Season Round-up 2019-2020 - Fremantle Sailing Club
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Season Round-up 2019-2020
Greetings all,
I hope everyone is doing OK in what are extremely difficult times; please keep
safe. While it is uncertain just when we will all be back on the water and the
club is back to normal operations, please be assured that planning continues for
the managing and running of future events. Once it is safe to do so and we are
given the all clear, we will be up and going again.
I see also today that recreational boating is considered a non-essential activity in
WA:
http://www.mysailing.com.au/latest/it-s-official-recreational-boating-is-not-an-essential-
activity-in-parts-of-
australia?fbclid=IwAR3Q2kDa7BiCTFoX5fdxIvS2JEobBM8Dg2xgWJ3IK8M0xcC_fqdc6D
JshG8&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&utm_term=link&utm_source=sendgri
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This report is intended as a brief wrap-up of the season from an FSC perspective
and provide the results for the offshore FSC series, the Captain Stirling Cup and
the Success Cup. Details for a Valmadre Series are provided in case the
circumstances permit, along with a copy of the draft calendar for next season to
get people thinking ahead to better times.
While reflecting on what transpired during the season, there is now an
opportunity for people to think further about how we can come back stronger as
an offshore group. Your input and ideas going forward, your thoughts on the
season past would be most welcome. Please feel free to contact myself or
members of the committee and tell us what you think. What worked, both on
and off the water? What didn’t seem to work? Where would you like to see
some changes?
The committee this season has been focused on several key areas (which by
their nature overlap):
• Providing a mix of offshore events that best suits those participating. This
goes to the scheduling of races and the type and distance of races. It has
addressed the safety category of races, different distances for the two
divisions and courses. There has been more use of virtual marks and
consideration of greater flexibility with courses e.g. on race day.
Season Round-up 2019-2020
• Building fleet numbers through the races offered (see above);
encouraging greater participation of our own local inshore sailors at FSC
as well as reaching out to the wider sailing community.
• Encouraging and fostering greater emphasis on safety; not necessarily
through greater regulation, but communicating with skippers regarding
existing requirements and their responsibilities and by providing on and
off water training opportunities and assistance. Spot audits were
conducted on race day, several AIS tests have been done, SSSC courses
are now conducted by the club and at more reasonable cost and the club
now has more trained National Auditors.
• Building camaraderie with our off-water events including the regular
prize-givings, seminars and social gatherings; things clearly have been
constrained towards the end of the season in this regard given current
circumstances.
• Communicating with the offshore group generally and keeping people
informed of the many changes that have been occurring off-water, e.g. the
ORWA issues and changes in regulations, continued support our
volunteers and trying to keep ahead of the game where possible. The FSC
crew membership is one area where the committee has been pro-active in
pushing for changes. It is also planned that the trialling of TopYacht,
which was introduced this season, will continue next year with an
upgraded version.
It should be recognised that the Sailing Office has been a huge support for the
work of the committee with its involvement in the management and promotion
of events. A major change in the sailing office at the end of 2019 was the loss of
Travis as the sailing manager when he left to take up a role at RPYC. Christina
Heydon stepped into the breach at short notice on a part-time basis looking after
offshore as well as the Bali race. And so, a special thanks to her for her efforts.
Christina finished up her contract in March this year and we have Thor and
Tessa joining with Sam to manage the sailing side. They came on board just
prior to the recent close-down and will be working with us on ongoing issues.
Carolina in the office has been exceptional in her handling of the publicity and
advertising for on and off-water events throughout the season. Her work has
provided a big boost to all our activities. We all look forward to the team getting
back into full stride once we get through the current crisis.
