When should we have the Nationals?
The headline issue is that, since Manning Point, some of the sailors have started talking about whether it would be more suitable to run the Nationals at a time after New Year, rather than traditional post-Christmas to post-New Year event. An approach has been made by Martin Pryor on behalf of some sailors to the Committee to consider this, and I believe there may be some communication from the Committee very soon, and a survey is being drafted to seek feedback from you the sailors, not only on this issue, but to look at other constructive suggestions. This is a great initiative to gather viewpoints which can help fashion actions going forward.
Not one to ever sit on the fence, I will declare a real personal and selfish interest in this, concerning the timing of the Titles. As the only sailor in my family, I really cop a hammering about going away at a period which is considered real family and friends time. My family are not interested in going away with me to a venue where they are left to do their own thing while I sail. This might not be a problem for others, but it is for me. As much as I absolutely love sailing and competing, I do not enjoy this struggle each year, and I don't enjoy feeling like I have left my family behind. In fact, I felt compelled to promise that I would not go to the Nationals next season, so I could make it a quality time with my wife and boys, if the titles were held in that traditional period.
Various classes still have their titles at this "traditional" time, but many have also changed to different times in January. In practical terms, I'm sure most people can organise holidays at a different time with sufficient notice. Just imagine travelling to a regatta at a time when you don't have to pass porta-loos on the roadside, deliberately placed to help travellers in 20km-long parking lots who feel the "call of nature". Perhaps it might even be a little easier to organise accommodation. I personally think late January (around Oz Day) is too late, as families are often gearing up for kids to resume school, but sometime after New Year could be doable.
Now, here's another interesting point: at this year's event we had the added dimension of a number of NS14 sailors who decided to hoist the kite and join us. This can only be a good thing. Probably the opportunity arose because the NS14 Titles were interstate at the same time. However, if we hold our Titles at a different to the NS's, and we offer some encouragement to them to participate, we could get a further exciting influx of cross-sailors!
Okay, I have said my piece! As I mentioned, I believe there will be some formal communication on this in due course. If you want to express a view about this via the blog, please do so!
Where will the Nationals be in 10/11?
Yet to be determined. Port Kembla (Lake Illawarra), Wangi (Lake Macquarie) are a couple of considerations. Much is dependant upon timing of the event (refer earlier item). I know the Committee is very conscious of reaching a decision sooner rather than later, but this will still be several weeks away.
Another Training "School" for MG Sailors Next Season
I notice Martin has been very busy, and this has included an email out to everyone on the list (if you read this blog, are into MG's, and would like to receive emails but don't at the moment, email me with your details and we will get you added in). This time it is for a training weekend for the MG's to be hosted at Balmoral Sailing Club early next season (11/12 September). Accommodation is being organised, including food, etc.
If you:
Be there!!
Martin organised the training event at Point Wollstonecraft last August, with a guest coach, and I thought it was fantastic. We probably had a dozen boats or so, but the insights I got in one afternoon on the water were really helpful. I didn't stay the whole weekend, but those who did had a great time together. I know this will well worth your while to participate.
Hugh Tait, our National Champ, has agreed to participate and pass on some of his wisdom.
So, throw it in your calendar, and thank you Martin for organising this!
Whooping those Skates, yet being Humble
Last Saturday was our first formal day back on the water at Toronto. Club Championship heat. Pressure! (well, not really) It was good to catch up with everyone, and we had virtually a full compliment of MG's. Feeling good about the results of the MG guys at the Nationals, I wandered around to say hi to everyone, only to find out that we were trumped. Kenny Davies and Lachlan Schroder had come 3rd in the Skate Nationals in Tassie, whilst Ben Robinson and Corey Hamilton had come 3rd in the Flying Ant Nationals across in Fremantle. Of course, I had also been eagerly seeking out my neighbour over the back fence, Col Gillespie, to debrief on our performance, but he was even more eager to find me because he had finished, you guessed it, 3rd(!!) in the VS Nationals at Teralba. Oh well, I guess we MG guys were just a bunch of relative underachievers!
One thing I will say, though, is that our Nationals fleet was bigger than all of theirs! Ha! Ha!
On to the water. The wind promised much, faded away around the start, but then built nicely again into 12-15 knots SSE. Well, we might be under-achievers compared to the other classes in the club, but the first two MG's whooped the first Skate home, not bad considering the breeze was in the Skate's ideal range. Kenny didn't end up sailing because his crew forgot to turn up. for a while there I thought there was a whole new weather system building above and around Ken's head!!
We had a good stoush with Bobbie and Hayden on Final Fase, but a couple of good lifts worked in our favour and we got the win. We just felt in the groove most of the afternoon. Each trip to the wing mark was a delicate exercise of sitting on the edge and bearing up enough as puffs eased to make the buoy. The deeper rudder we got at the start of the season paid dividends. With the old one it would have cavitated and we would have been inspecting the bottom of the hull.
We had a corker of a ride home to the finish (we finish downwind at the club in sou-easters). Hit the top mark, set the kite and pushed for about 300 metres, looked over the shoulder, saw a gust with plenty of white caps, gybed, pointed the nose towards the club and screamed all the way home with Phil flat out on wire! Yee-haa! Not too many opportunities to do that this season (and certainly not at the Nationals....grumble....grumble). For those of you who have showed concern, Phil's dodgy finger stood up well, but it is still very swollen!
Meanwhile, the respective crews on Flame Boy, Hornet and Wilful Intent engaged in their own battle, with Will staying ahead, but the other two swapping positions throughout the race. Before the race Troy (Hornet) was down at the club without his boat. Obvious question: where's the boat? Classic answer: "Oh, I've been busy and I haven't had a chance to clean the boat. It's got leaves in it and it's wet from the rain last night." Wet??!! If ever there was a good excuse not to take a boat out, it must be because it is wet!! Anyway, Troy was shamed into going home and bringing the boat back. I hope he and Jordan thought it worthwhile! Remember Troy, if you're going to make up excuses, they need to be good ones, because as a blogger my role is to faithfully record the activities and important issues around the class.
Finally, special honourable mention for the day goes to David and Callum Wilde on Crikey. This was Brian Mansfield's boat that got a serious sinking sensation last season, which caused Brian to rapidly travel to Taree (I'm on an alliterative burn!) and buy Flameboy to compete in the Nationals at Toronto. Anyway, David has repaired the hull, and he has been out with Callum practising and starting a few races since November. However, they had not yet finished a race. Saturday was the maiden completion, no capsizes along the way!! Great to see that persistence and result, and I know they will go from strength to strength from here.
So, signing off for now. Hopefully I will see as many as possible of you at St George in the Touring Trophy on Saturday week.