Hi all you MGers (and MG watchers!).  Sorry I have been tardy with a blog for everyone.  I think over the off-season I will try to do a once-a-month update on any major issues.  Work and life has been getting in the way of writing blogs lately!

In this edition:

• Update on 2010 / 2011 Nationals and NSW State Titles
• The rise of the Aero 12
• A potential Paralympian
• Training weekend for MG sailors still on the drawing board
• Time to don the wetsuit for the Brass Monkey Regatta!

So, here goes:

THE 2010 / 2011 NATIONAL TITLES:  PORT KEMBLA SAILING CLUB, LAKE ILLAWARRA - SAT 8TH JAN 2011 TO WED 12 JAN 2011

THE 2010 / 2011 NSW STATE TITLES:  TORONTO AMATEUR SAILING CLUB - LAKE MACQUARIE - SAT 9 APRIL 2011 TO MON 11 APRIL 2011

Note:  Both these events have been provisionally established.  Some minor elements are still being finalised with the respective clubs, but formal confirmation should be sorted in the following weeks.

Firstly the Nationals:

This promises to be a fantastic event and a terrific venue.  Lake Illawarra provides safe, open, sailing conditions, which suit typical summer wind patterns.  I understand that the facilities and hospitality at PKSC is excellent, and the rigging area is very good.  To get a feel for the club and the sailing venue, go to www.pksc.com.au .

Accommodation options are numerous, given that it is based near Wollongong.  There are plenty of family tourist options in the region, and good access to Sydney, for anyone contemplating combining the regatta with a family vacation.

The timing of the event has been set in response to the survey done earlier in the year, allowing families to have their traditional Christmas / New Year time without pressures of heading off to regatta, etc.  It has also been decided to run the event in a similar way to earlier years, in a compact time frame, to help with people's planning around other commitments.  Five days, seven heats, no lay days.

So, get fit and get ready!!  I am excited about the prospect of an even bigger fleet than last season, plenty of competition, more MGB's (maybe even a chance at our own division??) and hopefully more breeze and less flood tide than the last titles!  I really want to encourage the interstate contingent.  We love you guys putting in the effort to come and enjoy having you there pushing for success with us.

Ian Richardson of PKSC sent me a message some time back, noting that the club is keen to encourage the growth of the MG14 class.  He has purchased "Skulker" from Mirko for his son, and he wanted to get the word out to other Illawarra / South Coast sailors that they would be very welcome to come down to PKSC and join the fleet.

Also, the club runs an annual event, the Port Kembla Klassic, which I believe is to be held on the weekend of 27/28 November 2010.  This could be a great opportunity for keen MGers to get down there and familiarise themselves with the club and the course, as well as to kick some butt against other classes!  In fact, Touring Trophy details are yet to be finalised, but there is some consideration at Committee level to using this event as a Touring Trophy venue.  More on that will be forthcoming I am sure.

If anyone has any comments on sailing at Lake Illawarra, please send them through, to help everyone get a feel for what it is like.  I have heard plenty of good reports over the years.

Secondly, the State Titles:

Back to Toronto!!  We had a great Nationals series there in 08/09, and let's hope the open waters of Toronto Bay will host some breezes to challenge us all.  The timing of this event has also taken heed of the traditional clash with Easter.  A stroke of good fortune for the coming season is that Easter actually falls close to Anzac Day, so there is a hot opportunity to run these titles as a long weekend event at the start of school holidays, leaving the rest of the period for other family pursuits, including over Easter.

As a Toronto local, I can't wait to see you all here!  Most people are familiar with accommodation options in the area, but we can provide further details for you closer to time.

THE RISE OF THE AERO 12

Gee, I wish I could help my children's education by taking a "cash for comments" approach to  endorsing various suppliers to the sailing community.  John Laws or Alan Jones I am not, but I can certainly say that the Taree crowd are representing a hot-bed of activity, both on and off water.  There is a lot of cooperative development work going on up there, with Rochey having put himself in the mix last season, and continuing to commit himself to a commute up the Pacific Highway to take on the likes of Lenny Mancell, and all the other NS and MG tyros up there  (side-note:  I think young Greg is still dirty that he was outdone by a 20-year-old MG with a double-luff kite in the Manning River Marathon last January - to be fair, conditions certainly suited the double luff - so don't be surprised if he is putting some off-season thought into how to rev up his (yet to be built) boat to deal with those conditions if they occur at the next Marathon!)

So, back to the story.  Dave Dillon, of Dillon Boat Works in Taree, is madly pumping out new Aero 12's, after their introduction last season, and he has kindly put together a report on the happenings in his workshop the past few months:

Now that we have the Aero 12 up and sailing and a few niggling problems ironed out I thought it time to bring everyone up to date. We had a couple of issues with weight and some mast step problems early on which were caused by circumstances out of our control.  But after some brainstorming and modifications we now have a great product and can offer a structurally sound and underweight boat to our customers.