The continuing sponsorship this season for our events from the Law family,
Roger Passmore, Arns and Associates and Todd Giraudo, has been important
support to help the club’s efforts to build interest and participation in offshore,
Season Round-up 2019-2020not only within the club, but more widely. We thank them for this and we continue to look to build our sponsorships for next season. From the race officer of the day to the start crews and those manning the radio room and finishing lines, the FSC team of volunteers also ensures that our events are run smoothly and professionally. Cherry has again been tireless in her efforts while Trevor has carried a big load as chief RO. A huge thank you. The contribution of all is well and truly appreciated. Thanks too to Bernie for media coverage of events and general support. The whole committee has been very active over the past season. I would, however, like to particularly thank Maire as secretary for keeping it all together, Mark for his work on the on-water side of things, Doug as the safety officer and Richard for keeping us on budget (or thereabouts). Iwona came on board and has done a great job with the prizes and with Maire, they made sure all our off- water events are run professionally; the feedback tells us that they have been well received by sailors. The season saw a new Kraken enter the fleet while we farewelled at the end both Dirty Deeds and Enterprise, both boats moving to new owners outside WA. Looking forward to a renewal of the fleet in the upcoming season. Season Round-up 2019-2020
Prizes and Presentations 2019-2020
It is determined that results are as they stand at the conclusion of the season
proper. The Success Cup was scheduled for 7 races, 6 to count; The Captain
Stirling Cup comprised 5 races with 4 to count. In both series the final race did
not take place and in each case was the Cape Vlamingh Race.
Any formal prize-giving will occur at a later stage in the year.
SUCCESS CUP
DIVISION 1 IRC PHS
First Joss – J 122 Joss
Ian Clyne
Second Checkmate – Summit Al Fresco – Bakewell-White
King 40 36
Geoff Bishop John Rayner
Third Indian – Carkeek 47 Weapon of Choice – Fred
Craig Carter Barrett 35
Mark Nagle
CAPTAIN STIRLING CUP
DIVISION 1 IRC PHS
First Joss Joss
Second Checkmate Checkmate
Third Indian Wasabi – Elan 410r
Nicholas White
Season Round-up 2019-2020SUCCESS CUP
DIVISION 2 IRC PHS
First Atomic Blonde – JPK 10.8 Soon – SS34
Simon Torveldson Michael Thorpe
Second Crush – Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 Circa
Dave Davenport
Third Circa – C&C 115 Aquila – Northshore
369
Bill Henson
Roger Passmore
CAPTAIN STIRLING CUP
DIVISION 2 IRC PHS
First Atomic Blonde Aquila
Second Crush Soon
Third Wyuna – Beneteau First 34.7 Corniche – Warwick 46
Dennis Vincent Winston Scotney
See: sportspage.com.au
Season Round-up 2019-2020Valmadre Series……..??? If, hopefully, the current situation changes, we will be ready to conduct this series. The Valmadre has been planned as Cat 6 on the following dates: 20 June, 4 and 18 July, 1 August. Race days will alternate with the regular inshore winter series. A heavy weather course will be in place and start lines will be set that account for conditions. Mark Nagle has been driving a revamp of this event. See FSC website for details as they come to hand. https://www.fsc.com.au/onwater/winterkeelboat2020/ Entries are possible via TopYacht. Season Round-up 2019-2020
Season Round-up 2019-2020
Next Season 2020-2021 Program planning for next season has been under way for a while. Thanks to Mark Nagle and also John Rayner for their work on this. The committee is open to any suggestions or ideas regarding FSC events. In looking at the draft calendar, there are also some gaps where FSC can put in some stand-alone race(s) if there is interest. DRAFT DATE RACE/EVENT OA 12 September George Law FSC 3 October 3 Ports Race FSC 17 October Geraldton Race SOP 24 October Geraldton Return SOP 31 October Coventry Reef FSC 1 November Harbour Race DSC 14 November West Coaster FSC 28 November Dolphin Race RFBYC 29 November Gordon Craig RFBYC 30 January Pot of Gold HYC 1 February Shepherdess Cup HYC 12 February Bunbury Return RFBYC 6 March Halls Head FSC 7 March Point Robert FSC 19 March Cape Naturaliste RPYC 17 April Roland Smith RFBYC 24 April New Event SOP Season Round-up 2019-2020
Safety on Water
AIS Testing etc
AIS testing on the water was undertaken several times over the season and this
is likely to be repeated as a useful exercise and with AIS becoming more widely
used and mandated. AS has recently called for comment on proposals that
would include AIS as mandatory for Cat 2 and 3. Doug Steel has done a great
job in setting up these tests and collating feedback.
