Safety Beach Sailing Club NEWS 20th August 2025

VALE Drew Mattingley

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Drew Mattingley.

A long standing members of more than thirty years, Drew has been instrumental in many of the critical events of the Club, both Keelboat and Off the Beach. In the early days he was patrol boat captain, keeping boats and radios working. In the more recent kerfuffle, he stepped up as Secretary and kept a leveling influence on a snowballing situation, culminating in the signing of our long term lease with the Shire. This was an outcome of which he was extremely and justifiably proud.

After a long illness, Drew spent his last days at Peninsula Private Hospital, surrounded by Family, in comfort and went at a time of his choosing- typical Drew.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his Family.

Vale Drew, you have been a good friend.

New Members Welcome

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.

Christina Chandler and Peter Spirinac
Clem Murphy and Family
Anne Cochrane
Michael Van Kerckhof and Family
Graeme Sergeant

Volunteers Needed

3rd Request, due to no response!

As highlighted at the AGM, we have a few gaps that need filling within sub committees this season. These roles are all very crucial to the success of the club. Some of these roles have been vacant for more than a season and it is very difficult to run a community club without the help of our members. The club currently has 502 members, please don't assume someone else will step up and volunteer. To all those who have volunteered in the past, we thank you. To anyone considering volunteering, we would love to chat to you. Below is a brief outline of the committees needing the most help, however if you feel that you could contribute in a different way, please let us know. Please email our secretary Veronica on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.

House Committee

The Vice Commodore John Wemyss currently oversees this committee, but at present there are no members serving on it. This means John is carrying the entire workload on his own. For a club with so many moving parts, this is far from ideal.

Several important projects require attention in the coming weeks and months, including:

Appointment of a new Yard Master (urgent)
Reconfiguration of the tower to improve efficiency of the space
Yard and building maintenance/repairs ahead of the working bee
Support with planning the installation of acoustic panelling in the dining room

Sponsorships & Marketing

The Commodore Tony Christmas currently oversees this committee, but at present there are no members serving on it. This means that Tony is managing the sponsorship portfolio on his own. As a community club, it is vital that we attract and nurture sponsors who will benefit from a partnership with us. Just as importantly, sponsors need to be supported and recognised for their commitment to our club. If you are able to assist Tony in this important role, please get in touch.

Sail Peninsula 2026 Committee

This committee is already underway with planning for the 2026 Regatta. As one of the club’s biggest events, the regatta is a major undertaking and requires a significant amount of work behind the scenes. Many of the volunteers have been involved for several years, and while their experience is invaluable, new assistance is needed to avoid burnout and to bring fresh ideas that will ensure a smooth transition into the next regatta.

Social Committee

Whilst we have a wonderful bunch of members on this committee, assistance is needed to avoid burn out and bring in fresh ideas to the table.

Open Day for Season 2025/2026

Hanging for the summer season to start? The countdown is on, with only 8 weeks to go! Open Day will be on Sunday 12th October. Both fleets OTB & Keelboats will be back on the water and ready for action. It will be here before we know it, so pay your fee's, prep & clean your boats, and start getting yourself sailing fit. Thank you to all members that have promptly paid for their yearly membership. If you have not found your membership renewal email, please check your junk mail inbox. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have not received or wish to discuss your membership.

Working Bee

The Annual Working Bee will be held on Sunday, 5th October. As always, there are plenty of jobs to get through, with teams of members needed both at the club and in the boat shed at the ramp.

A full list of tasks will be shared in the week leading up to the day, so everyone can come prepared with the right equipment.

It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort, and we’ll finish up with a BBQ in the yard to thank all members who lend a hand.

Boat Licence & WWC Credentials

The Safety Beach Sailing Club strive to be compliant with all necessary accreditations. If you hold a current Victorian Boat Licence or Working With Children's check which would be of value to our club, please pass this information on our secretary Veronica at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Club Berth in Hidden Harbour

For a while now the sale of the Berth 5001 had been held up with ASIC while we wait for title clearance. Great news......the clearance came through this week, and finalising the sale will be wrapped up in the next couple of weeks. Huge thanks to Tony Christmas for getting this over the line.

Keelboats

2025-26 Summer Season

The new season is fast approaching and the Summer Program & Roster 'Part 1' is now published on the website. Click HERE to download a copy.

