Committee News
Here is the list of our current Executive Committee and thank you to Simon Dryden for accepting the role as Treasurer, officially taking over from Duncan McColl. The club is still without a Rear Commodore and would like to thank John Nicholas and Ewan Campbell for taking up the slack, whilst we fill the vacant position.
| Commodore |
John Wemyss |
| Vice Commodore |
Ross Martin |
| Rear Commodore |
VACANT |
| Secretary |
Amanda Malin |
| Treasurer |
Simon Dryden |
| Memberships |
Linda Wooley |
| General |
James Anderson |
| |
Jon Embrey |
| |
Grace Lazzar |
| |
Fiona Lowe |
| |
Neil Whitaker |
Sail Pass – A Reminder of Our Safety and Insurance Obligations
The Committee would like to remind all members of our obligations regarding the safety and insurance of ALL persons on the water.
It is crucial that members ensure a Sail Pass is completed for every NON-MEMBER sailing from Safety Beach Sailing Club, regardless of whether they are participating in racing or recreational sailing, regardless of whether they are a member at another club.
Keelboat Skippers: Please ensure this process is followed for every crew member who is not a paid sailing member of Safety Beach Sailing Club. This requirement applies even if your crew members hold membership with another sailing club.
If they are not a PAID SAILING MEMBER of Safety Beach Sailing Club, they must have a Sail Pass completed.
This is an Australian Sailing requirement and is essential for our club's compliance, safety and insurance obligations.
There are no exceptions to this requirement. It is not negotiable. Sail Pass can be found on this link: Registration - Safety Beach Sailing Club - revolutioniseSPORT
Volunteer Reimbursements – A Simpler Process
The Club truly values the time and effort our volunteers contribute, and we understand that purchases are sometimes made out of pocket on behalf of the Club. We also appreciate that these expenses need to be reimbursed promptly.
To make this process easier and more efficient, our Treasurer, Simon Dryden, has set up a dedicated WhatsApp group for volunteer reimbursements. Link to join here:
WhatsApp Group InviteThe process is simple:
-
Take a photo of your receipt at the time of purchase.
-
Upload the photo directly to the WhatsApp reimbursement group.
-
Simon will arrange for the funds to be transferred into your nominated bank account.
The WhatsApp group will be locked, with permission required to join, ensuring it is used exclusively for its intended purpose.
Once your reimbursement has been processed, you are welcome to leave the group.
We hope this makes claiming out-of-pocket expenses a little easier for our volunteers and helps streamline the reimbursement process.
Thank you again to all our volunteers for everything you do for the Club!
Membership Fobs – Collection and Postage
The process of distributing our new membership fobs at the Club is working well, and we thank everyone who has already collected theirs.
If you are yet to collect your fob, there are a few opportunities coming up:
If you would prefer to have your fob posted, simply email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and Linda will arrange postage of your fob/s.
A reminder that additional fobs can be purchased for $10 each.
Thank you for your cooperation as we roll out our new electronic access system.
Any issues with fobs, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Club Boats
Did you know you Can Borrow a Club Boat!
Our Club is fortunate to have a great selection of training dinghies available for members to use each week, and we love seeing them put to good use!
With the growth of our Junior Sailing Program, we've also seen an increase in interest from members wanting to borrow our club training boats, which is fantastic.
Our loan boats are free to use on club days, provided a patrol boat is on the water. Whether you'd simply like to have a play around on the water or get involved in the afternoon racing, our boats are there to be enjoyed!
If you'd like to borrow one of our boats, please make sure you communicate your intentions in the clubs WhatsApp
OTB Chat. Once you have been given permission from Fiona Lowe or Ewan Campbell, please complete the
Club Boat Loan Register before heading out. There are copies hanging in the corridor to the changerooms. Fiona Lowe can help you with all loan needs.
We understand that things can occasionally get broken or damaged during training or general use. The loan register is an important part of keeping track of each boat and its equipment, allowing us to identify any missing or damaged parts and arrange repairs before the following week's sailing.
Please help us look after our club boats so they remain available for everyone to enjoy. Here is the link to access the online form:
Loan Boat RegistrySail Peninsula
Great news, the club will be hosting another Sail Peninsula. A sub-committee is in place and working hard to make this event a more accessible with a relaxed format and reduced entry fee. The event will be held on Feb 19-21, 2027. More details to come.
Off The Beach News
Howdy Gang,
well at least it wasn't raining!
