P O BOX 477 GEORGE 6530 TEL/FAX: 044-8831035 email: [email protected] www.glyc.org.za SAILING SCHOOL: 0823779217
January/February 2009
COMMODORE CALLING What a busy sailing club we have become at George Lakes with much to be proud of. A few years ago, with the exception of the well-organised and traditional New Year Regatta, the club virtually shut down once schools had closed. Organised sailing only got under way again when the holiday period had ended. Activity at the club during the summer holiday period used to be mainly low-key and social.
Not so now, with the sailing school being as busy as ever all through the holidays and a resumption of club racing on the very next Sunday after the Sotheby’s New Year Regatta. Numbers on the water have not been matching the bumper 70 boat fleet of our November Interclub but have still been good. There was a good to average turn out for the Sotheby’s New Year Regatta of 39 yachts and the home fleet on Sundays is once again growing towards the 20+ mark that was being recorded towards the end of 2008. And our competitive skippers have not all stayed at home.
There was a good turn-out of GLYC juniors for the Youth Nationals at Mossel Bay in December. Closer to home, a brave band of our Laser Skippers entered in the annual Buffalo Bay challenge making up most of the competing dinghy fleet. Looking forward a few weeks on the sailing calendar a little, I see that the Port Elizabeth Interclub Regatta is just around the corner. It will be nice if GLYC can send up a large and varied fleet to take part as a thank-you to Redhouse for their support of our Interclub.
While it is pleasing to see a growing number of yachts on the water engaging in competitive sailing, there has also been evidence of regular use being made of the club over weekends and holidays by members, their families and friends for a bit of social sailing or even just paddling canoes, swimming and braaing. A dedicated dinghy racing club we may be, but there is always room for those who simply want to enjoy being in our grounds or out on the water for the pure fun of just being afloat. Let us never forget this.
All of the busy activity at our club means that willing helpers must be found to help organise, often well behind the scenes. With our sailing season having reached its mid point, it is time to commend all those who served so willingly in our club during 2008 on various committees and in various capacities, and continue to do so. Too many to mention individually by name, which is as it should be, these hard working members of the club who draw up sailing programmes, provide rescue craft and committee boats in working order, volunteer to help man the Bridge, fill our hungry stomachs or even just fix the plumbing, deserve to know that their efforts are appreciated. So why not start your own new year at GLYC by giving them a pat on the back? And of course, a huge vote of thanks to Sotheby’s for making our major regattas possible, as well as to FC Holm Architects for their support of Laser sailing, and also to the several businesses and individuals who have donated prizes and other commodities to help make our competitive sailing the success it has been.
Sadly, among all of this good news to usher the New Year it has become necessary to sound an urgent warning to all GLYC members. The borrowing of boats from our shore, without permission when it is dark to do a little fishing, is becoming a serious problem. All GLYC members who store craft at the club house need to take note. Over the past few months Bill Turner has counted 8 craft, which vary in size and shape from canoes to Optimist dinghies, which have had to be recovered from hiding places in the dense reeds which surround Island Lake. Some of these boats were borrowed up to three times before they were more securely parked. This is a worrying and a growing problem which seems to defy solution.
Meetings have been held with both the Police and with SANParks. Volunteers from the club have stood guard at night with arrangements made, having exchanged cell phone numbers, to call in the police and SANPark Rangers if anything is spotted, but so far to no avail. Both the police and SANParks assure the club that they are working on the problem and hope to make a number of arrests soon, but this still has to happen.
Meanwhile all owners of vulnerable craft are urged to chain them to a building at the club and to make sure that their boats have SANParks stickers to help identify them. The local subsistence fishermen or bush dwellers, because that is who they appear to be, seem not only skilful in removing boats and in catching fish (usually with illegal gill-nets) but in selecting suitable craft. They seem to avoid large craft because these are difficult to manoeuvre and too easily spotted on the water. They go for boats that have decent free-board and storage space for the fish they net. Loch Fyne dinghies, our own spare rescue boat (May Day) and large canoes have been the favoured craft suggesting that these fishermen work in pairs. Lately these annoying fishermen have started to “borrow” Optimists as most of the other suitable boats or canoes at GLYC are now chained up. So owners of these craft are now advised, as were canoe owners earlier, to remove valuable fittings and to chain them up.
On a much happier note, if it is not too late, all best wishes for a great Sailing 2009 to you all !
Dave Jones – Commodore
WATCH YOUR REAR!
Forthcoming Attractions
Port Elizabeth Inter Club: 24-25 January In return for good support from Port Elizabeth at our Inter Club Regatta, GLYC members are urged to support their Interclub on 24 / 25 January, 2009. The venue is Redhouse Yacht Club on the Zwartkops River. This club is making a revival after a period of decline – our support will be much appreciated. Previous interclubs have been held at ABYC, but it was decided to alternate with RYC for a PE Interclub.
