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Let’s get the season started!
CLUBHOUSE WORKING BEE – SATURDAY AUGUST 26
The Club will be holding its annual working bee next Saturday (this has not been held for 3 years because of Covid).
TIME – 9:30 to 1:00 pm
Attached is a list of jobs which we would like to undertake to prepare the Clubhouse for the 2023-24 sailing season.
The jobs are pretty self explanatory and all cleaning materials will be provided by the club.
The largest job will be cleaning and repainting the dinghy racks. We did this 3 years ago but it requires redoing. We will do 4 racks. With 2 people per rack we require 8 people to bring powered or manual wire brushes to remove surface rust. Paint, turps, rags and brushes will be supplied. Power leads will be provided. Please contact Robert Hale (0425286115) if you can volunteer for this task. It requires about 1.5 hrs of work.
Pease come down to lend a hand and support your Club so we can be well prepared for the start of the new season.
Regards, Robert Hale
Clubhouse Manager.
Currently there is a development application before Hunters Hill Council for extending Woolwich Marina further out into the narrow channel between Woolwich Marina and Cockatoo and an extension to the west.
Please use this link to view the information which relates to responses to objections from local sailing clubs.
230808_Woolwich Marina_Local sailing clubs_feedback[1]
The GFS committee has written to the council expressing our objection to the project.
However, it would be good to add personal (not club related) objections and submit these to council.
There is limited time to do this. Closing date is August 16. The details are below –
Development Applications
Hunters Hill Council
PO Box 21
Hunters Hill
NSW 2110
RE: Woolwich Marina Development – DA 20230094
Before you race in either a Saturday or Twilight series race at GFS you will need to enter your yacht online through the TopYacht Race Entry System (TES).
Once registered you will be able to enter events at GFS and other clubs or regattas.
Each Series must be entered separately –
Twilight Spring and Autumn
Saturday Spring and Autumn
Twilight Summer
Saturday Summer
Down Harbour Series
Please only enter the series in which you intend to sail.
To enter your yacht for 2023 – 2024 – Go to – https://topyacht.com.au/db/kb2/1703
You will also need to upload your Equipment Audit form when completed and Proof of Insurance
A help page for the TopYacht entry process can be found here: How to Enter a Sailing Event using the TopYacht Entry System . If your boat has joint ownership please read this.
Please enter by (or before)-
Saturday August 26 for the Saturday Spring and Autumn Series
Saturday September 2 for the Down Harbour Series
Wednesday September 20 for the Twilight Spring and Autumn Series
Saturday November 18 for the Saturday Summer Series
Wednesday November 22 for the Twilight Summer Series
The GFS Committee has been working on a new membership system which will be introduced for the next membership year starting 1 July 2023. The system is called revSPORT and is the same one used by Australian Sailing for all AS members as well as many other sailing clubs. It is a modern membership system that should support the club’s needs for the foreseeable future. We will continue to use Topyacht for yacht details, race management and Persons on Board details. We will also continue to use the current website and review this in the next phase.
The membership system will:
- Keep a record of all GFS members details including payments.
- Send out reminders for membership renewal.
- Accept payments for membership and other fees.
- Provide an online entry point for new members and changing/updating member details.
Membership Fees
The GFS committee has decided to increase the membership fees for next year, mostly because there has recently been a large increase in the rent charged by the Lane Cove Council for the clubhouse. While this is still well below market rents it does represent a substantial increase. Largely due to Covid restrictions, the club has incurred significant losses for the last two years and the committee needs to ensure it is on a sound financial basis for the future. GFS will continue to have some of the lowest fees and offer the best value sailing experience of any club in Sydney. The fees for the 2023 – 2024 season will be:
- Full member $520
- Crew member $140
- Tender/dinghy storage $250
We would welcome nominations from Full Club members to join the GFS Committee.
As a volunteer organisation the committee is vital to the sound management, planning, ongoing improvement, decision making and organisation of club events. The committee meets once a month on the second Tuesday of the month.
The various committee positions can be found on the GFS website – Contacts or here.
A nomination form can be downloaded here and will need to be submitted to the current club secretary (jtk2900@gmail.com) by July 4, one week prior to the AGM on July 11.
Please be aware that there are signed parking restrictions in Bay Street as well as some lesser known unmarked regulations which are being applied.
