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Best wishes to Christian Beck and Crew in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Christian’s yacht InfoTrack is representing GFS in the race. Their progress can be followed using this link to the race tracker https://rolexsydneyhobart.com/tracker/
The Blues Point Yacht Club has a couple of events coming up in early February 2020. They would be very happy for suitable GFS yachts and crews to participate. The events are a mixture of yacht racing and relaxed social interchange over drinks and dinner.
The Don Deller Offshore Race was first held in 2009 to honour Dr Don Deller, one of the founding members of the BPYC, The Don Deller will be a single-division, PHS race consisting of yachts of various types.
Commencing at 10:00 hours on 8th February 2020 yachts race from a start line between the Race Committee Vessel and the AS mark in Obelisk Bay, Port Jackson, and finish on a transept from the easternmost point of Lion Island.
Each competing yacht must hold a current, audited Category 4 Safety Certificate and suitable insurance cover of not less than $10 million.
The Double Sprint
The Double Sprint will be a single division PHS Race consisting of yachts of various types. BPYC invites boat owners from its own fleet and from other clubs affiliated with Australian Sailing to join the 2020 Pittwater Double Sprint Race 1, then berth overnight at Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay, before completing the 2020 Pittwater Double Sprint Race 2 the following day.
Race 1, post-race, competitors and crew are invited to join at their own cost, pre-dinner dinks on the 1st floor balcony of RMYC and then join the BPYC dinner in the RMYC Brasserie.
Race Two, scheduled to start at 10:00 hours on Sunday 9th February, on a line between Scotland Island and Taylors Point then finish on a line between the easternmost point of Lion Island and Barrenjoey Light.
Post-race, competitors are invited to cruise in company back to Port Jackson.
Details are in the NORs. Don Deller and Double Sprint
The GFS Committee wishes to remind all club members that Sydney is currently on Level 2 water restrictions.
Consequently, we urge all skippers to refrain from using the hose at the club to wash boats. It is still permissible to fill water tanks as long as the hose is not left unattended.
Please be mindful of the need to conserve Sydney’s precious drinking water wherever possible.
It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Keith McAlpine. Keith was an active sailor at GFS with his wife Diana in their yacht ‘Perquisite’. He later became the club driver and custodian of Pegasus in a voluntary capacity for Saturday starts. Diana even made the curtains for Pegasus. He was a staunch club member.
Keith passed away on November, 23. A celebration of Keith’s life will be held in the South Chapel of Northern Suburbs Crematorium on Monday December 2 at 2.00pm
Please be aware that there is an open for inspection and auction on site this Saturday (November 30) which may impact on access to the club.
Open from 12:00pm and auction at 12:30pm.
Any offers?
It is with great sadness that I advise the passing of Brian Cunynghame, one of our longstanding members and past Commodore of GFS. He died at the SAN Hospital on November 15th, 2019 with his family by his side. His cancer had been diagnosed in February.
Brian was an active and involved member of GFS and was Commodore from 1983 to 1985. It was on his 70th birthday 11 years ago that he introduced Flashback to the club after having returned from 2 decades in the UK. He relished the Twilight and Down-Harbour racing and particularly enjoyed the comradeship he had with members of the Club over the last ten years.
Brian had his 81st birthday last Tuesday which was a special family time together.
A Service celebrating Brian’s life will be held on
Monday 25th November 10.30am
All Saints’ Church
Corner of Ferry and Ambrose Street, Hunters Hill NSW 2110
All are welcome.
On behalf of all GFS members I express my sincere condolences to Brian’s wife Joan, his family and many friends.
Pam Joy Commodore
Brian Talking about his family in Oberon NSW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jskgjKQ8a8
The 2019-20 Summer Series will be a Handicap Start Series. This series will not be counted in the overall season results.
Yachts will start on the appearance of their start handicap on the white boards with black numerals located on the clubhouse ramp.
Yachts will retain their normal division and sail the course set for that division.
The first boat to start will be at 1745 hrs (5:45pm)
Initial handicaps will be assigned by the club handicapper based on current PHS handicaps.
Handicaps for each race will be emailed by the Monday before the next race. The start list and handicaps will also be posted on the GFS website and the Club Notice Board.
Starters will not communicate details of handicaps to yachts or do a countdown for each minute start by VHF radio.
Sailing Instruction Changes
The following Amendments have been made to The GFS Sailing Instructions and are available on the Yachts – Racing Information page of the GFS Website. Full and Cockpit versions can be downloaded from the website. The changes are in red.