Please take the time to scan the roster and check when you (or your duty boat) are rostered on. If you can't see your boat you will most likely feature in Part 2!! You will be making our lives easier if you know when your duty is coming up, and if you are unavailable we would appreciate advanced notice so a suitable duty 'swap' can be arranged.

There are other important dates in the program that you should mark in your diaries as we would appreciate your participation, such as:

Pre-season Skipper & Crew Meeting: Sunday 28 September
Club Working Bee: Sunday 5 October
SBSC Xmas Party: Sunday 14 December

The dates for Sail Peninsula 2026 are 20 to 22 February.

And this season, instead of a Long Distance sub-series, there will be TWO dedicated Long Distance races:

Blairgowrie Race on Sunday 9 November 2025
Navigational Challenge on Sunday 29 March 2026

Also, this season there will be THREE dedicated Friday night races in the Female Helm Series

(i.e. not part of Friday Pursuit Series 1 or 2).

More info will follow in the lead up to the season, but it's time to start thinking about prepping your boats and completing your Annual Man Overboard exercise and declaration. MOB Declaration Form

ORCV

The ORCV is excited to announce the start of the 2025-2026 Season, and we’re glad to invite your members to take part in our expanding calendar of offshore events designed for all levels of experience.

We've included courses and races to provide an inclusive and progressive path into offshore sailing—from short coastal sprints to long-distance challenges.

Our Winter and Safety Courses (Radio, Foredeck Essentials, Sail Change, Safety & Sea Survival) are still open to new participants. This is a series of online and in-person training courses designed to help both new and experienced sailors. Whether you’re preparing for offshore sailing or want to upskill your crew, we have something for everyone.

In October, the Melbourne to Devonport (The Rudder Cup) will kick off, as this race is a qualifying event for the upcoming Melbourne to Hobart and Sydney to Hobart. This is Australia's oldest ocean race, which is part of the ORCV Offshore Championship, and is also open to fully crewed, 4+ autohelm, double-handed, and multihull yachts.

In December, the most anticipated and challenging yacht race from Melbourne to Hobart (Westcoaster) is taking place. The race holds significant importance within the ORCV's Offshore Championship, being the highest-ranking race in the series. The race is open to yachts that are fully crewed, 4+ autohelm, double-handed, and multihulls.

Full calendar of events can be found here: www.orcv.org.au/calendar

Rate Cuts

Are you getting the best from the interest rate cuts?

Why not speak to a local about refinancing?

What have you got to lose?

Home loan rates | Bendigo Bank

Photos

On the 12th of August a local posted this amazing photo to a Facebook community page of a whale sighting in the waters off Mount Martha.

Here is some information about distance rules when approaching marine life in Victorian waters.

Do not approach dolphins within 100m if you are in a vessel (powered or unpowered, including recreational vessels, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and yachts) and 300m if you are on a jetski.

Do not approach whales within 200m if you are in a vessel (powered or unpowered) and 300m if you are on a jetski.

Seals are a little more complicated, as they can come ashore or ‘haul out’ on land. Do not approach seals within 30m on land, whether you are also on land or in the water. Dogs are not permitted within 50m of a seal on land. Do not approach within 5m of a seal on a boat ramp, pier, jetty or other infrastructure connected to land and designed for access to the water. Do not approach on a vessel within 30m of a seal haul out site. If you are swimming, do not approach within 5m of a haul out site.

There are caution zones that apply to marine mammals. Caution zones are within 300m of a whale, within 150m of a dolphin, and within 50m of a seal, subject to a range of other operating conditions.

When in the caution zone, all vessels (motorised or not) must:

avoid sudden changes in direction
maintain a constant speed not exceeding 5 knots (8 kilometres per hour)
leave the caution zone if a marine mammal shows any sign of disturbance
not approach whales, dolphins or seals from directly in front of the animal
not approach whales, dolphins or seals from directly behind the animal
not be in the known path of a whale, dolphin or seal
not form a barrier between a marine mammal and its group
not come between a mother and her young.

These regulations are enforced by Authorised Officers from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). More information can be found here.

For general enquiries and wildlife emergencies call DEECA on 136 186.

Call the Whale and Dolphin Emergency Hotline on 1300 136 017 immediately should you become aware of a stranded or injured whale or dolphin.

Submissions

If you wish to contribute anything to the Enews, please submit your content to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Tuesday 8pm each week to make the deadline. Please note submissions may need to pass through Executive Committee for approval from time to time. Love photography? Submit your Photo Of The Week to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in high res, (and it does not have to be about sailing). Follow us on our socials: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok