Sue Heyder Christmas Race & Lunch report (and some logistics looking forward to 2022)

Dear Members and Friends -  MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

 Last Saturday we held the last race of this COVID ridden calendar year.

While it was a short race, the participants enjoyed racing west of the Harbour Bridge for a circuit around the islands, finishing between Blues Point Tower and Goat Island.  The Committee selected a relatively short race with an early start to give all competitors adequate time to return to moorings, clean up and attend the Christmas Lunch in plenty of time.

The handicapping system calculated rather well resulting in a 3min 7sec difference between first and fourth. I thought that had there been a little less wind, it may have been even closer.  First home was G-Whizz (Graeme Davey) followed by Blue Sky (Carl Braden), Conquista (Alan Bull) and Starfire (Hugh Babington).

During the lunch we took the opportunity to award the 2020-2021 annual Trophies in lieu of July's AGM which had to be 'virtual' due to COVID.  The trophies awarded are:

·      Club Champion: Blue Sky - Carl Braden        

·      Spring Series: Blue Sky (Carl Braden)

·      Autumn series: Conquista (Alan Bull)

·      Sheep Station Trophy (with SASC) - 1st place Blue Sky (Carl Braden) - this was presented at SASC on 5th Dec. However the "Club" point score trophy was awarded to SASC with Bill Hogan (Hotspur) accepting the trophy on behalf of SASC.

·      Alan Rintoul Trophy - Tied result Blue Sky (Carl Braden) & Martela (Michael Jansen)

·      Errol Hazelwood Handicap - Race abandoned in 2021 (wind warning)

·      Trevor & Finn Memorial - Conquista (Alan Bull)

·      Ladies’ Day Race - Conquista (Cad Currie)

·      Sue Heyder Trophy (2020) - Blue Sky (Glen Ormerod)

 ·      Don Deller Trophy - Blue Sky (Carl Braden)      

As we are looking forward to 2022, here are some logistics I would like to share

• Memberships are always welcome.  Renewal of non financial Membership will attract a pro-rata reduction (contact the Secretary by email) and we are always looking for new members. Why not speak to your friends and even people at other clubs who may find BPYC membership attractive. New Membership form and Renewing Membership form

•  Fleet: Having more boats join our races will make it economic to resume a startboat and make our races more exciting and competitive.  If you know someone with a boat, encourage them to join us racing.  It is not compulsory they are members of BPYC although it is welcomed.  They will need a current Cat 7 safety certificate and insurance.  This is a great segway to...

• Safety Audits - annual Cat 7 and Cat 4 .  At the end of last season, due to COVID, most clubs extended the validity of the 2020-2021 safety inspections but we do need to get these done in January.  Your club has a few auditors ready to volunteer their time to assist you completing your inspection.  Email or phone the Commodore to arrange an inspection.  

• Upcoming races:

  • BPYC's Race 3 is our next race, on Sunday 16th January

  • The next BPYC-SASC Sheep Station Challenge is Race 3 on Saturday 22nd January

  • BPYC's Race 4 on Sunday 30th January

• The last item is THE RAFFLE IS BACK!!! Carl and crew reinitiated the raffle on Thursday 9th December with a creditable $530.  Ann and Graeme Davey conducted the raffle last week and the Commodore will run it this Thursday, the last before Christmas break. The raffle will resume on Thursday 13th January and volunteers are welcomed.  Remember for every two times you run the raffle you are entitled to a $25 voucher to use at Blues Point Hotel and you can earn a $25 voucher more than once per season.

 Have a very Merry Christmas one and all.  Stay safe and COVID free. Enjoy your families and see you next year.

Michael Jansen
Commodore - Blues Point Yacht Club

Special Invite from the BPYC for Yacht Owners wishing to race on Sydney Harbour

The Blues Point Yacht Club is looking to expand its fleet with both regular starters and casual entries wishing to race on our spectacular Sydney Harbour. Our friendly club doesn’t race every weekend, but has sufficient races and other social events to satisfy those for whom sailing is part of a busy life. We offer the unusual combination of probably the lowest fees in Sydney for yacht club membership with an Australian Sailing Number, combined with some of the lowest racing fees and best prizes to be won in every race. And you don’t have to be a BPYC member to race with us!

There is more information on this website. Here is a link to some details. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions, contact info below.

You are welcome at the BPYC and we hope to see you soon!

