Hi fellow hibernating sailors and Snippets followers. With no boating in the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan area there will be a Virtual online “ASC Drinks and Chat” 4pm – 5pm on saturday 22nd August. Join us at “Doug’s Virtual Bar” from your PC, Tablet or Smart phone using the Zoom link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88422079103
There will also be an online ASC Virtual sailing session mid afternoon which is open to people at different levels of experience. Sail a boat around a course on Sydney Harbour. If interested send an email to our Rear Commodore Steve Dunn via rearcommodore@albertsc.org.au.
The ASC general committee had its monthly meeting online via Zoom on wednesday 12th August. Another full agenda, somewhat surprisingly. An ASC August update to Members email from our Commodore Cindy will be sent to members later this week, which includes details of the approach to be taken on 2020/21 membership subscriptions.
At last saturday’s Virtual Drinks and Chat Rod provided some details of a long distance ocean row currently being undertaken by Lia Ditton. Lia left San Francisco on 17th June and is rowing 2500 nautical miles to Hawaii in her 20 foot long boat, alone and unsupported. As at 19 August she had completed 2/3rds of the trip, and reported on a range of experiences including two capsizes. Her daily updates provide an interesting read and can be found on https://rowliarow.com/
Who is going to bring an item of interest to this saturday’s Drinks and Chat ?
In Other News
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A number of club and class newsletters have been released online this month. Unfortunately, notifications of cancelation of many regattas scheduled for second half of this year into the new year including :
* Albert Park Yacht Club’s City Sail for Women and Girl’s which was scheduled for mid September
* Albury Wodonga’s Sail Country on Lake Hume scheduled for November
* Australian Laser Championships and the following Australian youth championships which were both to be held in Perth in January.
The Sail Sandy Regatta which is usually held in October has been scheduled for 21/22 February.
No doubt there will be more cancellations and rescheduling to come as we try to negotiate those strange and different times. We look forward to being able to get back to some sailing in the next couple of months.
Keep well and keep active as best you can.
Rod Thomas for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 20 August
Thursday Snippets, 13 August
Hi fellow hibernating sailors and supporters. With stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne no boating activity in the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan area continues. There will again be a Virtual online “ASC Drinks and Chat” 4pm – 5pm on saturday 15th August. Join us at “Doug’s Virtual Bar” from your PC, Tablet or Smart phone using the Zoom link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89327451279
Last saturday afternoon Cindy shared a video clip of her sailing adventure on a Dutch tall ship in a storm off Gabo Island. David Scammell followed up with a video clip on his sailing in the UK on the original Ian Murray 18 foot skiff in the UK. This week there will be some discussion of online Virtual Sailing and upcoming ASC virtual sailing options. What else will people bring to this week’s Drinks and Chat ?
We are going to re-start online Virtual Sailing at ASC and are looking at options and timings for competition sails and some more laid back less competitive online sails for the next few weeks. If interested send an email to our Rear Commodore Steve Dunn via rearcommodore@albertsc.org.au. To find out more about Virtual Sailing try googling Virtual Sailing. You can join in via PC, laptop or Tablet device from an Internet browser or from a smart phone using the downloaded app. There is no fee to play the basic format and you register at Virtual Regatta
In Other News
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Parks Victoria have advised that during Stage 4 restrictions they are not processing Car Parking Permit renewals or new applications. We will advise through Snippets on when processing re-commences and the online process for doing so.
Sailing Events in Australia and around the World are few and far between at the moment., with most events being cancelled and re-scheduled. The annual Airlie Beach regatta for keel boats and trailables in Queensland finishes on the weekend. Australia’s largest annual keel boat regatta the Hamilton Island Race Week was scheduled for next week, but has been cancelled with the lockout of Race Management crew from Sydney and Melbourne a major factor.
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 6 August
Half a dozen ASC sailors sailed on the Lake on sunday 2nd , the last day before Stage 4 lockdown of Melbourne. A post with photo has been placed on Albert Sailing Club Facebook of Phoebe Pearce, one of our new members from late 2019, sailing her OK dinghy on sunday. Phoebe lives within 2 ks of the Lake and walks in with her gear, which depending on COVID19 restrictions, has been nearly weekly since early May. She like many others looks forward to being able to get out again on Albert Park Lake later in Spring.
