In the Wind ROYAL PERTH YACHT CLUB NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2013 Happy ETCHELLS New Year! NATIONALS Sail Croatia 28 11 ALSO Mirsky wins Syd Corser Regatta • Sunday Brunch More good news for Gizmo • Discover Sailing at RPYC Featuring Race starts at Michael Manford secures 2 2 his second national 10 5:30pm Etchells title Royal Perth Yacht Club PO Box 5 Sail the thousands of Nedlands WA 6909 6 islands of Croatia’s T: (08) 9389 1555 Adriatic Coast F: (08) 9389 1459 [email protected] Mirsky Wins Etchells Syd www.rpyc.com.au 8 6 Corser Regatta Fremantle Annexe T: (08) 9430 4590 Seal pup in the Swan F: (08) 9430 4507 10 River - Swan River Trust Editor Discover Sailing at RPYC Kelly Scott 12 Public Relations Officer 23 Royal Perth Yacht Club RPYC Teams Racing - We Saturday Racing on T: (08) 9423 5500 E: [email protected] 14 are getting the Team back 8 together! 38 “In the Wind” is published 5 times per year and provides an String Quartet Night excellent medium to promote your 23 Friday Night business to 2000 members and community organisations. High Tea Decadence To advertise in “In the Wind” 28 – the perfect excuse to leave work early! please contact the editor at the number above. 38 New Year’s Party Deadline for the next issue is 15 March 2013. Advertising costs as follows: 1/8 Page Friday 8th February 87mm wide x 65mm high 12 $100 incl. GST 1/4 Page 87mm wide x 130mm high Time to mix it up a bit! $195 incl. GST 1/2 Page 180mm wide x 130mm high $300 incl. GST We all know there’s not one of us who can’t Full Page 210mm wide x 297mm high plus 3mm bleed (216mm x 303mm) wait for the weekend to start! Type: 200mm wide x 287mm high $500 incl. GST Grab your crew and head to the Club for an early evening Design inin thisthis issueissue race on the Swan. www.rpyc.com.au FEBRUARY 2013 Return to the Club for Pizza Night – Family and friends are Annie Bramley T: (08) 9252 1325 welcome to join! M: 0405 144 296 17 Commodore’s Message 30 Fleet Reports E: [email protected] 19 Vice Commodore’s Message 34 Food and Beverage Special Sailing courses will be available. 20 Rear Commodore’s Message 36 Sailability 22 Signals from the Engine Room 40 From the Archives 24 42 Please note: No Saturday racing on the 9th February. Printing Captain Sail Report Freo Annexe Optima Press 26 Captain Dinghies Report 43 Members Services Directory Stephen Migro M: 0409 290 455 27 Movie Competition For more information contact Hayden on 9423 5504 or [email protected] ROYAL PERTH YACHT CLUB NEWSLETTER IN THE WIND 1 By Bernie Kaaks Photos courtesy Bernie Kaaks ▲ boat speed when others could begun, and returned to the not, they worked the shifts well, Annexe. Three more failed started well and their strategy to finish the first race. Four was to minimize risks. more failed to finish race two, but none in more spectacular Hong Kong skipper Mark style than Raymond Smith’s St Thornburrow, sailing with John’s Dance, which broached Andy Service, Bucky Smith and on a big wave, snapped the Simon Cooke on Racer X, sailed spinnaker pole, and was then a couple of remarkable races on flattened by the out-of-control the first day, to win heats 2 and spinnaker. The yacht quickly 3, but their sixth in the first sank stern first, so all sails were race was an omen of things to removed, a marker buoy was come. Another sixth in race 4 attached and the yacht was really put the pressure on and salvaged by a professional crew after a poor start, placed 16th the next morning. in the last race - their “drop” score. They finished with 14 The Croc (Michael Manford) points, 5 behind Chilli Plum, was showing the sort of form n Torvar Mirsky - Chilli Plum just edging out Peter Chappell’s that won her the December 1382 by a single point. regatta, scoring a first and a second. Racer X (Mark The second day of competition his total and effectively ending While registration and panic Thornburrow) won race 2 and was sensational. After two his championship campaign weight loss programs were in with a fifth in race 1, was nicely general recalls, a third attempt – a very sad end for someone full swing between the Syd placed, while Queensland’s was made under a black who had travelled over 8,000 Corser and the Nationals, the Gen XY (Matthew Chew) score flag. A number of black flag kilometres to take part. Fremantle Doctor came out of a pair of threes and Chilli disqualifications followed, but hiding so that on day one of Plum (Torvar Mirsky) a pair of Racer X continued to