Michael Jansen
Commodore
Blues Point Yacht Club
www.bpyc.com.au
0411 100 093

BPYC Season 2021-2022 gets underway

Dear Members and Friends,

 After so much of being locked down and restricted to your LGA or 5km from home (whichever was the greater) those people who are double vaccinated are free to travel throughout the state of NSW including into the regions (from 1st Nov.).  More importantly for us, the new racing season is now announced, with our first race on this Sunday.

 The next race on the Calendar is Race 1 of BPYC on Sunday 7th November with the daylight saving start time of 1300hrs.

 With this in mind, skippers and crew are reminded that an Australian Sailing number is required to race, so it is the perfect time to ensure you and your crew's BPYC membership is renewed to gain or retain your Australian Sailing number.

 As mentioned in previous correspondence, the Cat 7 Safety Certification and Additional BPYC Safety items are valid until 31st December, however new Cat 7 certification is required so please book your Safety Audit inspections for the 2021-2022 season. These can be booked by sending an email to bluespointyc@gmail.com or phoning the Commodore.

• With the interruptions of Covid-19, your committee has planned 12 races for the Overall Point Score Series. (the committee determined that two series of six races each would not allow any drops)

• There will also be the Sue Heyder Race and Christmas Lunch on 11th December in the Blues Point Hotel dining room. Also on the agenda the Christmas (long) lunch) is the presentation of trophies won in season 2020-2021.

• The Don Deller race returns in February 2022 and a race south to Port Hacking is also planned.

• A number of social events are planned to allow those who may not be able to travel by boat the ability to participate.

Your Committee has updated the Sailing Instructions and the Season Calendar, both are here on the BPYC website.

 As mentioned above, our first race is this coming Sunday with the start time of 1300hrs. Handicaps are being calculated and will be advised later this week.

 I'd like to see as many members return to the club house, Blues Point Hotel after Sunday's race for the prize giving and we can all say hello.

 A note that COVID-19 health orders are still in place where you must be double vaccinated to participate in Club events.  In the Sailing Instructions (and attached here) is a form to register your crew's details prior to a race/event start.  The form is to be emailed to bluespointyc@gmail.com one hour prior to race start.  

Note: All Personal details will remain confidential unless NSW Health needs to investigate any suspected Covid infections.

Looking forward to a great season 2021-2022 where I hope to see you on the water and back at the club.

Michael Jansen (Commodore)
Blues Point Yacht Club

Finally! We are getting ready to sail again. Download the race calendar.

In line with current public health orders we are planning to finally get back on the water. The interclub series with our friends at Sydney Amateurs will see us compete in the first race of the ‘Sheep Station Trophy’ on Saturday 30 October, followed by the point scoring Race 1 of the regular BPYC series on Sunday 7 November (please note that the club decided to consolidate the Spring and Autumn series into one series for 2021/22, 12 races in total). Please book your Cat 7 or 4 audits by contacting the commodore or one of the auditors. Also look out for an invite to our annual Sue Heyder Christmas cruise followed by a long lunch in the clubhouse/ Blues Point Hotel.

Please download the updated 2021-2022 race calendar (button on the right of this page). Of course the Covid-19 situation remains volatile and the club will continue to comply with all public health order - but for now, we are looking forward to racing again!

UPDATE - Covid restrictions remain in place and BPYC activities remain suspended

Sydney remains in lockdown and all activities of the BPYC are on hold. Cat 7 safety audits as a prerequisite ahead of the new season were originally scheduled for September but will now be delayed. Currently there is not much point in speculating when activities will resume but it is very likely that it will be quite some time yet. The committee is monitoring the situation closely and will communicate the new race & events calendar along with any updates to all members. As always, safety first and the club will continue to comply with all government regulations.

Obviously we are all keen to get back on the water but these are extraordinary circumstances. Stay safe, get the vaccine, we will enjoy our beautiful harbour even more once the pandemic subsides!

AGM report Season 20/21

The BPYC AGM was held virtually via Zoom on 25 July 2021. Here is a short summary of the key discussion points and decisions:

• The minutes of the 2020 AGM were adopted

• Judith Rintoul was granted Life Membership of Blues Point Yacht Club Incorporated for her outstanding service to the club over the years.

• The treasurer’s report was adopted. The club is in a good financial position in spite of COVID-related challenges such as the raffle not being run for almost half of the financial year.

