Women Wage War on Water 

  The 18th Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta was held over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, and at least 18 Geelong ladies journeyed to the sail site to join 17 yachts plus crews from four Australian states who were prepared to battle out a weekend’s racing on Port Phillip Bay. All were prepared to race in whatever conditions the weatherman threw at them and the calibre of the ladies taking part was such, that all were disappointed to have such calm weather conditions! 
  Despite this, the Geelong girls were more than happy with their weekend’s fun. That is, all except the skipper of Chicks Escape, Joanne Norbury who, after the last race, found that a boat’s boom cannot be elbowed out of the way. Checked by a doctor from another boat, sent to the Alfred, no break but the biggest haematoma they had seen without a fracture. 
  The first race on Saturday was delayed due to little or no wind, then, just 30 seconds before the start of Race 2, the wind shifted 30 degrees. This gave contestants a straight beat to the top mark … where most boats sat before the raffle of who gets a bit of breeze. 
  Monday dawned with more flat glassy water, dark skies and lower temperatures. To while away the time, the Geelong crews rafted up and the lads on the Geelong support boat, The Bookie joined in. Dave Kent pulled out his guitar and a mini concert was held with the girls giving voice while waiting for the breeze. 
  Lucy Townson on the helm of Imaginer showed her skills at starting, winning five out of the six. Imaginer also beat the other two S80s over the line four out of six times, and in one race they beat ‘Chicks’ by over nine minutes. Sadly, Rae Sofficer (or his offsider, Andy of the Capper family), saw fit to heavily handicap them. 
  The big Beneteau Savoir Faire, affectionately called ‘The Big Sav’ had a pretty good over-the-line record beating other Geelong crews over the line in every race. Sadly Andy and Rae clobbered them as well. Savoir Faire was skippered by Raewyn Hansen with a crew of Christy O’Brien, Janet Terode, Sonya, ‘Yaz’, Lynda, ‘Fi’, Chris and Andrea from RGYC assisted by Julie, Chrissy and Robyn Brooke (their leader) from the Sandringham Yacht Club. 
  But it was the S80, Chicks Escape who could throw their chests out to take great pride in being third overall in the championships. Sailing on board the ‘Chicks’ were Joanne Norbury (skipper, cockpit and navigator), Emma Kirkhope (cockpit), Celeste Barron on foredeck, Sue Beretta on the main, Genevieve Pop, the ex-Cadet Captain of RGYC on the helm and Deirdre Matthews at the mast and foredeck. 
  The only RGYC girl crewing on the Sandringham boat Louisco, Bec Bohling, enjoyed second place and the ‘hybrid’ crew of Lucy Townsend, Teri Dodds and members of Sandringham and Brighton Yacht Clubs onboard Imaginer were sixth overall. 

 Bob Appleton 

Fort Phillip Signal Station 

  Vexillographer, John Vaughan saw his dream come true on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. After actively lobbying for almost 30 years, a new 30 metre, fully rigged timber flagstaff has been dedicated at Sydney Observatory on the site of the Fort Phillip Signal Station. 
  The prominence of Observatory Hill was ideal for relaying flag messages from South Head Signal Station to inform the residents of old Sydney what ship was off the coast, the cargo she might be carrying, the place she had set sail from and whether she was friend or foe. 
  The first signal flags flown at Observatory Hill date back 200 years to 1808 and Sydney Observatory is now celebrating its 150th anniversary. 
  The extraordinary signalling system devised by Captain John Nicholson RN, Sydney Harbour Master in the 1830s once extended, via relay masts, as far as Government House, Parramatta. It was then a vital and high-tech means of communication. 
  Now, in addition to the original colonial numeral and descriptive signal flags, new designs representing the planets, phases of the moon and constellations will be featured together with the daily maximum temperature. 
  The magnificent timber flagstaff, built by George Oxenbridge and rigged by Ross Pearce, is traditionally constructed of the finest native timbers available from the north coast of New South Wales. The provision of the flagstaff was made possible by the generosity of the Bruce and Joy Reid Foundation through their son, David and the Reid family. 

