The Squadron fielded 33 Youth and four Adult sailors at this year's Sail Sydney event hosted by Woolahra sailing Club from 12-15 December.

It was a great event for our young sailors.  They were treated to light and shifty winds for the first three days and finished off the event in a strong NE seabreeze.  Many of our more experienced competitors reached the podium of their respective classes, and there were some very pleasing performances from our newer Members.  Everyone had a terrific time over the four days of racing.

The Opti fleet was coached by each day by Charlotte Griffin and the Lasers had a varied coaching staff during the event led by Mike Leigh, Locky Pryor, Zac Quinlan and Oskar Hansen.

The event was held across 4 different courses.  The RSYS managed Course Area D with Ian Kingsford Smith as the Race Officer and assisted by Susan Wade, Bill Fleming, Kylie Wilson, Phil Maloney, Campbell McKay, Karyn Gojnich, Geoff Davidson and David Ritchard onboard the committee boats and safety boats.  The team worked long hours from 9-6pm most days and over the duration of the regatta ran over 30 races.

Sail Sydney began as a test event for the 2000 Olympics and has grown in recent years to become the dinghy event with the largest number of participants in the Southern hemisphere. Hundreds of competitors travelled to and across Australia to enjoy four days of high-class, adrenaline-filled racing for all dinghy classes.

 

 
Congratulations to our Squadron Youth sailors:

Int 420 
-    1st Jack Ferguson (crew)
-    4th Ryan Littlechild (helm)
-    7th Gretel Payne (crew)

Laser 4.7 - above
-    3rd Xavier McLachlan
-    5th Kane Sablatnig
-    9th Garth Bickford
-    10th Connor Warner
-    14th Thomas Whitehead
-    15th Oliver McLachlan
-    16th Ella Delaney
-    17th Hamish Crabb
-    19th Isobel Payne

Laser Radial - above
-    2nd Otto Henry (pictured above)
-    4th Mark Louis
-    5th Jack Littlechild
-    7th Zac West
-    8th Brooke Wilson (pictured top)
-    9th Daniel Costandi
-    11th Marlena Berzins
-    14th Evie Saunders
-    15th Mina Ferguson
-    24th Ian Louis
-    25th Annabelle Connery
-    27th Ashton Scott

Laser Standard
-    2nd Finn Alexander
-    9th Campbell Patton

Techno Plus
-    3rd Vaughan O’Shea (pictured below)

Optimist Intermediate
-    7th Ben Tattersall
-    8th Stirling McKay
-    10th Raphael McLachlan
-    12th TJ Ly
-    16th Viraj Gupta
-    17th Patrick McLachlan
-    18th Flynn Winton

Optimist Open
-    13th Spencer McKay
-    25th Benedict McKay
-    37th Harriet McLachlan

On-water photos by John West Photography

Others by Karyn Gojnich

This season we are celebrating our fifth year with our partner Paspaley, and sixteen years of Ladies Twilight racing on a Tuesday evening.  In the first season back in 2004 there were four races in November and four in February.  This season we kicked off with three weeks of ‘practice’ in October, have a 12 race series with 6 races in November and December, we have two non-point score races in January, and then the remaining six races in the series starting February.

Our numbers continue to grow.  We have 21 boats entered in the Ladies Mixed Division, 12 in the Ladies One Design Division and 8 in the Open Mixed Division. Welcome to The Count, Joli, Whistling Kite, The Jackal, Saga and Handsoff who are all sailing their first Tuesday Twilights with us.

Thank you to all of the skippers and boat owners that have once again taken on our Ladies of the Sea (LOTS) and keelboat course graduates.  It makes a huge difference to be able to reinforce the lessons learned on the club’s Elliotts, but it is also a great way to grow our club community. If you are not on a boat yet, or you have room on your boat for one or two more, please let me know.

Last week I think we were all wondering if we would make it around the course with the ENE breeze under 10 knots eventually fading and being replaced by a light westerly, forcing some boats to have to work upwind back to the club.  It was a tough decision for our race officer Trish Stanley to send us on a full course. Special mention must go to the Ladies on Cavatina, the first boat to start but not quite able to get back to the finish before sunset.  Next time it is light, keep an eye out for Code Flag ‘S’ before the start, indicating a shortened course.

Congratulations to Ros Bradley of Meridian, above, on being the first boat home in the Ladies Mixed Division.  Second was Annabel Hammond (Richard & Jill Hammond’s daughter) on Kookaburra, pictured below, and third was Kate McCann and the crew on Coco.  It was a close tussle all the way around the course between Elliott 4 - Nikki O'Shea and The Jackal helmed by Amy Gojnich (yes, my daughter).  The Jackal took the win on corrected time, second was Jan Newland on Yertle and third Nikki O'Shea on Elliott 4.  Kim Ketelby and her crew on Elliott 1 found out the hard way that they had not secured the spinnaker halyard with a good bowline, and just 6 seconds separated Olga Skatkova on Elliott 3 and Courtney Harris and the Youth Sailing mums on Elliott 2.