The idea of producing the Aero 12 came up mid 2009 during the GFC. What else do you do in the middle of a recession other than come up with a new product. The fact that we had very little else to do, and four keen sailors were hanging out for a new Aero 12 was enough reason for me to set about making the plugs and moulds. Dave Hardaker was the first to put his money up and Chris Caldwell, Adam Cause and Steve Jones quickly jumped into the next three spots. I should point out that the fact that it was a Michael Nash Aero design was a deciding factor. From a boatbuilders point of view, throwing your own money behind the development of a new boat can be daunting, but the long and successful pedigree of the Aero design tipped the scales.

By mid December we had the MG and two NS ready for their owners to fitout just in time for their respective Australian Titles, with the third NS just missing out. We delivered John and Judy Corbett’s NS (with custom transom modifications) just before the NS state titles with Neil Murphy’s NS being delivered last week.

Currently Len Mancell is finishing his MG in the factory and I for one can’t wait for a ride. Len will be sailing the new boat with his daughter as crew. It has been rumoured that the boat will be called “Mortein” as it has been proven to beat Roches !!

I might add here that it has been great to have Greg sailing on the river. There’s a lot of young crew up here that can only benefit by competing against the talents of two champions like Mancell and Roche clashing swords on the water.

Dave, thanks for this update.  My apologies that it has taken a few weeks to get up on the site here.  I also asked Dave to give me an idea on conversion costs to take an NS hull and set up retractable pole and kite chute for an MG.  This is certainly an option that a number of second-hand buyers are considering, given the surging popularity of the MG, and limited available MG-spec'd hulls, so why not grab an NS hull and convert, so it can be used for either class?  Dave emailed me on the weekend to let me know he is working on such a conversion now, and will give me an idea on price.  Dave, I look forward to this info, and to passing it on to everyone for their info.

LINDSAY MASON:  A PARALYMPIAN AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012?

Most of you are aware of Lindsay ("Water Rat") Mason's sailing prowess and success.  However, not all of you will be aware that Lindsay is campaigning for a spot in the Paralympic sailing team for 2012.  Lindsay's capability and courage to sail, despite vision and hearing difficulties, is a great example.  A couple of weeks ago we had an email exchange about how things were going, and the following comments across a couple of emails blew me away, firstly for how serious the training is, and secondly for the disability that his skipper deals with to compete at an elite level, and thirdly for Lindsay's sense of humour:

Alcohol intake is part of my daily nutritional program - well that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Yes, the camp was really cool esp the bit where coach Adrian Finglas gave us some of Victor's 470 secrets on strategy and tactics. The 71 page document is so top secret that even we weren't allow to have a copy of it! Oh the bit about going to the gym twice a day (first session at 7:30am) and then having an ice bath after each gym session was not so good!

Yes, I am forward hand on a SKUD18 which we packed last weekend into a container and is now off to Medemblik and Weymouth. Ame has no arms or legs and steers the boat electronically using the three toes that she has. So I have to remember not to be too adventurous at mark roundings, as the electronics turn the boat a bit slower than some situations require. Gets pretty hectic up front at bottom marks, as I drop the kite and pull the jib and main on at the same time.

Cheers,

Lindsay

Lindsay, on behalf of the MG crew, I wish you and your skipper, Ame, all the best with your campaign to represent your nation in 2012.  Keep us posted!

TRAINING WEEKEND FOR MG'S IN SEPTEMBER?

Martin and the Committee had been working on a residential weekend training programme for the MGers this coming September, similar to the successful one held at Point Wollstonecraft last August, but this time to be held at Balmoral.  Unfortunately we could not get enough bookings to lock in the accommodation, but the Committee is considering a non-residential training weekend, potentially 18/19 September.  This is not confirmed, but something to keep in the back of everyone's minds..... and, if the Committee does decide to proceed, it would be really helpful if people express commitments early, to help the Association complete the effective organisation!

I thought the training last August was fantastic.  It made Phil and I think more intensely about all our moves and tactics, which I know translated into a much improved performance the following season (although we couldn't wrest the Club Championship from Bobby and Hayden!!).  So, if it does go ahead, I really encourage everyone's participation.

AND FINALLY:  THE BRASS MONKEY REGATTA, TOUKLEY SAILING CLUB, JUNE LONG WEEKEND

Yep, I'm a wuss.  I am looking outside my office at the rain and feeling the cold, so sailing is not high on my agenda right at this moment.  However, Phil Moore recently sent out details of the Brass Monkey Regatta to everyone and, from what I am told, it is a wonderful event.  Foxee actually won its division last June, piloted by Rochey and crewed by Phil (whilst I stayed at home and stared at the walls).  They are heading back as the defending regatta champs again and, as usual, some of the Toronto mob will be there to keep Greg and Phil honest.

So, what are you doing on the long weekend?  Why not head up to beautfiul Lake Budgewoi and have a go?  Plenty of boats, lots of fun, hopefully some breeze.  If you can't do the whole weekend, perhaps one or two days could be worthwhile.  I'll be heading down to at least watch at some stage!!

That's all for now!  Email me if you have any comments or items, or photos you want to share........