Shipbuilders return to Cockatoo Island 

  Former shipwrights, engineers and fitters & turners will return to Cockatoo Island to begin work on restoring a 30ft wooden launch from the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney (III). 
  Working on restoring this unusual craft will be a team of volunteers, some of whom worked on Cockatoo Island when it was Australia’s biggest shipyard. With specialist skills and a passionate interest in maritime machinery, the team is helping to save the island’s industrial and maritime history. 
  Materials conservator David McBeath leads the volunteers and worked on Cockatoo Island himself as an apprentice during the 1970s. 
  “We’ve been working together for a year now and have built up a great sense of teamwork,” said Mr McBeath. “About half the gang originally worked on the island when it was a working shipyard. Now after spending much of their working lives on Cockatoo, they are coming back to work on projects that they are passionate about.” 
  The volunteer conservation team have already completed a number of heritage projects. They restored one of Cockatoo Island’s signature cranes, and recently saved an 18th century cannon, like those used during the Napoleonic War. They will soon begin work on re-instating a 74-foot flagstaff that once stood on top of the island and was used to hoist flags to alert everyone when workers were being hired. 
  The launch was built in 1945 in England. It is the only remaining example of its type in Australia. It was used by the HMAS Sydney, which was converted from an aircraft carrier to a troop transport in the early 1960s and refitted at Cockatoo in 1967. 
  Once the launch is restored, it will be exhibited on the island and at boat shows, and perhaps, like its saviours, it will be back at work on Cockatoo Island. 
  The Volunteer Conservation Team is looking for interested people to join the group and can tailor a project to fit your skills or interests. To find out more visit the Harbour Trust’s website: www.cockatooisland.gov.au or phone Catherine Enright on (02) 8969 2112. 

Squadron honours its Olympic sailors 

  The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron has honoured two club members who will be part of the Australian sailing team at the Beijing Olympic Games, naming Nathan Outteridge and Karyn Gojnich as the RSYS Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. 
  Nathan was awarded the Idris Cup, Karyn the Joanne Trophy, both being for excellence in local, national and international sailing competition. Commodore Bill Wood announced the awards at the 2007-2008 Sailing Season Prizegiving at the Kirribilli clubhouse, although neither Nathan nor Karyn were able to be present. Both are competing in regattas in Europe in the lead-up to the Olympic sailing regatta that will be held at Qingdao, China, from 16-21 August, Nathan as the helmsman in the 49er skiff, Karyn as mainsheet trimmer in the Yngling keelboat. 
  A third Squadron member competing at the Olympics will be Iain Murray, skipper of the Star class two-man keelboat. 
  The highlight of the past year for Nathan Outteridge and his crew, Ben Austin, has been winning the 49er World Championship in Melbourne in January and then being selected for the 2008 Olympic Games. 
  In a message, Nathan said he was honoured to receive the Squadron award that in the past has been won by “some real legends of sailing.” 
  Nathan added that he was often asked, as he competed at high profile events around the world in the 49er, “why do you sail for the RSYS when they don’t race 49ers?” 
  “My answer is that I like to support people who have supported me; I am proud to be a member of this club and very appreciative of the help it has given me,” Nathan added in his message. 
  Called by some ‘the Sailing Mum’, Karyn Kojnich will be competing in the Olympic Games for the third time, with a great support team in her husband John and their two children, Amy (14) and Zoe (12). 
  Karyn is a classic example of a Sydney girl growing up in sailing and attaining the heights of international and Olympic competition. Always, a mainsheet trimmer, she started sailing at the age of eight with the Lane Cove Sailing Club, her first event being the Sabot two-up club championship. Her first Olympic Games was in 1988 when she and Nicky Bethwaite, also a Squadron member, sailed in the women’s 470 class at the Seoul Games in South Korea, the first time in Olympic sailing history that there was a specific class for women sailors. They finished a most credible sixth. 
  In 2000 Karyn teamed up again with her ‘old sailing mate’ Nicky Bethwaite to win selection for the women’s keelboat class (the Yngling) at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. A 13th in the Ynglings was “OK”, but it made Karyn determined to do better at Qingdao. 
  Unfortunately, Nicky had to withdraw from the team following a mountain bike accident late last year and Krystal Weir took over the helming position. 

Peter Campbell. 

