Category: TVSC

TVSC News and events

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Race Day Sunday 26th of July

We’re racing again this coming Sunday. Three short races.

Briefing from 11am, first race at Midday. (If you’re borrowing a boat, please come earlier than 11am, so that you have time to rig.)

You MUST register if attending on the day, so that we can comply with our Covid Safe Plan.

https://www.revolutionise.com.au/tweedvalleysc/events/70461/ (Please register at this page.)

If you do not have a boat, then a few club boats might be available. There may also be some skippers looking for crew, but we won’t know that until the weekend.

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Racing is on This Sunday

With the border for Qld/NSW people being hopefully open from Saturday, we’ve changed Sunday’s session to be a race, instead of a training day.

Briefing at 11am, Race Start at Midday.There are certain requirements.

Everyone must register, including crew, here.  (We need to keep records of everyone.)Full contact is allowed while racing, with no limits on crew numbers.When ashore, social distancing must be maintained.

Racing will be free.

There will be no time keeping, sign on, BBQ or results recorded.

There may be some crewing spots available for people who are new, so please register and we’ll see what we can arrange.

Some of the X3s will be available for those without a boat, but some experience.

Juniors are encouraged to race too.

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Starting Sailing

Dear Members, Sailors and friends,

It seems like ages since the last time we all met at Fingal.

Corona Virus stopped our activities but we are planning our restart and will resume activities as soon as the State Government permits.

I hope to have some news on this and advice from Australian Sailing very soon.  

Last Sunday was supposed to be our presentation dinner. We will try to organise another date for our formal dinner when State Govt Regs permit, but results from the Summer series have been finalised and winners will be announced soon by email.

So far to date, the club has only missed one scheduled race of the summer season due to the virus. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the Laser Class River Championship and have cancelled all juniors’ activities.

We will resume sailing as soon as possible and hopefully we will conduct some races this winter, although initially sailing may only be in single handers.

At this stage planning for the very popular annual Tumbulgum Race is in progress, maybe only for single handers or “same household” teams, but we will follow any advice from Australian Sailing.

We have two dates in mind for Tumbulgum at this stage so put these in your diaries 

Sunday the 5th of July or Sunday the 20th Sept.

Now is the time to get on top of boat and trailer maintenance.

Check your bearings and springs and get set up for a trouble-free summer.

Any sailors needing help or advice with boat repair work please fell free to phone me anytime.

The club has several very good boats available for full season loan if you feel you can manage a boat.

Corsair “Capers” recently 8th in National Titles is complete and has a good registered trailer.

Olympic 470 class, complete and good condition   good trailer, new bearings, can be registered  

14 ft Taser Hippocampus, with registered trailer

NS14 Blu Tack, with registered trailer  

Get ready for a big sailing season, this being our 10th summer sailing season lets make it our biggest ever.

Stay safe, and I look forward to seeing you at sailing again soon.

Call me anytime for a chat.

Bill Fenelon  TVSC Commodore   0411 123 405

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The Sailing Season Is Over

Greetings Members.

Unfortunately due to COVID’19, the club is suspending the summer season and all remaining races are now cancelled. Junior sailing is also suspended.

Things are changing rapidly and we will resume sailing with a shortened Winter series as soon as it is considered safe to be having public gatherings again.

Results from the summer season will still be tabulated and winners will be announced and hopefully we can have a presentation dinner at a later date.

I will miss seeing everybody down at Fingal and hope everybody can keep safe and well and look forward to the time we can recommence sailing. The Up coming 2020-2021 Sailing season will be our tenth summer season so lets look forward to a big sailing season next summer.

Kindest regards to all and I look forward to seeing everybody again soon.
Bill Fenelon Commodore TVSC

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NO RACE Sunday 2 Feb – Corsair Convoy to Budgewoi & Farewell to the TVSC “Annexe”

The scheduled Corsair Class Champ / Pointscore race this Sunday has been postponed. There will be no racing at Fingal. The proposed rescheduled Corsair Class Champ/Pointscore race date is Sunday 29 March (which was the Chindy Challenge Race date).

44th Corsair National Titles

The reason for the change is that have 4 Corsairs and 12 members heading down to Budgewoi for the National Titles this weekend! We wish them all the best – expecting lots of tales to tell on their return and maybe even a trophy!

Farewell to a piece of TVSC History – 46 Fingal rd

Bill’s back yard with Boats floating where they shouldn’t!

The Corsair convoy will be departing this Thursday at 3pm NSW from “Bill’s Place” 46 Fingal Rd which is also the farewell moment to what has been the TVSC “Annex” since 2011. In the early years, this is where the after race BBQs were held and where many of us came to get our boats repaired or rigging explained or just for a general chat about boats; all the club equipment was stored in Bill’s sunroom until we got our first “club house” (an enclosed box trailer, also stored at No 46), the back yard has also been home to the club safety boats and then a sabot fleet took over the shed which kick started our juniors squad; followed by untold numbers of Corsairs and other boats made easily available for members to use.

Sabot loading was all part of running Juniors then.

Without this storage and work/meeting space the club would not be what it is today. 
The Commodore closes the door for the last time this Thursday join him and the Corsair convoy at 3 pm to raise a glass to the end of a TVSC chapter .. and the start of the next one… a real club house? and to give the Corsairs a big send off. 

 BYO champers!!

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First Race of the Year

The Tweed Valley Sailing club hosted the first race of the year on Sunday at Fingal Head, with a very competitive fleet turning up, and some crew shortening their holidays to compete.

