KURNELLCATAMARANCLUB Dec 09 In this issue CATCHAT • President’s report • China Cup • Top Gun Report • Boat review - The Wildcat • Try Sailing Day Report KCC Sponsors Australia Day Regatta Perhaps early days yet, but Annual KCC Marathon will be we should all remember the sailed in conjunction with the Australia Day regatta is not all Australia Day Regatta. There will that far away. The 2010 Australia be a BBQ afterwards so we can Day regatta is the 174th and is all relax and get to know our the world’s oldest continuous new members. regatta. The 2010 regatta will be just two By the time you read this days after our normal club race, message, the Australia Day so it will be a busy week on and Regatta programme will off the water. have been distributed to all News Flash participating sailing clubs. The programme lists all participating We would like to also add there clubs, including KCC, and will be 6 Bic single Hull Boats mentions the 2009 winners. available for trial saling on Australia Day from Silver Beach MERRY Once again the course will in front of the club. Bring the CHRISTMAS encompass all clubs on Botany kids and see if they like sailing. Bay and Kogarah Bay and our FROM KCC Check out KCC website: www.kcc.asn.au President’s Report December 2009 Hello everyone Then came our Top Gun Regatta. Given that the F18’s were running their state titles in conjunction The end of the year is always a good time to reflect on with the regatta, it was always going to be a success. what has been achieved; the highlights and possible Peter Lane is the man we have to thank for this low lights of the year in retrospect. Taking these in as his enthusiasm was obvious as he went about order I believe our biggest achievement has to be organizing the various catering activities that were the acquisition of our new boatyard. The benefits of a highlight of the weekend. I can’t let this item go this are very obvious not just from the perspective of without mentioning Peter’s helpers, wife Norma, Kathy being able to store existing club member’s boats, but Sellwood and Sue Cicognani. These lovely ladies the encouragement this gives to new and perspective gave up their entire weekend for us and we certainly members. Already we have five new members on appreciate and thank them once again for their help. our books, with more in the wings. The creation of But wait, there’s more. There’s one fellow who, to coin the boatyard was certainly a joint effort by just about a phrase, hides his light, but not his voice, behind a every club member and once again my thanks to the bushel and that’s Gary Sellwood. Gary was out there members. working away in the background all weekend helping There were a number of other highlights and these Peter and keeping things shipshape. were certainly beneficial to the club where members Again we have Doug. The amount of work Doug puts talents were utilized for the club’s benefit. For into the website (his baby) is enormous. Doug has instance, the organization of the Trivia Night where adopted Ross Cicognani’s new logo and revamped Doug’s entrepreneurial skills came to the fore as the our website certainly making it more attractive and night’s Master of Ceremonies. Doug’s attire certainly user friendly. rates a mention as a highlight (check out photos on the website). But the real hero(ine) of the night was And then we have Ross himself. Apart from all the Marion who carried out the research and put the great work he is doing with Cat Chat, and it certainly whole night together. is great work, Ross also lent us his power boat for the regatta weekend which, apart from the obvious safety Next of course comes the Try Sailing Day. I was away issues, provided a mark boat and a backup if anything that day when, along with Graham Dicker, I was happened to take our committee boat away from the sailing in a regatta in China. More on this later in Cat fleet. Chat. From what I have gleaned, the Try Sailing Day was a great success, with at least one new member Kurnell Catamaran Club signing up and possibly more. The mover and shaker on this was undoubtedly Helen who, apart from announces new club patron being one of our greatest assets, is a firm believer in promoting sailing, particularly at KCC. Check out “Boats for Sale” on Page 2 the Website, www.kcc.asn.au Top Gun Regatta 2009 Report by Peter Lane Some sailors stayed the night. Norma, were there at 9am, to the last people left the club One guy slept on the lounge, prepare for the meals including to get some sleep. Gary was others in their cars. All set for dinner / dessert (peeling waiting outside Coles at 7am a big weekend, we arrived at apples), making all the salads, on Sunday morning for much KCC at 6.45 am Saturday and preparing baked potatoes, needed supplies, then helped already two F18s were in the making sweets, as well as cook breakfast for some 35 rigging area as it was the state serving all the sailors and their hungry sailors. Thanks again to titles. The boats started to arrive familles. They all worked very Gary for all his help. and the forecast was looking hard throughout the weekend. Sunday the wind did fizzle in the good All the members of KCC would end but the fleet still managed Set the canteen up, hopefully like to thank them for their to finish the courses set. Steve for a busy day, usual menu enormous contribution to the Brewin took the regatta out, sandwiches, meat pies and Regatta being the success that followed by Andrew McPherson sausage rolls. KCC committee it was. and Grant Pellen on their F18. decided to provide a two Andrew Williams with Petra First Race was 9 to 12 knots course dinner for the sailors, finished in third place on his with 31 boats attending. The considering we had folks Taipan. second race started with the staying over night. This proved breeze kicking in around 15 After all the comments and to be very successful with the knots. A nor’ easter was the emails I have received, I am sure guys hanging around mulling perfect to finish the afternoon. next year will be even better over the days events. and hopefully a few more boats A couple of folks stayed in tents The volunteers Sue, Kathy and participate. and it was about 11.30pm when Page 3 Try Sailing Day Hosted by BIA and the YA The day started with a ranks. David Wilkington, Barry Nor’West breeze at 15 to Argall, John Riley and Kevin 18 Knots. This took some Bessell all helped to give these enthusiasm out of the day people the experience . Helen initially, however the breeze and Doug backed up with CLUB did ease enough to take out Rossco directing people to the a few contenders. We had boats. All the people on the Associates nine people experience the day I thought were all genuine catamarans plus numerous about wanting to know more people with newly purchased about sailing. boats also wanting to join our Hobie & Laser Taipan, Capricorn & Viper Brewin Sails Check out “Boats for Sale” on Page 4 the Website, www.kcc.asn.au Race Notes Olympic Series John Goodier Challenge Race 3 - 7 to 14 Knots Race 13 - 15 to 20 knots The day started rigging the boats with a light 11 boats raced in a strong southerly breeze. southerly blowing. Peter Backhouse choos- We had two new sailors on the beach with ing to sail Cat rigged, Graham Dicker and Daniel with his new Windrush 14. The other David teaming up on Flat Chat. It was good to was Francis Masson crewing with Graham on see Roger on his A class giving Julian a hard the 5.8. Thanks to Ross Newman for look- time. The first race started with wind shift- ing after Daniel, demonstrating how to sail ing towards the east blowing 7 to 14 knots. his new craft in the strong southerly. Julian Barry Willis sailing off the pace in Div 1. Div 2 received a rude shock during the race loosing Venomous got caught in a wind shift taking an his mast. Julian did manage to find it again extra 2 minutes to cross the line. with the assistance of the KCC boat. Thanks to Allan and Brian for their efforts. The two Race 4 - 7 to 14 Knots F18s battled hard with Trevor and Richard Second race started with Taipans round the coming out on top. top mark ahead the big Nacra’s. The wind Race 14 - 15 to 20 knots picked up to steady 10 to 14knots SEast with F18 coming out on top. Check out “BoatsWind for Sale” peaked on at the start, up to 23 knots. Due the Website, www.kcc.asn.auto the dramatic rescue, the powers that be Olympic Series shortened the course (thank goodness) with Race 7, - 17 to 23 knots the four 14 squares battling away. Good to see Glenn sailing with us giving the rest of Arrived at the beach with a nice Nor’ Easter the fleet a little bit of hurry up. The F-18’s just picking up which just kept building. 7 won the day.