From the Tiller

This month we have news from recent regattas and two socials to look forward to; the deck party on Friday 28th March and the end of season picnic at Portuguese Beach on April 13th.

Lots of other news and diary dates. Please read through to the end.

Helena

Commodore

Deck Party Friday 28th March 5pm

We had a great night at the start of the season and this party has been timed to fit within daylight savings. We are getting some magical sunsets so invite some friends and join us.

We will be setting up tables on the rigging deck (weather permitting), so bring your own dinner, the bar will be open and enjoy the sunset to the sounds of BobKat duo.

Ruby Scholten, who learned to sail and coached at ASC, will speak about her plans to row across the Atlantic in 2027 with a team of three other women called You Row Girl. www.yourowgirl.com

Some legendary alumni sailors in this pic together with Ruby are Claire C, Juliet C, Jim C.

Portuguese Beach Picnic, Sunday 13th April from 10am

Our learn to sail program (Blue/Red) will conclude on Sunday 6th April.

The entire club (Blue, Red, Gold and Yacht sailors plus family) are invited to attend the end of season Club Picnic at Portuguese Beach on Sunday 13 April. Families and kids who cannot sail will transfer from the club to Portuguese Beach via Lucinda or Red rib from 11am.

This event has a long tradition (which was impacted during the COVID years) were ASC, BYRA and even some RAPYC members join together to celebrate the end of season. The event includes a few games like sack racing and culminates with the inter club Tug-of-war. This is a hotly contested trophy - and therefore relies on a good turn out of members to defend !

Centreboard Gold will do a passage race to Portuguese Beach starting from ASC at 11am.  Racing yachts have the Avalon Series Race which will finish off Portuguese beach. Yachts can anchor off Portuguese Beach or on their mooring at the club - with a tender service to ferry sailors to & from boats, beach & club. 

We will bring the club BBQ and supply a sausage sizzle, please bring your own picnic and drinks, towels to sit on. 

Avalon Yachts will sail the Avalon Series 6 race starting at 10:30 and finishing at Portuguese Beach. There will be tender service at the club and also to Portuguese Beach for Yachts that want to return to their moorings first.  

Presentation Day (15th June from 3pm)

The presentation afternoon is to celebrate the season, recognise the hard work of volunteers and the success of some of our sailors by presenting awards for achievement.

We meet at 3pm and run through a series of Club awards, Yachting awards and Centreboard awards. There will be awards for all sailing groups including Blue, Red, Gold, Racing Yachts and Club members who have made exceptional contributions this season.

Check results on these links also on our website:

Yacht Racing: https://app.sailsys.com.au/club/17/profile?tab=results

Centreboard Racing : https://www.clubops.com.au/DisplayResults/DisplayPublicResultGroups?Id=106

Regatta Reports

Open Skiff States – Belmont 16Ft Skiff, 16 to 19 March

ASC was represented by Emma T (4th) Charlie Q (12th), Oliver L (16th) in Gold fleet and Seb C (10th) in Silver fleet. 

Emma T was also 2nd Female in Gold Fleet.

Results here: https://www.sailwave.com/results/openskiff/2025NSWChamps.htm

Pittwater Regatta – Off the beach 8/9 March

We had a great Pittwater ‘Off the beach regatta’ on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March, with ASC - Kingsley FS and response crews Chris, Ned, Jarvis and Luke, hosting a race course for three divisions next to RPAYC hosting a race course for another three divisions. Thank you to the volunteer parents who supported the races on the water (Tony C, Frederic J, Jeff L, Anja A).

We also hosted a number of RPAYC sailors including their commodores Robert McClelland, Mark Dorling and BYRA Commodore and Sailor participant Leah Singer for a Sausage sizzle at ASC on Saturday evening.

Ollie Leech came first in the Open Bic/MJ/Sabot division. 

Results here: https://app.sailsys.com.au/club/151/results/series/4424/pointscore?view=individual&handicap=s

Classic and Wooden Boats regatta 1-2 March

On Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March we had the Classic and Wooden Boats regatta.