• The Commodore’s report was adopted. This had been circulated to members ahead of the AGM. Key points presented by Michael Jansen included the adoption of the SailSys handicapping system, and acknowledging the contribution of the late David Swain to the club. The commodore also announced the winners of the various series and trophies (see separate news article).

• The Race Calendar for 21/22 had been circulated but due to the uncertainties relating to Covid this will need to be revisited in due course, members will be informed asap.

• The 2021/22 Committee was declared:

  • Commodore: Michael Jansen

  • Vice-Commodore: Carl Braden

  • Treasurer & Secretary: Bill Steenson

  • Ordinary member: Glen Ormerod

  • Ordinary member: Joerg Klug

  • Ordinary member: Hugh Babington

• In other business it was decided to postpone the traditional long AGM lunch at the Blues Point Hotel to a time as soon as the Covid restrictions are lifted.

Season 20-21 Champions

At the AGM the winners of the various series and trophies were announced. Congratulations to all and especially to Blue Sky - Carl Braden for taking home both the Club Championship and the Sheep Station Trophy interclub series with the SASC.

Club Championship (Blues Point Classic): Blue Sky - Carl Braden

Spring Series: Blue Sky - Carl Braden

Autumn series: Conquista - Alan Bull

Sheep Station Trophy (with SASC): Blue Sky - Carl Braden

Alan Rintoul Trophy: Tied result:  Blue Sky - Carl Braden &                                                              Martela - Michael Jansen

Errol Hazelwood Handicap: Race abandoned in 2021 (wind warning)

Trevor & Finn Memorial: Conquista - Alan Bull

Ladies’ Day Race: Conquista - Cad Currie

Sue Heyder Trophy (Christmas Race): Blue Sky - Glen Ormerod

Don Deller Trophy: Blue Sky - Carl Braden

Top raffle team: Hugh Babington and Sam Bujega

Covid Guidance from Australian Sailing

Unfortunately the Covid situation continues to impact the activities of the BPYC on and off the water. Please find below guidance from Australian Sailing that the BPYC endorses. Please note however, the BPYC does not provide legally binding advice and all members and friends of the club should follow official government guidelines, keeping in mind that this changes frequently.

————————————

Unfortunately Covid restrictions have not changed and we all need to batten down the hatches and wait this out.

What these restrictions mean for sailing in Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Shellharbour, The Central Coast and The Blue Mountains:

·         The rules allow two people to exercise together, or more if they are from the same household.

·         Sailing is considered as exercise.

·         People must stay in their Local Government Area or within 10km of home for exercise.

·         This means you can go sailing with one other person, or more if they are all from your household. Social distancing must be observed.

·         If you do go sailing, please get in, go sailing, go home; keep your distance from others at your club, marina or boat ramp.

·         Do not carpool with anyone outside your family.

·         All crew must reside within 10km of the boat.

·         The boat must remain within 10km of everyone's residential address.

The NSW Office of Sport site has detailed advice for Sporting Organisations https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/covid-19-information

NSW Maritime have updated their advice - https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/maritime/covid-19-update.html

We are also keeping our Information page updated with any new advice we receive - https://www.sailingresources.org.au/covid-19/nsw/

For those clubs in the locked down areas, we are putting together some ideas and resources for keeping you engaged with your members, as well as some ideas for sailors of all ages to pass the time at home. These will be sent out and posted on the NSW News page.

BPYC 20-21 Season cut short due to Covid

Race 8 of the Autumn Series was rescheduled for this Sunday 18th July, but with today's announcement by our Premier, Greater Sydney will remain in lockdown until (at least) Friday, 30th July.  So I need to inform you that our racing season 2020-2021 is now concluded with Race 8 being cancelled/abandoned.

As per separate communication, our next event is the AGM via Zoom on 24 July .

Cat 4 and Cat 7 Safety Audits were scheduled in our 2021-2022 calendar for Sunday 1st August and Sunday 8th August.  Please email your interest to the Commodore via bluespointyc@gmail.com. The club's Safety Auditors will do their best to accommodate your request.

Michael Jansen (Commodore)

Blues Point Yacht Club

UPDATE - AGM to be held via Zoom, long lunch postponed

Dear member,

 As a result of the COVID restrictions in Sydney, the AGM of the Blues Point Yacht Club will now go ahead as a Zoom meeting. 

Please register using this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rdeGuqz0pHNzE6zru7OTF2CK5lkba3qks

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Zoom meeting link will be 'open' from 12noon onwards, however the meeting will formally start at 12:30pm.