There is another Virtual online “ASC Drinks and Chat” 4pm – 5pm on saturday 8th August. Join us at “Doug’s Virtual Bar” using the Zoom link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86154459992 Last week Tim spoke of his new ebike and his rides in and around Camberwell. Rod shared a photo of Melbourne’s Tall Ship Enterprize in a stiff breeze in Bass Strait. What will people bring to the table this week ?
Other News
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The OK on the Lake on the 2nd of August reminded me of the rich history of the OK at Albert Sailing Club, and the importance of ASC as the foundation club for OK’s in Victoria. “The Birth of the OK Class in Victoria”, by Bob Coate, from a club Newsletter in mid 1996, tells the story of OK’s at ASC from 1960, now 60 years ago. Bob was an active member of the club and a strong supporter of the OK in the 1980’s and 1990’s. An extract from that article, with a brief update follows.
Extract from “The Birth of the OK Class in Victoria” by Bob Coate KA615 “Good Vibrations” Published in The Mudpuddler Newsletter of Albert Sailing Club in 1996.
In 1960, the then ASC Commodore Bill Larkins established the first OK dinghy class fleet in Australia at Albert Sailing Club. The OK had its origins in the mid 1950’s, when yacht designer Knud Olsen prepared drawings for a light and fast single-handed sailing dinghy based on conventional plywood construction. The design was named the “OK”, using Knud Olsen’s initials in reverse.
In April 1960 a local boatbuilder, Mr Lang, visited the club to discuss possible building arrangements and prices. This lead to ASC adopting the class and the Victorian OK Dinghy Association being formed at ASC on 14th May 1960. A scheme to finance the building of several boats was instituted. The Ladies Committee of Albert Sailing Club loaned 50 pounds each to a number of members. (The whole boat – timber, ply, mast and sail cost about 100 pounds – about 4 weeks average wages at the time).The club exhibited an OK at the 1960 Melbourne boat show, and by the end of the 1960/61 season a total of 13 boats were either built or under construction by members.
The first Victorian Ok championships were held by Albert Sailing Club on the lake in March 1961, with Jinx sailed by Bill Cass the winner. “Canine”. KA9, was later raced successfully as part of the ASC fleet by Peter Casdorff. This boat turned up at the Club in 1980, having been abandoned by its owner and coming apart at the seams. Deemed to be beyond a reasonable repair it was given a “Vikings Funeral”.
The second Victorian Championships were run by ASC officials at Blairgowrie (due to weed in the lake) – 1st Jinx, Bill Cass; 2nd-Peppy, Bill Larkins; 3rd Bubbamoranti, John Swift: all ASC sailors.
In the mid 1960’s out of a regular fleet of all classes of 30 – 35 boats at ASC, 15 were OK’s and there were 22 on the register. These included : SALTY, Bill Larkins; CON, Bill Irwin; TEMPEST 2 John Stevens ; JINX, HEXAVATTEN, BUBBAMOANTI, CANINE, PEPPY.
Bob Coate’s article finishes up with a quote “The OK stood out a mile, maybe it was the roach of the sail. But it looked much more masculine than any of the others … A bloke’s boat. So that was the one…” Walter Chapman May 1961.
An update on the last 30 years from Rod Thomas
Fleets of 5 to 10 OK’s sailed in club races at ASC from 1980 until around 2000. By this stage OKs were built in plywood, G.R.P and composite construction; Regular club OK sailors included : Wally Chapman, Ron Parish, Mike Simpson, Gary Craig, Steve Haintz. Sean and Jamie Wilson, and John Gibson in the 1990’s They were joined by OK’s from other club’s, mainly from Black Rock YC, for our winter season, the annual regatta, and the big Grand Prix Regattas from 1996 – 1998. The evergreen and now class legend Bruce Ashton from BRYC has been a regular for the Annual Regatta and latter half of winter season up until 2017, and Mike Horvarth sailed in a number of club Regattas and some winter season races. The fleet dwindled in the early 2000’s. We had two or three sailing at various stages up until around 2016, with Ron Fergusson a regular in the 2014 – 2016 period, before he moved into the lighter weight and more nimble Aero 7.
