This Week In Sailing - 5th October 2023

A TRIUMPH OF SAILING EXCELLENCE

Bartercard Sail Paradise 2023 concluded with three days of thrilling yacht racing, set against the stunning backdrop of the sunny Gold Coast, Australia. The event showcased sporty racing conditions, thanks to a brisk 22-knot nor’ north-easterly breeze that kept sailors and spectators captivated.

Nic Douglass, renowned for “Adventures of a Sailor Girl,” also attended the regatta, assisting with an in-depth knowledge of the yachts, crews, and presentations. As the regatta unfolded, it became evident that consistency was the key, with the total scores amassed over the three days determining the overall champions.

In a nail-biting final day, Maritimo Racing’s ‘’Maritimo 52’’, skippered by Michael Spies, clinched the “IRC and PHS Overall – Queensland Championships” title, edging out tough competition from the likes of Stratacare Racing Flyaway, Let’s Get It On, Aramex Racing, Maritimo 54, Wedgetail, Black Diamond, GCCM Arctic Blonde, and Kerisma.

The regatta also saw outstanding performances from Not A Diamond, securing Division 1, and Cool Change, victorious in Division 2. Multihulls Division celebrated Namaste as the victor, while Celeste claimed the 2-Handed Division.

The event marked a significant milestone, boasting the largest gathering of IRC Division boats ever witnessed at Bartercard Sail Paradise, thanks to its new October date. Beyond the racing action, the Gold Coast provided a stunning spectacle, with whales, turtles, and other local residents enjoying the maritime festivities.

Skippers, crews, and spectators unanimously lauded the event as the highlight of their sailing calendar for the year. The success of Bartercard Sail Paradise 2023 wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated efforts of all involved, including Nic Douglass and the unwavering support of sponsors such as MAJOR EVENTS GOLD COAST, BARTERCARD, THE YACHT SALES CO, XXXX GOLD, CLUB MARINE, and AUSTRALIAN SAILING.

For the complete list of results please visit https://sailparadise.com.au/race-results/

Monohull IRC Division

Series Results [IRC-Qld Yacht Champs] up to Race 6

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper

1 MEX952 MARITIMO 52 Michael Spies

2 A6 STRATACARE RACING James O’Hare

3 SYC888 LETS GET IT ON Garry Holt

Series Results [PHS-Qld Yacht Champs] up to Race 6

1 MEX952 MARITIMO 52 Michael Spies

2 RQ307 WEDGETAIL David Rose

3 A6 STRATACARE RACING James O’Hare

Series Results [IRC] for Division 1 up to Race 6

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper

1 MEX952 MARITIMO 52 Michael Spies

2 A6 STRATACARE RACING James O’Hare

3 AUS6508 ARAMEX Chris Noyes

Series Results [IRC] for Division 2 up to Race 6

1 SYC888 LETS GET IT ON Garry Holt

2 6R 38 38 Greg Tobin

3 11033 KERISMA Chris Larsen

Series Results [ORC ] for Division 1 up to Race 6

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper

1 MEX952 MARITIMO 52 Michael Spies

2 AUS6508 ARAMEX Chris Noyes

3 52542 BLACK DIAMOND Glenn Burrell

Series Results [ORC ] for Division 2 up to Race 6

1 SYC888 LETS GET IT ON Garry Holt

2 R60 GCCM ARCTIC BLONDE Peter Cook

3 11033 KERISMA Chris Larsen

Monohull Performance Racing Division

Series Results [PHS] for Division 1 up to Race 6

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper

1 RQ240410 NOT A DIAMOND 40 Hamish Crossan

2 NQ19 DESTINY Mark Sanders

3 442 IMPULSE X Rick Billson

Series Results [PHS] for Division 2 up to Race 6

1 5812 COOL CHANGE Colin And Simon Metcher

2 YC209 T&T Howard Yen

3 178 ACCOMPLICE Murray Bucknall

Series Results [ORC] for Division 1 up to Race 6

1 8455 ESPRIT Rod West

2 7013 XVITESSE Russell Birse

Series Results [ORC] for Division 2 up to Race 6

1 5812 COOL CHANGE Colin And Simon Metcher

2 3001 RUMBA Peter Karlovic

3 G6 BLUE EAGLE Stephen Brough SYC

Multihulls / 2 Handed Division’s

Series Results [PHS] for Division 1 up to Race 3

Place Ties Sail No Boat Name Skipper

1 3805 NAMASTE Mauro Maurilli

2 4001 RITALIN Cra Humphries

3 42 COOL CAT 1 James Harris

Series Results [PHS] for Division 2 up to Race 3

1 NED5900 CELESTE Saskia Groen-Int-Woud

Series Results [PHS Combined] up to Race 3

1 3805 NAMASTE Mauro Maurilli

2 NED5900 CELESTE Saskia Groen-Int-Woud

3 4001 RITALIN Craig Humphrie

ST HELENA CUP

Wishing all competitors great sailing in the 48^th annual ‘St Helena Cup’ being held this weekend at Wynnum Manly Sailing Club.