The main event today was the 3rd heat of the NS14 class championship with 5 top boats competing, and the series wide open; while a reduced fleet of 3 Lasers contested the single handers yardstick championship, and 2 Corsairs joined the fleet for heat 6 of the summer handicap point score.

With the championship tied after 2 races, the top boats were keen to score good results.

Sailing conditions were good, but challenging with some big wind shifts and a strong Flooding tide lining up with a Northerly breeze forcing crews to work hard to get up the 3 x one mile long windward legs. It was a very hot day and the occasional splash from the Tweed River was very welcomed.

Taking the bullet in the Summer Pointscore Handicap series, Kate Yeomans in her Laser “Bluey” sailed very well, as she usually does, and took full advantage of the wind & tide situation.

Matt looks back…at the rest of the fleet.

In the Championship Series, making sure of it and getting the bullet, NS14 “Impulsive Max”, sailed by a determined Matt Andrews and Igor Prada,  easily outpaced the fleet finishing 3 minutes ahead of 2nd Placed “Flight 24”(Adam Hurt & Tom Busbridge), while 3rd placed ”On & Off” (Dave Robinson & Hugh Robinson) getting home 1 minute ahead of Pura Vida (Robert Preston & Kynan Luescher).

Two races remain in the Class Championship and Impulsive Max now leads the series with Flight 24 moving back to second.

Robert and Kynan on Pura Vida

Meanwhile in the Single Handers race, Laser Sailor, Kate Yeomans on “Bluey”, was initially challenged by Laser Grand Master Gary McCrohan until Gary decided it was too hot and headed for a Bar somewhere; anywhere that had cold beer. Kate finished first in this division and only a minute behind the first NS14.

Also in a single hander today was Corsair Class Champion Monique Smith, scoring 2nd place in a Laser, and she probably really enjoyed beating all the Corsairs.

Keenas crew

TVSC’s Corsair Fleet were sailing today finalizing preparations and team work to compete in the Corsair Class Australia Championships, being held in Budgeowoi on the 1st and 2nd of February.

Sailing conditions on the Tweed were very pleasant and all crews enjoyed the afternoon sailing.

The Next Race at Fingal Head will be on the 16th of February. This will be heat 4 of the NS14 Championship and Single Handers Yardstick Championship. Adults and Juniors are welcome to come down and crew on a boat. No experience is necessary and you will learn to sail for free!!

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SheSails Event “Sisterhood of Sailing”

On Saturday 9 November, TVSC held their first SheSails sailing day, the Sisterhood of Sailing. It was a very casual day, with two lasers and one corsair sailing the beautiful waters of Tweed River.

When we set sail it was over 16 knots,  sailing up the river towards Chinderah, returning for a bite to eat at the Sheoak Cafe, where the girls sat and chatted in a more relaxed atmosphere.  
After lunch, the girls went out again, with dolphins following the boats – it was magical!

The day’s participants were Kate, Deborah, Alison, Rachael, Karen and Monique. The day was a huge success, with Alison saying she hadn’t enjoyed sailing so much for a long time.

Another sailing day will be held in the new year and we encourage our other club members to come and going the sisterhood of sailing.

If you have any ideas or enquiries for future events, please contact Monique via the club website.

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A Little Bit On for the Second Day of Racing in the Summer Series.

At the briefing, with an average reported wind speed of 21 knots, but gusts reaching 29, we decided that racing was on! Eight boats with 19 crew readied up on the beach, including two junior crews in their Flying Ants, who could just not be dissuaded from having a go.

Eight rigged on the beach, who will make it all the way?

However, before the start, three boats were already out with capsizes and gear breakages.

Sid and Skye, in Sid’s Flying Ant, made it to the top mark of the first leg. A tremendous effort.

Every boat went for a swim, except for the Weta and Mark and the crew on the Corsair, Keenas.

The across the line finishers were Monique and crew on the Corsair Swell Lady, followed by Dave and Isaac on the Hobie 16, followed by Keenas. Three finishes. Total.

Look how dry everyone is!

See you next time!

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Juniors Squad on the Road

This month the TVSC Juniors packed up the boats, loaded their tents (and their families) and headed south to the mighty Clarence River for the first of a series of Australian Sailing run Youth training camps. The venue was the envy of all sailing clubs, especially “container club” TVSC. The brand new club house at Big River Sailing Club in Harwood with camping in the spacious club grounds by the river was ideal. The kids were also impressed with their young kiwi instructor, George Martin – he did an excellent job along with assistance from TVSC’s Nicole Bushnell with the race training group who sailed in their first full length race on the Saturday afternoon.

Morgan and Miles Bushnell (13 & 10) from Eviron had their Manly Junior “M&M” flying. They’re looking forward to being joined on the water at Fingal Head this summer in the TVSC’s newly acquired fleet of 6 Manly Juniors. Kynan Luescher (12) from Fingal made a big step up from our X3 training boats to a 4.7 Laser (smaller sail than a full rig Laser) and Konnor Wheeler isn’t far off doing the same.

Lots of new sailing buddies were made and our youngsters learned a lot from George and all the other sailors. It was a great experience for them and a fun weekend for all the families too.

Back on the Tweed, we’ve had our AGM and the committee welcomes new Club Secretary Garry Bargh from Ocean Shores.

Our “She Sails” Rep Monique Smith would also like to hear from you if you’re keen to join some women’s sailing events this season – there’s always room for more!