That said, we did manage to get one full race in before the water glassed out completely. RO Mark L, ably assisted by Rob F on Start ( Super Di was taking a well earned break) with Simon H and new member Gavin Fahey ( yet to get his Sabre wet ) in Woodsy and Christina C and A Class Anthony AKA Taipan Tony in Sutherland set a ripper course in very difficult conditions. Owing to the fading and shifting breeze ( I'm not going to call it wind!) we had to head out a looong way to find anything sailable. But find it they did and off we went. I left the beach late and was sure I wasn't going to make the start,but did by the skin of my teeth. Not so lucky was a certain Impulse that got caught in dead air on the wrong side of the line and had to fight the oncoming traffic to dip the start line. It made me feel a bit better anyway.
17 boats made the start, well, 16 then the Impulse, and it was hard to tell which side was favoured. A big swing just after the start made the top mark almost a single beat on the starboard tack but it was so obvious that it wasn't an advantage to anyone. The three big cats were all evenly matched in the light air, as were the two Tasars and Paul F in his Cherub( how many boats does that man sail?). The two Impulses of Tim B and Bill M were initially far apart, but after the worst start in recent history, one of them scrambled back to be not that far behind, nice work. Div 2 consisted of seven Sabres, a Quest and a Pacer, and the spinnakers made a big difference in the light breeze. I managed to get around the first lap in first place of the Sabres only to fall behind light air specialist Di J and Rick P in lap two. I tried sneaking around him and block his wind but he was too cunning for that and foiled me on every attempt. Eventually we called a truce rather than buggering each other up and letting James T past us as he was hovering not far behind.
No Windrush's this week as they were all on the race crew. Come to think of it, now that Tony has ditched the A Class for Rob F's old Windrush we will need a new name for him. I think a competition is in order with entries submitted to the Enews. And nobody suggests 'Windrush Wally' please!
Of exceptional note this week is new member and complete novice sailor, Vince Politino, who after only a couple of lessons, managed to get his Sabre out to the line and right round the course without mishap. He even made it back to shore safely, being towed back with the rest of us after the breeze died out completely. The tow of shame, another first for him!
Back on shore after racing was rightly abandoned following race one all was packed away and boats stored in their rightful places. Places that are nicely marked out compliments of Fiona L and her hard work with the pavers. Perhaps if your spot's paver hasn't been set in place yet, you could maybe do it yourself, the tools are in the spar locker. Fi said Paul M came along as she was doing it and offered his assistance. Paul also helped me rigging the new mark anchor ropes and is always calling past the yard tying unsecured boats down and righting the ones that blow over, yes it does happen, a lot. There is a new chain being fitted to the beach side storage area so there is no excuse to not secure your boat, otherwise I hope you have good insurance to cover the damage to other boats apart from your own.
See you all next week on the water for round 4 of the Red Dolphin series with RO Ross M again setting the course. I'm not going to attempt to mention the rest of the crew as Ewan's WhatsApp group
OTB Chat has the changes happening thick and fast. This is working really well so if you haven't already joined, do so ASAP as that is where it all happens re: the roster.
Cheers for now, Pete Chippy
Vince and his L Plate
Junior Sailing Program
After having the long weekend off, we look forward to nice wind as we plan to hit the water again on Sunday. The forecast is looking great, so we will see you on the beach.
Keelboat News
The female helm race was a success. Thirteen keelboats out there driven by the X chromosome. I know some people will disagree, but surely three Margaret Hollamby races for our Twilights adds a little variety to end-of-week sailing, notwithstanding the perception that the club should encourage female sailing. We know that women are more intelligent than men but still face societal challenges.
Racing was close, with 10 minutes from first to last over the finish line. Till reported “the BIG smile on my daughter Kira’s face when she sailed across the finish line”. Christina Chandler, helming Ninjo, crept up behind Kira but couldn’t catch her, so crossed the line in 3rd. But the glory goes to Marissa McManus on Etoile, putting a smile on her crew’s faces. Two more Heats to go. The race was notable for two things – the almost doubling of last year’s numbers and the enthusiastic attendance at the prize-giving afterwards.
After the race I heard a comment that it was a Soldiers’ Course. Unfortunately, it was, which became dismayingly evident early on the way out to SB1. My intention was to set a duration that was safe in the context of wind speed and sunset and included an upwind leg. The BOM had predicted 10 knots NNE, gusts 15. Within these constraints Couse 15 should have given a beat from SB1 to R1 with tacking angles between about 35 degrees west of the rhum line and 55 degrees east. However, it was not to be. The wind was stronger than predicted and consequently closer to SSE than NNE.
