News

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Saturday, 1 April 2006, La Laguna

In the first of this years Interclub events, we hosted 4 sailors from Ballina to some scratch sailing in light conditions.  A good time was had by all, and Brad with his almost brand new Cockatoo 2 won again, with 10; but on 31 there was a 3-way tie for second.  Unfortunately, Lindsay, one of our Ballina guests, in the countback only got fourth.  Roger with his even newer Cockatoo 2 was second.

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Saturday & Sunday, 25 & 26 March 2006, Gladstone

Five GCRYC members made the trip to Gladstone to compete in the Queensland IOM Championship, just as the second cyclone was out to sea south of Gladstone and moving down the coast.  They reported great sailing all in A rig.  Roger had his brand new Cockatoo 2, while Tony had a new front end on an old back end.

We have first-hand knowledge that Roger's boat was "seriously fast", but Allan was more consistent and finished second (well done!).  Roger was 8th with Bill one point back in 9th.  John and Tony were farther back.

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Sunday, 12 March 2006, Clear Island Waters

Today many of the gregarious sailors in our club had a sail or two in the lake at the eastern end of Boowaggan Road just north of the dog exercise area.  The water is wide open and it WAS windy , but the location has no facilities except some shared parking.  Interesting!

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Saturday, 11 March 2006, La Laguna

At an Extraordinary General Meeting today the Club accepted the resignation from office of our Commodore Brian Heneker.   The members at the meeting then elected Gareth Davis as the new Commodore to fill the vacancy.

Thank You, Brian, for all you have given the Club; and smooth sailing in the future - May all your winds be aft abeam.   And Good Luck to Gareth!   We are a large and very active club with two classes and a busy schedule.

Our racing season for 2006 started on 4 February and is now humming right along on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.   We have four racing series running simultaneously, two scratch start series and two handicap series, which won't end until the end of November.   We have a new handicap system designed by our very own handicapper and scorer.   It is too complicated to explain here, but there will soon be an article on this web page explaining all.

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Saturday, 3 December 2005, La Laguna

At the Monthly General Meeting this morning new and different scheduling of Series Racing was voted in for next year. From February to November there will be four series of 15 races each, two handicap series and two scratch series, one of each on Wednesdays, one of each, Saturdays. Each series will allow 3 dropped days, and each day of 6 races will allow 1 dropped race.  The same handicap system will be used continuously through both handicap series; it is an improved version of the percentile scores system used for the recent Saturday Handicap System.  Good Luck & Good Speed to all.

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Sunday, 27 November 2005, La Laguna

Bill Wright wins the Sth Qld 10 Rater Championship for 2005.  Starting yesterday, which was sunny and hot with patchy and light winds from the northeast, 12 boats sailed 16 challenging races; the lead changing several times.  Today's racing was under mostly cloudy skies with more and building wind more from the north.  After lunch some competitors reduced rigs, some didn't, to finish up 30 races just after 14:30 and just before some very black clouds closed in from the south.  Fortunately the first raindrops didn't fall until the trophy pictures were being taken.

Kevin Skues of the GCRYC was second just 13.2 points adrift, and Ben Leigh-Smith was third another 28 points back.  The GCRYC provided a tasty barbecue lunch for competitors and officials on both days.  Rain drops did not begin to fall until trophy pictures were being taken.  All in all ... a very good regatta, but another 10 boats would have been nice.

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Saturday, 5 November 2005  AGM
Brian Heneker was re-elected Commodore of the GCRYC for another year as were the other Officers, Vice Commodore, Treasurer and Secretary.  Also relected were the holders of the positions Liason Officer, Equipment Officer, and Editor of our Newsletter and our website.  Changes were made to the Race Committee: Bill is still there, with three new sailors, Kevin, Roger, and Gareth (handicapper and scorer).

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BRAD WINS MASTERS ! ! ...