This was attended by 10 classic or wooden boats, some who came up from Sydney Harbour for this event. Kingsley FS, Martin C and our response crew Chris, Luke and Ned started two races.

Due to light winds a third race was not held and the crews retired to the club for a sausage sizzle.

On Sunday we had a passage race followed by a function at the club with an amazing Paella dinner Thank you Jane D and Andreas W for cooking and Louise E who started the meal prep. Thank you also to Amie B for RSA service on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Thank you Larry for making this regatta happen including promoting it, organising moorings for our visitors and organising the paella.

Classic Moths regatta @ BYRA 1-2 March

Since the Moth Class in Australia decided to split into two categories of Moth types we have seen a resurgence of the classic Moth style generally now known as the Lowrider Moth. While foiling Moth numbers are falling or at least stagnant probably due to their incredible cost the humble lowriders of yesteryear are being found and restored in increasing numbers. They are also being built new along classic lines.

And so it was that there were twenty-six starters at the recent Lowrider Moth NSW Championships held on Pittwater as part of the Annual Pittwater Classic Regatta. Local club BYRA ran the racing and looked after the participants over the weekend. The wind ranged from light to strong and there was action aplenty and a lot of tired but happy competitors by the end of Sunday. The numbers of these boats is increasing every season and next year should provide quite a spectacle with the Lowrider Moth class racing again on Pittwater. 

F11 Sates @ Belmont 22-23 February

Freddie A and Emma T sailed in the F11 States in the Open Division and came 30th on Scratch (out of 43) in very windy conditions with a great result of coming 20th in Race 3.  

Results here: https://www.topyacht.net.au/results/b16ftsc/2025/F11States/series.htm?ty=53947

Open Skiffs Kurnell Cup Sunday 9th February

The Kurnell Cup has now been running for 14 years, it was one of the 1st Open Skiff regattas on the program, when Open Skiffs first came to Australia.  For the first time this year they had a small fleet of Lasers included as well.  With over 50 boats registered, ASC  was well represented by Emma T (placed 3rd), Ollie L (placed 6th), Charlie Q (placed 8th) in Gold Fleet; Seb C placed 21st in Silver fleet and Marcus C placed 5th in the Lasers. 

It was great to see the Silver fleet with a total of 33 boats, a sign of a growing class. Gold had 11 and the Lasers had 6 boats. The wind was more than predicted, so challenging conditions with all the Avalon Sailors putting in a great effort.

As always they end the regatta with a parents race which is hotly contested. Lots of confidence from the parents on the beach then when they get out on the water it is a different story, many struggling to keep the boats upright. A few Avalon dads had a go this year. Well done to Geoff L for getting around the course.

Spiral Nationals @ Saratoga 25-27 January

Jeff C reported visiting the Saratoga Sailing Club at the for the Spiral nationals and being impressed at all the improvements they achieved financed by a combination of successful grant applications and co-locating with Dragon Boating club. This is relevant to us as we also have ageing infrastructure. 

ASC Sailors (Jeff C, Shane C, Ollie L, Nick C and Geoff L) did us proud:  

• Shane Conly 5th Open Division; 3rd in Senior Division

• Oliver Leech 3rd Junior Division; 2nd in 5.6 Division

• Nicholas Chan 1st Handicap Division

• Geoff Leech 3rd Handicap Division

Lots of Spiral Sailing Videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@spiraldinghysailing

Sail Port Stephens - 31st March - 5th April

Ralf Moller’s Kookaburra will be heading back up to Pt Stephens with the same crew to defend their Division 3 victory from last year. The organisers expect about 120 boats which will be grouped into four divisions plus a non spinnaker one. One race is scheduled for each day of the five race days (Thursday is a rest day) with a different inshore or offshore course providing a great deal of variety.

Whilst Kookaburra is this year’s only ASC entry, about one quarter of the boats are from Pittwater, making for many familiar boats & faces. 

Learn to sail

Kingsley is running an Adult Learn to Sail program which runs over four Saturdays in March. He will run it again in November and again in March 2026. If you know anyone interested in starting sailing or returning sailing please refer the club to them and tell them to look out for courses on the website or email us on info@avalonsailinglub.com.au so to register their interest. Cost is $370. 

