Dear Skippers and Crews of the 2012/3 Summers Series.

Attached are the Entries, Assigned handicaps and Sailing Instructions for Race 1.

The race will be conducted for us by Hobsons Bay Yacht club under direction of Tony Dawson, Club Sailing Director and National Protest Judge. Tony will be ably assisted by Bob Tanner, ex ORCV Commodore. Bob will be also operating the HBYC Rescue boat.

Our season will be opened with a display of our new CYAA division pennant and “Marque” pennant on the Race Committee vessel “Privateer”. Congratulations to those skippers dressing their Classic Yacht with the Association’s pennant from the Starboard spreader. Whenever a Classic Association event is under way, the Association pennant will be flown from the starboard yard arm of the RYCV signal mast.

While we start a new season of Classic Yacht racing, let’s not forget our previous 2012 Winter season, where Col Anderson and his crew took out the series overall best performance “Rusty Shackle Trophy” with “Acrospire III” and “Boambillee”, skippered by George Fischer and Michael Rhodes and their crew took out Peter Lloyds trophy for being the most consistent performer of our 2011/2012 Summer and 2012 Winter Series. That was a tight series. “Ellida” with Charlie Salter and Phil Aitkens made “Acrospire III” work hard for their trophy. Congratulations to Charlie and “Ellida” for their great and sustained performance. Not forgetting that tight run for third spot by Doug Jenkin and the Sollys duo, all working hard to bring the recently restored Tum “Ettrick” back to her Richard Downey winning ways.

So, let the season begin. Again, we have a quality fleet entry. To see these entries coming in makes the handicapper, who you all know and love, shed a tear about how much handicapping justice will be dispensed over the season. To start the season, Race 1 assigned handicaps are those used to calculate the start times of the last (pursuit) race from previous season. Weather characteristics of the last season racing made performance analysis difficult but trends were there.

Irrespective of whatever handicap is assigned, the big picture is we are keeping our Classic yachts up to a racing standard, that is what our racing and belonging to the Association is all about. On that subject, we have a welcome return to our fleet with the Tumlare “Zea”, with a pedigree as long as your arm, skippered by Lindsay Holland.

Closely watched Tums is the word for Race 1.

The forecast weather for Sunday indicates a fast and tough race. Will this type of weather hold for the season? Last season we all thought it would, sure enough it laid an egg. Doesn’t matter.

It’s two more sleeps for Greg Hynes then it’s hit the line time.

Again, it doesn’t matter if we lose an hours sleep on Sunday because of Daylight saving. Let’s go.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe

CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

Sailing Instructions Race 1 Oct 7 (HBYC)

Summer Series Race 1 October 7 Entries and Handicaps (HBYC)

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