Spot audits will also continue. It is also anticipated that checks on storm sails
will be done at some stage.
Incident Reporting
With all relevant, identified incidents on the water, skippers are recommended
to provide an incident report following the event. The YB advises this should be
to the RO of the day, but it is also suggested that this should be advised via the
club sailing office/offshore committee. In the Halls Head race Twitch advised of
an incident in which they were involved and following further consultation we
will advise of any lessons learned. You will recall this was also the procedure
following an earlier POB (person overboard) incident this season involving a
crew member from Obsession. A full report was made in this case. This is all
part of efforts aimed at fostering safety in our offshore fleet. Note that the Argo
incident during the Bunbury Return did not occur in an FSC race. No further
information can be conveyed on the incident at this stage.
ORWA Dissolution and a Replacement Association
The matter of the dissolution of ORWA as Australian Sailing restructures things
in WA is ongoing. FSC continues to negotiate with all the stakeholders in
offshore sailing to arrive at a workable alternative.
The view is that with individual clubs continuing to act as OAs for their races
the role of any organisation is less one of managing offshore, but more of a
coordinating one. It does provide an opportunity for a vehicle to help grow
interest, participation and support for offshore racing.
Season Round-up 2019-2020Off water Seminars and Events In mid-January the offshore section hosted a presentation by local identity Kingsley Piesse on the topic of weather routing, drawing on his decades of experience as a navigator and competitor in major international and national events. There is a recording of the presentation on the Club’s YouTube channel (see below). Kingsley has also kindly made his slides available as well as an article: Cruising with Expedition. These are available on the FSC website: https://www.fsc.com.au/onwater/offshore-racing/ Sir Robin Knox-Johnston spoke at the club Thursday 19 December 6.00 pm on his lifetime of ocean adventures. A reminder to all of the FSC YouTube Channel with the majority of the club’s Topic Nights recorded and published. Something to watch while social distancing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYSaWoeJjOo&list=PLi0kmfjmT5_0T07he zMq-KiwUH83GpnEj Season Round-up 2019-2020
Sunday 15th of November at the club saw the offshore sailors combine with our cruising colleagues to have farewell drinks for WA sailors and boats participating in the 2019 (and 75th) Sydney to Hobart and to wish them a safe passage. The club had three boats involved, Enterprise, Crush and Optimus Prime; the state was also represented by Jaffa (RPYC), Anger Management (Esperance) and Abbotts Vamp (a composite crew in a CYC leased boat). As well, a number of local sailors were crewing on other boats which speaks to the experience and skill we have in the local offshore scene. Boats (and some familiar faces): Enterprise (Anthony Kirke and team) Crush (Dave Davenport and team) Optimus Prime (Trevor Taylor and team) Jaffa (Terry Posma, Guy Skinner, Matt Powell, Tobias Byrne) Anger Management (Tim Stewart and team out of Esperance) Abbots Vamp (Chris Higham, Paul Eldridge, Rees Howell) Also: Mark Loader (Secret Men's Business) Chris Hind (Netelle Two) Todd Gurado and Dubbo White (Mr Lucky) Dave Kenny (Maverick) Kingsley Piesse (Chutzpah) Luke Parkinson (Scallywag) Kyle Dodds (Gweilo) Carmen Irwin (Mahlagi) A stand-out performer in the event was Enterprise which won its Division. A First Hobart win for the club. Well done Anthony and crew. Enterprise followed this up with a closely fought second in the Australian Yachting Championship 2020 held in Hobart in early January. In the Hobart Race, Optimus Prime finished 7th in their division and Crush 15th, all boats Season Round-up 2019-2020
doing well on line honours in the 154 boat fleet. Crush also was a strong
performer in the AYC 2020. Enterprise, Crush and Abbotts Vamp were the
representatives for the WA team in the Southern Cross Cup event which was re-
introduced as part of the 2019 Hobart race; this was won by a strong NSW
team.
Courses and Training
A number of training opportunities have been available or planned for skippers
and crew; when things get back to normal these will be advised and hopefully
continue as usual.
