Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
Newsletter Items, Idle Gossip, etc to [email protected] (deadline midnight Tuesday)
Commodore Phill Robbins 0466668541 Club Newsletter Vice Commodore Jonathan Horsley 26/9/19 0412798505
Rear Commodore Chris Hallett 0414866998
Secretary Nola Hallett 0414866999
Treasurer Col Woodbury
Class Reps Gennakers – Michael Wiley Catamarans – Michael Cocks Trailers – Paul Morris Monos – Graham Hams
Rowing Officer Graham Hams
Website Admin Mark Pierce
Publicity Officer Trent Morgan
Training Club Committee From Col Hinwood “Plenty of carnage on course with Gennakers and ALL EMAIL the odd cat over .. the Rescue boat was flat-out .. and even Zac CORRESPONDENCE TO: [email protected] had to park his RS100 on the sand spit and rescue a skiff, the girls too exhausted to sail it home .. he sailed the skiff back, hitched a CONTENTS 2. Club News ride back on the Rescue Boat to the bemused crowd on the beach .. 2. Race Reports gathered round the RS100 like a beached whale thingo – then sailed 8. Quiz 8. Upcoming Away Events his RS home. Cute…. best story of the day by far.” 9. Marketplace 11. Interview with Brendan CLUB NEWS
1. Intermediate sailing starts next Sunday morning; 10am til 11.30am. All
welcome; choice of boats; supervised sailing practice etc Will be run by Laura Stoltenberg. Ideal for new learners and ongoing learners; kids or adults. Will
continue on following Sundays.
2. A thankyou from Chris for all those placing empty cans in our recycle
tub. This has collected $100 for the club.
Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
CLUB NEWS (cont’d) 3. Trent has heaps of photos of capsizes. Contact him if you’d like any of your boat. [email protected]
DRONE FOOTAGE FROM LAST SUNDAY:
Mixed Fleet
Gennakers
RACE REPORTS 22/9/19
CATS
A fleet of six cats faced the starter for the second race of the club Championship. At the start a gusty north to North easterly breeze of 12 knots with gusts over 20 knots had the fleet spread out with Finely Tuned and Shore Thing jostling for position at the Starboard end with several boats opting for a port start on the well laid start line. Michael on “A” getting the best of the start on port and lead the fleet down river followed by Ozspray. Shore Thing looked likely to force Finely Tuned above the start mark but an issue with his main sheet made this impossible. First Strike had a good start with 2 FOOT Extra last across the start.
Line honours for Chris and Seamus The cats which carried the starboard across the river had the best of the work once on port and even though 2 FOOT Extra gave the fleet more than 30 seconds at the start it rounded the top mark not far behind “A”. But a misreading of the mark rounding dropped 2 FOOT Extra back. The run from the top mark back to the gate was fun leg with cats catching waves and not having to jybe down wind. The fleet had varying results as some carried more wind and others found holes. At the bottom mark “A” lead followed by 2 FOOT Extra and Finely Tuned closing the gap. Shore Thing, First Strike and Ozspray swapped places numerous times. The second work had “A” continuing to lead with 2 FOOT Extra closing followed by Finely Tuned. Issues with a trailer sailor at the top mark had 2 FOOT Extra hit the mark and lose ground after doing a penalty turn.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
The second work saw plenty of gusts with the lighter cats struggling in the breeze. Ozspray nose dived on the initial downwind and lost several places. Phill was seen catapulted off the back of his boat. Ozspray was then furling its jib before the bareaways and pulling it out again once out of the “killing zone” near Missingham. The third downwind leg saw “A” and 2 FOOT Extra in close quarters until both were slammed by a bullet about a third of the way from the sand point to the gate, which capsized 2 FOOT Extra and almost took out “A” as well. The cheers could be heard from the following cats as they watched the capsize. 2 FOOT Extra managed to right itself and after assessing the broken battens in the mainsail returned to the beach. The race continued with Finely Tuned closing on “A” which was being sailed conservatively due to the conditions. On the last downwind Finely Tuned managed to pass “A” and was first across the line. Well done to Chris and Seamus. Shore Thing was third across the line and won on club yardstick from Finely
Carnage? What carnage? A relaxed Tony slipped around the course without incident ☺
