Save the date: Head of the Harbour 5th of December and call for volunteers

The annual Head of the Harbour Sabot invitational regatta is coming up 5 December. It is the first regatta of the season and the only one in the Southern NSW zone prior to Nationals at Teralba.   We are expecting a good turnout from other clubs and some great competition.  The HoH is a traditionally fun event and a great opportunity for kids to experience some racing, meet new families and have fun at the club level at home.  

We are encouraging maximum participation at the club level this year and; in addition to the green fleet (2 ups) we have added a training PJ fleet, just for fun. If you wish to participate or enter the racing, the try booking site is now operational.

It takes a huge amount of effort to bring this together but it is worth the effort to build the community energy and fun.  A great event in a community club requires enthusiastic volunteers , even if you are not participating, we have jobs whether it be part of the race committee, feeding the hoards, welcoming visitors, beach marshalling and safety among a number of roles. Please contact Sally Badger to indicate willingness to assist.  We are very much in need of volunteers to make the day successful including: 

• Wayfinding , Marshalling and traffic management on Gibsons Beach 

• Welcome sign in and COVID compliance 

• Canteen - what we are able to offer is entirely dependant on helpers but as a minimum it will be manning the afternoon BBQ

• Water safety - rescue boating race committee support

• Beach safety and checks

• Pack up and clean up ( the energy dies after boats come in and visitors have left)

It will be quite a busy day starting at 8AM, and ending at around 430PM.

Sabot Training Day 4th of December from 12PM

The club will be hosting a training day for our Sabot sailors the day prior to Head of the Harbour. It would be a great opportunity for those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to hit the water to join us and do some training prior to the regatta.

Sabot sailing in the club

The sabot is a training boat, fantastic precisely because it is not easy to sail.   The class has a proud history, particularly in our club and includes current and past Olympic champions. It is claimed that if you can master a sabot you can master anything.  Our kids age out at 16, if you are lucky enough to stay small and light it does promise a few seasons of fun. 

The club has a reasonable collection of club boats that we will be rolling out into the sailing program but are also available to use by members.  Alternatively we have a number of sabots available for sale, should you be interested.  If you wish to understand more about the Sabot fleet or want to talk about using a cub boat please contact Sally Badger, the old friendly class rep.

We look forward to seeing you out there and don’t forget a little bit of volunteering goes a long way, whether it be on the beach, out on the water or even the canteen!

Sabot News Week 3

This week’s calendar was for Club Champ races 3 &4 but the weather got the better of the race committee, as did the fleet. Despite best efforts to chase the wind and shift courses all the way towards South Head, our little fleet of sabots found themselves no better than the Middle Harbour fleet sitting in irons off Lady Jane. Odd conditions, complaints of boredom, man and a resolution to protest the Race committee ended with smiles. We will take it as a win despite no results and hope for better conditions this coming week.

Dick Winning Fun Day

It’s that time of the year, the Dick Winning Fun Day is on Sunday 26 November, just in time for everyone to have fun and celebrate being back together again.  This day is all about the FUN. Canteen takes a break (well mostly) we put on a spread of BYO plates of food and goodies, while we have games on the beach (treasure hunts and tug of war,  swimming races, kids and adults, fun boat races (adults and kids).  A day such as this is not possible without help.

A fun day highlight is the slippery pole and one can’t forget Santa  - who will it be this year??

In order for the day to be successful we need volunteers to form an organising committee to make this a really successful fun day. Indicatively we 

• Master of Ceremonies - to keep the day running smoothly 

• Agenda setting and list of games - with lead for each game

• Set up - including for games and any boat rigging required

• Coordinate food

• Pack up

Xmas Holiday Camps

We are running four holiday camps over the December/January school holidays. These are drop and go events running from 8.30am to 4pm and we cater for all skill levels.

We've had a big surge in bookings over the past ten days. Last year all the camps sold out so if you're thinking about registering, it's best to do it early to avoid missing out.

