Yachting Australia

Welcome to Nautical News, the e-news service distributed to Yachting Australia members and clubs whose e-mail details have been provided either by the individual or their sailing club. Articles are sourced with the help of the State and Territory MYAs - their logos are located at the end of this page, with links to the respective home pages.

With the sailing season nearly upon us, it is really pleasing to see our Olympic athletes returning safe home after a long but very successful international season. Following our success in Sydney in 2000, the indicators remain very positive for Athens, with Australia just one of two nations to have qualified for places in all 11 events. The next ten months (yes just ten months!!) will be critical and Yachting Australia intend to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the team representing us is as well prepared and supported as possible.

We are going through a period of unprecedented international success . If this success is to be maintained, it is at the other end of the spectrum where we need to work hardest. It is therefore especially encouraging to see the Federal Government committing to support a program tailored to attract new participants to sailing. Not only will the program result in more members in clubs, an important outcome of itself, but it will see new young talent emerge. We all have a role in nurturing the youth of today, that will be the champions of tomorrow.

Good sailing,

Phil Jones, CEO

Welcome to Your Virtual Sailing World 

Yachting Australia would like to introduce our members to their virtual sailing world – MySailor.

MySailor will continually be developed to add additional features that will be of value to members, so please keep coming back to look at the enhancements. To begin using MySailor simply visit the Yachting Australia website and follow the links on the front page.

Australian Youth Championship
12 - 16 January 2004, McCrae Yacht Club, Victoria

Youth Sailors from across Australia will gather at the McCrae Yacht Club on Victoria’s beautiful Mornington Peninsula this January for the Australian Youth Championship – and what an event it will be! With 150 - 200 sailors aged between 8 and 18 competing in the event, taking part in workshops, meeting new friends, developing their skills and love of the water, there is no reason why everyone should not become involved.

Competitive racing in a learning environment, this event will help Australia’s best young sailors grow!

The event is open to all national youth classes for both boys and girls and will constitute part of the selection trials for the Australian Youth team to attend the next World Youth Championship.  Competing classes and divisions include Laser Radial - boys and girls, Laser - boys, 420 - boys, girls and mixed, 29ers - boys, girls and mixed, Hobie 16 - open and 7.5m sailboard for boys and girls. As well as the on-the-water events, the racing program will be complemented by a range of coaching and land-based sessions, discussion forums and get togethers aimed at teaching the competitors more about sailing and future pathways. Click here to view more event information including Notice of Race.

Attention all Yachting Australia (AYF) Instructors and Coaches

You will be receiving a Recognition of Prior Learning Application through the post in the next week, please read through the documents very carefully, complete and return the forms within seven months in order to update your qualifications and continue to instruct Yachting Australia Training Schemes. 

For help completing the application please read the following webpages or visit www.yachting.org.au.

ONBOARD

Yachting Australia Invites Aussies to Come OnBoard

As part of the Australian Sports Commission’s Targeted Sports Participation Growth Program, The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp announced a $700,000 commitment to the OnBoard program over three years.

On 19th September Yachting Australia officially launched OnBoard, a program designed to increase the number of people participating in sailing throughout Australia, while enhancing the pathway and experiences for new participants. The launch, held at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, in Sydney, highlighted the new initiative, which aims to achieve a growth of about 25,000 new sailors per year, in its first five years of operation. Yachting Australia would like to thank Middle Harbour Yacht Club for its generosity in providing the venue for the OnBoard launch. Thank you to Greg Young, Skipper of Leah Tash for hosting our guests, Middle Harbour Amateur Yacht Club for providing an expert display of Laser racing, Richard Scarr at Dinghy Solutions for providing trainee Pacer crews and Chris Matthews from Simply Sailing for loaning Lasers.

 

COMPETITION DEVELOPMENT

Australian Youth Match Racing Championship this Long Weekend

The 2003 Australian Youth Match Racing Championship will be held from 3-5 October on Sydney Harbour. Sponsored by Club Marine and hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), the event will attract up to 10 teams from around Australia.  Competitors will sail Elliott 6 class yachts, and will contest a round robin, followed by semi finals, petit finals and the grand final. Results and reports will be posted on the Yachting Australia website frequently throughout the event, continue to check out this link.  Click here to read the preview report from the CYCA.

Queensland A Wins 2003 Australian Team Racing Championship

The Australian Team Racing Championships, hosted by Docklands Yacht Club, with on-water management by Royal Brighton Yacht Club were held on 19-21 September. The championship was contested by 2 teams from each of Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria. On the first day only 23 races were completed due to light shifty winds. On the second day the 35 knot winds forced race officials to postpone racing. On the third and final day, racing got underway in with the breeze at a SW at 12-14 knots.