Rod Thomas
Thursday Snippets, 30 July
With no club racing or training activity possible we have a Virtual online “ASC Drinks and Chat” 4pm – 5pm on saturday 1st August. Join in at “Doug’s Virtual Bar” using the Zoom link :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84088296179
Recreational sailing is possible on Albert Park Lake under specific regulations and guidelines for exercise in Melbourne. Guidelines have been posted on our club website www.albertsc.org.au.
To participate in the Zoom chat on saturday you need a PC, laptop or smartphone with inbuilt or connected microphone and camera. When admitted to the session click on the video and audio icons.
An item belonging to Dr A Illingworth was found on the club premises Monday morning. Contact Rod via training@albertsc.org.au if this is yours.
Other News
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A new Australian Sabre class website was launched mid July and is recommended for Sabre sailors at all levels and anyone sailing a single handed dinghy class boat. Check it out at www.sabre.org.au It has been purpose-built to provide up-to-date class information with direct links to Facebook, Email Newsletter, Sabre Your Tube Videos, a Sabre Forum and Boats for Sale.
Rod Thomas
for Albert Sailing Club committee
Thursday Snippets, 23 July
Hi everyone. Very quiet for sailing in Melbourne during this current lockdown period – both in terms of sailing activity and wind strength. The odd boat out on Albert Park Lake. At the northern end of Port Philip a few Lasers out from Port Melbourne a couple of days per week and the odd Sabre from Black Rock. A few sail boarders from St Kilda, and a few keel boats from the top of the bay keel boat clubs.
Recreational sailing is possible for exercise in single handed dinghy boats if you are so inclined, now with face mask or bandana type cover if 12 years or over. Double handed boat if from same family, living at same address. Relevant government restrictions on sport from 22 July are on https://sport.vic.gov.au/our-work/return-to-play/restrictions-for-metropolitan-Melbourne-and-Mitchell-Shire.
The only access to Albert Sailing Club is by members taking their boat to or from the club boatyard. To do so sign in in foyer and directly proceed to boatyard. Members can use club toilets, but not changerooms or any other facilities Lock gates and doors and wipe all shared surfaces you touch.
Upcoming
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Virtual drinks and chat for ASC members and supporters via Zoom next saturday afternoon 1st August is being organised. Details in next week’s Snippets.
Other News
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Updated Racing Rules of Sailing for 2021 – 2024 apply from 1 January. A copy is to be available for download from the ISAF website. Hard copy ‘blue books’ with Rules, Appendicies and prescriptions will be available in early 2021 for $55 each. ASC members can pre-order a Waterproof (blue book) Rules book at an early bird price of $40, with delivery expected in December. Orders to Rod via training@albertsc.org.au by this Sunday 26th July, with payment on Invoice at a later date.
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 16 July
The Winter season of club races on Albert Park Lake has been suspended due to the COVID sitation and Government Restrictions.
Recreational sailing on Albert Park Lake is still possible under COVID19 stage 3 restrictions.. Our sailing peak body Australian Sailing has on 13th July provided an update on stage 3 regulations and advice as per https://www.sailingresources.org.au/covid-19/vic/ Main points of clarification are :
. You can go sailing recreationally (not organised club racing/ training) in a single-handed dinghy
• You can go sailing recreationally (not organised club racing/ training) in a keel boat with a maximum of two (2) people (if they do not live with you) as long as you keep the 1.5mtr distancing
• Sailing with family members from the same house is allowed with no social distancing requirements.
• Cleaning of all equipment to take place before and after activity including participants own equipment and boats
• Cleaning of all equipment to take place before and after activity including participants own equipment and boat
• Rigging space and marina / dock separation should be maintained while ashore.
If you are coming to sail at the Lake come dressed to go sailing, as changerooms are closed. If you need to access your boat in the boatyard sign in on forms in club foyer, and proceed directly to your boat. After boat is taken from yard or returned ensure gates are locked and locks, handles and other shared surfaces touched are given a disinfectant wipe before you exit.
The 2020 VIODA Winter training program at Albert Sailing Club for junior Optimist sailors has been paused after the 3rd sunday afternoon session on 5th July and the midweek two day training camp the previous week. The VIODA committee posted on the VIODA Facebook. “It is a difficult decision as we had just started at Albert Sailing Club but a wise decision for our community’s health.