All AGM-related documents have been or will be sent to al l members directly. 

Our traditional long lunch will have to be postponed for obvious reasons. The committee has tentatively pencilled in Saturday 28 August for a gathering in the pub, but this is entirely dependent on what the Covid situation looks like closer to time. We will keep all members updated. 

Look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Steenson

Secretary/Treasurer

Blues Point Yacht Club

www.bpyc.com.au 

Ph: 0478617191

Annual General Meeting scheduled for 24 July 2021 pending Covid restrictions

Dear BPYC Members,

The AGM is scheduled for Saturday 24 July 2021 (12noon for 1230om) at the Blues Point Hotel, 116 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point NSW 2060.  

The 'papers' for the AGM (Notice of AGM, nomination form, proxy form, Commodore's Report, Treasurer's Report, etc.) will be circulated to members via email in the coming days.  You must be a financial member to participate in the AGM.

HOWEVER, with the COVID restrictions being what they are, and no news yet about the arrangements post-9th July in Sydney, the AGM may be subject to change (of venue and/or date). We will keep you posted.

In the meantime, we've held off sending out the booking form for the AGM lunch for the time being, please keep an eye out for it in your emails, registration may be relatively short notice due to the circumstances.

As soon as we know more, we'll let you know.

Please feel free to give me a call (0478 617191) if you have any queries.

Bill Steenson
Secretary/Treasurer
Blues Point Yacht Club

Autumn Series Race 8 postponed to Sunday 18 July

Due to the Covid situation in Sydney the last race of the autumn series has been postponed to Sunday 18 July. As always, please note that the club will comply with all government regulations and if there are restrictions still in place at the time the race will be abandoned.

Don Deller Ocean Race Report

The 2021 Don Deller OFFSHORE race was a rejuvenation of an iconic Blue Point Yacht Club event.  

It has been two years since the running of a Don Deller race. The Committee had agreed in late 2019 to revert to the original format being an offshore (Cat 4) race, with the two-race series on Pittwater becoming the ‘Double Sprint’. Ultimately, last year’s event had to be cancelled due to a Strong Wind Warning being issued on the day of the race, 8th February 2020, and attempts to reschedule proved unsuccessful. 

For this year, a considerable amount of collaborative effort by several boat owners, their crew and the club’s accredited safety auditors was expended over the past few weeks, working to ensuring that five yachts achieved their CAT4 safety certification to qualify to compete in the offshore race.

Initially, five yachts submitted their entry forms, however, at the last moment, Good as Gold (Duncan and Christine Veal’s new yacht) checked their insurance policy and found they were not covered for racing.  So rather than paying an exorbitant amount to get the coverage, decided to take over the role of race starter and would cruise in company with the racing fleet. Thank you Duncan!

The four competitors racing to Broken Bay were Hugh Babington’s new boat Starfire, Martela, Conquista and Blue Sky. On the start line there was a little competitive action between Blue Sky and Conquista with each crossing within 10 seconds of the siren and Martela’s crossed the line was approximately one minute later. Starfire however, must have slept-in as they crossed start line some 4 minutes later than Martela. That five minute delay at the start line was very quickly swallowed up such that by the time she was passing Manly Beach, Starfire had already overtaken Conquista and Martela. Starfire and Martela would exchange positions several times throughout the race.

The conditions were not ideal, although it could have been much more unpleasant had the race had been held on Friday under a strong wind warning. Sailing into a nor'easter and lumpy seas was challenging for some, particularly those invited along for their first offshore race. It was a bit of a challenge, even for some of the seasoned sailors, but they handled the conditions admirably even if they shared some burley over the side with the nearby fish… Unfortunately, Good as Gold’s cruising in company was short lived because their invited crew were suffering from “mal de mer” and returned to Sydney. 

After debating whether to head further offshore or hug the coastline, Conquista ended up doing a combination of both. Having had a good run up to Dee Why and passing well clear of Long Reef, achieving the best tack to round Whale Head seemed elusive (“shall we tack yet”, starting to sound like “are we there yet”) – unlike the rain. Ultimately, the crew were able to get something of a geology lesson courtesy of their close-up view of the headland. Seemingly not satisfied with just one close-up, a good line past Palm Beach then became a series of short tacks to round Barrenjoey.  

The finish line was a transit of the eastern edge of Lion Island and the western edge of Barrenjoey Head and competitors took their own time finish. The results speak for themselves with Blue Sky having led from start to finish. The other competitors exchanging the lead until Starfire cross second followed by Martela and Conquista.