In the Open Division, the new crew shirts made all the difference for Chris and Jan Harper and the crew on Crackerjack taking the win. Tangaroa skippered by Tony Gooch was second and James Merrington and the crew on Mercier third.

Congratulations to Sophie Nelson and the Lively crew who were closest to their start time, and Melissa Taylor who won the lucky door prize, below.  Finally, a big thank you to Eve Shepherd and crew Charles, Anne and Tash from Trilogy who handled the presentation.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 10 December, will be the first race in our three race sub-series.  The Ladies non-spinnaker division will race for The Gypsy Moth IV trophy, the original starboard winch from the Gypsy Moth IV sailed in Sir Francis Chichester's solo journey around the world in 1967.  The Ladies spinnaker division will compete for the Bluebird trophy which was inspired by the Warn sisters, Joyce and Patricia, who started their long sailing career in Bluebirds, moved on to Dragons and later to Ynglings.  Joyce, pictured below right, is one of our regular race committee on the verandah on a Tuesday night helping with recording.

Tuesday 17 December is our final race before Christmas, so please 'Join the Spirit', have some fun and come in fancy dress and decorate your boats - I will have a little prize for the best in show!

I look forward to seeing you on the water.

Karyn Gojnich
RSYS Captain captain@rsys.com.au
Tuesday Twilight Co-ordinator 
 

A record 16 boats joined us for the Twilight race on Sunday 8 December.  It was a spectacular evening on the Harbour with 13 - 18 knots from the ENE.  A cruise ship leaving Circular Quay at approximately 4:00pm provided a challenge for competitors trying to work out which side of the Harbour to sail to keep out of its way.

Once again it was fast finishing Assassin with Phil Cutts taking the win in the Non-Spinnaker Division.  Second was As You Do helmed by Alexandra Curtin followed by Amy Gojnich on Solacious. In the One-Design Spinnaker division it was 'Team Miller', pictured below, who tapped into some help from our Optimist sailors, who took the win.  Our Optimist sailors had already had an afternoon on the water with their own Youth dinghy racing but backed up for the Sunday Twilight.  Second was Tissa Jayasekera on Elliott 2, and third overall was Yertle helmed by Warrick Back.  

Many thanks to our Squadron volunteer race officers Joyce Wayne and and Susan Wade who were our race management team for the evening.

Our next Sunday Twilight will be held on 22 December. Dinner will be available in the Careening Cove.
Enter online here
Reserve a table in the CCA here (log into the members Area)
 

RSYS hosted the Pacific Rim Dragon Interport between Royal Hong Kong YC, Kansai Yacht Club and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron last weekend.  Unfortunately, Royal Vancouver YC was unable to field a team. 

The format of the event was three boat teams racing over six round robins. Club Dragons were rotated between the races to ensure fairness, and in true Corinthian spirit, Squadron team members were not permitted to sail their own boats. 

The Squadron was represented by most of the current Dragon sailors and past supporters of the Interport event.  Japan fielded a particularly strong team.  In the final result, RSYS and Kansai YC stood equal on matches won, but RSYS prevailed with a score count of 41 to 43.  The RO for the event was Jim Hawkins, himself a former Interport sailor, who did an excellent job completing four of the scheduled six round robins.  Sunday delivered fabulous conditions for teams racing.

A spectacular Gala dinner and presentation was held at our Club on Sunday night. I believe our guests very much enjoyed the entire event and their time being hosted by RSYS.  The next Interport will be at Kansai Yacht Club  in early 2021.

View final results here

View more photos here

Article by Richard Franklin
Photos by Darcie Collington Photography

Spend a day with us sailing on beautiful Sydney Harbour in the company of like-minded people. This fundraising regatta is a great way to give your company some exposure – boat and individual sponsorship packages are available. After racing, enjoy convivial post-race drinks and a carvery. Alternatively, spend a few hours playing Bridge in the Squadron's beautiful Carabella Room overlooking the harbour.

At the same time, you'll be helping Stepping Stone House give young Australians a new start in life. SSH has been helping young people to rebuild their lives for more than 30 years and RSYS has been the Principal Sponsor since 2000, hosting these popular annual Regattas and Bridge days.

We invite you to join us on Tuesday 24 March 2020 for some rounds of Bridge and/or Thursday 26 March 2020 for the Regatta.

