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Newsletter, 26th November 2024
Published Tue 26 Nov 2024
Hunters Hill Sailing Club Newsletter 26 November 2024
Welcome back to your weekly Hunters Hill Sailing Club news. As we sail further into the season, we’re reminded that our vibrant club wouldn’t run without the incredible support of our volunteers.
From helping young sailors rig their boats, keeping them refuelled through the canteen, and a great deal of pitching in behind the scenes in skilled roles such as communications and crucial financial management, every volunteer effort keeps our club thriving!
Whether you’re a seasoned helper or just getting involved, your efforts make a real difference – thank you for being the wind in our sails!
From the Commodore
At the town hall-style meeting held recently to which all members were invited, we emphasised the importance of volunteering. We need all sailors and their families contributing to ensure the club’s successful operation.
For those interested in supporting weekly club racing, there are several helpful Australian Sailing online courses:
- Mark Laying Course: https://learning.sailing.org.au/q/AS1F01
- Race Officer and Committee Course: https://learning.sailing.org.au/q/AS1F03
- Protest Committee Course: https://learning.sailing.org.au/q/AS1F08
Last weekend’s racing
After a couple of weeks of strong wind warnings and abandoned racing, we finally had a perfect day for sailing on Sunday for the Optimist and Senior Club Championships. Winds were 10-15 knots from the NE with temperatures in the high 20s – a beautiful day on the water!
Congratulations to Alasdair Bonnitcha, Ben Phillips, and Zac Boyd in the optimist fleet, who took out handicap wins. Luca De Giosa and Zac Howell secured scratch successes.
In the ILCA fleet, a triumph for Jason Borner in the ILCA 6! Mikko Sun won the other two races. Congratulations to Sophie Borner-Harris and Zac Howell for yardstick wins.
Finally, congratulations to six graduates from the Learn to Sail/Learn to Race program who sailed their first official races on Sunday in the Quests. Congratulations to James Hortle, Leo Zhou, Penny Brewer, Asher Phillips, Irelen McCleave, and Annie Fallon.
Results - Hunters Hill Sailing Club
Learn2Sail
Last Saturday morning, several assistant instructors participated in an induction and development session to prepare for coaching four upcoming holiday camps.
Assistant instructor induction 📸 Belle Parker
Please help spread the word about our Learn2Sail program!
If you have family or friends interested in an introduction to sailing, share our upcoming Try-Sailing events:
Upcoming holiday Learn2Sail camps are open for registration on the website events page. Camps run for five days, 9am-5pm, with ‘Balmain bus’ transportation to and from Balmain (Eliot St) and Birchgrove (Cove St).
Download this flyer to share online in parent and community groups!
9-13 December:
16-20 December:
13-17 January:
20-24 January:
Optimist Green Fleet
Green fleeters who weren’t racing enjoyed an adventure sail with coach Tom last Sunday.
Adventurous green fleeters 📸 Luke Ryves
Optimist Intermediate & Open Fleets
From this week, open training will now be on Tuesdays as well as Thursdays and Saturdays.
Buena suerte to Zac Howell, off to Optimist Worlds in Mar del Plata, Argentina 🇦🇷 💪
Optimist regattas open for registration
- 10th-17th January
- Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
- Register now to enable finalisation of the state teams!
- 6th-9th December
- Woollahra Sailing Club
- 14th-15th December
- Georges River
Please join the relevant Whatsapp group if you are attending a regatta to enable logistics coordination.
ILCA Fleet
Club pointscore racing series continues next weekend for those not heading to Sail Melbourne. Late registrations for Sail Sydney remain open.
ILCA regattas open for registration
2025 ILCA Open & Youth Championships
- 1st-8th January
- Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
- 6th-9th December
- Woollahra Sailing Club
- 28th November-1st December
- Royal Brighton Yacht Club
Sailboards
Formal Friday night windsurfing sessions break while the windsurfing regatta circuit happens. Keep practicing over the summer and watch the newsletter and group chat for the resumption date next year.
Follow the Sail Melbourne IQ Foil results (doubling as the IQ foil Nationals) where Matt Quinlan will be competing against entrants from Germany, Singapore, and New Zealand!
An Instagram post last week from Sharon Kantor, 2024 Olympics silver medallist in IQ Foiling, featured Amelia Quinlan and Amelia Wilson training for upcoming regattas with Coach Tom!
Friday sailboards 📸 Amelia Quinlan
High School Sailing
Another solid week of race-focused sailing for the Hunters Hill High School kids. The difference is noticeable when they are instructed to sail a marked course, as opposed to free sailing to a broad destination. This naturally carries over into schoolwork and everyday life!
School sailing 
Club store
Let’s face it – you can never have enough favourite t-shirts! This one will be your new go-to, so head to the online shop now!
From the archives
Just for fun – share your early water-loving experiences!
Rich Vowles, 1977 
Sylvie and Rohan Stannage, Learn2Sail 2013 
Apology and clarification
In last week’s issue, Alessio De Giossa’s vintage photo contributed to the ‘From the archives’ segment was incorrectly captioned as being from 1985. It was from 1995. The editor apologises for inadvertently associating Mr De Giosa with the maturer Gen X.
Files for download
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