Tuned and Ozspray. Early indications are the club championship is going to have a different result this year, with last year’s top 2 having early troubles (capsizes), go Shore Thing! First Strike had a good race with no capsizes; well done Tony on a day that tested all the crews. Many thanks to the club members who volunteered to do the duty so the rest of us could go racing on a beautiful spring day with a challenging breeze.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
TRAILERABLES
Trailables CC 220919 (thanks Col H)
Windy … windy.. windy .. always windy this part of the Season. Nothing excessive, just always a baseline of 15 knots with another 5knots or so added in parts. Gets us ready for the 25+ knot Harwood Regatta. With Treasure Isle on duty, MIA was Incy, Bella, Bad Blood and Shades from the fleet. Reg, Spudgun, Rabbit Serendipity the race fleet, with a cameo appearance of Wil and Mum on the Masrm 720 – Masmerised - in one-sail upwind/2 sail downwind mode. Course was the standard North/in tide, like to the North Wall, but the wind stubbornly stayed North, making it a one- tack- Jack for us Trailer boats. Same as the run, which was only square for the first bit, then gradually shy’d until we were watching very closely approaching the Bottom Mark, for the gust that would stuff up the drop.
Spudgun – before and after bullet ☺
The work was actually pretty easy, like .. get over to the sand spit with the tide on the right side of the nose, then head for the 2 clearance Top Marks with tide still on right side of nose …, and even the wind at the Marks was not as twitchy as usual. Don’t go to sleep tho, as the cats and some others, somehow had to tack, so always looking under the boom for surprise visits.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
Funny also, as cats and dinghies always went thru the gate so .. always heading down via the Point, while we were heading up via the Point, so plenty of social contact. Not sure that would work if all the fleets were at full strength? Plenty of carnage on course with Gennakers and the odd cat over .. the Rescue boat was flat-out .. and even Zac had to park his RS100 on the sand spit and rescue a skiff, the girls too exhausted to sail it home .. he sailed the skiff back, hitched a ride back on the Rescue Boat to the bemused crowd on the beach .. gathered round the RS100 like a beached whale thingo – then sailed his RS home. Cute…. best story of the day by far. The racing was spaced out according to speed rankings, so each boat could only guess as to who was in front on CT, ..4 times around Top Mark and home .. could have been more but .. I think that pretty well cooked the goose .. we had a nice day, but to keep going round without boat on boat battles .. a bit … pointless… and we all had visitors on board, so good enough time on the water… almost 100 mins for the slower boats.
Wil’s Mum is more used to trap and kite on a cat, so …just a nice chance for a little chat with her little Wil ..ok maybe not so little.
Pretty standard racing for this time of year, hoping fleet will be at full strength next CC on 6rd October.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
GENNAKERS (thanks Michael and Duncan)
The live wind readings from most of the race time this week suggest an “average wind” of around 15 to 16 knots. But we all know averages can hide a myriad of data that paints an entirely different picture. And so it was this week.
Gary, like all the RS100s, got around the course without capsizing – well done!
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
The race started during one of the only ‘lull’ periods of the day; maybe around 13 knots. The line was long and moderately fair, giving a good level start to the majority of the six F15’s and four RS100’s that started.
In the F15’s a pack consisting of Second Wind (Michael and Tara), Secret (Barry and Anna), Toxic (Tom and Brendan) and Magic Formula (Justin and Clare) quickly broke away as front runners to the whole fleet. Magic Formula - still settling down a new boat in very testing conditions - elected to sail conservatively without setting a spinnaker. As a result, it dropped back, leaving the other three boats in a very close three- way tussle. Each had a fair share of leading the race, Second Wind showing its speed upwind, Secret downwind and Toxic giving a good all-round performance.
Michael and Tara leaving the danger zone behind……some others not so lucky……….
