After the long break from our racing due to the school term holidays, attached are the Classics Winter Series Race 5 July 21 starters, their assigned handicaps and Sailing Instructions.
Race 5 scheduled for starting at 10:30am will be conducted for us by the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club.
Unlike our previous race, the current Port Phillip forecast for Sunday indicates we will have some wind.
We have a welcome and grand addition to our Melbourne Classic Yacht Racing fleet on Sunday. Trim, an Ohlsen 36 built in 1962 sailing from Sandringham with her skipper Phil Aitkins will be with us. It’s been a long haul of an effort for Phil to make the race. Let’s hope the weather conditions on Sunday are such that will allow us to see her in action. In case your wondering about Phil, he recently crewed for Charlie Salter in the Tum Ellida. Phil also restored the Tum Acklorean several years ago. Sadly this Tum met her fate by means of a chainsaw wielded by RMYS people. Talk about Barbarians at the gate.
There’s lot’s of Classic Yachting activity coming our way in the next months.
Several big agenda items are set for the Classic Fleet.
First up is our last race of the 2013 Winter Series Sept 8. Doug Shields, a member of the Melbourne International Tall Ships Festival (MITSF) organising committee, has, on behalf of the CYAA, put out the offer to festival organisers to place at least 30 crew from the visiting tall ships to race with us. Expectations are 2 per Classic Yacht. If more show, no problems. A couple of days prior I’ll have some people numbers to work with.
Second is the request by the MITSV to the Association Fleet to be the lead participants in the Admiral Sailing manoeuvres scheduled for the MITSF in port sailing day, Thursday Sept 12, along the Beaconsfield Parade foreshore. This is a serious sailing event that has never before been conducted in Port Phillip and every chance will never happen again. It’s a celebration about how the ships of the line manoeuvred in the days of Nelson and his port squadron commander, Collingwood, at Trafalgar. Both lie together in the Crypt of St Pauls, London, stirring stuff. More news and details on this event will be sent out when available. The process is a set of formal sailing manoeuvres conducted by naval signalling flags only. With David LeRoy of RYCV organising the process for sure no radio communication will happen.
Next up is our Cup Regatta scheduled for Nov 1.
The feature of the 2013 Regatta is the Regatta Venue. Docklands.
Serious sponsorship of the Cup Regatta from the City of Melbourne has been received. The Classic Cup Regatta at Docklands will be in the middle of the most public location during the Melbourne Cup Carnival and will put our fleet on the world stage. We’re there.
The Regatta will be conducted over 4 days.
As entries are received a Melbourne Docklands Marina pen will be allocated at no charge. A great Docklands venue has been organised for our Regatta kick off function on Friday. There will be no Classic/Couta divisions in the Classic Yacht racing events. Combined fleet racing is the go.
A soon to be issued program of events has been developed by your hard at it Exec committee. In addition to our Stradbroke II best overall and the Col Bandy trophy for best classic yacht overall trophies, a series of valuable trophies will be on the table. The offer is always on the table for Association members to sponsor and nominate a trophy for a Regatta event of their choosing.
Let’s not forget a prime purpose of the Cup Regatta is to sustain our Trans Tasman Classic Yacht racing connection. At this moment a substantial contingent of CYANZ members are signed up to once again experience Classic Yacht racing in Melbourne. We also have the Couta Boat Association people all set to sail up from the south to race with us.
Briefly, the Regatta program looks like this. Friday, Guineas and Elliots, (new event, 2 boats each for Kiwi’s, Classics and Couta’s Associations) both events a 3 race challenge. Fleet arrives at Docklands during Friday. Passage race on Saturday, Sunday with boats on show in the morning with an afternoon race, Pursuit on Monday followed by Regatta wrap up function at RYCV. Handicapping? A box of sharpened pencils are ready. Alternative courses will be prepared for light or heavy weather. A process has been set up to look after non powered yachts transiting the river.
Three final items.
1. The 2013/2014 Summer Series Notice of Race is being prepared.
2. Subs are due come Sept.
3. Our AGM is being organised for late November. A new association constitution is required due to recent changes to the Vic state incorporated associations regulations. Damian Purcell and David Mackenzie are working on this issue.
Back to the main event.
Sunday 10:30 am
It’s all go, hopefully with a no rush of blood to the head (barging) start.
Regards to all
Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic) Handicapper
Sailing Instructions Race 5 (HBYC)
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