The weather plays games in our sport. The reverse course, Course 14, would have been even more fun.
Congratulations to Steve Twentyman and crew on Shimmer for their third place on AMS in the Rudder Cup (Melbourne to Devonport) behind Kraken Sails Toecutter and Arcadia. See the race report on https://www.orcv.org.au/devonport/devonport-news/5895-2026m2d-line-honours-advantedge,
Simon Dryden on Faster Forward gives an interesting account of the impossibly fickle conditions at the start, ie. no wind and circles. I can’t see the full results but I believe there is a protest hearing pending.
So far, we have seven entries for the Blairgowrie Race. Looking at the entries today Wednesday it looks to be a very competitive affair. It’s not too late to enter via the SBSC website. 2026 Blairgowrie Passage Race - SailSys entries close 5pm Saturday.
Margaret Hollamby Female Helm Race 1 (30/10/26) photos taken onboard Balance M333 skippered by Zoe Heffernan - Thanks Lori for the photo.
This week’s racing:
Friday 6th November
Race 4 of the Friday Twilight Pursuit Series.
| Tower start |
17:30 |
| Race Officer |
Simon Dryden |
| Duty Boat |
Y Knot |
| Setup/results: |
Elaine |
Sunday 8th November 2026
LONG DISTANCE RACE – THE BLAIRGOWRIE RACE
| Tower start |
09.55 |
| Race Officer |
Elaine |
| Duty Boat |
La Tardis |
| Setup/results: |
|
ORCV News
West Offshore Products Coastal Sprints
West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint Race 2 runs on Saturday 5 December. The Sprints are short coastal races conducted in daylight hours and are now classified as Category 4 races with some additional ORCV requirements. The new classification will reduce the cost barrier for those embarking on offshore sailing for the first time. These races are a perfect crew development pathway toward ocean races like the Rudder Cup and Westcoaster, or a great stand-alone coastal race, and you'll be home Saturday evening.
Click here to enter.
Cock of the Bay
Entries are open for Cock of the Bay, ORCV's iconic Boxing Day race on Port Phillip. Starting near Station Pier and running roughly 21nm past Port Melbourne, St Kilda Pier, Brighton Pier, Sandringham and Hampton, it's the perfect way to blow off the Christmas excess. With over 100 yachts on the water in past years, it's shaping up to be another huge fleet. It's also a well-worn stepping stone toward the Melbourne to Hobart for those looking further ahead.
Click here to enter.
Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’
Entries are still open for the 2026 Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster, a blue-water ocean classic with more than 50 years of history and the highest-ranking race in the ORCV Offshore Championship. The 435NM course takes the fleet across Bass Strait, south along Tasmania's rugged and remote West Coast—a true test of strategy and seamanship for full crew, 4+ autohelm, and double handed boats alike. Join the legacy of more than 900 yachts and 7,000 crew members who've made this passage.
Click here to enter.
Working With Children's Check
Changes to the Working with Children Check are coming into effect from 19th October 2026.
The driver for these changes is the State Govt’s Rapid Review set up after last year’s revelations of pedophiles working in the childcare sector.
SBSC as an organization does not have a choice here, and the Executive Committee urge the following:
- If have a valid WWC then no action required.
- If your WWC expires inside 6 months, or less than 3 months ago, then strongly recommend doing the renewal before Monday. You will need a Services Victoria account to do this. Its free and pretty easy.
- If no WWC then you can try and apply for one before Monday under the old rules and see how you go. Having said that, getting one after Monday is still not too onerous, involves ~45mins online self-paced training.
After Monday 19th, any renewal or new application will require you to do the 45min training.
To find out more, please read the information attached: Click HERE
Photo Of The Week
A clean sweep at Sail Country Regatta last weekend, with our Saftey Beach sailors cleaning up in their Flying Dutchman's
1st place - FD lan McCrossin Inland Cup - Raf Heale and Nick Meijer (SBSC), (Westernport Yacht Club)
2nd place - FD lan McCrossin Inland Cup - Garry Cameron, Darren Hocking (CCSC)
3rd place - FD lan McCrossin Inland Cup - Matt Draper, Parker Draper (SBSC), lan Howsam (AWSC)
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. Spotted a mistake or omission from the newsletter.......please let Fiona know as soon as possible to rectify immediately!