Queenslands "A" Team comprising of Ben Roberts-Thompson, Vicki Fleming, David Chew, Angus Tapp, Dean Horton and Francesca Wardell sailed to victory. In second place was the Tasmanian "A" team of Rod Chamberlain, Tim Cubit, Nick Jones, Blair Spaulding, Clare Cunningham and Caroline Ross and third place went to the Queensland "B" team of Scott Webster, Andrew Schmidt, Anna Patterson, Sandy Cavill, Jonathan Walker and Scott Trenoweth. View full results here. Pictured (l to r): Ben Roberts-Thompson, Vicki Fleming, David Chew, Angus Tapp, Dean Horton and Francesca Wardell

RPAYC Teams Dominate Australian Women's Match Racing Titles

Two world ranked women match racers fought for victory in the Australian Women's Match Racing Championship at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart. Their rise to the final, through a series of 34 races, saw two NSW crews defeat the Tasmanian and West Australian teams who finished third and fourth respectively. The reigning national titleholders, helmed by Katie Spithill and crewed by Emma Bullough and Rochanne Barratt, handed over (only just temporarily, says Katie) the baton as the nation's best to Nicky Souter, Stacey Jackson and Nina Curtis in some very tight and tense match racing. Click here for full report.

406 EPIRBs

In 2009 the satellite processing of 121.5 alerts will cease. Leading up to this date a number of initiatives are in place. First and foremost are moves to reduce the cost of 406 EPIRBs, with changes being made to beacon specifications to allow alternative lower cost technology.  These specifications are being tested on Cospas-Sarsat ground technology during September 2003 and the Cospas-Sarsat Council will review the results in October 2003. These changes are being made within the Australian and New Zealand standards in order to introduce an AS/NZ Class 3 EPIRB which will pick up the Cospas-Sarsat specifications.  This Class 3 EPIRB will replace the 121.5 EPIRB, will have an ON/OFF switch versus the water activated switch,will have an optional strobe light, and otherwise will be the same as the Class 2 EPIRB  The results of this activity should be the release of 406 EPIRBs from late 2003/early 2004 at under $600, with PLBs to be released about twelve months later.  As the 121.5 EPIRB battery life is 5 years, a campaign is beginning to alert users to the changes. This campaign is to be co-ordinated by AMSA and will steadily promote the changeover. If you are thinking of changing your EPIRB now you should carefully consider some of the factors above.

 

HIGH PERFORMANCE

Gold, Silver, Bronze for Aussie Sailors at World Championships

 

With our athletes success at the World Championships, Australia joins Great Britain as the only nations to qualify in all classes for the Olympics (except host nation Greece, who gain automatic entry in all sailing events). In Cadiz, Australia qualified in the Mistral men and women, Finn, 470 women, 49er, Star and Yngling classes.  Overall, Australia finished equal second in the medal tally, with Great Britain (1st) taking two gold, one silver and two bronze, and Australia and France level with one gold, one silver and one bronze.  Congratulations to Tornado sailors Darren Bundock (AIS/NSWIS) and John Forbes (AIS/NSWIS) who retained their world championship title for the 3rd consecutive year. The win makes it Forbes' sixth and Bundock’s fourth World Tornado title. Click here to view the final report and overall results from the World Championship. Two Aussie Crews World #1 - Medal winning performances by 470 pair Nathan Wilmot (AIS/NSWIS) and Malcolm Page (AIS/NSWIS) and Laser sailor Michael Blackburn (NSWIS), has helped secure both crews the number one place in the most recent official ISAF rankings. Click here to view the latest Olympic Classes world ranking list.

IFDS Sailing World Championship Concludes in Athens

In the recent IFDS Sailing World Championship, Australia's 2.4mR sailors, Peter Thompson (ACT) and Michael McLean (VIC) both improved on their results from last years World Championship in the Netherlands, with Thompson finishing 4th overall and McLean 6th.  The WA Sonar crew of Jamie Dunross, Jeff Milligan, and Colin Harrison (13th), finished three ahead of the Sydney Sonar Challenge (Stephen Churm, Zoltan Pegan, Grahme Rayner). Click here to read the final report and results.

CLUB OF THE MONTH

Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, WA



Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (RFBYC) was established in December 1896 as the 
Freshwater Bay Boating Club. 

