As a part of NSW Health contact tracing you are required to nominate the persons on board your boat each time you sail in a GFS event.

Once you have initially set this up it is an easy process each subsequent week.

Initial set up is via the TopYacht entry link –

https://www.topyacht.com.au/db/kb/1272

Once you have added a crew list you can update your crew from the following link –

https://tymob.net.au/1272

Detailed instructions are here – click to open or download

There are instructions included to allow you to set up a mobile device to update crew.

There is an updated Safety Plan now on the Club Information – Club Documents page under Club Rules, or click to view or download here.

All boats sailing in the GFS Saturday Series must lodge a self-audited Equipment Audit form for the 2020 – 2021 season prior to September 30, 2020. The requirements for self-audits will be emailed to skippers by the GFS Safety Officer.

Existing certificates from the 2019 – 2020 Season are valid for the Saturday and Down Harbour Series until September 30.

The GFS Equipment Audit form for 2020 – 2021 is on the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page or here –

When completed, submit a scanned copy of the signed and completed audit form including the required attachments to gfssafetyofficer@gmail.com by September 30. Once an audit is lodged it will be checked and followed up if required.

Boats new to the club or boats of new members will be required to book a dockside audit with the GFS Safety Officer – gfssafetyofficer@gmail.com.

Boats of GFS members requiring an inspection for a higher category to race elsewhere can book an audit with the GFS Safety Officer.

NSW COVID-19 Update – 12 August 2020

PUBLISHED WED 12 AUG 2020

After a video call with NSW Office of Sport this morning, Australian Sailing (like all other State Sporting Organisations) has been requested to send out the following information to all clubs. With the recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases in young people in particular those who are school aged, the next 6 weeks have been deemed critical for cases within our state. NSW Health are currently reviewing restrictions for community sport and it is expected that these may increase over the next couple weeks.

The key points we have been requested to remind clubs include:

• REDUCE RISK
  • Reduce participants, officials and parents etc attending your club as much as possible
  • Avoid people gathering whilst sport is taking place – Do parents need to hang out the club? Is it possible to discourage siblings/ other family members hanging around the club
  • Maintain 1.5m social distancing at all times where possible. 
  • Increase warnings for those who are sick, showing symptoms etc to remain away from the club
• COVID SAFETY PLANS
  • COVID Safety Marshals have started to check on sporting clubs around NSW from this weekend for compliance. Every club with more than 20 participants (sailors, officials, spectators, parents etc) is required to have a COVID Safety Plan and this must be produced on request
  • Contact tracing should be continued to be recorded as much as possible, with ideally digital records and retained for a minimum of 28 days.
• REGATTAS/ COMPETITIONS
  • Club racing and regattas are able to continue, however clubs are being asked to where possible avoid events where competitors are coming from areas outside your clubs metro areas.
  • Avoid travel to regattas outside your local area
  • COVID plans specific to your regattas must be developed
• JUNIOR SAILING
  • Infection rate in children is of a high concern to NSW Health in particular over the next six weeks.
  • Attention needs to be put into ensuring that junior competitors/ participants are maintaining social distancing, cleaning/ hygiene requirements

Remember

• GET IN – SAIL – GET OUT still applies;
• Stay home if you are unwell;
• Club activities including racing can continue as long as the current Public Health Orders are complied with;
• Limit activities to small groups where possible;
• Practice good hand hygiene before, during and after sailing;
• Avoid physical contact where possible;
• Do not share drinks, towels, clothing etc;
• Encourage sailors to arrive dressed, ready to go.
• Contact tracing records must be kept
• Encourage the use of the COVIDSafe app for everyone whilst at your club.
• Follow the one person per 4 square metres rule ashore to ensure sufficient physical distancing between people.

Course sheets for season 2020 – 2021 are now available on the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page or click to open or download from the following link.

Please note –

1. They are different to last season
2. The courses include Down Harbour Courses

On the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page there is a Word file that can be downloaded and enlarged if the course sheet is too difficult to read easily.

