

Photo Of The Week
Our 420 Sailors have been battling it out at the 420 National Championships 2025 on Sydney Harbour. The regatta has been captured by Marg's Yacht Photos, and with such iconic surrounds, all competitors are requesting the 'Money Shot". Here are some of those photo's. 1/ Riptide skippered by Jess Lowe and Kristen Koutsimpiris as crew. 2/ Riptide and Blimey skippered by Abbey Everett with Matt Whitaker as crew. 3/ Loonies skippered by James Anderson and Nathan Anderson as crew (photo credit Kim Bond Metung YC). 4/ Giacomo skippered by Zac Lowe and Finn Meijer as crew. 5/ Azzurra skippered by Gary Cameron (DBYC) and Nick Meijer as crew. Full regatta report next week. 




Off The Beach News
Howdy gang.
Not much of a day for sailing last Sunday was it? But let me pose a question and see if you get a similar answer to me. What is the difference between 'sailing' and 'being in a sailing club'? The way I see it, if you're just in it for the sailing, then last Sunday was pretty awful. You wait all week for your chance to hit the water, you spend the time driving, rigging up, dragging your boat across the sand, just to sit there looking at that glassy water and getting frustrated. Then you drag your boat back across the sand, de-rig, pack up and drive home, all the time thinking 'what a waste, why did I bother, I should have stayed home and read a book'. (I was going to say mow the grass, but that would have been stretching it a bit far!).
But look at option two; being in a sailing club. It starts off the same, driving, rigging, dragging. But then it changes a bit. Instead of standing there alone and frustrated, you can stand there with your friends, pointing and waving vaguely at the horizon. Then turning around, pointing and waving at those already up on the deck. Everyone helping each other to bring those clean and dry boats back up(if you even bothered to take them down). No need to change out of wet gear, then straight up to the deck to join the throng.
I mentioned to someone on Sunday that normally by the time we get in, pack up and change, a lot of the crowd has already left, or doesn't come up at all. But this week, because it was such a beautiful day (just not for sailing), that the deck was full of members, sailing and non sailing, just shooting the breeze so to speak. The camaraderie between keelboat and OTB is terrific and on a day like this, everyone is in the same boat, pardon the pun. So yes of course we want to sail, but if the weather gods say 'No', then I reckon option two is pretty good.
It wasn't a complete wipeout either, as some eager beavers did hit the water and got along for a while. RO Rob Flemming, out for his first go in the big chair, under the watchful eye of Super D, tried his best but wisely put up the AP early and eventually pulled the pin at 3.00, leaving that sparkling water to the circling jetskis, bloody vultures!
Thanks also to Alister M, Murray M and the two Lukes, M and M- all the M's!
And while there was no competition on the water, that didn't stop Grace L and Rick P having a reverse tug of war trying to push two halves of a Laser mast together. There was no winner in this battle, but there sure was a loser as that mast snapped like a carrot! See picture.
At the time of writing, the 420's were still hard at it at the Nationals in Sydney, so good luck to all of them. Apparently the wind has been fairly strong up there, I didn't realise Rob C had gone as well!
That's about all for this week. Don't forget this weekend we are sailing Sunday and Monday. 10.27 first warning on Sunday morning followed by the SBSC birthday bash upstairs. Then our normal 13.57 first warning on Monday. Be there or be square!
Cheers, Pete Chippy

Keelboat News
This Week's Racing
Friday 24 January 2025
Fun Friday Pursuit Race with optional Spinnaker
Race Start Time (AEDT): |
17:30H Pursuit Start |
Race Officer: |
Amanda Malin |
Assistant: |
Vamonos |
Set up/Results: |
Amanda |
Please note: All boats will be automatically entered in the Fun Twilight Race, so no need to do a Sailsys entry (if you haven't already). If you decide to use spinnaker on the night, please ensure you advise the tower (via VHF radio) prior to the race and add a 3 minute penalty to your published start-time.
Sunday 26 January 2025
Schnapper Point Race followed by
SBSC Birthday Celebrations
First Warning Signal:
|
09:55H Tower Start
|
Race Officer:
|
Elaine Nicholas |
Assistant:
|
Amanda Malin |
Set up/Results:
|
Amanda
|
It's not too late to enter the Schnapper Point race this Sunday, and then return to the club for an afternoon celebrating
SBSC's birthday. The
Schnapper Point Race is a 'stand-alone' race, so please
enter HERE
Geelong - Festival of Sails
There are a number of skippers and crew heading over to Geelong for the long weekend, representing SBSC at the Festival of Sails . Best of luck to the following yachts:
Unprecedented (Passage Rating Series, Div 3)
Maximum Limit (Passage Rating Series, Div 4)
Vincitore (Passage Spinnaker Series, Div 1)
Ninjo (Mornington Peninsula Series)
Y Knot (Mornington Peninsula Series)
Running Bare (Multihull Series)
If you would like to follow the action over the weekend, here's the linkto all the regatta details and results.
To make this one of the best Sail Peninsula events, we need as many SBSC keelboats to enter as possible. The Keelboat and Sail Peninsula sub-committees would really appreciate it if skippers could please get your entries in ASAP to support this club event. To enter please
CLICK HERE
Exciting News!
We are thrilled to announce a change in this year's format due to popular demand. The Friday evening pursuit race will now feature a spinnaker race! For more details, check out the regatta Notice of Race link
HERE.
We are pleased to advise that the first 40 entries for this years Sail Peninsula regatta will be provided with one of our new promotional Bambak Canvas bags.
The sale of the bags goes towards community support projects and provides employment to people in Vanuatu. The name "Bambak" derived from the Vanuatuan language, means "reborn," symbolizing the new life given to discarded sails.
The bags we are promoting are about 30cm x 20cm with the SP25 logo on the front and a Bambak logo on the back, they are lined and have a zip closure at the top and carry handle. They are a very useful item for storage on your boat.
Get your SP25 entry in ASAP to secure your promotional bag.
Cruising News

Have you planned your next visit to Docklands? Click HERE To find out all about what's on offer at this wonderful destination.
Junior Sailing
Junior Sailing starts again on 2nd February and runs until 6th April.
The cost is $120 for members. Please click
THIS LINK to register.


ORCV News
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
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