Welcome to the final newsletter for 2024! From thrilling races to inspiring youth programs and community milestones, it has been a year to celebrate the achievements of our sailors.

Our vibrant sailing community continues to grow, and we’re so grateful for everyone who’s contributed their time, energy, and passion to keep the club sailing strong through volunteering and participating.

The newsletter will be taking a short break, and the next edition will be on 22 January 2025.

From the President

We are in the height of summer sailing, and what a season so far! The club has been abuzz—kids learning to sail, sharpening their skills at training, or giving it their all on the regatta circuit. It’s so rewarding to see their smiles, which is our aim.

Regattas have seen our young sailors showcasing their determination and sportsmanship, especially our very own Zac Howell who battled high seas at the Optimist Worlds in Argentina. A huge thanks to our social media team, who have been working overtime capturing these special moments. We encourage you to follow, like, and share our facebook and instagram pages to help us grow our reach. With our corporate sponsorship drive underway, your interactions matter more than ever. We have a large, active membership base, and together we can deliver real value to future brand partners. So yes, go on—smash those ‘like’ and ‘follow’ buttons!

Thank you to all sailors and families/volunteers who make this club fantastic, especially the immediate past president Chris Stannage and the former commodore, Kevin Burman. Their tireless work has left a unique legacy.

Here’s to a well-earned summer break—see you all next year!

From the Commodore

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been overseas at the Optimist World Championships, where I experienced a couple of sobering reminders about the critical importance of the rules in sailing—both on and off the water.

The first incident involved two sailors at the team hotel after the day’s racing had concluded. They were seen climbing on the railings of their balconies, prompting concerned passers-by to call the police. The chain of events escalated quickly: the police contacted the hotel owner, who informed the event organisers. A protest committee was formed, including an International Jury, and the sailors were found guilty of a Rule 69 breach—behaviour that breaches good manners, sportsmanship, ethics, or brings the sport into disrepute. As a result, they received DNE penalties (disqualification not eligible to be dropped). Many felt they were fortunate not to be disqualified from the entire event.

While this incident was a stark reminder of the importance of behaviour and sportsmanship, a second and far more serious event hit much closer to home.

During a Friday night twilight race, a tragic accident occurred when two yachts—sailing in separate club races—collided while rounding the same harbor mark. One sailor sustained a fatal chest injury and tragically died at the scene.

This heartbreaking loss serves as a powerful and sobering reminder of the real purpose behind the Racing Rules of Sailing and the International Collision Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (Colregs). The rules are not mere technicalities or tools for gaining an advantage over competitors; they are in place to ensure safety, prevent injury, and protect lives. As sailors, we are always bound by these rules, whether we are racing, cruising, or even off the water.

Let us all reflect on these incidents and recommit to respecting the rules that keep our sport safe.

Club Racing

Results - Hunters Hill Sailing Club

Learn2Sail

After a sold-out and successful Teens and Tweens camp last week, we welcomed a new batch of campers at the club on Monday. 

Above and below: Holiday camp 16-20 December crew 📸 Belle Parker

Below: Scenes from last week’s Teens and Tweens camp 📸 Belle Parker

Upcoming Try Sailing and Learn2Sail events 

Register on the club website’s events page https://www.huntershillsailingclub.org.au/eventsfor upcoming events and please promote our Try Sailing and Learn2Sail programs to your community networks! 

Learn2Sail holiday camps:

13-17 January: 

·         Rookie

·         Momentum

·         Pro

·         Teens and Tweens

20-24 January: 

·         Rookie

·         Momentum

·         Pro

·         Teens and Tweens

Camps run 9am-5pm, with free RIB transportation to and from Balmain (Eliot St) and Birchgrove (Cove St). 

Try Sailing: 

Saturday 22 February (9-11am)

Optimist Fleet

Summer Optimist Regatta Sydney Recap

Last weekend saw an impressive turnout for the Summer Optimist Regatta Sydney, with 21 Hunters Hill Sailing Club (HHSC) sailors competing across all fleets. Over three sunny days, the wind gods delivered, ensuring no time for sitting around. Port Botany brought its challenges with unusual swells and waves, and while Day 3 was cut short for the Intermediate fleet due to strong winds, it proved excellent preparation for Nationals in Brisbane.

Standout Performances

• Intermediates: Alex Mirceski secured a fantastic second place, while Edward Payne achieved a strong top 5 finish.
• Open Fleet: Sijia Deng took home the second female trophy with a strong top 5 performance, and Titouan delivered some standout races. The Open sailors showed great determination, with several pushing through illness to compete.
• Green Fleet: This was where HHSC truly shone, dominating the fleet with multiple first-place finishes. Special mentions go to Miles and Rupert for their stellar efforts and to Lucas for an impressive first regatta performance.

Support and Coaching
Coach Tom supported the Open fleet on the water and all sailors in the rigging park, while Alessio and Matt provided on-water support for the Intermediate fleet.