Sailing Instructions for 2020 – 2021 are also on the the Sailing – Yacht Racing Information page. Abridged – Cockpit SI version is there too.

The 2020-2021 Yacht Program is available on the Sailing -Yacht Racing Information page or click or download below

Sailing Instructions and Course sheets will be available soon.

Entries for the 2020 – 2021 Sailing Season are now open.

Before you race in either a Saturday or Twilight series or race at GFS you will need to enter your yacht online through the TopYacht Race Entry System (TES). Once registered in TopYacht you will be able to enter events at GFS and other clubs or regattas.

To enter your yacht for 2020-2021 Twilight, Saturday and Down Harbour Series at GFS –

Go to –https://www.topyacht.com.au/db/kb/1272

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 read and comply with the GFS Covid Safety Plan.

The 2020 WEST HARBOUR WINTER SERIES kicks off next Sunday the 14^th of June.

The updated LIST OF ENTRANTS AND DIVISIONS is now online.

This is a spinnaker series.

If you are unable to maintain social distancing while flying a spinnaker, then please refrain from doing so.

Each skipper is responsible for keeping a log of their crew on a race-by-race basis to enable contact tracing.

At this stage it looks like the Combined Clubs Winter Series will commence on June 14. Races will stay as programmed as will the sailing instructions. Further information regarding point-scores will be communicated later.

Australian Sailing has updated their advice regarding recreational and competitive sailing.

Updated as of 0800 on Thursday 21st May 2020

• RECREATIONAL BOATING IS EXEMPT FROM THE 4m² RULE. HOWEVER, SAILORS NEED TO MAINTAIN 1.5m SOCIAL DISTANCE WHERE REASONABLY PRACTICABLE
• COMPETITION IS PERMITTED

The NSW Government restrictions announced on Friday 15 May 2020 that restrictions were being updated in the latest Public Health Order.

The NSW Office of Sport has subsequently advised us that it will not be following the National Cabinet endorsed Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment developed by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) on Friday 1 May 2020. It will instead rely solely on the NSW Public Health Orders. 

Today’s update provides for an exemption from the 4m² rule for recreational boating, provided that it is still maintained where possible. The Office of Sport has clarified that Sailing events are now also permitted, provided that the Public Health Orders are adhered to.

For further details visit – https://www.sailing.org.au/news/nsw-may-update-relaxation-of-restrictions/

What do the eased restrictions, which commenced on Friday 15 May 2020, mean for sailing at GFS.

Recreational sailing remains a permitted activity

Access to marinas is permitted

Access to fuel sales is permitted

Organised community sport is currently still prohibited, so no club organised events and training can take place. Organised GFS sailing events may only commence when eased restrictions reach Step 3.

The GFS clubhouse can be accessed to get your tender.  Social distancing of 1.5m and hygiene requirements must be maintained. Only outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people no gathering inside the club. You must follow instructions on signs placed inside and outside the clubhouse. If you are sick, even with mild flu -like symptoms, or in a vulnerable age group or with a previous medical condition you are advised to not enter the clubhouse. The clubhouse will be cleaned once a week.

Sailing Australia guidelines – permitted activities.

• Yachts – Yes, provided you maintain a maximum of 1 person per 4m2 and social distancing of 1.5m and hygiene requirements are maintained. Maintain only outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people. No club organised events.

• Dinghies (single handed) – Yes, provided you maintain a maximum of 1 person per 4m2 and social distancing of 1.5m and hygiene requirements are maintained. Maintain only outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people.

• Dinghies (double Handed) – No. These boats are unable to comply with the 1 person per 4m2 and social distancing of 1.5m requirements

• Powerboats – Yes, provided you maintain a maximum of 1 person per 4m2 and social distancing of 1.5m and hygiene requirements are maintained. Maintain only outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people.

How many people can I have on board for recreational sailing?

You must observe the not more than 1 person per 4m2 and maximum ten-person rule for outdoor gathers, be satisfied you have observed appropriate social distancing requirements and equipment is not shared.https://www.sailingresources.org.au/covid-19/

West Harbour Winter Series Race 2 due to be sailed this Sunday May 17 has been cancelled.