Dates:

6 - 10 December 2021
13 - 17 December 2021
10 - 14 January 2022
17 - 21 January 2022

Book here

Club Champs - this Sunday

Last weekend delivered light winds for the sailing school, building to a gentle sea breeze for the Sabot and Flying 11 sprint racing. Results here.

This week we have Club Championship races 3 & 4.

See you there!

58th Sabot National Titles and Paul Stivano Sabot Week

The 58th Sabot Nationals and Paul Stivano Sabot Week are being held at Teralba Amateur Sailing Club on Lake Macquarie from 27th December 2021 to 3rd January 2022.

The registration link & Notice of Race can be found here.

This is always a great event for our Sabot fleet and we look forward to a strong representation from Team VA12SC.

Season opener

After a long, long COVD winter it was particularly special to open the clubhouse last weekend and welcome back our sailors and families.

The Sailing School was busy from early doors. Our fleet of PJs looked particularly good with the new sails that we acquired and installed just before lockdown. The energy in the clubhouse and on the deck was fantastic. The BBQ team churned out huge numbers of bacon and egg rolls. And with a 12knot SE breeze the conditions were near perfect for the sailors.

The race fleets held races 3 & 4 of the club championships. Again, the sailing conditions were fantastic. Well done to all participants and congratulations to the winners.

Sailing School fleet rigged and ready to sail

The PJs and Pacers, now all equiped with high quality, highly visible, sails!

Club Championships

With the first two races abandoned due to COVID, we held races 3 & 4 of the Club Championships last weekend in near perfect conditions.

Isabelle Badger and Zac Golovsky were the two race winners in the Sabot fleet.

In the Flying Elevens, it was Jamie Bando and Ben RIchards winning race 1. Sophia Ugarte and Hugo Minnett were victorious in race 2.

Full results here

Well done to all the participants. This weekend we have the Spring Sprint Series races.

Sailing School and Club Championships this Sunday

Finally, we are go and our season starts with a bang this Sunday!

Our Launch Committee have been busy preparing the flotilla and work will continue this Friday afternoon and Saturday for those who can lend a hand.

Sailing School begins at 0800 hours and Club Championships 1 and 2 start at 1100 hours for Sabots and PJs and at 1400 hours for Flying 11s and Cherubs.

The Canteen will be open from 0830 - 1100 hours serving bacon and egg rolls, toasties and drinks. Complimentary tea and coffee will be on offer. If you need lunch it will be BYO this week while we settle in to the season. We are looking for a volunteer coordinator to help with food ordering and rosters. Please come and have a chat if you are interested. Thanks to those who have offered to help this Sunday.

It has been a long wait and it is going to be a great summer. If you haven’t signed up, now is the time.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

VA12SC Committee.

Season Opening - 24th October!

The start of the sailing season is almost upon us, and we're super excited to welcome members, old and new, back to the club on the 24th of October!

Over the past few weeks we've had sailors going through their Sabots and Flying Elevens, getting them prepared and race ready for the season ahead. We've had instructors checking Pacers and PJs, making sure they're all good to go for our Sunday morning Learn to Sail courses, and the Launch Team has been busy getting all the inflatables ready to support our sailors on the water! We're also looking forward to the (any-day-now!) return of our rejuvenated start boat, 'Escort'.

Term 4 Sailing School

The bookings for our Sunday morning Learn to Sail, and Discover Sailing courses are coming in fast, so don't wait, jump online here and book your kids in! The instructors can't wait to see our sailors return, and welcome all the new faces.

We're always keen to see as many kids on the water as we can, so if you've got friends who might like their kids to give sailing a go, please pass this on so they can book as well!

If you're not sure about which course is right for your child, check out this page with a description of the different courses we offer. If you've got any questions, then don't hesitate to email our head coach, Adele, at headcoach@va12sc.org.au, and she will be happy to answer them.