  The three-boat Trask Development Corporation team looked to the Toukley (NSW) round of the F1 Superboat series as the first opportunity to support the 2008 Aussie F1 circuit. 
  The Toukley round proved challenging on all fronts. Bob Trask was all geared up and set to run his F1 rig, as was son Grant in his F2000 boat. But Dave Trask decided to sit out the round and go fishing instead. 
  Bob Trask’s first race came to a premature end with a back running rolling on the penultimate lap. 
  Fortunately for Bob Trask the red flags came out at the same time as his prop let go in the second race, with a boat disabled on the start line. A swift prop change and the number 19 TDC boat was ready for the re-start. 
  Running hard along the back straight, the TDC boat suddenly stopped in a massive shower of spray coming from the back of the boat. The engine had blown, locking up in the process. DNF in heat two. 
  Back in the pits, the race team again worked feverishly removing the busted powerhead and fitting a fresh unit. Bob was ready in time to contest the third heat only to experience a second blown powerhead on the opening lap. Bob sat the race out on the sidelines dejectedly watching the action. 
  This left Grant Trask with the opportunity to do justice to the Trask family name. And he did so with great distinction. 
  Contesting the F2000 class, Grant races a GTR hull powered by a Mercury SST 120 race engine. After taking pole position in qualifying by a full two seconds, Grant set about a total clean sweep of the three heats coming home in first place in each race. 
  “Grant is developing into an excellent driver,” Bob Trask said. “I watch his driving every time he is on the water and I’ve got to hand it to the kid, he can drive!” 

Primary school children study Virtual Sailing 

  Virtual Sailing, manufacturers of the only advanced sailing simulator VSail-Trainer, have begun a coaching trial in Melbourne, Australia. The trial aims to explore novel methods and develop new protocols for teaching youngsters how to sail. 
  Virtual Sailing in conjunction with Altona Sailing Club selected a small primary school in Melbourne’s west, where sailing is a rare activity. Ten students from Grade 4 with an average age of 9-10 were the lucky ones chosen to participate. 
  “It doesn’t take them long,” said Virtual Sailing coach John Mooney. “After all, how long is it since you saw an adult instruct a teenager on how to use a mobile phone? This generation is not afraid to experiment and try things, it is like a game to them. 
  “It’s progressing well, considering that not one of the students had ever been on a sailboat before, only two could swim, and some were understandably very nervous to try sailing. 
  “On water coaching takes a lot of time dealing with fears and anxieties which spring from the sailor not knowing what to do or what is going to happen next. Instructors spend a lot of time teaching the ‘language of sailing’. 
  “Virtual Sail-Boat eliminates most of that,” said Mooney. “They learn the terminology over the whole course, we don’t need it to begin sailing.” 
  Contact Virtual Sailing www.virtualsailing.com.au 

Club bounces back with Youth Training Program 

  Dobroyd Aquatic Club has bounced back following the fire that destroyed the club house and 40 boats in 2005. Well known for its learn to sail program which is booked out two years in advance, the club has launched a new training program to develop the skills of teenage sailors in the Laser 4.7 and Radial rigs. 
  Two youth squads will receive monthly on-water coaching, and three one-day intensive training sessions during school holidays. 
  “The program is designed to build a strong team ethos,” Club Commodore, Tim Foster said. “While developing advanced sailing skills and preparing young sailors to compete successfully at a national, and eventually international level.” 
  James Burman, Australia’s number two Laser sailor, will provide some of the coaching, along with Principal Coach, Trevor Larance and Tim Foster. 
  Those interested in joining the program will need their own Laser. They should visit www.dobroydsailing.com or email commodore@dobroydsailing.com for further information. 

Sailors aid country yacht club 

  Following the disastrous fire on 27 February which destroyed close to $160,000 worth of boats and equipment belonging to the 46-yearold Bendigo Yacht Club, the woes of the water-deprived club seem to multiply. The club hasn’t been able to sail effectively on Lake Eppalock since 2006. 
  Destroyed in the blaze were three rescue craft, nine training boats, a tractor, 12 boats belonging to members, a ride-on mower and all of the club’s racing marker buoys. Then, out of this sheer disaster, a ‘fairy godmother’ arose, (looking very much like the Commodore of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club) who took immediate action when told of the Bendigo club’s plight. 
  After quick discussions with his committee, a rapid stock-take was conducted and it was decided to donate approximately $20,000 worth of boats and equipment to the Bendigo Yacht Club. 
  So far, a number of International Cadets have ‘landsailed’ to Bendigo and just last month, the Commodore of the Bendigo Club, accompanied by other members of his club were very happily taking possession of the last of the donations, the RIB (or rubber duck), that the Geelong club had affectionately name Donald. 
  Completing the craft and clamped firmly on the stern was a comparatively new 40hp outboard motor. This made the gift an immediately functional piece of much needed equipment. 
  “First to get the five training craft, which immediately filled a void, and now to get a rescue boat as well is generosity to the extreme,” said Rowan Gillies, Commodore of Bendigo YC. 
  “We were simply being citizens in the yachting world,” said Graeme Ritchie Commodore of RGYC. 
  The Royal Geelong Yacht Club recently won the Yachting Australia’s national award for promoting the sport of yachting. 

