Hello fellow locked down sailors. No sailing and no club working bee on the Anzac Day weekend. The Winter series programmed to commence on saturday 2nd May has been postponed until Government Restrictions allow club operations to re-commence.

On saturday 25th April we do have :
* The Albert Park non sailing series Heat 3 at 2pm. You can still join the fun by visiting http://albertsc.org.au/index.php/racing/social-sailing1/.  
* A Virtual online “After sailing ASC Drinks and Chat” at 4pm using ASC’s Zoom software facility. All welcome to join in at “Doug’s Virtual Bar” or on our “Virtual club decking”. To participate you need  a PC or laptop with inbuilt microphone and camera or have a mini microphone/camera connected to your PC. You then need to send an email indicating you wish to attend to Rod via training@albertsc.org.au. You will be sent an email with a meeting link which you click at 4pm saturday and ‘whala’ you join the catchup meet.

Additional items of interest expanded below :
* AGM email and notices sent to members on 22 April
** Corona Series Race 2 Report
*** Current Albert Park Reserve Parking Permits and Arrangements  
**** Latest Marine Safety Victoria and Victorian Chief Health Office Advice on Boating Restrictions

Members and Non Member News items are being sought for upcoming weekly Snippets and the next quarterly Mudpuddler Newsletter. Send contributions to me via training@albertsc.org.au.

Rod Thomas
for Albert Sailing Club committee
Annual General Meeting email and notices

* Notice of our AGM on saturday 16th May and links to Committee Nomination form and 2019/20 Committee Reports was sent to members via email from the Albert Sailing Club mailbox on wednesday 22nd April.  If you are a member and have not seen it in your Inbox, can you check your email Junk or Promotion tabs to see whether it was received there.  If not you can contact Cindy via commodore@albertsc.org.au to organise a resend of the email.  

** Albert Park Non-Sailing Corona Series Race 2 Report
Race 2 of the Non-Sailing Corona Series was an exciting race with the Race Officer needing to look up the scoring rules due to a 3-way tie for 4th place.  Our ASC junior Noah thrived in the lighter conditions. Noah romped home in 8 minutes with no capsizes (incorrect answers) to take out the race, hotly followed at 4 minute intervals by Rob (of the famous Pulham APYC clan) and Geoff, our visitor from South Gippsland.  A number of the other sailors got caught up trying to sort out their standing from their running rigging, thus incurring penalties,   ASC’s Rear Commodore Steve Dunn managed to get around the course with no capsizes but, having forgotten to sign on missed the start, hence taking out the wooden spoon. Sailors are having to decide between going for speed or trying not to capsize (i.e. zero incorrect answers), and it may take the entire series to determine which strategy works best.You can still join the fun by visiting http://albertsc.org.au/index.php/racing/social-sailing1/.  But be warned, you will need to be ready to race by 2 p.m. sharp each Saturday if you want a chance of taking out the series prize (as yet, undetermined). 

*** Current Albert Park Reserve Parking Permits and Arrangements
As per email from Parks Victoria on 20 April. ” The Victorian Government has restricted sporting, cultural, recreational and commercial activities to minimise the risk of people being in close contact with each other, so we can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). We encourage everyone to follow the health advice provided by the Department of Health and Human Services www.dhhs.vic.gov.au Albert Park Reserve remains accessible for locals to exercise if physical distancing directions are strictly followed. Parking fees still apply to all car parks and kerbside parking spaces within Albert Park. Time restrictions and ticket requirements are shown on parking signs within the park. Given these exceptional times, we have advised the Parking Officers to apply leniency when conducting patrols. Unfortunately we are unable to process renewals for expired Sports Club parking permits due to the current restrictions in place by the Victorian Government. Permit applications can be processed after restrictions are lifted (ie eased and sailing club operations can re-commence). Club members with expired permits will need to purchase a ticket from the “Pay-and-Display” ticket machines in the park. Permit conditions specify that Sports Club parking permits may only be used for parking within the vicinity of your club whilst attending to your clubs’ activities. However, during the current restriction period, we are willing to provide some flexibility on this permit condition.”
Any updates will be forwarded in a future Snippets. 

**** Latest Marine Safety Victoria Advice on current Boating Restrictions on their websiteResponse to boating queries about COVID-19 Updated: 21 AprilThe Chief Health Officer has provided advice that canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, rowing and surf skiing are permitted, as long as physical distancing is complied with and people don’t travel large distances to do them.Recreational fishing and boating are not permitted.Read more about recreational boating restrictions and the exemption for commercial operations on the Better Boating Victoria website.