Club Boat Hire

The club has boats available for hire if kids want to move on to race fleet sailing this season without the need for families to purchase a boat. It's a great way for families to transition from the Learn to Sail courses into fleet racing. If you have questions, or need some more information on availability and cost, please send an email to clubcaptain@va12sc.org.au

Volunteering

Our club runs on volunteers! So don't forget to take a look here and let us know how you'd like to get involved. You can let us know your preference via the membership renewal form, or feel free to email clubcaptain@va12sc.org.au to let us know how you'd like to help.

One more thing to note... until the 1st of December, NSW government regulations require that all members over 16 that are attending the club need to have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. Please ensure you satisfy this requirement, and have your Covid vaccine record in your phone to help with this process.

Regulations also stipulate that we have to follow the current social distancing requirements, both on the beach and in the club, so please be sure to adhere to these as well. There will be signage at the club to help with this.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone back at the club soon!

VA12SC Committee

2021-2022 Flying 11 State Championships. Round 1 @ VA12SC 20th and 21st November.

VA12SC are excited to be hosting the first round of the Flying 11 State Championships on the 20th and 21st of November.  We have some keen crews at our club looking to show their skills against the best in the state.  Entries are usually around the 40 boat mark – a minimum 80 kids and 80 adults!  It is always a fantastic weekend at the club and will need a team to pull it off.  An early shout out please to any helpers – no skills required – we need everything from beach marshals to bbq chefs, car park attendants to support boat drivers.   Any availability to help on one or both days please let Adele know headcoach@va12sc.org.au and we will get in touch to discuss the roster.

We also have two club boats for charter and if there are any kids who would like to graduate from the Sabot into the Flying 11 either as crew or helm, let Adele know and we will organise a try out day.

Volunteers needed

Dear members,

We are looking forward to re-opening the club on the 24th of October. To keep our club operational, we rely on teams of volunteers to maintain the clubhouse, canteen, club boats and manage on-water activities. Thank you to the members who have already volunteered for roles this season. However we are still looking for volunteers to help in the canteen, launching support ribs, rigging boats and water safety. If you are interested in volunteering in these areas, please email sailing@va12sc.org.au with your preference.

VA12SC Committee

Start of the 2021-2022 Sailing Season

Based on the latest New South Wales government COVID-19 vaccination targets, VA12SC Committee expects the club will be able to reopen on the 24th of October. View the updated club calendar here. Provided we can reopen, the Sunday Sailing School will commence on the 24th of October. Places are limited in our course and are selling fast, book now to avoid disappoint. All covid safe protocols will be implemented in accordance with the NSW Health guidelines.

We are a volunteer club and rely on memberships to support our activities. Please renew your club membership for this season.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the club for a great season.

2021-2022 Season Start Postponed until the 10th of October.

Good Morning All.

Our season was programmed to begin this weekend but with the current lockdown and restrictions, we have had to postpone the season start. At this stage we are hoping to get a start with the new school term early in October with both the sailing school and racing beginning on Sunday the 10th of October.

Of course, this could be pushed out even further, so please stay tuned and check Kutti News every Thursday morning for the latest from the club. We look forward to seeing you all soon.

Stay Safe!

VA12SC Committee.

Annual Fees Due.

It is the time of year again when the club approaches the members for the annual subscriptions.  

In this most unusual year, the Committee acknowledges the negative impact Covid-19 has had on access to the clubhouse, sailing school and all associated activities. 

Notwithstanding the above, the club still has a variety of financial obligations it must meet and requires membership subscriptions to satisfy these.

The committee will be sending out a reminder to pay your annual fees in the next few days so please get on board and join up for another great summer at VA12SC.

Working Bee

The whole idea of a club is that you leave it better than you found it.

Normally we would be hosting working bees at the club this time of year.

We hope that an easing of restrictions will allow those within a 5 km radius to visit the club and lend a hand in the next few weeks.

If you think that you might be able to help then please let us know. The club is looking a little unloved after the winter and lockdowns, so there is plenty of jobs to be completed.

The committee will see what Gladys has to say this week and we will let you know the plans for completing tasks on our maintenance schedule as soon as we are able.

Thanks to you all!

