Sabot State Championships Round 2. Drummoyne 13th and 14th February

A fleet of 46 boats competed in Round 2 of the Sabot State Championships hosted by Drummoyne Sailing Club and Team Vaucluse was well represented with a team of 8 of our best young sailors fronting the start lines off Cockatoo Island. The winds were moderate but strengthened in the afternoon. Sunday afternoon’s final races proved challenging with plenty of capsizes and shifting winds.

Max Nearn, in Thunderstruck once again produced the best results for Vaucluse finishing , 12th overall. This was not without some competition from Zac Golovsky who was often right on his transom. Emma Badger sailed 1 up in club boat Do or Die and proved that she can handle the helm solo with confidence and determination. Luella Ugarte received a special mention for her sailing effort on Sunday, sensibly completing a granny gibe in the middle of a big gust on the wing mark while 3 boats capsized around her.

Sailing back to back races in different waters is a great opportunity to extend and challenge our sailors to think about wind shifts and seamanship. The learning curve is as big as it gets. It is a big effort and significant achievement for all of our sailors to have competed at State level and its always a great opportunity to compete against the many talented Sabot sailors in NSW.

Special mention should also be made to the effort of parents, our sailors cannot compete without their teamwork and commitment to collecting loading and delivering boats unscathed to regattas. These regattas are important to personal development and building confidence.

Click on the photos to see a slide show of the weekend.

Flying 11 State Championships Round 2 21st and 22nd February at Port Kembla Sailing Club

Round 2 of the Flying 11 State Championships were held last weekend on the beautiful sailing waters of Lake Illawarra. The winds were moderate nor’easters on Saturday and light easterlies on Sunday. 3 boats represented Team Vaucluse in the fleet of over 40 boats. The competition was fierce from clubs such as Manly and Belmont and the quality of the sailing from these kids was exceptional.

Protagonist, skippered by Max Nearn and crewed by Zac Golovsky, was our best performing boat coming in at a respectable 23rd position overall. The boys showed great skill and resilience to mix it up with the top of the fleet at times against boats with much more experienced crews.

All of our kids had a great time in the beautiful conditions. Not only did they improve on their skills and gain valuable experience, but they had a smile on their faces fo the whole weekend which was a delight to see.

These three boats are in their first year of Flying 11s and were up against kids older than them and with many more races under their belts. It was a great preparation for the National Championships to be held on Lake Macquarie over Easter and there are big things to come from these young sailors.

Photos and videos will be in next weeks newsletter so watch this space.

Green Fleet Racing starts this Sunday

Now that the newer kids have honed their skills in the sailing camps and learn to sail classes, its time to hit the start line. VA12SC will be running Green Fleet Races starting from 11.05 am each Sunday for the rest of the term.

The races will be short and sharp and the kids will be able to be coached around the course by our instructors and parents. It is a great way to reinforce what they have learnt in their classes and it is also a great preparation for future regatta sailing.

The club has many boats, both Sabots and PJs, that the kids can use to get them into racing, so if you think that your child has what it takes then let us know this Sunday morning and we will have a boat rigged and ready to go to get them on the course.

Sail an 18 Footer...

Simon Nearn, dad of Max (who just quietly is unbeaten in this year’s club champs!) is Commodore of the 18 Footers League and has kindly offered the kids of VA12SC a chance to have a go on an 18 footer this weekend after the last race of their season.

The 18 footers are fast, powerful skiffs so this one is only open to kids 11 yrs + and we only have 8 spots available. A RIB will be leaving VA12SC at 3.15pm, returning at approximately 5pm. Kids will need their own lifejacket, hat sunscreen etc.

If you’re interested, please complete this form. First 8 to reply will get the places.

Last weekend’s race on the 18’s…

A tale of two Sundays

Another magic day at the club last Sunday. A little grey at the outset, but the cloud soon burned off and the Sailing School flotillas dominated Watsons Bay in the light southerly breeze and bright sunshine.

