Safety Beach Sailing Club NEWS 4th October 2023
What's On
Rear Commodore’s Mutterings
Hi all,
What a fantastic day it was at the Club on Saturday for the Grand Final. There were about 100 people watching what turned out to be a ripper game, regardless of the result. This was followed up by an exceptionally well attended working bee with about 60 members in attendance.
As a group we achieved a lot, notably:
- Removal of sand and saltbush from across the ramp (Thanks Clarkey)
- Fixed the Upper deck North Door and the pump for the water tanks (Chipper and Paul Martin, great job)
- replaced and relocated the isolation switch to for the water tank pump and replaced the lights in the mens change room. (Tony Rogers and James Anderson you’re unreal!)
- Gardeners and there were many, too many to include but notably thanks to the (not so) junior group for mucking in and making a huge difference, but I reckon there were 20 on garden duty.
- Cleaning both men and women's toilets including the north undercroft.
- All Locks lubricated (Thanks Rick Potter)
- Gates Greased (Bill Manning)
- Exterior cleaned! (Ross Martin and Greg Shenton)
- Spa Locker ripped apart and put back together led by Neil Whittaker and Erik Meijer and a host of young ones!
- TV Connectivity upgrade courtesy of James Anderson
Thanks Rob Rainsford for organising the day and to Linda Clarkson for the Bin from Bin smart. Thanks to all members who made the effort and made it possible to work through the list of jobs, even some that we didn’t know needed doing!
On sailing matters and after all, we are a sailing club. As you will be aware, Melbourne Ports are now enforcing the use of Channel Markers, as a rounding mark of a course for racing purposes. The affects us and we can no longer use 25, 23, 21 and 19 as marks of our course. This put a massive spanner in the works, particularly when the SI’s had been completed. So, where to from here? Your very proactive Keelboat committee led by John Wemyss and ably assisted by Tim Bardon and Geoff Eldridge, have reworked the SI’s to use virtual marks as a stop gap until we can convince ourselves that this isn’t the way forward.
The club is looking at another two options.
1/ launching a RIB every week with 2 volunteers to lay a mark in the vicinity of the channel markers formerly utilised by the club or
2/ The purchase of an expensive BOTMARK which is an autonomous mark which can be programmed to a set of co-ordinates remotely from the tower.
All options on the table have Pro’s and Con’s, we will have to decide which is the lesser of three evils. Clearly virtual marks have limitations, particularly surrounding the application of the RRS, which in themselves are subjective. Coupled with a virtual mark, how can you ever realistically prosecute and argument for body room or overlap at a mark? To this end, we think it’s (pardon the pun) virtually impossible to successfully protest a boat about something you can’t see. Although it would mean less protests…………?
Opening Day is on this Sunday. There will be a sail past. It would be fantastic to see as many boats on the water as possible for the sail past and then for a race afterwards. “Corinthian” will be located 100 metres southwest from the green pile with Keelboats saluting the commodore and guests at 10.30am, with the OTB fleet to pass at 10.45am. Keelboats will then be guided by the course board on the clubhouse for an all in tower start with warning Signal at 10.55am, with the OTB fleet to sail to the signal boat for a start at 11.10am. There will be a briefing at the flag pole at 9.15am for the OTB fleet. Sailing Instructions for both the OTB fleet and Keelboat Fleet are now available on the respective home pages for both fleets. OTB’s sailing Instructions will also be posted on the regatta board near the sign on area.
After racing on Sunday, please come back to the club for a taste of Snooks Catering famous opening day spreads and a drink, as we usher in the new season from 2.00pm for 2.30 formalities.
Cheers! Mono
Outstanding Membership Fee's
Just a friendly reminder that Season 2023/24 fees are now overdue for some members. If you have misplaced your invoice, or would like to make changes to your membership, please contact our membership coordinator John via email,
Off The Beach
Hi Troops.
Well, here we are at the start of another season. I trust you got all those jobs that were hanging over your head finished over winter- sure you did, just like l me!