Auditor Training……the club now has a number of qualified and accredited
auditors able to conduct safety inspections; auditors need to keep accredited as
well as new auditors qualified. We will advise on this.
SSSC Courses and First Aid Courses.…..were running regularly; SSSC courses
can be customised for a particular boat and crew as well as being open to
members; it is hoped these will all resume.
There is a need for more people qualified to use a club RIB; you need a
skipper’s ticket, first aid certificate and to get signed off by the club. This is
useful for duties on race days as well as other times where some volunteer
assistance may be needed.
Race Officer (RO)……. We are looking to get more ROs into our pool of
volunteers; well as requiring a person to be AS accredited (with first aid and
radio operator’s certificate), it is considered that there are a range of other
proficiencies required in operating in an offshore racing context. These range
around emergency procedures, communications, experience and risk
management. We plan to assist in any training and support required.
Crew Membership
AS has advised that Rule 46 is being changed. From 1 January 2021
all crew members in a race must be members of an affiliated club
and registered with AS – regardless of the number of races they
have competed in. FSC has been proactively looking at the issue of
crew membership and this will be in place for next season.
Accompanying this change a “SailPass (SP)” will also be available
for individuals to enable one-off crew participation should an
individual crew member not have membership. This will be limited
in terms of number of uses and will have a nominal charge (which
can be deducted from the cost of any subsequent membership taken
Season Round-up 2019-2020up). SP is a SA initiative and is already in use in many clubs around
Australia.
Season Round-up 2019-2020A Quick Round-up of the (Full) Season FSC Foundation-George Law Memorial Race The was successfully run on a shorter course and feedback was positive from our partner clubs in offshore. Division 1 saw Enterprise in good form and looking cherry ripe for its Hobart campaign, taking first place in both IRC and PHS. They pipped Joss which was clearly up and about for a big season, in both cases. Atomic Blonde started the season strongly winning both handicap divisions, this time edging out Crush in IRC, foreshadowing a tussle which would go right through the season. Soon snuck in a second on PHS. Geraldton Ocean Classic and Return Race The Geraldton Race (and return) run by South of Perth Yacht Club, was held in mid-October. There were 11 entrants in Division 1 and 3 in Division 2. In the race up, Indian took out both IRC and PHS from Argo and Twitch respectively in its division while this time Crush had it over Atomic Blonde on IRC. Sagacious IV took out first place on PHS. On the return, Enterprise and Crush won their divisions in both handicaps. Coventry Reef and West Coaster The Rockwater Coventry Reef race was well supported (14 boats in Div 1 and 11 in Div 2) and sailed in fair winds. Roger Passmore’s generous sponsorship was rewarded when Aquila snuck in for a first on PHS in Division 2. On IRC, Atomic Blonde had the better of the rivalry with Crush. In Division 1 Checkmate outpointed Joss on IRC (and took Siska honours) while Endorfin was successful on PHS. Al Fresco was also very quick around the course behind Indian. The West Coaster was a shorter race this year and again thanks go to Arns and Associates for their 4th year of sponsorship. Shorter distance, but not in time on the water, with the first boats not finishing until early Sunday morning. Al Fresco was again 2nd fastest behind Indian with a good performance. In Division 1 on IRC it was Joss' turn to push out Checkmate; she got the double with a win on PHS as well. In Division 2 Atomic Blonde beat Crush again on IRC in a close one while PHS saw Fourth Dimension take a well-earned win. Dolphin and Gordon Craig and IRC States The IRC state championships for 2019/20 were conducted over the weekend of November 30 by RFBYC. This combined 4 windward/leewards with the Dolphin and Gordon Craig races, overnighting at TCYC in Rockingham. Season Round-up 2019-2020