With the kids having so much fun a few of the Dads saw the opportunity to sneak in some ‘skills development’ of their own. Enter Matt’s wing foil board. One RIB. And five middle aged blokes acting like teenagers. Needless to say, fun was had!

Admittedly we were on step 1 of the wing foil journey, towing behind the RIB, but as Matt Smith has shown us, the below is what we will be graduating to…can’t be that hard?!

RIBs needed this Sunday

This Sunday our Flying 11 sailors are heading to Port Kembla. As a result we are short of a RIB. If there are any parents who have a private RIB they would be able to bring to the club on Sunday for one of our instructors to use that would be greatly appreciated. Please could you email sailingschool@va12sc.org.au to let us know so we can plan ahead.

Easter Holiday Camps

Bookings are open for our Easter School Holiday Camps. We sold out over Christmas so please book early to avoid disappointment.

All details here

Save the Date - Kutti Cocktails

The annual Kutti Cocktails is scheduled for 1st May. For the newer members of the club, this is the end of season party for the parents - because we deserve it! It’s always a fantastic evening. Lock it into the diaries and details will follow over the coming weeks.

Sailing School

Last Sunday was a beautiful morning for the sailing school. This photo of Rupert McEvoy’s Pacer for Start Sailing 1 sums up the spirit of the day!

The forecast for this week is a solid 20 knot southerly. The coaches will monitor the conditions and if it’s too windy for the beginner fleet they will run shore based activities.

Canteen this Sunday

Round 2 of the Sabot States are being held at Drummoyne Sailing Club this Sunday. That means a few families are away. As a result the Canteen will be in action for breakfast rolls, but there won’t be lunch this week. The usual soft drinks etc will be available.

Sabot States - Change of Venue

The Sabot States Rnd 2 (13 - 14 Feb) will be held at Drummoyne Sailing Club.

Club Championship Racing this Sunday 7th February.

Round 2 of the Sabot State Titles has been moved back a week to the 13-14th of February.

We will be hosting Club Championship Race 5 this Sunday the 7th of February.

We’ve had to rejig our calendar to accommodate this and other changes on the dinghy sailing calendar.

Click here for the revised VA12SC Club Calendar 2021

Sailing School

The sell-out theme of the holiday camps continues - we are officially at capacity for Term 1 Sailing School and the ‘sold out’ sign has been hoisted on the website. If you were at the club last Sunday but haven’t yet paid - all good, you’re in! Please email sailingschool@va12sc.org.au to arrange payment (to save our volunteer Treasurer from chasing!)

Best of all we have 100% of the families from Term 4 back at the club this term. So good to see!

Look forward to seeing you all back at the club this week for more nautical adventures. Please remember to ensure your kids sign on as soon as they arrive, and sign off as soon as they are back off the water.

A busy beach for the Start Sailing session at 8.30am last Sunday

Lost Property

We’ve gathered a massive amount of lost property at the club. It’s upstairs in the main hall on the western side (most of it in someone’s Sabot that has been left upstairs - is that lost property too?!).

Please could you have a look this Sunday and collect anything that’s yours. Next week we’ll take what’s left down to the Salvos.

It would be great if the Sabot could be put back in its rack too.

NSW Sabot State Titles - Round 2

The second leg of the Sabot State Titles is taking place 13-14 February at Drummoyne Sailing Club.

Notice of Race

Regatta Registration

Team Vaucluse will be there in force! Any questions please contact our Sabot Fleet rep, Sally Badger.

Welcome to 2021 @ VA12SC

Our Sailing School and Sunday Racing return this Sunday and so I would like to welcome you all to Term 1 of 2021 @ VA12SC. I hope you have enjoyed some restful time over the festive season and that you and your families are all safe and well.

We have seen over 100 kids through our sailing camps these school holidays. They’ve had a great time and we hope many are keen to continue along their sailing passage! There are plenty of boats in the clubhouse just waiting to get wet each Sunday. If you think your child would prefer to sail with a friend, then why not combine a captain and a crew in our 2 up class. If your child is small and social then they have already ticked 2 boxes! It’s a great next step from a holiday camp or learn to sail so if you think that might be the way to go then please just let us know.

