Archive for March 2018

It is with sadness that we note the passing of another previous GFS club member.

Geoff was a keen racer and sailed his J24 Grott with the club in the 1980s and 1990s with young Harvey as an active crew member.

His funeral notice appeared in the paper on Monday –

OTTEWILL, Geoffrey Rabone

March 14 2018
Aged 82 years

Dearly loved husband of Bev, loved father and father-in-law of Mark, Susie, Anthony, Robert and Meaghan. Loving grandfather of Max, Hannah, Sascha, Abby, Lola and Charley.

Family and friends of Geoff are invited to attend his funeral service to be held at Magnolia Chapel, Macquarie Park at 11am, Thursday 22 March and afterwards for refreshments from 12-2pm.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Parkinson’s foundation.

This is a post on the GFS Facebook page by Graeme Davey skipper of G-Whizz detailing the events that unfolded in Race 4 of the Summer Twilight Series on January 12, which graphically brought home to Graeme the potential for disaster inherent in yacht racing.

It is worth reading in detail HERE if you haven’t already. Thankfully Graeme and the G-Whizz crew were on hand to affect a rescue of the persons in the water.

Three GFS yachts rounding Cockatoo in an area prone to sudden windshifts. Click to enlarge.

The photo was taken at the very moment of the incident, you can see the splash of a crew member hitting the water on the port side of  the leeward yacht. 

Photo courtesy Jeff Lewis. 

 

The Laser Metropolitan Championships will be held at the Drummoyne Sailing Club on the weekend of the 17th and 18th of March 2018.

There may be at least 80 Lasers – courses around Cockatoo, Snapper and Spectacle.

We may set a ‘Down Harbour’ course.

Rule 14, avoiding contact, is a rule that always applies, anywhere on the racecourse.

A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible. However, a right-of-way boat or one entitled to room or mark-room (a) need not act to avoid contact until it is clear that the other boat is not keeping clear or giving room or mark-room, and (b) shall be exonerated if she breaks this rule and the contact does not cause damage or injury.

The rule’s intended message is, put simply: “Sailing is not a contact sport.”

Linda and Wally are converging as they approach the line to start. Neither changes course and they collide with damage to both boats. Linda protests Wally.

At Position 1, Wally must keep clear of Linda (Rule 11) and he also must avoid contact (Rule 14). Because the starting mark is surrounded by navigable water, Rule 18 doesn’t apply (see the Preamble to Section C of Part 2).

Wally is barging and Linda is under no obligation to give him mark-room.

Wally could avoid breaking any rule by luffing and leaving the mark to port. But he doesn’t, and just before Position 2, Wally commits to sailing between Linda and the mark. At that moment, it becomes clear that Linda needs to take avoiding action in order not to collide with Wally, so Wally is not keeping clear (see part (a) of the definition Keep Clear). At the same moment Rule 14(a) begins to require Linda to act to avoid contact, which she easily could do by bearing off a few degrees.

The protest committee disqualifies both boats—Wally for breaking Rules 11 and 14 and Linda for breaking Rule 14.

There will be a quiz coming soon.

https://www.sailingworld.com

The following first place winners will be invited to Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday March 27 to receive their medallions.  Invites have been sent.

Class or Division Boat Name OR Sail Number Skipper /Crew                        
Twilight Blue AVANTI Peter Clarke
Twilight Green SILVER SPRAY David Wells
Twilight White AMATEAU Brian Davey
Twilight  Orange FOLKLORE William McLaughlin
Twilight  Gold ETESIAN Bram Penberthy
Twilight Black LISDILLON Andrew Richardson
Saturday Division 1 TANA Pam Joy
Lesley Barr
Saturday Division 2 PACA Paul Hanly
Laser ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS ROCK  Bill Haughton
Sabot 1-Up MISS BEHAVING Elliott Wilson
Sabot 2-Up WILD SIDE Aiden Senior
Tristin Power
Junior Laser FULLY WORKING Jessica Challenger

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Crew List
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