2021-2022 Sabot Nationals Update from SNSWSSA

Dear all,

On behalf of the SNSW Sabot Sailing Association we hope you and your family are staying safe and well.  

With the most recent outbreak of Covid19 in NSW we have been discussing with the NNSW Sabot association the upcoming round of States and the National regatta - both of which are due to be held at Teralba Amateur Sailing Club on Lake Macquarie.  

The update from Australian Sailing this week, following an "all sports" meeting with the NSW Office of Sport and the Minister for Sport, unfortunately did not have any news for us on when we can resume organised sport, or what the rules will look like post lockdown.  The most helpful thing they were told is "encourage your members to get vaccinated (if they are eligible), as the strong message coming from the NSW Government is that fully vaccinated people will have greater freedoms in the near future".

Whilst it is still not clear what the sailing season might look like we are working towards being able to conduct as much racing as possible in accordance with any Government Health Orders and advice at that time.  We are working on contingency plans.  We also know sailors will be keen to sail at their local clubs once the sailing season opens.  

We need "Expressions of Interest" for Nationals/Sabot week please - see more information below and follow the link to a survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MDCPLYH

Regatta Dates:

2021/22 SNSW Zone Championship

19-20 March 2022 - host club to be confirmed

2021/22 NSW State Championship

Round 1: 30-31 October 2021 - Teralba Amateur Sailing Club (POSTPONED)

Round 2: 12-13 February 2022 - Lane Cove 12ft Sailing Skiff Club

Round 1 has been postponed with rescheduled dates to be confirmed.

2021/22 National Championship and Sabot Week: 27th December 2021 - 3rd January 2022

Teralba Amateur Sailing Club - Lake Macquarie

Program: 27th - 28th Dec Registration; 28th Dec Invitation race; 29th Dec - 3rd Jan Nationals/Sabot week Regatta (with 1 January a lay day)

At this time the National/Sabot Week Regatta is going ahead at Teralba for the scheduled dates above.  In the event this is not possible as a National level regatta, due to Covid19 border closures (or stay at home orders), a contingency plan being considered is to continue to hold a sailing regatta at Teralba for NSW sailors only, of which 2 days would become Round 1 of the States.  We would hope this planning could give Teralba Sailing Club some certainty in their planning and also families some confidence, when booking accommodation and making holiday plans, of a regatta going ahead. 

The contingency plans for a rescheduled Nationals/Sabot Week (still being explored with Teralba Sailing Club)  could then be either late January 2022 or the April 2022 school holidays.  

Expressions of Interest - Please Action

To assist with general and contingency planning the organising authority is requesting an expression of interest for Nationals/Sabot Week from families.  Please follow the link and complete the survey for each of your sailors.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MDCPLYH

We hope the above responses may guide plans for the organising authority and ultimately give some certainty for SNSW families wanting to make accommodation bookings.

The priority remains the health and safety of sailors, their families and the organising club volunteers.  We appreciate your assistance in completing this EOI to help form any future decisions please.

See you all on the water (hopefully soon!).

Any questions please contact your club rep or myself.

Kind regards
Vanessa

Vanessa De Bono

President SNSW Sabot Association

e: vanessa.debono@hotmail.com

m: +61 428 072 505

Reminder. Strict Club Usage Rules are in Place for September.

As a result of the increased restrictions on movement within Sydney, we need to remind members that the use of the club must comply with these new travel limits, and all other current NSW government restrictions.

In addition to the below reminders, you must NOT attend the club if you reside more than 5km from the club.

The club is currently operating as a storage facility, and members must only access the club to retrieve or store their boats.

Remember:

If you attend the club, you MUST:

- check in using the QR code

- wear a mask at all times whilst inside the club

You must NOT attend the club if:

- you are in a group of more than two if you are with people other than your household

- your attendance would result in more than two people in the club at any one time.

- you or anyone in your household are required to isolate

- your attendance would contravene any current health orders

Thanks again to everyone for following all the current guidelines while accessing the club, and we look forward to seeing everyone back on the water as soon as possible. 

Stay safe.

VA12SC Committee