As I’m writing this it’s pouring with rain, blowing a gale, bushfires burning and flooding imminent. But not to worry, because by Sunday morning the weather will be perfect for opening day sailing, so don’t miss out on a cracking day on the water and an even better one upstairs afterwards (I hear David has organised a surprise appearance by KISS and all of those kids from the Grand Final in full costume- hmm, we might have to make some room on the deck).
The plan for the mornings sail is for a sail past of the Commodore by the Keelboats at 10.30 followed by the OTB Fleet at 10.45. The Keelboats will head off for their race and the OTB’s will have their race starting at 11.00 (first warning at 10.57). We will have a briefing in the yard before heading out so try to be ready in plenty of time. RO for the day will be Andrew Mono Martin, ably assisted by Judy Champion. Rhib crews are Norm Kaye, Paul Martin, Rob Campbell and yours truly, so don’t fall overboard!
I’m sure it will be mentioned by others in the enews, but I just wanted to give a big thanks to everyone that showed up for last weeks working bee. It was the best turnout we’ve had for years and an enormous amount of jobs were ticked off, notably Clarky bringing his excavator to clear the ramp and all the juniors doing a complete empty and repack of the spar locker. Special thanks to Mono for putting on the sausage sizzle out of his own pocket. Great job everyone.
There will be a couple of changes to the sailing instructions this season, which we will go into in more detail later, but here’s one to whet your appetite for starters. I know we all like visual aids so this season instead of looking up the weather forecast, just drive by the Mornington Pier. If it looks like the attached picture- sailing WILL be cancelled !! See you all Sunday morning.
Cheers, Pete Chippy
Spar Locker
There are quite a few masts in the locker that appear to have not been used for a very long time, nor are there matching craft in the yard for them to go on. If you have forgotten to take a mast home and have been storing it in the spar locker for an extended amount of time, please come and collect your mast and any other belongings that are gathering dust in the locker. It would be great to start the season with seamless access to equipment that is regularly used.
Yard Storage for Kayaks & Ski's
Storage space is at an all time high for storing kayak's, stand-up's and ski's. If you own any of the following craft, could you please contact yard master James Everett on 0435 994 173, to discuss your storage fees or collection of craft. 
Montalto Masters
Keelboat News
2023-2024 Season
The start of the 2023-2024 Summer Season is just around the corner with our first Friday Twilight Pursuit Race scheduled for the 6th of October and Opening Day on Sunday the 8th of October.
Make sure you are ready for that first race:
- Set up your SailSys Account and get your entries in here . Get you entries in by Tuesday 3rd October if you are planning to sail on the first weekend of the summer season.
- Make sure your Cat 5 Safety Declaration is completed and you have your current Insurance Certificate on hand as these are both required when you enter races or series in SailSys.
- Get your AMS and ORCc certificates re-validated now as we do ask that you include this information when entering through SailSys.
- For further information on how Getting Set Up with SailSys click here.
- Do your MOB drill and send in your MOB Training Declaration (available by clicking here) to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by the 31st October.
The 2023-24 NOR and Sailing Instructions (including details of the courses to be sailed) are now available on the club website:
This Week's Races
Friday 6th October: Twilight Pursuit Series # 1 - Race 1
| First Warning Signal: | 17:25H Pursuit Start | |
| Race Officer: | Rob Rainsford | |
| Duty Boat: | YKnot | |
| Tower Set Up & Results: | Amanda & Dianne |
Sunday 8th October: Opening Day @ SBSC
| Keelboat Sail Past: | 10:30H | |
| First Warning Signal: | 10:55H Boat Start | |
| Race Officer: | Elaine Nicholas | |
| Tower Assist: | Amanda Malin |
Cruising News
ORCV News
Coming Up
Club Merchandise
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.
Photo Of The Week
Thanks Rick Potter for capturing the intensity in the room on Saturday. Our members and guests enjoyed watching an absolute nail biter of a game. Well done pies!!
Submission's
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