We would like to thank ASC for welcoming VIODA sailors in the past few weeks as well as the sailors, their parents, and the coaches for respecting the processes we had to put in place at the lake.
We recommend all sailors to continue to sail as much as they can at their respective club (as long as they can) respecting clubs’ guidelines.
We (VIODA) will be closely monitoring the government’s recommendation and we hope to resume the program as soon as we can.”
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 9 July2020
All sailing programs on Albert Park Lake and in metropolitan Melbourne were suspended from Thursday 8 July for a period at this stage of 6 weeks till mid August. This includes club racing on saturdays, VIODA Optimist winter training programs on sundays, and any training activities. The clubhouse which includes the upstairs clubrooms, and the downstairs training room, changerooms and toilets are closed to club members and visitors. There may be some midweek use by SEDA educational group students and teachers., to be confirmed.
Based on the Government Regulations and the latest Australian Sailing advice recreational sailing, without a competitive or training component, is allowable on Albert Park Lake and other Melbourne Metropolitan venues as long as it is only with members of your household, or with one person from outside your household, and the 1.5 metre social distancing rule is adhered to at all times. Double handed dinghy sailing is ruled out until further notice and No sharing of equipment. The relevant Victorian Government Regulations and Australian Sailing advice is shown below.
We are assuming that club members who have a club key and swipe card can access their boat in the ASC boatyard. To do so enter the boatyard by the most direct route through the club foyer. Open boatyard gates to take a boat out or to return it, and leave them closed and locked when not being used for boat movement. Any member so doing needs to enter their details on the Sign in form in the foyer and wipe down door handles, locks, pens and shared surfaces with disinfectant wipes. You would come dressed to go sailing and leave in your sailing gear.
A restart of club sailing and clubhouse activities depends on Government announcements on easing of restrictions, not expected before mid July.
We will keep you informed of further developments via Weekly Thursday Snippets and the club Internet website.
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee
As at 8 July 2020
Current Victorian Governement Stage 3 COVID19 restrictions are that ” Community sport training and competition cannot occur within the Melbourne metropolitan area or the Shire of Mitchell. If you live in this area you cannot participate in community sport elsewhere.” further “Outdoor sport facilities will be closed, except for facilities where people can exercise with no more than one other person or members of your household while maintaining 1.5 metres distance. Equipment should not be shared, and communal facilities cannot open.”
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/updated-restrictions-1159pm-wednesday-8-july-covid-19
Australian Sailing is working with Sport and Recreation Victoria to confirm their interpretation of the stage 3 restrictions that are being reintroduced at 11.59pm Wednesday the 8th of July. A full updated framework will be available (on the Australian Sailing COVID19 website) in the coming days.
https://www.sailingresources.org.au/covid-19/vic/
Australian Sailing’s initial interpretation of the new stage 3 restrictions are:
All club training and organised sailing must stop as of 11.59pm tonight (Wednesday 8 July)
Recreational boating my continue as long as it is with members of your household, or with one person from outside your household. However, the 1.5 meter social distancing rule must be adhered to at all times and there is to be NO sharing of equipment. So this now rules out all double handed dinghy sailing until further notice.
Informal training is NOT allowed. It is not seen as recreational boating.
Club facilities (meeting rooms, changing rooms, toilets, cafes, restaurants, canteens etc) should be closed, except for the delivery of takeaway meals and drinks.
Please note that for all clubs in Regional Victoria that sit outside the suburbs in Greater Melbourne and the Shire of Mitchell. The move back to stage 3 does not effect you. There has been no change to your restrictions, so sailing may continue as per the guidelines introduced on the 22nd of June.
Thursday Snippets, 2 July
Saturday 4th July ASC commences a program of weekly Winter Season club races on saturday afternoons. Trophy races are scheduled for Saturdays in July in the northern half of Albert Park Lake. Races start at 2pm, with Information Session at 1.45. and the club open from 10.30am.