10. Starting Procedure
iii. Twilight Series – Handicap start
11. Starting Rules.
a RRS. Rule 30.1 applies at the start.
b Yachts are required to keep clear of the starting line before their warning signal.
i. In Twilight Scratch starts yachts are to keep clear of the starting box/exclusion zone until 5 minutes prior to their assigned starting time – see SI 8 vi.
ii In Twilight Handicap (Pursuit) Starts yachts are to keep clear of the starting box/exclusion zone until 3 minutes prior to their assigned starting time – see SI 8 vi.
c Yachts sailing in the starting area prior to their One Minute Signal must keep clear of all yachts sailing after their One Minute Signal. Yachts not complying may be protested by other competitors or disqualified by the starter.
d i. If a Club Buoy and/or Clearance Mark have been laid, no yacht shall cross the starting line from the direction of the first mark after its preparatory signal.
ii. No ‘dip starts’ are permitted – Code Flag ‘I’.
iii. Yachts may pass either end of the club mark, launch or clearance buoy (if laid) to re-start.
e The starter will remain on station for 15 minutes after the last start. No yacht will be recorded as a starter after that time.
f The procedure for Handicap Starts outlined in SI 10 iii modifies rule 12(c).
g If no club buoy or launch is used at the start a yacht must return completely to the pre-start side of the
transit line before re starting. This modifies SI 11(d, ii).
13. Recalls.
a Individual RRS Rule 29.1 will apply.
Code Flag ‘X’ will be displayed accompanied by one sound signal. The offending yacht may be advised by
hail; however, the onus is on the offending yacht to return and restart.
b General RRS Rule 29.2 will apply as modified.
First Substitute will be raised accompanied by two sound signals. Four minutes later the First Substitute will be lowered accompanied by one sound signal. One minute later the Class Flag and Preparatory Signal (for the Twilight Point score races) and the Class Flag (for the Saturday and Winter races) will be raised accompanied by one sound signal. Thereafter the starting procedures return to normal.
If a second general recall occurs the recalled division will then start 10 minutes after the last division start. The Preparatory Signal (Twilight races) or the Class Flag (Saturday & Winter races) will be raised five minutes after the last division starts.
c For Twilight Handicap (Pursuit) Starts, Individual recalls may not be signaled, the onus is on the offending yacht to return and restart. This modifies RRS 29.1.
If any yacht is on the course side of the starting line at the time of her start may restart the race or be given a two-minute penalty at the finish.
Any yacht starting more than 1 minute before her start may be recorded as DNS at the discretion of the starter.
The start list for DH Race 5, January 11, the first Saturday Race for 2020 is on the Results page. Please check. If you intend to sail and are not listed, please enter the Down Harbour Series through TopYacht.
To renew your GFS membership for the 2019-2020 season (due from June 30), please login to our online membership portal directly at:
For more information on how the renewal process works please consult the membership information page at:
The Sailing Instructions support and modify the Racing Rules of Sailing.
There are two versions of the GFS sailing instructions a Cockpit and a Full version. The cockpit version is a quick reference when sailing. However, the FULL version has all the details and should be fully understood prior to racing.
Important Changes
SI 9 Courses – Saturday and Twilight Courses on separate sheets
SI 10 Starting Procedure – Twilight added to Handicap Start if ever required
SI 16 Abandoned Race – SMS will be sent as well as Website and Face Book page. The SMS comes from a strange number – do not reply
SI 21 Club Point Scores – clarification in line with TopYacht
SI 23 Handicaps– new boats not necessarily start on 1.000 for 3 races
SI 25 3 iii Spinnaker poles
SI25 Prohibited areas – Bradleys Head – leave to port and Onions Point – area between GFS buoy and shore is a prohibited area in Twilight races
As well be aware SI 20 Finishing Line – may be set as a transit read for details and locations
The Twilight Course Sheet for season 2019 – 2020 is now on the Yachts – Racing Information page or use the following link. Course numbers may be different from the previous season.
Saturday Down Harbour Series Race 3 is Saturday November 9. The entry list is on the Yachts – Results – Saturday Series page of this website.
Due to wind gusts today’s race is abandoned Saturday September 7.
If the current wind prediction for tomorrow holds true, racing at GFS will be ABANDONED.
Eligible entrants for Race 2 (Sept 7) of the 2019 – 2020 Spring Series are listed on the Yachts – Results – Saturday Series, page of the website.
The 2019 – 2020 Down Harbour Race 1 entry list is on the Yachts – Results – Down Harbour link.
A current eligible entry list will appear each week for both Saturday and Down Harbour Series Races