Surrounded by magnificent views, the RFBYC offers outstanding facilities, perfect for any occasion, such as an intimate gathering, business seminars or a gala wedding.  The club regularly organisers events (Melbourne Cup luncheon), themed dinner nights (Curry nights) and members are kept up to date with the clubs monthly newsletter Tidings. The club is involved in offshore racing, dinghy sailing and power yachts. Classes sailed at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club include: 30R, 420, 470, 505 Contender, Couta, Dragon, Etchells, Flying Fifteen, Laser, Minnow, Mirror, Optimist SS24, SS27. Starting next year RFBYC will join forces with the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) as the host club for the High Performance Program in Western Australian.  Visit RFBYC website, it's packed with lots of information - www.rfbyc.asn.au

AROUND THE STATES

Australian Little America’s Cup Challenger Wins Engineering Award

Engineers Australia has recognised the radical wing-sailed catamaran developed by Australian Catamaran Challenge in the 2003 Western Australian Engineering Excellence Awards. The unique vessel has successfully completed its first round of sea trials and is currently being upgraded at the team's Fremantle workshop. Australian Catamaran Challenge will be matched against the previous winner of the Little America’s Cup, Steve Clark’s Cogito, and the British Invictus syndicate at Rhode Island in 2004 to decide who can build the fastest boat on the planet.  Click here to learn more about the Australian Catarman Challenge's campaign.

NSW Sailing Foundation
Emerging Athlete Scholarship Program - 2003

Background  The Yachting Association of NSW's Sailing Foundation makes available each year up to four (4) scholarships to sailors aged 19 to 25 years to assist them to undertake an international campaign (minimum of 2 regattas) in an Olympic Class. These scholarships are designed to encourage young sailors whose enthusiasm and commitment may otherwise be diminished during these years, to continue in the sport and strive for international representation. The scholarships are intended to top-up existing funding sources and are not intended to be the primary source of funding. Selection Criteria Aged 19-25 years; Current financial Yachting Australia member; Intention to compete in a minimum of 2 events overseas in the selected Class; Currently sailing or preparing to sail in an intensive 12 months sailing program; Participate in a minimum of two international Olympic standard regattas in the Northern Hemisphere; Be a member of, or demonstrate potential to become a member of, the NSWIS program; Compliance with the Athlete Code of Conduct (available at www.nsw.yachting.org.au)  Application forms are available on the Yachting Association of NSW's website. Be quick applications close on the 1st November, 2003.

The 2003 NSW Youth Championship
10^th – 12^th October 2003

The Yachting Association of NSW, the Organising Authority for the event, and the conducting club, Belmont 16ft Sailing Club, would like to invite entries for the 2003 NSW Youth Championships to be sailed on Belmont Bay. The Notice of Race is now available.

Yachting Queensland 2004 Annual Development Conference

Where: Sea World Nara Resort When: 19th – 21st May 2004 Program: Day 1 Strategic Board Workshop Cost: $880 per person for participation in Brisbane Yachting Queensland Member Concession $440 per person Contact Yachting Queensland for more information

Yachting Queensland Annual Awards

At the conclusion of the Yachting Queensland AGM held on Wednesday 10th September, the Yachting Queensland Annual Awards were presented. The winners were: The Simba Trophy - Mitchell Cavill The Wyuna Trophy - Mark Bradford Jenny VI Trophy - David Higgins, Neil Dwyer and Don Fee The Solo Trophy - Neil Dwyer Click here to for full story by Yachting Queensland.

The Balmain Regatta
  Sunday 26 October 2003, Sydney

The 2003 Balmain Regatta is organised by the Balmain Sailing Club in conjunction with the Wooden Boat Association.   Race caller and Sydney sailing identity, Bill Gale will keep spectators entertained and informed as up to 150 yachts compete.                                         Events will include the recently revised tradition of local pubs taking part in a friendly race "The Pub Challenge", and "The Services Cup" – a race between the Ambulance Service, Police Service & Fire Brigade. There will also be loads of free entertainment for the whole family and food will be available from the Balmain Sailing Club.   Click here to read about the history of the Balmain Regatta. For further information visit: www.balmainsailingclub.com, e-mail: bsclub@tpg.com.au, or call (02) 9810 2086.