Saturday’s leg of the Double Sprint was cancelled as we extended the Don Deller finish time to 1630hrs with the intention of giving all competitors a chance to finish within the allocated race finish time. It was probably a good thing too because the sailing conditions across the body of Pittwater deteriorated down to very light winds.  This was highlighted by Starfire who immediately after crossing the finish line, hoisted an asymmetric spinnaker attached to a very extended bowsprit.  Initially doing a fine job, it was not to last as the kite was filled for only a relatively short time so she eventually ran out of breeze. Like the other competitors she had to drop the sails and start the motor to reach the RMYC. After tying up in their respective berths, crews chose to utilise their time as they saw fit with some heading immediately to the bar, the showers or tidying up the boat (or a combination thereof).

Eventually, all crews gathered in the downstairs bar/bistro area to discuss the race, the conditions and experiences. Some Conquista crew chose to take full advantage of the very comfy lounge cushions until the call for dinner at 1930hrs.  We all received a generous portion of high quality food from the Salt Cove Bistro and at around 2015hrs the Commodore made a short speech to describe the day's event and announce the results of the race.

In 1st place was Blue Sky on scratch and on corrected time.  Coming 2nd in his new (second hand) boat ‘Starfire’ was Hugh Babington and crew, both on scratch and handicap. She was followed by Martela and Conquista. The tradition of the Don Deller lives on with the “GOLDEN PADDLE” (well it is plastic and orange) being awarded to Conquista.  The paddle is awarded as an incentive in the hope that the crew improves in future races and/or uses the paddle to help their efforts in next year's race.

Carl Braden made a special mention that all David Swain's efforts to reinstate the Don Deller to an offshore Cat4 race has come to fruition.  He remarked “I'm sure he's looking down upon us with quite a sizable amount of pride that this has been achieved”. It was a great event enjoyed by all, finishing with a lovely dinner and presentation.

Most yachts had already chosen to leave Pittwater early Sunday morning for the return to Sydney while Martela was booked at RPAYC for a long overdue antifoul. Consequently, with the Committee agreement, Sunday’s leg of the Double Sprint was also cancelled and there were no complaints as boats were intent to avoid the forecast Southerly.  Several reported that the return journey, with sun shining and clear vistas of the coastline (not to mention less lumpy seas), was much more pleasant than the race north.

I think the interest in the Don Deller has been reinvigorated and hopefully, in future years, interest and participation in this event will draw in more starters so will grow even more. Perhaps other offshore races will be considered by your Committee to be added to the annual racing calendar. 

Martella sails out of the heads

On board Conquista

Update: Don Deller Pittwater Weekend to go ahead

Dear Members and Friends of BPYC,

The Don Deller race weekend was abandoned last year due to a Strong Wind Warning.

However, I am pleased to announce that the 2021 DON DELLER Pittwater race weekend will be held on the 6th and 7th of February commencing with the OFFSHORE race from Obelisk Bay to Lion Island followed by the DOUBLE SPRINT Series Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

Please see the attached Notice Of Race, Chartlet and Sailing Instructions. This exciting event is also open to boats that don’t regularly race with the BPYC, please contact me directly if you are interested in entering given we are getting quite close.

Any questions please write to bluespointyc@gmail.com or call me at 0411 100 093.

Michael Jansen (Commodore)
Blues Point Yacht Club

Happy New Year and Upcoming Races

Happy New Year everyone!

The BPYC wishes you all the best for a happy and healthy 2021 full of fantastic sailing on Sydney harbour. Speaking of which, below are some updates on upcoming races. Please check the updated race calendar for a full overview. The COVID-19 situation remains volatile and the the club is monitoring it very carefully. The BPYC will continue to strictly follow government and SA guidelines and regulations - if there are any changes, members and skippers will be informed as soon as possible.

BPYC-SASC Interclub series ‘Sheep Station Trophy’

Race 4 of the series will get under way as planned on Saturday 16 January 2021. Race 1, originally scheduled for 19 September 2020, is now rescheduled to Saturday 20 February 2021.

Here is a link to the entry form for these races.

Don Deller Weekend

The Don Deller Pittwater Weekend event is still tentatively planned for 6-7 February 2021. However given the current outbreak in the Northern Beaches area there is a chance the club will need to make changes to ensure compliance with regulations and keep everyone healthy - we will keep members and skippers closely informed.