Hi there fellow locked down sailors and supporters.
It was a wild and windy weekend in Melbourne last weekend. Sailing would have been cancelled even if it was scheduled. The Albert Park area had some good downpours such that the Lake continues to be full. Sad that we are not able to go out for a sail with current COVID-19 Stage 3 restrictions.

We still have some club related activities and News to share.

UPCOMING

Albert Park Non-Sailing Corona Series
Four hearty sailors participated in our practice race last Saturday, with regular fleet leader Jonathan Pulham coming in the winner.  The ‘real’ Autumn series commences this Saturday promptly at 2 p.m. and will consist of 8 races each Saturday to the end of May. You need to complete at least 5 of the 8 races to be eligible to win the prize (yet to be determined).   It would be great to have a fleet of 40 or 50 boats in the series, so brush up your sailing knowledge and internet searching skills and let’s see if someone can stop Jonathan. (Come on ASC sailors!)  You’ll need to be ready on the start line promptly at 2 p.m., as all answers in the practice race came in within 30 minutes, with the winner setting a cracking pace of only 3 minutes to complete the 6 easy practice questions. For further details go to http://albertsc.org.au/index.php/racing/social-sailing1/ .

ASC April General Committee Meeting online Wednesday 15th April at 7.30. The committee had a video hookup this week to discuss COV-19 membership impacts. An email/letter from our Commodore should be sent out next few days on this and some other items.

MEMBERS NEWS
Ron Lackington update
Ron ‘Lacko; Lackington is one of our club legends, and has reported in on his response to the community lockdown. Ron has been revisiting Tai Chi “something he did 50 years ago in Wagga when working at the Daily Advertiser and playing football. “An old Chinese guy who was about 80 taught a few of us footballers, Rugby and Auz Rules players during the day. He used to say with his hands in the greeting position “I’m trying hard but oh my pupils so clumsy”. I can only remember a couple of moves he used to insist on but have a detailed book I’m trying to digest and use. Trouble is it keeps saying it takes one year to master basic exercise before moving to simple form and that’s supposed to be seven days a week!” Simple Form is the more complicated part of an already complicated discipline. Anyway the exercise is good and a very different way of killing an hour or so stumbling around. I’ll be happy to just get my head around the 125 odd moves that form the exercise bit. Don’t hang any hats on a demonstration – not happening!”
“I’d like to See That” with Ron doing Tai Chi.

Brian Finlayson Marlay Point Race report
Brian’s report on the 2020 Marlay Point race is provided below. This race is sailed on the Gippsland Lakes from Lake Wellington Yacht Club (21 kms east of Sale) to Paynesville, approximately 70 kms by road. It is the only overnight race for trailer sailors boats in Australia and has earned a reputation as the Sydney-Hobart for trailer sailor yachts. (generally monohull boats 4 to 7 metres in length with a cabin).

We are looking for updates from Members and Past Members on their recent, current or future activities to include in Snippets. Updates of 1 to 3 paragraphs preferred with a jpeg photo if you have one.

This week’s Sailing Video Clips
https://www.facebook.com/168535683283054/posts/1819774748159131/
https://www.facebook.com/168535683283054/posts/1819399758196630/

Rod Thomas
for ASC committee

Brian Finlayson Report
I’ve sailed 8 Marlay Point races on Gippsland Lakes since 2008. I sailed the 2020 Marlay Point race in early March in my Investigator 435. This year sailed two handed with John Price (a former ASC member), with our third crew member a late withdrawal which made for a long sleepless night. Since 2008 I have been praying for a westerly wind. It would be great to cross the start line with the spinnaker up and keep it up to the finish. However, it has never happened to me on the Marlay Point even though it is possible, This year we sailed into a fairly strong headwind for the whole race, which made for a relatively cold and wet passage.

We started the race from Lake Wellington Yacht Club at dusk with a small headsail and a reef in the main then increased the sail area after we got through McLennan Strait. However, even with our shortened sail we had problems with rounding up into the wind. Our other problem was that sailing into the wind all night with only two of us meant it was difficult to maintain concentration so we spent a lot of time either pointing too high or not high enough. This is a long-winded way for me to tell you that we didn’t win. Not only did we not win, we had our worst Marlay Point result ever. We were 34th over the line in eleven and a half hours and 31st on handicap in a fleet of 35 boats in Division A.. The only other Investigator in the race was just ahead of us and 29th on handicap. 102 starters in Total.

In mid March I have moved up to my Central Queensland winter home. For the autumn and winter months I usually sail with the Capricornia Cruising Yacht Club in central Queenslandand. This year we plan to hold a weekend of racing for trailable yachts on the first weekend of September. Come and join us with your boat (COVID-19 permitting).