Many boats elected to spend a short period of two sail reaching after the top mark while they determined whether they could carry a spinnaker. After gaining ground to windward, they gave it a go but, towards the lee mark, gusts of well over 20 knots came through the fleet from a range of directions in a thirty degree arc.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
Many boats suffered the consequences of a gust that set them on their ear; main right off, jib flapping, both crew fully extended on the wire and only a turn to windward capable of saving them. Some survived, others didn’t. Just as dangerous were the lulls and knocks – these could send a crew on the wire into the water, leaving them swimming after the boat. Subsequent runs became more of a lottery as many F15’s were forced to drop early before reaching into the mark.
The RS100 story was quite different. Nobody capsized but the only race was at the front, between Zac in Shachi and Vince in 5BuckaRoos. Zac rode the break down a beautiful wave on the first run and was well ahead on the third work when he beached it to get into the rescue boat and help a flailing F15 off the rock wall. Zac saw the difficulties the lightweight crew of Mr Bond were having recovering from a prolonged capsize so he sailed to the rescue boat standing by, told them to pick him up, sailed to the nearest beach and left his boat there, then went out on the rescue boat and helped sail Mr Bond home.
The whole fleet envies Zac’s skills as well as his kilos. His race time was restored to where RS100’s agree he would have finished. A big thankyou to you Zac!
And Zac is a definite candidate for the R. M. S. Carpathia Trophy.
Duncan was ecstatic not to have capsized Casper and to have overtaken Run the Rabbit (Colin’s trailer yacht) down one of the runs. No RS100 capsizes were recorded. Garry was ecstatic to have finished the course and will try out his brand-new spinnaker next week.
Meanwhile, back in the F15’s, Toxic double tea bagged and capsized to windward double wiring on a run under a kite twice, the second one pushing it out of the leadership tussle. Secret had three capsizes and Second Wind one. And Mr Bond (Laura and Francine), Numero Uno (Daniel and Pip) and Magic Formula had more than their fair share.
Secret’s third capsize at a tight mark rounding sealed its fate and left Second Wind to romp away for an easy line honours. Toxic and Magic Formula followed, with Numero Uno and Mr Bond recording a DNF.
MONOS (thanks Colin Hinwood )
Mono Report CC 220919 Northerly and run in tide, so the course towards the Wall. A quick ask around voted to join the cat fleet Course, so Mobbs Bay, all the way to the Wall, then thru the home gate ..over to Mobbs and … round and round until the gun. Mono fleet is growing, with a solid base of a couple of NS’s, a couple of NS Single Handers, 4 Impulses, an Aero 7, always at least one Laser appearing, plus the odd 125 and Pacer and 29/59er etc . So a dozen + boats sailing and Division still building. Time to think about course choices .. like in future in good winds, do we sail the long course down to the Wall, or go back to the usual Mono Mark just up from the Green Buoy which is Mono’s only?? [like no
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
sharing the Mark with cats coming in at a hundred miles an hour shouting for Buoy Room or else .. then parking in the tack] .. have your say ..
Mono Yardstick winner Ewan - taking the race in a Laser with a 4.7 rig – well done ☺
Windy day, with 15s, then 20 for a while then 15s. pretty good start, with Line bias and wind meaning everyone started on Port, with no spoilers. The Gennakers decided to tack over to the beach straight after the Start so that made everyone think … as it did seem that working straight into the tide for a while would be better? and that’s certainly what the following Trailer Bailers did. The issue was of course that a tack across the current in that wind was .. just punishing!! Gennakers falling over all around did not inspire anyone to sail aggressively, and just staying upright seemed like a good plan. A very busy track with cats and dinghies going up and back along the sand spit, with the cats getting a long just a tad quicker than the dinghy fleet .. so .. watch out .. Trent and Daisy led the fleet, but the next group was a good bunch with Cameron leading Dave in the Laser Radial, Ewan in the 4.7, then Paul in Freakshow, Graeme in Retro, and Dylan and Nico in the Pacer.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
Dylan and Nico enjoying perfect Pacer weather
Bit of a difficult wind/current angle for the fleet, as letting the current hit the windward side of the bow pushed everyone into tacks, punishing on the day. Nice run to the Point, then a broad reach along the sand, thru the gate and over to Mobbs to do it all over again. Wind was mostly 15 with 20 common heading up past the sand spit towards the two Clearance Top Marks. Ewan claimed the day in the Laser 4.7.. a good match of sailor and boat here, with the 4.7 a great little boat in these conditions. Probably a shock to Cameron as he was a safe fleet leader on VYC, or so we all thought .. but that sneaky 4.7 … Good sailing, good winds .. good company .. that’ll do.