race, Chilli Plum and Triad the National Championship, fours, just ahead of Triad (John apparently not having heard also earned black flag sailors were greeted by Bertrand, with a second and a the radio recall, and missing disqualifications in this race, southerlies blowing at more seventh. This group enjoyed a the display board on which so the top order at the end of than 15 knots, which escalated comfortable lead over the rest the number was written at the day had a different look very close to the class limit of the fleet and even at that the windward mark. In the to it. The Croc, with a second of 25 knots by the end of the early stage, it seemed likely ensuing protest hearing, Racer and a first, consolidated afternoon. Two boats struck that the winner would be one X was scored DNE, meaning her position, while Gen XY gear trouble before racing had of them. that he had to carry the score in equaled her previous day’s ▲ n Michael Manford - The Croc Michael Manford secures his second national Etchells title “I won’t be hanging around for another 24 years before I win the next one,” Michael Manford quipped in his acceptance speech during the presentation ceremony at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. Manford’s form leading into the was to be a very sensible a mention at this point. Each More light weather followed regatta suggested that he would decision. In sweltering heat morning, competitors were on day three, but the race be a force this year. He won a on day two, the fleet made its welcomed to the Annex to the committee’s perseverance preliminary weekend regatta way to the start boat, which smell of bacon and eggs on the made it possible to eventually last December convincingly, was set up near the deepwater barbecue. Bacon and egg wraps sail two races, ensuring that showing great boatspeed and Kwinana Channel. Even after were snapped up by virtually enough had been done to sound tactics. It came as relocating closer to shore, no everyone to set them up for the constitute a series as required something of a shock then, that races were possible, and the day. On return to shore after by the rules. he “bombed” in the Syd Corser fleet was finally sent ashore. racing, the bacon and eggs had The young guns were Regatta which precedes the When a light easterly began been replaced by D’Orsogna National Championship. mid afternoon, the whole outstanding in these conditions. sausages and fresh bread rolls. circus returned to sea again, On Chilli Plum, match racing So enticing were they that many The Syd Corser Regatta was but the breeze still refused to expert Torvar Mirsky, sailing sailors lined up for a sausage sailed in light but sailable cooperate, and everyone came with 29er champion Steve sizzle before changing out of winds on the first day, and race home again, tired, frustrated Thomas, Nick Davis and Justin officer Martin Clark wisely and hungry. their wet sailing gear. When Wong, sailed an incredibly decided to run three races asked whether she knew of consistent series. They did instead of the two programmed Brian Thornley’s efforts in Brian’s culinary skills, partner not win a race, but their worst in recognition of the forecast addressing the dietary needs Val Icanovski said simply: placing was a fifth. Collectively, ▲ light weather to follow. It of his charges are worthy of “I do now!”. the crew was able to maintain n Close shave - Triad n Mark Thornburrow - Racer X 2 IN THE WIND 02 : 2013 ROYAL PERTH YACHT CLUB NEWSLETTER IN THE WIND 3 n n n n Bill Steele - Dragon Lady Black Swan Chris Hampton - Tango Doug Kerr - Screaming Plum ▲ score, albeit with a first and first win, putting them into Peter Chappell sailed a great Race management was superb a fifth. But now a significant contention for a podium race in 1382 to win the final throughout, with Martin gap had been created between finish. heat, followed by Triad, Jake Clark doing a great job as the first two and the rest of Gunther’s Dawn Raid and The race officer, and Clem Rogers, the fleet. So with one race to sail, Croc, resulting in a four point Harbourmaster at the Annexe, the stage was set. The Croc, win to Michael Manford and showing remarkable patience The race committee with a six point buffer over his crew. and wonderful hospitality announced its intention to run second placed Triad, had a throughout. three races on the penultimate straightforward assignment – As we have come to day and while heat 5 was finish within five places ofTriad .