Tweed Valley Sailing Club

3,5,6 July 2023

Fifteen keen young locals turned up and signed on for a three day Sailing Course at Fingal. It was a chilly Monday morning.
After the safety briefing and a capsize drill demo, they trolleyed the club’s six Pacer dinghies down to the water, launched and boarded them to be towed by the two rescue boats around the Tweed River. Without sails, they soon had all experienced steering a boat with a rudder.

With a light sou’east breeze and no rain, conditions were ideal! Next, sails were hoisted ,and with one of our club sailors on board all youngsters experienced sailing for the fist time. Learning to raise and lower the centreboard and rudder, trimming and cleating the jib, trimming the mains’l, balancing the boat, steering a straight course using the tiller extension, and using teamwork to tack the boat onto a new course. Those who were apprehensive at first soon gained confidence.

Persistent rain was forecast for Tuesday, so sailing was postponed until Wednesday and Thursday.

With the sun shining and light winds, sailing practice continued after learning to tie a bowline and a few other sailor knots. The youngsters were gaining confidence so we introduced the skill of gybing. After one or two minor “booms” they soon learnt to duck!

We sailed to a distant beach where several of the youngsters braved the cold for a swim. On the final day, with most boats now sailing without instructors aboard, we set a triangular course, where they could practice the skills they had learnt. Some were now sailing two-up in our X3 dinghies! On the final afternoon the northerly wind picked up and some even practiced their capsize drill, after some thrilling rides!
Despite their ages (8-12 + one 15 year old) most seemed to have a great time and progressed well.

Well done! Barney, Bella, Cai, Eva, Floyd, Gabriele, Harry, Jonathon, Kip, Leonardo, Monty, Sufi, Tom, Vida and Wilbur (in alphabetic order).

Most of these Juniors will be now joining our fun Junior sailing sessions to practice their skills and, who knows we may have some Olympic Champions in this group! (Keep an eye on this website for the next Junior ‘Event’.)

Thanks to parents who helped the youngsters with launching, retrieving and putting the boats away. A huge thank you to those club members who were able to give their time to help out with, at times, a challenging group of youngsters! Thanks Kynan (all 3 days), Peter F, Peter R, Bryan, Karen, Kate Y, Monique and Tegan. And special thanks to other Juniors, Finn, Charlie, Ali and Travis who were given the daunting task of ‘Assistant Instructor’. You did well!

John H

PS. Thanks for photos!

Juniors Day, Sat 10 June ’23

With great weather over the weekend, the club ran a Juniors Day on Saturday, where Travis sailed his new Bic together with a couple of club Pacers on a marathon sail to Jack Evans boat harbour near the river mouth and back! 

Hopefully, Juniors numbers will build up again after the School Holiday Learn to Sail Course on the 3-5 July. A few spots are still available (see ‘Events’ to register). 

Introducing the Green Fleet

Junior sailors and adult sailors new to racing are being catered for in our Green Fleet.

Each Race Day any member, when registering can elect to start with the Green Fleet. Most participants will be hiring (at minimal cost) Club boats: Pacers, X3s or Manly Juniors. Members’ own boats can be used if they are of similar yardstick. An experienced Instructor/Coach will be on hand most days to give coaching during the Green Fleet race, as well as before and after separate briefings ashore. The Green fleet will have a separate start and course from the main fleet.

Club Winter Race 4, Sun 11 June ’23

A fine sunny day, with a light southerly breeze against an incoming tide, greeted a total fleet of fifteen boats on Sunday. Race Officer, Dave, elected to use a simple triangular course with three short races of one lap each. With the Green Fleet also racing on a reduced course, this kept the start/finish boat crew of Craig and John busy. 

The starts of all three races were hectic, with the current working hard to push the eager starters over the line early. Charlie on the Club Laser, at one start, added to the drama by running down the line on Port Tack with ten seconds to go! However, apart from one General recall, all boats got away with only minor incidents and not too much-heated commentary.

^{Look at the work of the amazing start team!}

Most boats took advantage of the favourable tide, working upstream to the windward mark. Then spinnakers were set on the Corsairs and RS100s, much to the angst of the Lasers, who were at least holding their own listing to windward on the long downwind leg.

Lasers sailed by visitor Wayne, and Guy were first over the line in two of the races, while Dave, in his RS100, was the third winner. The rest of the sailors commiserated with each other around the barbecue after the race, thanks to Deb and Craig.

Green Fleet, Sun 11 Jun ’23

Three Pacers started on Sunday in the first of the Club’s Green Fleet ’Races’. Like the senior fleet, they sailed three, one-lap, races over a reduced triangular course, starting after the main fleet on a more relaxed starting line. 

Club Junior, Finn, with Mum, and Tegan as crew, excelled in the first two races, winning both from Peter, an experienced sailor visiting from Sydney! Well done Finn and Tegan! Deb and another visitor in the third Pacer rounded out the fleet.

Hopefully, we’ll see more of our club boats racing next time.

After a postponed event a few weeks earlier due to potential gale conditions, it followed that the rescheduled Peel Island Marathon began with a beautiful morning at the Cleveland Yacht Club as everyone gathered and rigged their boats in next to no breeze. There was a great turnout from the Tweed Club and the Corsair crews. Too many Hobies/Nacras, and then Adam and Zac in their NS14.

Once rigged, we had a briefing where men pointed sticks at whiteboards and waved flags. We got in our boats with a race time of 11 am and waited for some wind.

Keenas was pushed out of having a great start due to the sheer ability of None the Wiser & Exhale on the start line.

None the Wiser out in front with spinnakers out for a long stretch. Excellent trimming skills from Charlie A. Squirtle was hot in their tale, and it was cat and mouse for 3 hours.

Justin tried to sail the whole boat by himself for a while. Still, his defiant team put him in his place, and with excellent teamwork, sail trimming and the best catering on board, None The Wiser took out first place in the division, followed by Squirtle only a minute behind, then Keenas (pronounced Kee-nis) in third, then a few boats I don’t know, then Exhale in 6th.

Much fun was had, and many great prizes were given, including a smoothie voucher.

Until next year folks.

_{Words by Allegra C}