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
MONO REPORT (Contd)
Trent and Daisy in “Graeme Garden”, with her new logo ☺
FROM TRENT:
HI think one amendment needs to be made to Col’s report for the monos regarding Dave.
‘but the next group was a good bunch with Cameron leading Dave in the Laser Radial, Ewan in the 4.7, then Paul in Freakshow, Graeme in Retro, and Dylan and Nico in the Pacer.’
Dave was not in the mix because he missed the mono start by at least three minutes. He started just after the trailers. Jane saw him go to the beach near the club, did something to his boat, then went out to start. Colin probably missed this because he started in front of Dave.
FROM DAVE SCOTT:
Trent mentioned that you might be able to use a few comments about Sunday re the monos.
Not that I saw a lot cos it was survival mode! Ewan was pointing higher than the other monos - probably because he had the 4.7 metre sail and could pinch through the gusts which I had no hope of doing (and the other monos I imagine).
Graham H capsized - three times apparently. Otherwise it was a procession with the order not changing once I overtook the Pacer, Paul in the Impulse, and Graham who was capsized. That all happened on the first leg. I started with the trailers, so three minutes late. I'd rigged my tiller so the mainsheet block on the rope traveller couldn't move when on starboard tack.
Looking forward to this Sunday but hoping for a touch less wind!! 11
Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
IDLE GOSSIP
Please send anything interesting sailing or club related to [email protected].
No goss this week……….
Upcoming Away Events
If anyone knows of any events or would like an event posted please let me know - Ed
RL 24 Qld Championships
5 & 6 October at Noosa Yacht & Rowing Club
Great location with a five race program for RL 24’s
Contact Martin O’Shannessy
Away Events - next one is Harwood Single Handed Regatta 19th 20th October, for "Invited Classes" which are Laser, OK and Impulse Classes. The next "away Regatta" is Big River's ... Bridge to Breakers Regatta 23rd 24th November
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
For Sale/Wanted/Free to a Good Home
If you have any sailing related items for sale or if you want to buy something sailing related and want it put in the newsletter please let me know – Ed [email protected]
DEVOTI D-ONE (leave the RS100s for dead, in this boat ;-))
DEVOTI D-ONE For Sale. $7,500. Must sell - downsizing. High performance, single-handed skiff. 4.3m long. There's no trapeze, but very wide (2.3m) wings. Stayless carbon mast. Carbon hull, spars, foils. Mainsail and gennaker. Everything in very good condition. Includes gal beach dolly, in very good condition.. These are stock photos, but the boat is identical to the right pic. Ring Mark 0421932945
Castle 550 Trailer Sailer
Number 15. On a single axle un-braked trailer so no rego check required. Very easy to tow – fine behind my Audi A4. NSW rego.
Castle 550’s are light and easy to launch and sail.
Gypsy is in very good condition. She has a brand new VHF radio, depth sounder, CD/ipod player, 12v battery. Mariner 5hp outboard runs well. Two stroke but quiet. The rudder has a dagger foil but a brand new blade for a swing rudder is included (bought from the manufacturer). A friend recently had a swing rudder box made for less than $300. Two mains, one jib, storm jib, and spinnaker. V Berth has plenty of room for two people.
Brand new porta-potty. Bearing buddies on trailer. 13
Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
$12,900 neg. Contact Dave Scott 0428 854800
Castle 650, Mr Squiggle, Sail Number 61. Generally good condition. New Doyle Main and No 1, near new No 2 and No 3. Older Main and No 1 (Still usable). Old Dacron Main. Spinnaker with launching shute. Near new 8hp Tohatsu. Trailer in good condition. New complete storage cover/tarp. Price $15,000.00 Neg. Ph Todd Goldsmith 0427002571 .
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Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club website: www.rrsrc.com.au P.O. Box 963 Ballina 2478
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