Just a few hours of your time can make a lifetime's difference to disadvantaged young Australians. 

Bridge day information here

Regatta information here

RSYS Member Matt Allen AM has recently completed his tenure as President of Australian Sailing and will share his views on the sailing universe at a Squadron dinner event on Wednesday 29 January 2020. 

His address will encompass:

     - How he developed Australian Sailing and where he sees its future role.

     - What's new in World Sailing.

     - Looking ahead to Tokyo 2020 and other developments in Olympic sailing.

     - Ocean racing at the Grand Prix level, indepth look at Ichi Ban's success

Matt's talk will be followed by a Q & A session - so come prepared with your questions. 

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Event details
Date: Wednesday 29 January
Time: 6.30pm for 7pm start 
Venue: Carabella Room
Cost: $92 includes 2 courses and wines.

Members may book here

One of the Squadron’s Keelboat Program teams competed at the 2019 Musto International Match Racing Championship held by the CYCA in Rushcutters Bay. This was the second event for our team after their successful completion of 'The Harken' at RPAYC the week prior.

Led by Jed Cruickshank, the team, comprising Jack Littlechild, Charlotte Alexander, Jameson Prescott and Aiden Mansley, started the event strongly and held their own against some of the best sailors on the youth circuit, including last year's RSYS Hardy Cup winner Nick Egnot-Johnson.

Unfortunately, exhaustion from racing for 10 days straight eventually got the better of the team and they struggled to maintain their performance in the final two days of racing. Jed and his team ended the regatta in 12th overall but have placed themselves in a very good position in the lead up the Hardy Cup which will run at the Squadron from 2-6 February 2020. 

By Zac Quinlan

Photos CYCA Media

RSYS Members can enjoy a 15% discount for race day tickets - please contact the Sailing Office.

SailGP Season 2 will kick off in Sydney on February 28 and 29, 2020. National pride will be on the line as world class teams take part in dramatic, adrenaline-filled racing on the iconic Sydney Harbour.

Australia’s Tom Slingsby will be hungry to defend his championship title, looking to put early points on the leaderboard in front of a home crowd. Having become the first-ever sailor to break 50 knots (100 kph) during racing in Season 1, Slingsby will want to go faster on home soil. National teams from China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States will take on Australia and go head to head over a series of short-format races.

Sydney Harbour will provide a natural amphitheatre to showcase the incredible boats and athletes, with racing taking place centre stage. The best views will be from the exclusive SailGP island arena which will feature big screens for action replays and live race commentary. Includes boat transfers to and from Shark Island from Man O'War Steps, Sydney CBD on race day. Please note Shark Island is 18+ only. One day and two day tickets available.

Book tickets here

You can also watch the racing from the water. SailGP spectator boats, run by Captain Cook Cruises, get you to the heart of the action on Sydney Harbour. Open top boats offer an amazing view of the racing from inside the SailGP event exclusion zone, together with live race commentary. Boats are boarded from King St Wharf No1, Sydney CBD. Family friendly. One day and two day tickets available.

Book tickets here

Exclusive tours will be available to go behind the scenes at the SailGP technical base on Cockatoo Island. Get up close to the world-class athletes and shore teams as they make final preparations to the world's fastest sail racing boats - the F50s. Tours take place from Monday 17 to Thursday 27 February inclusive.

Book tickets here

The 2019 International Yngling Class Australian Championship was held over the three consecutive days from Friday 29 November at the Squadron.

The regatta attracted eight teams, including three who were participating in the Nationals for the first time.

This year the Yngling Class experimented with a new race schedule which involved two races on Friday afternoon, four races on Saturday and three races on Sunday. This enabled skippers and crew to attend work or study in the morning and resulted in greater participation in the regatta. The Yngling Class will review the effectiveness of this format for future National Championships. 

Friday afternoon (Races 1 and 2) saw ideal sailing conditions in a consistent 15 knot nor'easterly breeze. The first race will be remembered for its dramatic start: two boats were marked as 'OCS' and disqualified. This race was won by YAUS60 Miss Pibb, sailed by Hamish Jarrett, Max Hayman and Chris Pearson. Second place went to YAUS45 Karma, sailed by Gary Wogas, Cameron Sloey and Sarah Bartels, and third place went to YAUS19 Schadenfreude, sailed by a new team comprising Matthew Buckle, Sean O'Malley and Trent Lay. Miss Pibb came from behind to win this race on the last leg, despite having crossed the start line early and being forced to sail back around. Race 2 witnessed a less dramatic start, nevertheless will be remembered for the tight struggle between Schadenfreude  and YAUS27 Troika for third place - a mere 14 seconds separated the two boats. This race was again won by Miss Pibb, followed by Karma and Troika, sailed by Adam Tran, Fergus Ly and Michael Tang.

