DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

It has certainly been a big few weeks with the States at Port Kembla and the Nowra Marathon a week later.

STATES REPORT.  

Congratulations to Chris Eddes, Peter Newman and Maria Nash who took the open podium places.  Full results are on the website.  Surprisingly for the end of November the forecast eighteen knots for Sunday never appeared and about ten knots was the strongest for the weekend.  It was different having our States in an open regatta, the advantages of which include being included in two competitions in the same event, and meet people with different boats.  However some saw some disadvantages, particularly rounding buoys with other classes.  Chat to your committee if you think there were some issues with this type of regatta.

NOWRA MARATHON REPORT.  

The breeze was much better for this Travellers Trophy event, particularly for the return leg with a downwind start in twenty knots!  While there were a few swims, the square run then broad reach was spectacular.  Congratulations to Josh Passafaro  who beat Merve Lotze by a whole 23 seconds for a long course!  Grae was the third Spiral home and fourth overall behind Michael Fairbairn’s Finn.  The young guns Luke Franklin and Cameron Phelps followed Grae.  Part of the club’s press report is copied at the end of this newsletter.

T.T. PROGRESSIVE RESULTS are on the website, as will be the NOR for the Nationals.  Keep checking it for all the Spiral news.

COMING EVENTS.  It is the Balmoral TT on 21 January, then the Nationals on 26 to 28 January at Sunshine.  See below.

NATIONALS.  

Thursday, January 26 to Saturday , January 28, so you can beat the traffic home!  The NOR and registration details are on the website.  The Spiral AGM will be on the Friday night, January 27, as well as the usual social activities over the event.  Camping is available in Sunshine Reserve beside the sailing club.  As notified in past newsletters there will be motions to accept the updated Class Restrictions, and we need to find a new President and Webmaster.  Please consider joining our committee – it is part of what makes our class strong.  Our meetings are monthly by Zoom and you can still have your wine, cheese and biscuits if you want during the meeting; you just cannot share them!  We also love to have general committee members so this is your chance to have your say and support our class.
PERPETUAL TROPHY RETURN.  If you are lucky enough to hold a perpetual trophy for the Nationals, can you please make arrangements to return it by the presentation on 28 January, 2023.

AUSTRLIAN MASTERS GAMES.  As previously mentioned, they are in Adelaide and seven Spirals went in 2018 and had a great time.  Chat to your friends about doing it again. 10-12 October 2023.  Here is the link if anyone is interested Sailing At Australian Masters Games

HINTS.   One competitor lost their keys at the Nowra Marathon, which became a major issue.  If your vehicle has an old style key that you insert into the door, attached to the electronic key, most locksmiths can cut you a ‘surf key’ which is just the metal part.  They will know what you mean by the term surf key.  It costs me around $30 for the Commodore; it should not cost too much more for an imported car.  Then you can lock your electronic key in the car while sailing (or surfing.)  Alternatively you can get a key safe which you lock on to the towbar, which is about the size of a cigarette packet.
The other consideration is a spare tyre.  If you do not carry one, you can get a pressure pack thing which is supposed to seal the puncture and pump up the tyre.  I would not like to try it on a rock damaged car tyre, but that is most unlikely on your trailer.  If you still have a trailer with the old Holden stud pattern, old Volvo rims off the 100, 200, 700 and 900 series fit, and alloys for them may still be readily available.

NOWRA MARATHON PRESS REPORT EXTRACT.
BIG PRE CHRISTMAS SAILING ON THE RIVER.
It has been busy for Nowra Community Sailing Club on the river with two Saturday races and the iconic Nowra Marathon where the fleet sails to Shoalhaven Heads for the first leg, stops for lunch then restarts the second leg for the sail back to Nowra.
The Nowra Marathon attracted sailors from Jervis Bay, the Southern Highlands and a considerable contingent of Spirals from Sydney, as it is a heat of the Spiral Association of Australia Travellers Trophy.  The event started in a light breeze with tidal assistance from the outgoing tide, and as the fleet moved down the river the breeze increased with the fastest boat in the fleet, Michael’s Finn class dinghy taking only one hour and thirty eight minutes for the leg, and the Careel 18 trailer sailor being sailed by Wayne Norris and Steve Phelps, one still recovering from a solid bout of Covid, and the other with back problems, took well over two hours.  There were two retirements.
The restart after a great lunch was in over twenty knots of breeze and on a square run, making for excitement mixed with a bit of terror!  There were plenty of swims for the first few kilometres but when upright the ride was exhilarating.  While the breeze reduced as we left the coast it still continued all the way to Nowra with the leading boats taking just over an hour for the leg.
Times for both legs were added together and yardsticks applied and it was Concord Ryde Sailing Club’s Spiral sailor Josh Passafaro who won the event by just 23 seconds from Jervis Bay Sailing Club’s Merve Lotze, with Nowra sailor Michael Fairbairn ruing his capsize on the way back which relegated him to third, over a minute behind Merve.  Grae Baker from CRSC came fourth just 25 seconds on corrected time behind Michael.  Junior Spiral sailor Tegan Franklin was the leading lady from Renee Rawson.
After the event competitors enjoyed the opportunity to renew friendships and afternoon tea, and voted it a most successful event.  All competitors would have slept well that night!
A big thank you to our wonderful ladies who did both starts and recorded all the times at the finishes, as well as laying on an excellent and healthy lunch, and thanks to the support power boat drivers who accompanied the fleet both ways.
Nowra Community Sailing Club wishes all our members and supporters a wonderful Christmas and 2023.