Christmas Party
The Sailing Club Christmas Party is going to be held on Saturday, 20 December. This year it will be in the restaurant and adjacent outdoor area of the Wangi RSL Club, commencing at 5.30 pm. It will be fully catered for by the restaurant staff so that our volunteers can have a well-earned break as well, and will include live music. Numbers are limited, so please book ASAP on the Sailing Club website and purchase your tickets, which are $25 each.
Social Cruise
Last Sunday (30 November), the club held a social cruise from Wangi to LMYC, where sailors went ashore for a nice lunch accompanied by social drinks. A great time was had by all. A second luncheon cruise will be held prior to the end of the summer season. Details will be forwarded in the new year.
Sydney Hobart
Tim Binns & Francis have been spending the last few months preparing their yacht Titoki for the 2025 Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Tim and Francis are both ex-navy and are used to being at sea; however, instead of having a full crew onboard, they will be competing in the double-handed division with just the 2 of them on board. WE wish you good luck and a safe voyage.
Sailing Hall of Fame
At the Australian Sailing Awards dinner last month, Wangi sailors Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen were inducted into Sailing’s “Hall of Fame” These guys started their sailing career as juniors at Wangi Sailing Club before winning multiple national and international championships including Olympic Gold in London in 2012 and Silver in Rio in 2016, before getting involved in multiple America’s Cup campaigns and SailGP events. In 2024, Nathan was a helmsman on Team NZ that successfully retained the America’s Cup. Only last weekend, Iain was onboard as the wing trimmer on the British Sail GP boat in the season finale at Abu Dhabi, where the team won a cool $2.4m USD in prize money.
Regattas
A big thanks to all those who helped at recent regattas, such as the NSW Youth Sailing Championships in October and the ILCA (Laser) State Championships in November.
Over the next few months, we will be hosting the following regattas:
- 3-10 January – Heron Nationals
- 22-25January – IQ Foil and Winging Nationals
- 26 January – Australia Day Regatta (Cat-7 boats)
- 1 February – SheSAILS (Wangi Race)
- 14-15 February – Hobbie Cat States
- 21-22 March – OK Dinghy States
Hosting events like these raises money for the club, helping cover some of its overheads, like insurance, which alone costs over $15000 each year. Thanks again to the volunteers, and I look forward to a few more new faces helping at future events.
New Fixed Marks
Wangi Sailing Club, LMYC & RMYC have collectively done a deal to purchase new fixed marks. The new Wangi marks are yellow, slightly larger than the old marks, and easier to see. They are secured to proper mooring blocks to ensure they don’t move and require much less maintenance.
Club Yacht Racing
Just a reminder, skippers need to forward a copy of the Cat-7 certificate and a copy of insurance cover to Rear Commodore Graham Haire. Skippers are also reminded that they now need to carry a working VHF radio turned on and tuned to channel 77 when racing. The last race prior to the Christmas / New Year break is Sat 20 Dec with racing resuming on Wed 15 Jan, followed by Fri 16th & Sat 17th.
Next Club Meeting
This will be held on Thursday, 11 December upstairs in the clubhouse commencing at 7 pm. Drinks and a few nibbles will be supplied.
Cheers,
Tony