Saturday (Races 3 to 6) will be remembered for its extremely varied sailing conditions. The first race started in winds averaging 22 knots and later saw gusts of 32 knots, whereas the third race experienced average winds as low as five knots. Karma enjoyed its only win for the regatta in Race 3, beating Miss Pibb by 32 seconds, after Miss Pibb crossed the start line early and had to go back. Third place went to AUS4Wyandot, sailed by Bryan Riddell, Dimiter Nedialkov and Helen Impey. Race 4 foreshadowed the final regatta scratch results, with Miss Pibb regaining its edge over Karma, and third place going to YAUS56 Blackadder sailed by Gary Pearce, Ellis Todres and Rikke Kronborg. Just seven seconds separated the first and second place boats! These placings were maintained for Race 5. However Race 6 saw a surprise result: fleet newcomer Matthew Buckle, steered the newly refurbished Schadenfreude, pictured below, to second place, ahead of Karma and Blackadder. A decision by Miss Pibb to go left during the second upwind leg saw her opening up a substantial lead over the rest of the fleet, who went to the right.

On Sunday (Races 7 to 9) the conditions eased. A consistent 10-15 knot nor'easter and idyllic, sunny conditions made for an excellent day of racing ahead of looming stronger winds predicted later in the afternoon. During Race 7, Miss Pibb opened up a significant early lead over the rest of the fleet, after starting on the pin-end and sailing to the left, whilst the rest of the fleet sailed to the right. Race 9 was an extremely close race, with just seven seconds separating the top three boats. The results at the top of the fleet were consistent for all three races, with Miss Pibb, Karma, Blackadder and Schadenfreude respectively placing first, second, third and fourth in each race. The bottom of the fleet saw close racing between the relative newcomers on Troika, YAUS47 Mojo sailed by Kirstin Reblin, Julia Owens and Theresa Sarjeant, and YAUS58 Holly sailed by Lauren Wall, Elyse Guevara and Sumana Sukumar. Lauren Wall made her debut on the Yngling racing scene, helming the last day on Holly.

Crew of Miss Pibb: From L to R Max Hayman and Hamish Jarrett with AIYA President Adam Tran
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The 2019 International Yngling Class Australian Championship was won by Hamish Jarrett, Max Hayman and Chris Pearson on Miss Pibb.
Second place went to Gary Wogas, Cameron Sloey and Sarah Bartels on Karma.
Third place went to Gary Pearce, Ellis Todres and various crew members on Blackadder.

On scratch results, only one point separated third and fourth placed boats (Blackadder and Schadenfreude) and fifth and six place boats (Wyandot and Troika.)

L to R: Adam Tran with crew of Mojo, Kirstin Reblin, Julia Owens and Therese Sarjeant
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The Sirroco Trophy, awarded to the best all-female team, was awarded to Kirstin Reblin, Therese Sarjeant and Julia Owens on Mojo.

Full Scratch results:

1 - Miss Pibb (YAUS60)
2 - Karma (YAUS45)
3 - Black Adder (YAUS56)
4 - Schadenfreude (YAUS19)
5 - Wyandot (YAUS4)
6 - Troika (YAUS27)
7 - Mojo (YAUS47)
8 - Holly (YAUS58)

Article by Elyse Guevara, Adam Tran and Hamish Jarrett.

Many thanks to Karin Steyn and Dimiter Nedialkov for the great photos.

Once again the Squadron's Summer Holiday camps for kids and teens are upon us. The week-long camps take advantage of the club's prime position on Sydney Harbour and allow the sailors to explore the waterways from their own boats. The camps are run by Australian Sailing certified instructors and use both Tackers dinghies and Elliott 7s keelboats. 

This holiday's the Squadron will be running four camps with two in December 2019 and two in January 2020. All the camps will be a mix of learning to sail, exploring the harbour and lots of fun on the water.

The camps are open to both members and non-members and will be run rain, hail or shine. All the sailors will be provided with Zhik life-jackets for the camp. 

Camp Dates:
- Monday 9 - Thursday12 December 2019
- Monday 16 - Friday 20 December 2019
- Monday 6 - Friday 10 January 2020
- Monday 13 - Thursday 16 January 2020

For more information;

Click here for Kids Camps (8 - 12yrs old): rsys.com.au/training-top/kids-learn-to-sail

Click here for Teens Camps (13 - 18yrs old): rsys.com.au/training-top/teenager-learn-to-sail-keelboats

Photos: Zac Quinlan/Darcie Collington Photography