Next BPYC Spring Series Race 8

The final race of the regular 2020-21 Spring series is planned for Sunday 10 January 2021. Information around this will be shared as usual closer to time.

Sue Heyder Christmas Race and Christmas Party confirmed for 05 December

Friends and supporters of Blues Point Yacht Club,

You are warmly invited to attend the club's annual Sue Heyder Christmas Race and the Christmas Party that follows.

This year, because of COVID and its impact, we're doing things a bit differently.

For a start, the Committee has resolved that because of the number of cancelled races in the Spring Series (and the limited opportunity to reschedule them), the Christmas race will now be a point score race for the series. More details to follow in the Notice of Race for that event.

The Christmas function itself will be a get-together at our 'clubhouse', the Blues Point Hotel, from 3pm to 5:30pm on Saturday 5th December 2020 (i.e. after the race).

BPYC is subsidising the event. For $10 each, attendees will receive a selection of food as well as 3 drink vouchers (available for house wine, beer and soft drinks).

The event will be held in the back half of the pub (restaurant section and outdoor area) and is limited to 50 people in total (due to COVID restrictions)., with a limit of 4 people per booking, on a first come first served basis for bookings.

You can book now, via TryBooking, at:

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=684764&

If you need any further details, please contact me either by email or phone.

Cheers,

Bill

Bill Steenson
Secretary/TreasurerBlues Point Yacht Club
Ph: 0478617191

BPYC Spring Series 2020 - Report Lady's Day Race 6, 08 November 2020

Race 6 was the Annual BPYC Lady’s Day Race.

There is a brief recall of the experiences directly from our intrepid Lady skippers:

————————————

Alissa Braden, BLUE SKY

Having the opportunity to be able to skipper a J109 at 13 year of age and being able to place reasonably well was so empowering to say the least. At the beginning of the day in the pre-start, the nerves began to kick in but the great supportive crew and I pushed though and managed to have a great start.

We chose to reach to the East Channel mark which set us up for 1 spinnaker run to Manly West. This was great fun and we absolutely powered though, getting some 15-20 kt gusts and amazing lifts, helping us reach a max of 8kt boat speed. Once the spinnaker had been fully raised, I got extremely nervous for some reason and I started to shake after we got a bullet of 24kts, consequently making us round up. I was pretty terrifying but we managed to push though and get some great boat speed and smashed it though the relatively big offshore waves coming though the heads.

Although we had a small problem dropping the spinnaker we had a great mark rounding and on the first upwind leg, catching some amazing lifts and managing to make it all the way to the first top EC mark in 2 perfect tacks.

Overall, it was an extraordinary experience and I’d be honoured to do it again next year.

Congratulations to all the lady helms who competed in the race. It was challenging conditions and we all sailed well.

thanks, Alissa 

 ——————————————

Cad Currie, CONQUISTA

Ladies Day was adrenaline filled (for me at least) and a great race. Not having helmed Conquista at all (nor helmed a Ladies Day race for 10 years) and with more breeze than forecast, I was a little nervous, but benefitted enormously from a rather haphazard pre-race sail around the start line as I tried to get a feel for the helm (v handy that we didn’t all start at the same time… that’s all I can say).

Craig fortuitously added the tiller extension to lighten the helm, and with our stalwart crew in top form we soon settled into our positions. Once on top of the basics we were able to concentrate on the smaller adjustments to inch our way to success, with Chris constantly adjusting and often telling me to “stop pinching” (a common theme).  The course and breeze allowed Conquista to lift her skirts on the reach to Manly (eloquently said by Chris) so although we set up the spinnaker sheets we decided against the kite, it could have got interesting with our mix of regular and irregular crew who hadn’t sailed together before.

Pic (our tall ship expert) was invaluable in sailing us safely back to port, especially while she was juggling a celebratory sparkling wine plus cheese and biscuits on her lap. The perfect end to a great race.

Thanks for Chris for being my mentor, Bill/Joerg my usual crew mates who know the course inside out, and thanks to Craig (and other absent owners) for being brave enough to let me helm (especially as I hit a boat last time I helmed Ladies Day - but that’s another sailing yarn…). 

Cheers, Cad

 —————————————

Sneha Kadam MEGISTI

As we motored our way to Clark Island, Hugh asked me if I wanted to take over the helm. I happily took over, only to realise that he & Sam were not joking about me having to steer for the race that day! This would be my 5th time on a sailboat, so helming for a race was exciting but also a little daunting at first.

