Sailing

The Tchum Lake Aquatic Club has ushered in a new era of leadership, with Alex Noonan taking the helm as president following Andrew Lee’s dedicated eight-year tenure ... One of the first challenges facing the new executive team is tackling the lake’s significant weed problem.

The annual LHI Yachties BBQ Cruise is a rare example of the alternative outlasting the original. It owes its existence to the limited number of visitor moorings in the Lagoon. Two decades ago, when the annual Gosford-Lord Howe Yacht Race was at its peak of popularity, the Race Committee had to turn away many entrants every year simply because they could not be accommodated. In response, some of those excluded entrants decided to cruise over from the mainland a week or two after the race as an informal group.

The Sailing Season officially started … and was scheduled to begin with the Alan Carson Memorial Commodore’s Cup ... the weather gods intervened. In the interest of safety the Race Officer of the Day declared racing abandoned ... The following weekend (12 October) there was a marked improvement in the weather conditions and 13 boats took to the water and racing was successfully completed.

Christine Webster. The owners of about 30 boats found themselves moored around Renmark after a build-up of silt and low River Murray levels in two areas prevented them from travelling to Wentworth, in south-west NSW, for a popular rally. Owners of the PB Curlew, Jim and Heather Maywald, from Good Hope Landing, east of Waikerie, said it was disappointing for the boat owners ...

During a visit to Sun City Yacht Club reporter Betheney A’vard talked to club members about their focus on introducing people to sailing but also found out about the Two Rocks community rallying together to seek heritage status for the area.

It was a great result for yacht Oroton Drumfire and her crew in the last Sydney-Hobart race. Vincent Kennedy ... was part of the winning team, taking out the PHS division and coming in 30th over the line in a fleet of 85.

A new local event on the Australia Day weekend is certain to attract participants and spectators. The Khancoban Lakefest incorporating the Khancoban Cup Raft Regatta will be the first of its kind on the picturesque waters of Khancoban Pondage.

The countdown is on for the 2023 South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF), which is set to take place this weekend (29-30 April). Thanks to major sponsors Coorong Quays, this year’s festival will be held at Hindmarsh Island’s – Alexandrina Cove, providing visitors with front-row seats to the action.

Cairn Curran Sailing Club is delighted to receive funding from Bendigo Bank for shade cloth ... Club members had been hoping to provide access to shade on the deck for many years and were thrilled when Bendigo Bank generously provided a grant of $12,000 towards the cost of the purchase and installation of the much-needed shade cloth.

We are thrilled to announce one of the SA Wooden Boat Festival's most iconic vessels, the PS Oscar W is back on the water this week and just in time for the launch of the festival’s official program. The final count-down is on towards the 29-30 April South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF) weekend.

It was a lifelong dream of a lifelong sailor and though it was to be a solo journey, his waking and sleeping hours were spent in the ‘company’ of his memories and erstwhile companions and friends ... When at his lowest ebb, along came the ghost of Sam, a friendly old sailor who kept Peter entertained through the long, lonely hours of the dog watch.

Helen Whiteman. Last Saturday saw the third and final race in the Pacer Series, designed to introduce our new and novice sailors to the rules of racing and competitive sailing ... Rob Champion also took the opportunity to bring along a friend and bring his father's Fireball out of retirement to race with the rest of the fleet.

The South Australian Wooden Boat Festival (SAWBF) will be sailing into new territory for the April 2023 Festival, with Coorong Quays hosting the two-day event at the Alexandrina Cove Lifestyle Village, Hindmarsh Island. This biennial occasion will showcase the finest wooden boats from our region and beyond.

Patricia Gill. Denmark's first St Ayles Skiff headed through the channel at the Rivermouth on Saturday marking the end of the 10-month community project to build the boat. Organiser David Cliff reflected on the project, quoting Ratty telling Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s novel, Wind in the Willows: “Believe me my young friend there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much fun as simply messing about in boats”.

Helen Whiteman. After sailing was cancelled the previous weekend for safety reasons, last weekend the weather proved to be excellent for the running of the annual ‘Up the Weir - Jack Ginnivan Trophy’ race in honour of  Jack Ginnivan, who was one of the founding members of the Club. 

…where was the wind when you need it most? The sailing season got off to a good start out at Cairn Curran last weekend, with sunny weather and a lake brimming with water. As one Cairn Curran Yacht Club member commented, “A beautiful day for everything except sailing.

Australia’s history is populated with maritime related stories. With over 1,000 rivers and a coast that stretches for more than 36,000 kilometres, it is no surprise that Australia abounds with stories of people who have lived and worked on the water. This exhibition presents some of those stories, exploring the remarkable connections between people and their boats.

For 19 years, the Lord Howe Island Classic race has just been growing stronger and stronger. It has a long and interesting history. The snag, of course (forgive the pun), is getting there. Australia’s best barbie is held on Lord Howe Island, 420 nautical miles from Sydney. To work up a hunger, most guests like to spend at least three days heading as close as possible to 060 degrees while making the best of the challenging breezes and currents.

I first came to Lord Howe Island via Middleton Reef on board my friends prawn trawler “Sea Dreamer” in 1975. Unfortunately, the “Sea Dreamer” was wrecked on the Clarence River Bar with loss of life of my friend in 1979. Yamba was the home port for “Sea Dreamer”.

Wayne Culph. In what could only be described as near perfect conditions, sailors at the Big River Sailing Club enjoyed a memorable day on the water last Saturday. A moderate sea breeze, a run out tide, the absence of storms, and some closely fought racing were all the ingredients that kept the smiles on the 20 skippers that contested the two races of the Handicap Series.

Wayne Culph. A warm Spring-day and a fresh sea breeze were the perfect backdrop for the first races of the new season at the Big River Sailing Club. Keen to take advantage of the recent easing of restrictions, a fleet of 22 boats assembled to contest Heats 1 and 2 of the Handicap Series.