There are some changes to normal club arrangements to meet COVID19 regulations and situation as it impacts our club membership. Details as at 1 July are on
https://albertsc.org.au/index.php/racing/2018-winter-season , and based on latest available guidelines include :
* Everyone entering the clubrooms or boatyard needs to sign in on sheets in the foyer, and assist with wiping down of shared surfaces they touch.
* Restricted to 20 people in each of two boat rigging areas at the northern and southern end of the ASC foreshore.
* Up to 20 people in the clubrooms, and 10 on the first floor decking. Toilets open. Come dressed for sailing, and leave in sailing gear.
* Reduced APYC/ASC on-water RIB presence, with between 1 and 3 RIBs, depending on conditions, and RIB crewing.
* Follow social distancing and hygiene practices. Don’t come if unwell
Arrangements will be adjusted as there are changes in Government prescriptions and with experience on changed arrangements.
On afternoon of sunday 5th, Week 3 of the Victorian Optimist Class winter coaching program at ASC.
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 25 June
Saturday 27th recreational sailing again at Albert Sailing Club with the club open 10am – 4pm. There will be a club Working Bee from 9.45am of so with the focus on cleaning of windows, boatyard leaves and a general cleanup of clubrooms and boatyard. Following changes in government COVID19 regulations a maximum of 20 people are now allowed in our clubrooms and up to 10 at a time on the decking. If coming to sail the recommendations is to come dressed for sailing and to leave in your sailing gear. The club changerooms can be used if really needed, but showers are not available for use.
On sunday 28th June pm and wednesday 1st, and thursday 2nd July am and pm ASC is hosting the Victorian Optimist Association winter coaching program. Come down to the Lake on one of these days and have a coffee from the Boatshed Cafe and watch the fleets of juniors in action.
Everyone who comes to the club to sail or as a visitor needs to sign in on sheets in the club foyer and follow social distancing, hygiene and cleaning protocols. This includes disinfectant wiping of shared surfaces in foyer, clubrooms and boatyard.
The ASC/APYC winter club racing program on the Lake commences on Saturday 4th July with a number of Saturday afternoon stand alone trophy races at 2pm on saturdays in July. This is for single handed dinghy classes and double handed sailing classes for people in same family or juniors under 18.
A number of club single handed boats will be available for monthly lease across July If interested email Rod or Don via training@albertsc.org.au
Keep following Snippets for changes in program due to changes in Government COVID19 regulations.
Rod Thomas for ASC committee
Thursday Snippets, 27 August
Hi ASC members and Snippets followers Week 4 of the 6 weeks Stage 4 lockdown restrictions in Melbourne. On saturday there will be another ASC Drinks and Chat 4 to 5pm at Doug’s Virtual Bar on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81143239910
Also an online an ASC Virtual Sailing Session at 2.30. To participate send an email to Steve via rearcommodore@albertsc.org.au.
News in this week that the 2021 Australian Wooden Boat Festival scheduled for Hobart in February will not be proceeding due to the COVID19 situation. The next festival is now being planned for February 2023. This is Hobart’s best summer festival, Tasmania’s largest free event, and one of the world’s premier wooden boat festivals. A number of us have attended this biennial festival in the past, in a number of cases sailing on Melbourne’s tall ship Enterprize. The organisers explored a whole range of options for a 2021 festival ranging from an event heavy with fencing, security, and strict crowd controls to the possibility of moving the whole Festival online. In the end it was decided that it was too big a risk in the middle of a global pandemic from health logistical and financial perspectives. They have committed to ensure that the festival flourishes again in 2023.
Retrospective
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It is now 18 years since the publication in 2002 of “Sandy” A. J. Mackinnon’s book ‘The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow A.J. Sandy’s book provides a charming and eccentric account of his year long adventure sailing a Mirror dinghy on a 5000 kilometre nautical odyssey from North Wales to the Black Sea. Sails magazine recently caught up with Sandy at home in Victoria to discuss his reflections on his amazing journey https://www.sailsmagazine.com.au/reflections-fantastic-voyage/
ABC Conversations also earlier this year re-broadcast Richard Fiedler’s interview in 2014 with Sandy McKinnon on his Jack de Crowe Adventure.
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/sandy-mackinnon-rpt/12199356
Many of us have enjoyed the book and can recommend purchasing a copy or loaning through a public library when they re-open.
Rod Thomas
for ASC committee