Arctic Blonde – Peter Cook & Crew
Black Diamond – Glenn Burrell & Crew
Boomtown – Michael Small & Crew
Esprit – Rod West & Crew
Hot Seat – Cath Levings & Crew
Kerisma – Chris Larsen & Crew
Let’s Get It On – Garry Holt & Crew
Makani – Barry Schoonenberg & Crew

MORETON GROUP OPTIMIST STATE TITLES

By: Grace Murphy

A brilliant regatta this weekend for the SYC squad at Humpybong Yacht Club for the Moreton Group Optimist State Titles! A huge congrats to all the sailors for handling such interesting conditions, with mornings of 4 knots increasing to 17 knots and very shifty. Our sailors were outstanding representatives of our club with so much positive feedback about their sportsmanship, friendliness and closeness as a squad both on and off the water. After 3 tough days of racing and one successful protest, we ended the regatta with Nathanial McCarthy winning the Travellers Cup and Sportsmanship Award, Evie McGuire winning 1st Female and Addison Greenwood winning 3rd Female. Nathaniel, Lucas Dickson and Calvin Ciganek also placed in the top 10 and our other team members, Mila Gan, Lyla Greenwood and Jack McGuire had some spectacular top 10 finishes. A huge congratulations to our sailors and a massive thank you to all the parents for helping make these results possible and SYC for these sailors’ progress.

YOUTH SAIL 2023 REGATTA

By: Matt Sinnamon, Junior Vice Commodore

This year’s QLD Youth Sail regatta was yet again the largest youth event in Australia, with 210 boats registered, 12 of which were from SYC.

Over the six-day event, there were three days of coaching and three days of racing.

Day one and two of the racing saw winds of 3 knots, picking up to around 15 knots in the afternoon. The third day, however, saw wind speeds of 25 knots, gusting 30+ knots, with racing called off due to not only the wind but also a crocodile sighting that was reported nearby.

Off the water, sailors had just as much fun at places such as Yeppoon Lagoon, the beach, and visiting restaurants for dinner. On Wednesday night, competitors and families were invited to a buffet at Keppel Bay Sailing Club’s restaurant venue. With the whole venue full, there were plenty of good conversations happening around the tables.

The results were announced at the presentation on Saturday; from Southport Yacht Club, three podium places were achieved.

– In the Opti fleet, Nate McCarthy on ‘Splash’ placed third out of 17.

– In the Open Bic fleet, Leo Sparshott on ‘Firebolt’ came second out of a total 10 Bic’s.

– In Green Fleet, Max Latter achieved first place in a Bic from a fleet of 24.

Well done to all the SYC sailors who competed, I look forward to seeing many of you at the next regatta.

Click Link to results:

THIS WEEK @ OXENFORD WATERSPORT CENTRE AND SQUAD UPDATE

By: Amber Hudson

Junior Sailing at Oxenford Lake

Join our crew of Junior Sailors with our range of junior programs aimed at getting more school-aged kids sailing at clubs and centres across the country. Our programs are centered on understanding how kids learn skills and have fun through sports. The boats used in our Junior Sailing programs are small and easy to handle in the calm water conditions at Oxenford Lake.

SYC Sailing Academy – register your interest on this link.

Coming Up – October She Sails

Out She Sails program at Oxenford has been developed to provide pathways and opportunities beyond Oxenford sailing across all SYC venues. Thank you to everyone who has participated or volunteered over the last year while we have been building this fantastic event, without you this program wouldn’t be the success it is today.

The next event is on Sunday 22^nd October from Noon-3pm

Click here to jump on board.

10 Tips for Beginner Sailors

Get to grips with basic sailing terms – Being familiar with these terms will enable an instructor to impart information to you more easily, meaning that you’ll really get the most out of your sessions.

Take instruction – Don’t try and teach yourself on the water. Practical instruction should come from someone with good sailing experience so a good sailing course is worth investing in.

Start in calm, uncrowded waters – If you’re just starting to master the basics, then start out in conditions where winds are light and traffic is low.

Start small – Ideally a small dinghy which will be much more responsive and easy to manoeuvre. It will also be far easier to deal with in the event of capsizing, which you will inevitably do at some point.

Check conditions – Check information concerning tides, wind and weather conditions so that you are prepared for whatever may come your way. Be sure to have the right gear and provisions as required.

Capsize! – You really need to have practised how to deal with your boat capsizing. You will capsize at some point, so a test-capsize is essential.

Boom or bust- The boom is most commonly responsible for onboard injuries, so always keep a watch for when the boom is about to swing. It might just save you a major headache or worse.

Safety first – No matter what your level of experience there are certain safety precautions that should always apply, like informing people of your intention to head out on the water, wearing a floatation jacket, and of course, being able to swim.

Know the right-of-way – How you move out on the water is based on many variables including what side the wind is on, what type of craft it is, whether you are planning to overtake. Get familiar with these nautical rules to prevent mishap.

Always maintain a lookout – Sailing is fun but there are plenty of other craft out there, so maintain a proper lookout using both your eyes and ears to help prevent collisions.