24 Sept 2005, Saturday, Kawana Lake on the Sunshine Coast, BRAD JOHNSTON of the GOLD COAST WINS the INAUGURAL JOHN CLEAVE MASTER'S TROPHY at the IOM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.  On the final day, today, Brad had two firsts and a seventh, lowest total score for today, and more than good enough to win the Master's Trophy.  He finished seventh in the IOM World Championship.  He was just behind Sydney's Brad Gibson and just ahead of two Croations, Zvonko Jelacic and Ante Kovacevic.

First Place and the new IOM World Champion is Australian Craig Smith of Melbourne, who took the lead from Great Britain's Graham Bantock in Race 22 (of 24) when Graham had an undroppable 13th, his 4th worst score of the championship. (Each sailor's three worst races were dropped.) In the final two races Graham managed to recover only 1 point and Craig went on to win by 5 points. Paul Jones, Australian, was third 6 points further back, and was the most consistent sailor in the Championship never falling below 12th place. He dropped the 12th place, an 11th, and a 10th, that's 33 points, and his remaining races were all single digit placings. Craig's worst three races totalled 49 points, and Graham's worst three totalled 76 points; the same as Brad Johnston's in seventh place. Fourth and fifth places went to two more Brits Martin Roberts and Peter Stollery both of whom sailed more consistently than everyone else except Paul Jones, dropping 43 and 40 points respectively. Brad Gibson in 6th dropped 115 points including an 85 = last place + 1.

There were 5 more GCRYC sailors in the competition: Tom, who finished 27th, and Bill both finished in A Fleet, Allan was 30th, and Peter and Roger.

Which nation had the best sailors? How to answer - let's count the ways. An Australian won, and Aussies were two of the first three places, but Brits were three of the first five, but Aussies were four of the first seven, but Brits were 5 of the first 11, but Aussies were 6 of the first 16, but Brits were 9 of the first 26, but Aussies were 10 of the first 28. By then there were only 4 more Brits, but there were 30 more Aussies. The lowest placing Brit was 52nd and we have now come full circle, for his name is John Cleave, the senior sailor who dedicated the new perpetual Master's Trophy.

There were two Geoffreys in the championship, one was the oldest sailor, the well-known 82 year old Kiwi legend Geoffrey Smale, who finished 25th. There were two Torpys, one the youngest, the Sunshine Coast's very own Joshua Torpy, age 13, who finished a very respectable 33rd. There were two Gregs, one the naming sponsor Grove Fruit Juice; there were two Robs, one makes the greatest little winches, and two Roys. There were also two Gibsons, two women, two Germans, two Taylors, and two Brads (one won the Master's Trophy). There were two Grahams, one finished Number 2 and is twice a former world champion, and two Craigs (one is the new world champion). There are two years to the next World Championship, in France, maybe?

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24 May 2005, Wednesday, La Laguna, Palm Beach
   Richard the Lion-Hearted was nearly arrested this avo for raucous and unWAGS behavior after beating Brad in a very insignificant little scratch race after the days serious series racing ended.

11 May 2005, Wednesday, La Laguna, Palm Beach
   Another perfect day: Scratch racing this afternoon Allan scored 7 points total out of 8 races with 1 drop.  Well done Allan.  "Take that, Brad!"

7 May 2005, Saturday, Ballina, NSW
    Seven GCRYC sailors plus Tom Butler ventured down to Ballina to compete with about 7 BRYC sailors in the first State of Origin IOM Regatta.  Chris Cook had promised us weather, and weather we had, only A rig, but gusty and variable on different parts of the course.  One of their boats was dismasted.
    The starting/finishing line was unique for us Gold Coasters.  With the wind blowing in from the right, the starboard end of the line was right in front of the bank on which we were standing.  How convenient!  The leeward mark was also close to the bank making the beat to the finish in shallow water; how interesting.
    Ten races sorted out the talent: Brad (GCRYC) was first, Allan (GCRYC) second and Lindsay (BRYC) was third.  Well done, sailors.
    Thanks also to Bill, Gareth, Jeff, Roger, and Brian (Commodore and Scorekeeper) for making the trip.