The Notice of Regatta and online entry form is available at http://www.ryc.co.za/interclub/index.html
Clive Davy Trophy (Match Racing): GLYC: 1 February Make sure to join in this exciting event where skippers are pitted against each other in similar boats until an overall Sailor Supreme emerges! Sailed in honour of the late Clive Davy.
Other forthcoming events:
Hermanus Points Series Regatta: 31 Jan – 1 Feb Lake Deneys Yacht Club Round the Island Race : 30 Jan – 1 Feb Knysna Yacht Club Interclub (for Juniors, but Seniors welcome too!): 22 Feb Lipton Challenge Cup: 21-28 August, Table Bay Sotheby’s New Year Regatta
A total of 34 boats participated in the GLYC annual New Year Regatta - several visitors from the Eastern and Western Cape as well as from Gauteng boosted the good club turnout. In addition to the senior fleet, there was also a good number of boats in the junior fleet as well as a small novice Optimist fleet. The success of the event was also aided by generous sponsorship from Sotheby's International Realty, so if you are selling or buying in this area, speak to them first!
The fastest fleet was the Fireballs. The team of Will Moody and Ferdinand Holm dominated this fleet, but there was strong competition between Hansie von Schuts / Adam Stafford, Anthony & Diane Parker and Dave & Mandy Laing for 2nd place. In the end it was the Laing team who were able to edge ahead, with Hansie in 3rd place.
There were 9 boats in the Big Open class, sailed on handicap. The clear winner here was Timothy Manley (Dabchick), ahead of the GP14 of Dave & Trent Hawkins and the Sonnet of Linda & Alison Raubenheimer.
The Laser fleet was a mixture of full rigs and radials, sailed on handicap against each other - 8 boats. On handicap, the Radials of Dave Jones and Bill Turner each won a race, but generally it was Malcolm Osborne who was ahead in most races to be able to win overall. Visitor Bruno Tafuri was in 2nd place followed by veteran Bill Turner.
A separate fleet of Small Open classes sailed, comprising 2 Mirrors, a Dabchick and a Laser 4.7. The winner was the Mirror of Khaya Gould and Earl Swart, with the other Mirror of Joppie & Dalene Naude in 2nd place.
There were 9 boats in the Optimist class. The main competition was between Dane Henegan and Moya Moorcroft, with Jonathan Rees snapping at their transoms. Overall, it was Moya who was able to hang on to first place, with Dane 2nd and Jonathan in 3rd place.
The 4 boat Optimist Novices fleet was won by Steven Olivier from Sarah Young and Sheldon van Kersen
Club Sailing
Since the New Year Regatta, club sailing has resumed. Despite the continuing school holiday period, there has been support for the racing, although numbers are still down a bit. Racing has been marked by strong south-easters - enjoyed by some, but a bit daunting for others.
For more news and up to date results, have a look at the GLYC website on www.glyc.org.za
Malcolm Osborne, Rear Commodore
BUILDING BLOCKS .Our club ladies must be the “coolest’ in the country due to the cold showers provided by the Spanish speaking gas geyser. Good news is that heat may soon be provided by two second- hand slightly more intelligible German geysers, kindly donated to the club by the Otto and Dee families. Installation pending.
Mayday has beautiful new remote controls and is now fulfilling a valuable role in the Club’s rescue and training programmes. The bridge boat controls still need attention, but are working in a “boer maak ‘n plan” sort of way.
Next building project will be to smarten up the Clubhouse, probably during the offseason. Koenie Otto, Vice Commodore Mark Taljard, Bosun
BITS AND BOBS
SANParks Stickers A reminder once again that every boat – canoe, dinghy, catamaran – needs a SANParks sticker. The sticker serves a twofold purpose – it gives you a means of identifying your craft as well as ensuring that you don’t have to pay a heavy fine to the Parks Board. Fay Jones is the person to contact at the Club on a Sunday, should you still need to get a sticker.
Sale of Club Oppies The Club has decided to sell its six Club Optimists, which are in varying stages of seaworthiness. If anyone is interested in buying them, please contact Ferdinand Holm or the Secretary on 044-8831035. SAILING SCHOOL No holiday courses were held in December, due to the Youth Nationals being held in Mossel Bay. The onset of the busy festive season meant that the club and sailing school resources were used to the limit. The Youth Naionals were a great success with many lessons learned. There were more Juniors at the Sothebys New Year Regatta than last year – very promising!
Sunday coaching has resumed in January and is still popular. Holiday courses will be run in January until the schools resume.
For training info and bookings, please contact the Sailing School on [email protected], or phone 082-3779217.
Evelyn Osborne – Sailing School
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And FINALLY, a word from our generous Sponsors: SOTHEBYS: If you are buying or selling your property, give Sothebys the first option: Contact [email protected]. And come along to the Sotheby’s New Year Regatta!
FC HOLM ARCHITECTS CC: Sponsorship is to promote Laser sailing at GLYC . More details from Ferdinand on – [email protected]