Learn to Sail launches again this Sunday at 0800 hours sharp! We will have the full armada on the water and the forecast light conditions will suit the transition for most of the participants. Please head on down early and get involved. The peak hour for boat rigging starts at 8am and many hands make light work.

The racing fleets start the year with the Summer Sprint Series Week 1 with up to 3 races for each class.

The Team Vaucluse Sabot Fleet will be focused on some healthy competition to lead them into the zones and the states which are to be held in February and March. The road to the Sabot Nationals in Townsville also starts now. There is no better time to be in Townsville than in July and any regatta is fun for all the family so Let’s Go Team. How many boats can we get on the road to FNQ?

The Team Vaucluse Flying 11 Fleet has even less time to prepare for the Flying !! Nationals with the regatta being postponed till April 10 to 17 on beautiful Lake Macquarie. The Team have enjoyed some great training days over the summer and are keen to take it to the next level over the coming months.

For the Team Vaucluse Cherub Fleet it will be all about home as most of their championship events have been cancelled for the season. But, don’t think that will hold them back. The competition for the Club Championship in this class is nothing short of scintillating. Watch This Space.

So, there is plenty of action planned down at the club for the next few months. Let’s all make the most of it. Get involved and have a go ‘cause the sailing club is not for show.

See you all down there.

Robert Ugarte
Commodore

Term 1 - Sunday 31 January

10 days until life returns to normal and Sunday sailing resumes at VA12SC. Bring it on!

If you haven’t yet signed up for term 1, please do ASAP - we’re very near to capacity. Book here.

To everyone that has signed up - we’re looking forward to seeing you down at the club. Timings will be the same as Term 4:

8.15am - 10.30am - Discover Sailing, Start Sailing 1 & 2

10.30am - 12.30pm - Adventure Sailing & Adult Learn to Sail

11am - Sabot races

2pm - Flying 11 & Cherub races

The canteen will be open from 8.30am serving bacon & egg rolls. Lunch will be served from 12pm. Tea, coffee and snacks will be available throughout the day.

Rigging and launching the sailing school fleet last November

Term 1 sailing - starts 31 Janaury

Term 1 sailing starts on Sunday 31 January.

The race fleet have their first summer sprint series. Sabots starting at 11am (10.15am briefing). Flying 11’s and Cherubs a 2pm start.

Sailing School kicks off at 8.30am for Discover Sailing, Start Sailing 1 & 2 (please arrive by 8.15am to allow time for sign in etc). Adventure Sailing (for kids who can sail but don’t want to race) runs from 10.30am - 12.30pm. Adult Learn to Sail also runs from 10.30am - 12.30pm.

We’ve already got lots of people signed up and again we’re nearing capacity. If you’re keen to participate, please book here.

If you have any questions on the Sailing School, please email sailingschool@va12sc.org.au

Don’t forget to check the Club Calendar so you know what’s happening, when.

Look forward to seeing you all back at the club!

Holiday Camps

It’s been a huge summer for our camps with 110+ kids participating. For the first time in recent memory all of our camps sold out. We will open bookings for the Easter camps in a couple of weeks. Definitely worth getting in early to secure a place.

A big thank you to all of our coaches and parent volunteers who’ve helped to run and coordinate this important part of our sailing program. And to all the kids for being so good at having fun!

Holiday Camps - SOLD OUT!

We have four holiday camps scheduled this school holidays and they’ve all sold out!

Why are they sold out? Very simply - we’ve run out of boats for beginners and intermediates. All of our Pacers and PJs are working hard to entertain the 100+ children we have going through our camps.

As one of our main pathways for new members we expect a good number of the families attending holiday camps to join as members as we head into Term 4. This means the Sailing School is also likely to sell out. If you’re keen to have your kids involved in Term 1, please register now to secure places.