After a few tacks & surprise gybes (thanks to me), we discussed our strategy down the course. As always, Hugh was as calm as the wind that day & guided me to pick a point on land in the direction of the mark & head towards it. He told me to watch the tell-tales like a hawk.

Heading down towards Manly was amazing, until I had to work the waves just in front of the heads. Sam was amazing help as always, consoling me when I steered into the wind too much, slowing us right down. As I was on the helm, he was working the head sail by himself like a machine. 

Overall, it was an excellent day & I am so proud to have been the helms-woman for the Lady's Day Race aboard Megisti.

Thanks!

Sneha

 ——————————

Stefani – CELETE

Here are a few lines in my beginner English.

My husband and I came from Germany to Australia in December last year. We live in McMahons Point and watched the sailboats in Berry’s Bay very often. We always said we would like to learn to sail in Australia. After the bush fires COVID came and we could again only watch the boats. Then I met Alan through a mutual friend and he asked me if I would like to spontaneously helm his boat 'Celete' during a race. I said spontaneously NO. It would be crazy to do something like that without experience. But he didn't leave me alone and my husband did not leave me alone after I told him. So I did it!
The morning of the race I felt bloody scared. The first half of the race I was very tense. Especially when the boat once leaned over for a short time. But from then on it was pure fun. After this exciting day I can say that I was very happy to have been part of it. 

We had a lot of fun, met very nice people and would definitely do it again.

Stef

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BPYC Spring Series 2020 - Report Race 4 11 October 2020

Race 4 was quite an event with the forecast showing we could expect 5 knots at 13:00 and building to 15 knots in the late afternoon. However, the weather gods didn't follow the forecast.  

When the gun went off at 13:00 it was blowing already about 12 knots from the NE which, as the day went on, built to a steady 16 knots, gusting as much as 22 knots through the day.

Course 1 was called with Megisti on scratch had a clean start as the gun (hooter) went off followed by Conquista, Blue Sky and Martela coming up the rear.  The racing was close with Megisti and Conquista being the first to turn west towards the Rocky Point mark. Blue Sky sailing in close under Middle Head in the slight swell and gaining on the leaders.

Meanwhile Martela's was blindly heading towards Manly West mark (the Commodore set the course but had a different number in his head).  Half way across the heads, Martela  tacked to port after realising their mistake then saw how much more ground they had make up.  First around Rocky Point was Megisti followed by Conquista and Blue Sky gaining quickly in the freshening breeze. Last to round Rocky Pt was Martela, aiming to make Cannae Point in one tack.

After rounding Cannae Point and the fleet heading south, Megisti and Conquista were sailing in close proximity enjoying close race conditions on their way to the Shark Mark.  Somewhere in the vicinity of Steele Point they were passed by Blue Sky and soon after by Martela. 

Martela carried the spinnaker down the harbour and managed to keep it floating until a rather unpractised gybe at Shark Island.  Blue Sky was ahead having rounded Shark Island and set the asymmetric for the reach to the finish line.  

Just beyond the Shark Mark Conquista passed Megisti and it was now more of a drag race than a tactical one.

As Martela was closing on Blue Sky they must have thought "can we beat them"? 

It was a close tussle with Martela catching up, even ahead at times. This continued right to the line where it was too close to call.

I think it must be a first in a BPYC race with a dead heat for first followed by Conquista then Megisti.  A great day was had by all, with more wind than forecast and no damages reported.

Remembering David Swain

Dear members,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of David Swain's passing in the early hours of this morning.

David was the current Vice-Commodore and a founding member of BPYC. He held the position of Commodore for 3 years (1997 - 2000) and again for another 3 years (2008 - 2011). He was a strong supporter of BPYC and was much loved around the club and Blues Point Hotel (his local).

He will be sadly missed.

We invite you to leave your thoughts, wishes or memories of David in the comments field below.

Michael Jansen
Commodore
Blues Point Yacht Club

Race 5 25 October abandoned/ postponed

This morning's updated Bureau of Meteorology forecast at 05:40am has retained the Strong Wind Warning for today and tomorrow.

As per the club's risk management plan item 3.4, today's race is abandoned/postponed.  

Due to the racing calendar being very full, it will be difficult to reschedule the race. However, your committee will consider the possibility have the race rescheduled.

Michael Jansen (Commodore)

Blues Point Yacht Club