Uncategorized
Balmain Regatta. ENTER NOW.
Sailing Instructions will be posted to the Regatta page of the BSC’s website on Saturday.
Sunday October 26 Balmain Regatta, come one-and-all.
11am Workboat Convoy
12pm Yacht Racing
12pm BBQ
1pm Band
3.30pm Presentation & Raffle Draw. GET YOU TICKETS HERE.
Please check that you and your crew are members of a club affiliated with Australian Sailing, ideally the Balmain Sailing Club,. You can check HERE. If you or you’re crew are not, please renew or join HERE.
With gusts forecast over 30kts the race tonight has been cancelled.
The BBQ is going ahead and if you can attend please come early.
To keep data, reduce risk and comply with our Sailing Event notification the club requires any on water incidents to be reported to incidentreport@gfs.org.au.
There are two forms available on the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page of the GFS website to do this –
- GFS Incident Report – Yellow Form
- Transport for NSW – official Vessel Incident Report Form (see GFS Sailing Instruction 25 (t) for when this form applies)
The 2025 – 2026 Twilight Duty Roster and List of Duties are on the Sailing – Twilight Duty Rosters tab or here.
If you fail your Cat 7 check and the equipment auditor has listed items in “Outstanding Items” on your form please follow the procedure below:
1. Rectify the problem
2. Take photo or proof of the rectification.
3. Send your form and the photo or proof to the auditor who failed you
4. He will sign the form if he is satisfied.
5. He will scan the form and send it back to you
6. You then upload it to SailSys
Roger Gee, Safety Officer
Please check – Sailing – Yacht Racing Information (or here – GFS Skipper’s Briefing 17 Sept 25) for the information presented at the recent Skippers’ Briefing. If you missed the briefing it is compulsory reading.
Please note that Sailing Instruction SI 11 h was amended following this meeting.
SI 11 h. Whilst a ferry is in the vicinity of Bay Street Wharf on Twilight race evenings, yachts should not load or unload crew at the club pontoon. Colregs also require that yachts stay clear of a manoeuvring ferry – as shown in the picture below.
GFS Sailing Instructions have been updated on the Racing Information page of this website
It seems each Series you enter in SailSys, you will need to attach your Insurance and Equipment Audit from your ‘File Library‘ (where it is stored in SailSys).
Click on the Edit button
Click to enlarge the images
and Save the file
The 2025 – 2026 Saturday Sailing Season kicks off this Saturday September 6 with Spring Series Race 1.
Entrants are visible on the Sailing – Racing Results tab of this website.
This Saturday – August 23 from 0900 Hrs.
Be There!
The first audit date for the 2025 – 2026 Sailing Season is this Saturday August 16.
The procedure will be to call GFS on channel 72 when approaching the Clubhouse and GFS will call you in when there is an auditor ready to inspect your boat.
Only Cat 7 Safety Audits will be carried out by GFS. Those wishing higher categories will need to be inspected by the club that is requiring the higher category.
Please download the Cat 7 Safety Audit Form and fill out prior to arrival. https://gfs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Equipment-Audit-Form-25-28.pdf
Wednesday August 20 from 7.15pm GFS Clubhouse
Whether you’ve been sailing for years or are new to racing, come along and enjoy a fun and engaging evening.
Arrive 7.15pm for drinks and light snacks provided by Club. The session starts at 7.45pm and concludes at 9.15pm…all welcome to stay on for a drink afterwards.
Let us know if you’re coming. If you haven’t already done so, please click on the link below to respond
A synopsis of Rosalie’s life and achievements can be found here – https://inthecove.com.au/2025/08/05/vale-rosalie-lucas-2015-lane-cove-citizen-of-the-year/
Rosalie had a long and distinguished involvement with GFS over many years. In the late 1990’s she and her husband Geoff took on the catering for the twilight BBQ for 8 years. This involved sourcing and preparing all the food and drink, a job not for the fainthearted and undertaken today by professional caterers.
In 1999 she published the definitive history of GFS for the 75th anniversary of the club which is cherished by many members. This was a massive work taking two years and capturing so many of the events that have made GFS what it is today. Having some involvement in the development of the 100 year book I can only marvel at the dedication and tenacity she displayed in producing this work.
Rosalie embodied the community spirit and willingness to help others that characterises all that is good about GFS. She will be greatly missed by all of us.
Steve Bradley, Commodore
There is only 1 Audit Day left in which you can present your boat.
Sunday 28th Sept. 9 am till 12.00
This year special attention will be made to
- Anchors and chains (both of which must be on deck).
- Man Over Board (MOB) procedures for retrieval.
- Nav lights. (Some races finish after dark and so working nav lights are essential.)
Personal inspection of life jackets and fire extinguishers are acceptable (see link below for the fire extinguisher check list)
https://gfs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amsa707_inspection_of_portable_fire_extinguishers.pdf
The procedure will be to call GFS on channel 72 when approaching the Clubhouse and GFS will call you in when there is an auditor ready to inspect your boat.
Only Cat 7 Safety Audits will be carried out by GFS. Those wishing higher categories will need to be inspected by the club that is requiring the higher category.
Please download the Cat 7 Safety Audit Form and fill out prior to arrival. https://gfs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Equipment-Audit-Form-25-28.pdf
On the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page https://gfs.org.au/yachts/racing-information/ please find –
- Instructions how to enter each separate GFS Series
- Racing Rules of Sailing 2025 – 2028
- GFS Sailing Program – Yachts
- GFS Sailing Instructions
- GFS Safety Card
- GFS Cat 7 Equipment Audit Form
- GFS Saturday Course Sheet
- GFS Twilight Course Sheet
These can be downloaded and/or saved to a device.