Bob Appleton 

Hughie cleans up in NS1 

  Hugh Tait from Killara and Tara McCall, Northbridge, have finished off a remarkable year by winning an impressive collection of trophies which include the National Championships, NSW State Championships, 
  ACT Championships, QLD State Championships, NSW Metropolitan Trophy, NSW Travellers Trophy and the Northbridge Sailing Club Championship. 
  To cap off this outstanding season, over weekend of the 17-18 May the NS14 class held a Champion of Champions regatta where champions from the past came together for an eight race series over two days hosted by Concord & Ryde Sailing Club. Eleven champions took up the challenge; these were Hugh Tait, Martin Thearle, Stephen Jones, Adrian Nash, Michael Nash, Phil Darby, Michael Bochner, father and son Vic and Glenn Hammond and Robin Rae. 
  Hugh Tait had a convincing win from Martin Thearle and Stephen Jones took third. The ex-champions were all given boats and young crews that are currently part of the association. 
  The event was a great success with close fast racing and great reaching legs. The champions are keen to hold the event annually. 
  Visit www.ns14.org or contact Russell Moore on 9608 1125. 

The Marine Exchange 

  Well-known boating shop for secondhand and new chandlery, The Marine Exchange, is relocating online after 24 years in the same location. 
  Peter and Betty Gossell have owned the Marine Exchange for 19 years. Due to difficulties with the continuing five years of road works on Tom Uglys Bridge near their shop, they have decided to close their shop front and enter cyberspace. 
  You can find them on the worldwide web at www.marinexchange.com.au Or on their ebay store, Marine Exchange <www.search.ebay.com. au> (search ‘Find Stores’ with name of store). They can still be contacted by phone on 02 9522 4471. 
  Peter and Betty wish to take this opportunity to thank all their loyal customers over the many years who have shared their stories and dreams. They now look forward to an email from you: info@marinexchange.com.au 

Kids to journey from 18th to 19th century these winter holidays … by boat! 

  From learning to become 18th century sailhands to making a rubberband propelled toy boat inspired by 19th century toys, there’s plenty happening at the National Maritime Museum these holidays to keep children entertained. 

Endeavour Recruits … weekdays during the holidays 

  Captain Cook has returned to the museum and instructed his officers to look for new recruits for the voyage to England on board the HM Bark Endeavour. 
  Kids are invited to join in the Captain’s challenges and see whether they have what it takes to become an 18th century sailor on Cook’s vessel of discovery. 
  The 30 minute sessions will run each Monday to Friday during the school holidays (7-11 & 14-18 July) at 11am, 12pm and 1pm. The Holiday Fun Ticket is $7 per child and includes entry to both Endeavour Recruits and Kids Deck. Adults free. 

Kids Deck: Bateaux Jouets … 6 – 20 July 2008 

  Every day of the winter school holidays kids can make their very own toy paddlewheel boat, with elastic band propulsion, to take home and try out in the bath tub – they do float! 
  Then take on their friends in our custom-built wooden ‘pond’ maze…which boat will be the first to make it to the centre of Paris? There’s even a selection of French-themed period costumes to dress up in as you race. 
  Themed around the museum’s current major exhibition Bateaux Jouets – toy boats from Paris 1850-1950, the hourly Kids Deck sessions will run daily from 10am to 4pm. 
  Entry is included in the Holiday Fun Ticket at $7 per child, adults free. Recommended for children 5-12 years old. 

Bastille Day: Battle of the Bateaux … Monday 14 July 2008 

  Celebrate Bastille Day in French style by seeing Bateaux Jouets and then taking on your friends or family in our remotecontrol boat bonanza. 
  This free interactive, on-water spectacle will see young and old competing throughout the day as they race remotecontrolled laser yachts and speedboats to the finish line. 
  The racing yachts and speedboats are the very latest in remote control technology, with many of the boats scale models of existing yachts. 
  The Battle of the Bateaux races will run from 11am to 3pm on Monday 14 July. Entry is free. 