30 April, 1 & 2 May 2005, Saturday, Sunday & Monday, Quad Park, Kawana Waters on the Sunshine Coast
    Thirty-one sailors fronted for the Queensland IOM Championship hosted by the Mooloolaba RYC; it was both interstate and international with at least two Kiwis sailing.  Seven GCRYC sailors participated and Jeff was one of the officials.  The weather ran the gamut from nil on Saturday morning to gentle with the sun in your eyes on Saturday afternoon to B rig with black clouds on Monday afternoon.  Each day was a different venue.
    Brad was our best at 8th followed by Allan 13th; Bill, sailing Jeff's Xtreme, John, Richard, Gareth and Roger got a lot of good experience without a lot of good breaks.  The winners were not surprises - Craig Smith 1st, Brad Gibson 2nd, Graham Cross (NZ )3rd.

Our Calendar

 All racing starts at 12:30 P.M. unless otherwise stated**O.D.**

Wed	12	Apr	2006	WAGS Handicap Series Round 4
Sat	15	Apr	2006	Social Handicap sailing - EASTER SATURDAY
Wed	19	Apr	2006	WAGS Scratch Series Round 4	Bob N.
Sat	22	Apr	2006	Hobby Haven Handicap Series Round 4	Ben L.
Wed	26	Apr	2006	Social Scratch sailing	Brad
Sat	29	Apr	2006	PointScore Scratch Series Round 5	Bob S.
Sun	30	Apr	2006	IOM Invitational at North Lakes
Wed	3	May	2006	WAGS Handicap Round 5	Brian H.
Sat	6	May	2006	11:30 Monthly General Meeting at La Laguna
Sat	6	May	2006	12:30 Hobby Haven Handicap Series Round 5	Brian L.
Sat	10	May	2006	WAGS Scratch Series Round 5	Gareth
Sat	13	May	2006	Social Muck-a-round	Derek
Sat	17	May	2006	PointScore Scratch Series Round 6	Glyn

Links

http://www.rcyachts.net/ Eddie's site
http://www.rcyachts.net/rysa Radio Yacht Supplies Australia (in Brisbane)
http://www.rmgsw.com/ RMG SailWinch aka SmartWinch (in South Australia)
http://www.oziomz.com/ Nick Lindsley's IOM site
http://www.radiosailing.org.au/ Australian Radio Yachting Association
http://www.iomclass.org/ IOM International Class Association
http://www.onemetre.net/ Lester Gilbert's site (in Great Britain)
http://www.myrc.org/ Model Yachting Resource Centre
http:://www.sailing.org/rrs2005 ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 2005-2008 (RRS) See Appendix E

For Sale & Wanted

For Sale: 10R, Peter Cole designed & built, carbon fibre hull & deck No. 697, max. long carbon fibre keel, 3 new carbon fibre shroudless rigs, new A sails, good B, C & D sails, new RMG 350 winch, new gooseneck fitting, new sailbox, no transmitter; $2000. Contact Brian Heneker 07 5575 1440 on the Gold Coast

Wanted: Stealth hull in good condition. Contact Brian Heneker 07 5575 1440 on the Gold Coast.

For Sale: 10R, good club boat, not registered, Les Brown fibre glass hull, 'A' sails only, new Hi Tech winch and servo, new 29 MHz Futaba radio, no batteries, all in good condition - $800. Call George (07) 5593 0414 on the Gold Coast.

For Sale: 10R; static carbon fibre hull, mast, keel, & rudder; RMG 280C winch; Futaba 29 MHz radio; Built by John Scerri; ready to sail; $1050 o.n.o; Call John (07) 5576 0027 on the Gold Coast.

For Sale: 10R, fibreglass hull, plywood deck; carbon fibre: fin, rudder, shroudless mast; A rig sails; 280D RMG winch; 2 channel radio. Everything new. $1300. Contact Les (07) 3208 3882 in Brisbane.