Dear Members

It is now just on a month since regrettably due to the Covid 19 situation, we had to close GFS and bring our sailing season to an abrupt end. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of uncertainty about when we are likely to be able to re -open the Club and resume racing. However, I would like to take the opportunity to assure you that it is still business as usual for the Committee behind the scenes and that we are aiming to re-open the club and recommence Club activities as soon as changes in restrictions allow.

To bring you up to date – at our recent monthly Committee meeting (held virtually) we undertook a review of GFS’s financial position and discussed the best way to manage our club events that are scheduled over the next few months as well as our preparations for the 2020/2021 season.

I am happy to report that despite some loss of revenue from Twilights and social events GFS is in a sound state financially. However, given the uncertainty of pandemic we are trying to reduce expenditure wherever possible and this has meant that the purchase of new start boat (previously approved by the Committee) has been put on hold until we have a clearer picture of when the Club can resume normal activities.

The 2019-2020 season’s race results have now been finalised and we will be publishing these on the website shortly as well as in the next edition of Humbug. The formal Trophy presentation will be held later in the year in conjunction with an anticipated Club re-opening.

We remain hopeful that we will be back racing for the start of the new season but will continue to keep all scheduled Club activities such as the AGM, finalisation of next season’s program, safety audits and Skipper’s briefing under review.

You will be aware that under current NSW Public Health guidelines sailing is recognised as an acceptable form of exercise. A recent update from Transport for NSW also states that it is permissible to have more than 2 people onboard providing there is four square meters of space for each person. While hopefully this will provide an opportunity for members to have a break from isolation please remember the overriding requirement is that “unless you have an essential need to be out – stay home.”

In the meantime, the Committee is looking at ways of maintaining member involvement in the Club. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for news items, sailing articles or competitions that you think would be of interest to members.  We also encourage you to keep in touch and view updates via the GFS website and Facebook.

I hope that you all stay healthy and well.

Pam Joy

Commodore, Greenwich Flying Squadron

gfscommodore@gmail.com

Please see the link to the list of entrants as from yesterday afternoon (more have yet to be added), the Sailing Instructions and the Course Maps for the 2020 West Harbour Winter Series.

Race 1 is scheduled for Sunday the 3^rd of May, however, given that the racing is in essence meant to be for fully crewed boats, the current social distancing rules are such that we will not be racing this Sunday.

However, in the spirit of optimism we are pushing forward with race preparations so that as soon as it is safe to do so, we can get out and go racing (hopefully in time for race 2).

Race divisions will be published prior to the first race that we sail (allowing for late entries).

ORC Measurement Handicapping

We would like to encourage as many boats as possible to participate in the ORC fixed measurement handicap racing.

• The BSC introduced ORC Club handicapping to the West Harbour Winter Series in 2016 and 22 competitors took part.
• If you have a production boat, getting a ratings certificate is relatively simple.
• ORC measurement handicapping uses a transparent velocity prediction program to determine a boats performance.
• ORC uniquely gives race organisations the opportunity to handicap boats based on wind strength across three wind ranges.
• ORC certificates also include short-handed, non-spinnaker, inshore and offshore ratings [the BSC uses non spinnaker ratings for our twilight series].
• the BSC is the only club in Australia that utilises ORC handicapping using the wind ratings provided on an ORC certificate. 
• ORC Club certificates are an affordable means of participating in a measurement handicapping system [$90 p.a. through Australian Sailing in 2019].
• You or your sail-maker need to measure your sails and input the data into your ORC Club application.
• You can create a free account with ORC and download the certificates of thousands of other boats that hold a certificate and compare your ratings.
• Apply here.

If you have previously held a certificate, we will use your most recent ratings up until the completion of the third race of this series, after which time each participating boat will need to supply an updated ratings certificate. We will then reprocess results retrospectively. New certificates are issued after June 30, 2020. They are generally processed quickly by ORC. You will need to chase AS who ‘administer’ the ratings certificates.