Racing Rules of Sailing

On Sunday 2nd February Kingsley took us through the new rules. We have a hardcopy of the Racing Rules of Sailing on the bench under the noticeboard and a link on our website here:  https://www.revolutionise.com.au/avalonsailingclub/yachts/yacht-racing

Race starts links:

Kingsley and our response crews have been recording our race starts. You can see these on the Avalon Sailing Club Youtube channel here: www.youtube.com/@ascadmin

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED)

On Friday 7th February Louise Lindop and Mike Stanley Jones ran a CPR course and unpacked the AED for us.

ASC has two AEDs.

1. Next to entry to Men’s change rooms

2. Inside the race control box we take out on Lucinda to record race results.

We test these each year when we have our working bee.

Take note of AEDs in your community; know where they are. Next time you are in these areas try to spot them and register them in your brain.

• Avalon Surf club on the wall facing the beach.

• Inside Woolworths Metro at Avalon.

• At the Bilgola Shops.

It was great to see so many members of all ages attend to learn this skill which might one day save a life.

 Clubhouse Stuff

Red Rib Fix

On Sunday 2nd March the propeller of the Red Rib made impact with a submerged object at very low tide. This is an unused mooring block which is fairly close in and north west of the floating pontoon - we are making enquiries to have it removed. Note to Yacht owners using the pontoon!

Garry O and Kingsley FS effected a quick fix on the red rib prop on Friday 7th March in the nick of time before the Pittwater Off the Beach regatta. Thank you to Garry and Kingsley and also Lejen Marine who ordered the new prop.

Lost L’s

In all the storms we had during February we lost an L from our signage on  the west facing wall, making us the Avalon Sailing C ub.

James G organised replacement letters which were installed by Garry O.

 Kayaks 

Are you the owner of these kayaks that appeared during the season. If so, please pay the internal rack fee $300. If no one claims ownership we will ‘auction’ them at the deck party. If not sold, they’ll be marked for disposal.

Dates for your diary

Friday 28th March from 5pm Deck Party

Sunday 13th April from 11am Portuguese Beach Picnic, Yacht race from 10:30am

Sunday 15th June 3pm Presentation day

Yacht Racing

March 23 Quartet Bowl

March 30 Retriever

April 6 Two Island Series 12pm start

April 13 Avalon Series and Picnic at Portuguese Beach

Centreboard 

Sunday 6th April, Last day for Learn to Sail, Blue Red

Sunday 13th  April, Passage race to Portuguese beach starts at 11am, Yacht race 10:30am

Sunday 4th  May: Peter Loft Marathon – BYRA

Cruising (by David Baker)

Our March cruise to Refuge Bay was cancelled as the Cruise Coordinator was recovering from surgery (all went well), and no one was available to host the event in his absence.

18-21st  April Easter Cruise to Sydney Harbour

25-27th  April Anzac Day weekend,  Dangar Island

7-9th June Kings Birthday 3 Day cruise, Refuge Bay and Bobbin Head

We look forward to seeing lots of boats for these three cruises

2025 Hansa World's Regatta hosted by RPAYC

This is a Para world sailing event, with 182 entrants and 80 coaches/support people from 19 Nations. The race program encompasses four types of boats adapted to support sailors with physical or intellectual impairments. Hansa 2.3 and Hansa 303, Liberty and Skud18.

Dates of Racing will be Monday 24th March through to Sunday 30th March with Races starting at 1pm.

Look out for them and be aware of them if you are on or near the water. They will have a course in the Pond (Alpha) and one between RPAYC and Scotland Island (Bravo).

More information here: https://hansaworlds.org/

Club Hire - Fitness Classes 

Clareville Fitness is starting at Avalon Sailing Club on Monday 17th March.

They will run classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Judy Davie from Clareville Fitness has offered 10% off single classes, using the code ASCMember10 when booking.

To book visit www.clarevillefitness.com.au/