Nick stuck to his guns and kept everyone on shore due to the thunderstorm warning.

The juniors learnt all things sailboats and were shown the different styles of dinghies they will be using for their training. Nick, Jess and James took them through a few lessons on rigging and knot tying, then hit the beach for some popular games, tug o war, and captains captain.

We are looking forward to getting our new junior out onto the water this week with a much better forecast, predicting light winds. As you arrive at the club to rig up for the day, please make our new parents feel welcome, as most of them are new to sailing.

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