This Week at HHSC

• Thursday Free Sail (16:30): A relaxed session for kids to sail, possibly with parent RIB support. Bring along some BBQ food, and we’ll fire up the grill!
• Nationals Preparation: Measurer Ben will be available to measure sails (bring sails and paperwork). Demitris and Alessio may conduct buoyancy tests and equipment checks.

Congratulations to all sailors for their hard work and results! Let’s carry this momentum into Nationals.

Coach Tom and kids in the traditional briefing tree 📸 Demitris Christodoulous

Zac Howell at the 2024 Optimist World Championships

Zac Howell proudly represented HHSC and Australia at the 2024 Optimist World Championships, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from December 5th to 15th. Leading into the event, hopes were high for a strong performance, with Zac’s personal goal set on making the Gold Fleet. However, these ambitions quickly shifted when faced with conditions unlike anything he had ever encountered in Australia.

The Australian team with coach Rob Brewer, Zac and Ben Howell (right) 📸 Contributed

The enormous swells and unpredictable winds—ranging from gusts over 30 knots on some days to a mere 5 knots battling against large seas—turned the regatta into a learning experience rather than a race for rankings.

One of the standout moments came when Zac secured first place in the opening race of the Bronze Fleet. In the following race, Zac was leading with just 50 meters to the finish line when a colossal wave came crashing over his boat. The regatta photographer, positioned at the base of the wave, managed to capture the moment of chaos and awe. Later, he sought Zac out at the team hotel to reminisce about their shared moment of sheer terror. He explained that while the photo shows Zac engulfed in whitewater, it doesn’t fully capture the scale—he himself was sitting at the bottom of a towering, three-meter wave, fearing that his small RIB might be swamped.

Zac racing 📸 Matias Capizzano. Inset: Zac with event photographer Matias Capizzano 📸 Ben Howell

It was a wave neither of them will ever forget.

While the official results may not reflect Zac’s true capabilities, the experience gained was invaluable. Sailing in such extreme and foreign conditions provided a steep learning curve, helping Zac build skills, confidence, and resilience that he will carry with him for the rest of his sailing journey.

Beyond the challenges on the water, the event was a memorable two weeks spent with a fantastic group of people. It was an experience filled with growth, camaraderie, and stories that will last a lifetime—proof that sometimes, the greatest victories lie not in the results, but in the lessons learned along the way.

Optimist regattas open for registration

Optimist Nationals 2025

10th-17th January, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

ILCA Fleet

This past week, ILCA sailors have been recovering from Sail Sydney and participating in training sessions, with a standout session taking place on December 17th. Alex, Milley, and Sophie headed out around 5pm in a moderate northeast breeze. However, just 15 minutes into the session, the forecasted southerly arrived, and the breeze ramped up to over 25 knots!

Under Nathan’s guidance, the three sailors showcased impressive skills, reaching at high speed around Cockatoo Island. Despite a few capsizes, their boat control was remarkable in such challenging conditions. It was a proud moment reflecting on how far these sailors have come, especially as the twilight yacht racers had to abandon their race amidst furiously flapping sails, while the ILCA sailors seemed to fly effortlessly around them.  

Looking ahead to the nationals at RQYS, we’re excited to see Sylvie, Healy, Alex, Sophie, Milley, and Zac in action. Best of luck to all competitors!

In the meantime, there will be informal training sessions over the next two weeks leading up to the nationals. Please keep an eye on the ILCA WhatsApp group for updates on dates and times, as these will be scheduled day by day.

See you in the new year!

ILCA regattas open for registration

2025 ILCA Open & Youth Championships

1st-8th January, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

School programs

The 2024 School Sailing Program concluded this past week with a memorable student-teacher sailing session. The highlight of the day was the arrival of a punchy sea breeze, leading to “kites up,” impressive speeds, and, of course, the occasional capsize!

As always, the reflective discussion following the session provided valuable insights, revealing both anxieties and resolutions. We hope it also strengthened the bonds and mutual understanding between staff and students.

Looking ahead, the program will resume in 2025 with a few adjustments. We’ll share the details once they are confirmed with the school.

A special shoutout goes to the dynamic Headmaster of Hunters Hill High School, Mr. Greg Lill, whose remarkable 40 years of service in the Education Department was celebrated this week. Local MP Anthony Roberts presented a special award in recognition of his dedication and contributions. Congratulations, Mr. Lill!

Another successful school sailing year 📸 Chris Stannage

From the archives

Former member Michael Neil contacted the club to share some photos of his family’s boat, Rainbow, taken in the 1960s. A glimpse of the Pier Hotel on the hill is visible in the background of the first photo.

Newsletter

We welcome feedback and contributions via: newsletter@huntershillsailingclub.org.au 

Have a great photo you’d like to share for use in the newsletter or on the club social media accounts? Send to photos@huntershillsailingclub.org.au or drop into the club’s Photos Whatsapp group which you can join here.