SEPTEMBER NEWS ROUND UP

Gold, Silver, Bronze for Aussie Sailors at World Championships - On the final day of competition at the 2003 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cadiz, Australia secured three medals and finished qualifying all classes for the 2004 Olympic Games. Yachting Australia Invites Aussies to Come OnBoard - Yachting Australia officially launched OnBoard, a program designed to increase the number of people participating in sailing throughout Australia, while enhancing the pathway and experiences for new participants IFDS Sailing World Championship Concludes in Athens - As predicted, racing was close and exciting between National Paralympic squad members, Peter Thompson (ACT) and Michael McLean (VIC) at the 2003 IFDS Sailing World Championship in Athens. Best Aussie Finn Worlds Result in a Decade - Anthony "Nocka" Nossiter successfully recorded Australia’s best result in a Finn World Championship in over a decade. Queensland A Wins the 2003 Australian Team Racing Championship - Team of Ben Roberts-Thomson, Dean Horton, David Chew, Angus Tapp, Francesca Wardell and Vicki Fleming. P&O Nedlloyd and Schenker Australia Get Behind Sail Melbourne - P&O Nedlloyd and Schenker Australia, long time sponsors of Yachting Australia have now joined the supporters of the Sail Melbourne International Regatta. Final results from the 470 Junior Worlds - Two Aussie crews competing for the Junior World title. Beashel and Giles Star at European Championship - Colin Beashel (AIS/NSWIS) and David Giles (AIS/NSWIS) sailed a great final race. Positioned 8th at the top mark, the AIS crew moved up to 3rd at the bottom of the run. Sail Melbourne 2004 – Bigger than Ever - Recognised as one of the world’s premier regattas, and attracting top-line sailors from around the world to compete on Port Phillip Bay. The ISAF Grade 1 Olympic & Invited Classes Regatta will once again be hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club. Click here to read an in depth report by Di Pearson on the premier events, where to watch the regattas and much more.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

New 03/04 Yachting Australia Membership Benefits 

The Yachting Australia National Membership Scheme has introduced a great new range of benefits for the 2003/2004 membership year. Our benefit loyalty partners offer a wide range of great discounts, offers and monthly specials specifically for Yachting Australia members.The Personal Accident Insurance cover is again in place to help protect you while on and off the water.  Members will receive fantastic discounts off accommodation at Intercontinental, Crowne and Holiday Inn properties, subscription discounts on Australian Sailing, Cruising Helmsman and Australian Yachting publications, and great discounts off the big range of Hewlett Packard computers and peripherals.

For those of you over 18, a case of Crown Lager comes free with every Yachting Australia mixed dozen purchased from Cellarmasters, and there are big savings on any Hertz hire car rentals. If you are in the market for a commercial or residential loan talk to our friends at Mortgage Force who will set you up with the right product to met your needs. For every loan taken out by a Yachting Australia member, a commission comes back into the sport to support affiliated club development and management activities. If we have your email address you will continue to receive the Yachting Australia Nautical E-news bulletin each month direct to your desktop and for those wanting to trade boats and marine equipment you can now place free of charge classified ad listings on the Yachting Australia Classifieds.

PARTNER OF THE MONTH

As part of the new 03/04 Yachting Australia membership benefit, each month the Nautical newsletter will feature a 'Partner of the Month'   Clubs Benefit from Mortgage Force Alliance! A number of clubs are already benefiting from the alliance established by Yachting Australia and Mortgage Force, one of Australia’s leading Mortgage Broking companies. Under the banner "Come on board with Mortgage Force & your favourite sport will benefit too" the rebate is helping Yachting Australia and the clubs in a practical way while, at the same time, giving club members the independent and professional assistance they need to find their best loan alternatives. Mortgage Force is supporting Yachting Australia and local clubs by rebating a portion of the up-front commission earned on any Yachting Australia member’s referral back to the sport for national and club development. Importantly each club member can be assured 75% of the rebate goes directly to their club with the remaining 25% used by Yachting Australia for national club development initiatives. This is a great opportunity for the 45,000+ Yachting Australia members to support their club and the sport in general. For further details simply call 13 14 97 from anywhere in Australia and mention "Yachting Australia" or you can email Mortgage Force at info@mortgageforce.com.au or visit their website at www.mortgageforce.com.au

FINAL NOTES

Update Yachting Australia Details

Please be sure to update our name change and email address to your files. Formerly known as the Australian Yachting Federation, Yachting Australia re-branded in July to create a bond between governing bodies and clubs and form a common visual link for all aspects of yachting. Yachting Australia details:   Address: 18 Herbert St Artarmon NSW 2064 Australia               Locked Bag 806 Milsons Point NSW 2061 Australia Phone Number: 02 9902 2155 Fax Number: 02 9906 2366 Email address: office@yachting.org.au Website: www.yachting.org.au

Job Opportunities Listed on the Yachting Australia Website

Looking for work or want a career change? The employment section on the Yachting Australia website is regularly updated with new and exciting job opportunities. Be sure to check out the employment link regularly. Also, if you need a qualified instructor to teach sailing at your club/RTE or have any other related job opportunity available in this industry that you would like posted on the Yachting Australia website, please contact Carly Gray at carly.gray@yachting.org.au or (02) 9902 2155.