For example. recently several ‘offenders’ have been booked for parking with wheels on the on the pavement at the top of Bay Street adjacent to houses number 6, 8 and 10.
The GFS committee has voiced concern with Lane Cove Council regarding the increased restrictions and the resulting lack of access particularly to those with disability permits.
The GFS Prize Presentation is at the GFS Clubhouse on Saturday May 27.
This GFS gala promises to be an event with as much pomp and ceremony as the recent crowning of King Chuck 3 in the ‘old Dart’.
Unfortunately, Bay Street access and restricted parking will prevent much of the pomp but within the castle walls of the clubhouse there will be ceremony to crown not only trophy winners but plate recipients as well.
Finger food and drinks will flow from the rotunda and the occasion will provide an excellent chance to debrief on the season past, irrespective of winning an award or not.
As the season nears to a close and final point scores are being calculated here are some parts of SI 21 (Scoring) to bear in mind.
Races to Count.
The races to count for each point score shall be determined as follows. If,
– between 1 and 5 races are sailed count all races
– 6 or 7 races are sailed count all but the worst 1 result
– between 8 and 11 races are sailed count all but the worst 2 results
– between 12 and 17 races are sailed count all but the worst 3 results
Club Point Scores.
Points shall be calculated, and any ties resolved in accordance with RRS Appendix A4 – Scoring. The Low Point
Scoring System will apply, except that:
a. Each yacht will receive points equal to its finishing position for scratch results
b. All yachts which start and do not finish (DNF – Did Not Finish) will be awarded –
i. equal points as if the yacht finished one place after the last placed boat for that division on corrected time.
ii. in the case where all boats in a division do not finish (TLE – Time Limit Expires) each boat will be awarded 4 points, see Sailing Instructions 17 & 18.
c. For Series Point Scores, boats that did not come to the starting area (DNC – Did not Compete) shall be scored points for finishing place one more than the number of boats entered in the series.
d. Boats in the vicinity of the starting line but did not start (DNS – Did not Start) will be scored one place after the last placed boat for that division on corrected time.
f. Yachts disqualified (DSQ) following a protest hearing or otherwise shall incur points as for (c) above plus 1 point.
i. Boats finishing on equal points in any point score will be scored as equal placings (no countbacks). RRS Appendix A8 does not apply.
k. Yachts of skippers who fail to lodge a crew list (POB) on TopYacht by the specified time will be classed as DNF.
Overall Point Scores.
The Overall Point Score for Saturday, Down Harbour and Twilight Series is the combined results of the
Spring and Autumn Series, after dropping the worst results in accordance with the Races to Count above.
My name is James Arnold, I am the fleet captain for the Sydney Etchells fleet.
Please be aware that there is a buy – sell – swap day on the 1st April from 8:30 to 11:30 at RSYS.
For more details, follow the link here
Unfortunately the race was abandoned which proved to be a good call. The GFS committee will always make decisions based on the perceived and expected conditions at the time to ensure the safety of members, their crews and to prevent possible damage to yachts. Furthermore, with the wind from the south and south west the club pontoon is vulnerable to shifting wind directions when crews are embarking and disembarking and tenders are being launched.
Wind at Sydney Airport March 1. Click to enlarge.
Unfortunately the mailout of the January Humbug Lite failed. If you are interested you can read it by following this link – Humbug Lite Volume 8 January 23.
The GFS Raffle will be drawn this Wednesday at dinner following Twilight Series Race 3.
There are some wonderful items –
4 Helly Hanson jackets
Beautiful Zjoosh Gift Basket
Marianne Urth sailing bag
Doyle Macdiarmid sailing bag
2 Marianne Urth oil paintings
Robert Oatley wine bundle
Tickets are $5 or 5 for $20.
If you will not be at the club and wish to purchase tickets, please contact Glenda Cameron-Strange on 0419 983 680 for details.
The 187th Australia Day Regatta – the oldest continuously-run annual sailing event in the world – will be held on Australia Day, January 26, 2023 on Sydney Harbour.
It would be good to see a contingent of GFS yacht contesting the races on the harbour on Australia Day. Entry information can be found on the ADR website – https://www.australiadayregatta.com/
The 2023 Regatta Program will not be printed as a hard copy and can be viewed here – 187th ADR 2023 Program – it lists the 2022 Greenwich ADR winners.