  Paralympic rower, John Maclean was once told that the best thing that ever happened to him was being hit by an eight tonne truck! That was 20 years ago. Now, he may just be willing to believe it. 
  John has been selected in adaptive pairs rowing with fellow athlete Kathryn Ross at this year’s Beijing Paralympic Games and in the process become the first Australian athlete to compete at an Olympic, Paralympic or World Championship event in five different disciplines. 
  John expects this achievement will be the last instalment in a long list of amazing firsts as he winds down an impressive sporting career. 
  John has swum the English Channel, sailed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, completed the Hawaiian Ironman Competition (in ‘able-bodied’ cut off times) and was a 1500m wheelchair finalist at the Sydney Paralympic Games demonstration event. 
  John was an aspiring rugby league player with the Penrith Panthers and a triathlon competitor when he was hit by a truck whilst cycling during a training session. Suffering 17 fractures overall, he lost the use of his legs and became a paraplegic. 
  In the 20 years since John’s accident, he has proven himself to be one of Australia’s toughest athletes and has been showered in accolades; including the Order of Australia Medal, induction into the Hawaiian Ironman Hall of Fame and the Australian Sports Medal. 
  John’s rowing partner, Kathryn Ross has a deformity with her right leg, which was acquired during an accident with a ride-on lawnmower. Like John, whom she cites as one of her biggest inspirations, Kathryn has refused to let her accident stop her living her life to its full potential. 
  Now, less than three months out from the 2008 Paralympic Games, John and Kathryn are executing an intense training regime of up to three sessions a day and hand cycling up to 30kms in a bid to increase upper body strength. The pair has even undergone biomechanics testing and attached sensors to their oars that measure stroke force and angles. 
  There’s no question that John and Kathryn are two strong-willed athletes that will do anything and everything in their power to improve the chance of bringing home gold this September. 

Boating Fatalities in Australia 

  The National Marine Safety Committee has released The Boating Fatalities in Australia 1999-2004 Report – a national analysis of fatal injury due to boating in Australia. 
  The study, written by Associate Professor Dr Peter O’Connor using information from ABS data and coroners’ files, shows that 241 people died in 196 boating incidents between 1999 and 2004, and a further 33 people were injured but survived. 
  NMSC CEO Maurene Horder said the data would inform decisions on marine safety policy and education programs in order to reduce injuries and fatalities on Australian waters. 
  “Boating fatalities present a tremendous loss and strain on families and a huge cost to the community. Between 1992 and 2004, boating fatalities cost the Australian community $60 million per year and we estimate that by this year the total cost would have exceeded one and a half billion dollars,” Horder said. 
  Ms Horder explained that combined with information from the earlier National Assessment of Boating Fatalities in Australia 1992-1998 Report, the NMSC now has comprehensive data on boating fatalities for the past 12 years. 
  “For example, the two studies show that 574 people died in Australian waters between 1992 and 2004, an average of 48 people per year – 48 people too many in my opinion.” 

Main Findings 

Environmental Conditions – Most of the incidents occurred in favourable environmental conditions (77% occurred in calm to moderate seas). 
Incident Events – The sequence of events resulting in a boating death was initiated most often by capsize of the vessel (19%), a person falling overboard (10%) or swamping of the vessel (11%). When all significant events were considered, a fall overboard was the most common event (33% of the events noted). Capsize was responsible for 16% of all incident events. 

Contributing Factors 

  The initial contributing factor in 74% of incidents was a human cause, mainly alcohol, (21%) or an error of judgement (10%). 
  When all contributing factors were considered, the top five were error of judgement, alcohol, failure to keep a proper look-out, hazardous wind and/ or sea conditions and failure to wear a PFD. 
Personal Flotation Devices – People can double their chances of surviving just by wearing a personal flotation device. (The first and second studies found that people found alive were two times more likely to have been wearing a PFD). 
Vessel Type – 81% of vessels were for recreational purposes and 19% were commercial vessels, mainly commercial fishing boats. However, dinghies continue to be the most common type of vessel involved in fatal incidents (36%). 
Vessel Length – Forty-four percent of the vessels were 4-6 metres in length, with 74% less than 6 metres. Average boat length was 5.9 metres, an increase from the first fatality study (5.6 metres). 
Vessel Power – There was an apparent large increase in the frequency of overpowered and overloaded vessels. (When considered against the Australian Standard AS 1799 method for calculating the maximum engine power for existing vessels, which is known to be conservative, 74% of the vessels in which some-one was killed were overpowered). 
Vessel Operator – People killed in boating incidents are older than observed in the first fatality study. 94% of operators were male and 48% of operators were aged over 50 years compared to 36% in the first study. Ms Horder said that the results of this survey would also be considered by the Australian New Zealand Safe Boating Group (ANZSBEG) to determine the topic for the 2008-2009 summer boating education campaign. 
  The NMSC aims to achieve nationally uniform marine safety practices and is made up of the CEOs of Australia’s marine safety agencies. For further details, or to download a copy of the Report, visit www.nmsc.gov.au.