Picking up on the approach taken by FSC during the winter Valmadre/IRC states for last season, the regatta was run as Cat 6 with the aim of attracting larger fleet interest. Numbers were good, bringing in boats that would not normally turn out for the offshore. There were 13 boats in Div 1 and 10 in Div 2. With the courses set inside Cockburn Sound, the races were sailed in moderate breezes and smooth seas- although the Saturday saw gusty and swinging easterlies. The results for the IRC Sates reflected conditions with The Cadillac (a Barrett 9.4) dominating the field in Div 1, from Indian and Black Betty; Problem Child (a Farr 30) similarly was a clear winner in Div 2 from Crush and Wyuna. In the Dolphin Race, French Kiss V did knock off The Cadillac in the Div 1 PHS result. In Div 2 Crush won on IRC and Wyuna on PHS. The Cadillac swept the field in the Gordon Craig return race to Fremantle on both IRC and PHS while in Div 2 Wyuna got up on IRC and Problem Child on PHS 3 Ports Race The 3 Ports race with FSC as OA was held on December 14. This race was not part of any offshore series this season. As with some other races (Shepherdess Cup, Geraldton Return) it consequently did not appear in the Yellow Book. This omission is something the Committee sought to address going forward and clubs seem to now agree that all offshore races (whether part of a series or not) should appear in one place for ease of access for all skippers and crew. Looking at trying something different, the race was shorter race this year with different courses set for Division 1 and 2. This was aimed at getting the fleets finishing closer together. A combined overall IRC result was calculated (as per RORC practice where average speeds are considered) as an exercise (thanks Bill). This race was Cat 3 + PLBs and skippers were asked to trial RaceQs, using this (free) app as a tracker instead of the YB trackers. This will be looked at further as a possible safety add-on. It needs a bit more investigation. Run in the middle of 3 days of 40+ degree heat the outlook for breeze was not promising early, but on the day a fairly steady breeze which moved around the clock meant all boats were back in the 53-60 miler by late afternoon. It was a great sail down the sound and out around Rottnest in the end, for the small fleet which took part (5 in Div 1 and 3 in Div2). In Div1 it was Joss which got up on IRC and French Kiss V on PHS; in Div 2 it was Circa (IRC) and Soon (PHS). There was no sponsor for this event. Several factors may have contributed to the low numbers and will be considered in our ongoing reviews of all events. The event was run close to Xmas and was Season Round-up 2019-2020
not an official "ORWA" event. It was also run as Cat 3+, requiring PLBs, but no YB trackers. It is likely a race of this nature could be run as Cat 3 only. It was considered whether races of this length, out and back, might hopefully be of broader appeal to the racing fleets at FSC and elsewhere. The fact it was a stand-alone race did allow for some different approaches to be looked at. HYC Weekend: Pot of Gold and Shepherdess Cup On February 1 the HYC’s Pot of Gold (Cat 4), part of the offshore series, was held with the Shepherdess Cup, return race the following day. Indian, notwithstanding a lengthy protest hearing(s), got a win on IRC while Weapon of Choice took out PHS. Checkmate picked up two seconds and Joss two thirds. In Division 2, this time Atomic Blonde got the better of Crush on IRC and PHS. Great to see Kraken get amongst it picking up third on IRC; nothing but upside for Kraken. The Shepherdess Cup, which runs as a stand-alone event in the calendar, saw a win for Joss from Endorfin on IRC; Endorfin took the win on PHS, however, from Al fresco. In Division 2 it was the burglar Huckleberry that took out both handicap wins, knocking off Atomic Blonde and Soon respectively. Bunbury and Return Ocean Race The event saw 17 boats on the water, 9 in Division 1 and 8 in Division 2. On IRC it was Joss, Checkmate and Weapon of Choice on IRC, while on PHS French Kiss V took the honours ahead f Twitch and Joss. Division 2 saw Crush win from Kraken and Cannonball on IRC; on PHS it was the perennial Huckleberry from Sagacious IV and Cannonball. Halls Head and Point Robert Weekend (with MOFSC) The Mandurah weekend was again a great success with 24 boats and crews participating; 13 in Division 2 and 11 in Division 1. A special thanks to all our volunteers who were involved at each end of the racing. A bit of travelling and rushing around, but everything ran smoothly. And a great effort by MOFSC who provided volunteer support as well as a start/finish boat for the event, not to mention the “beach party”. Over both races, we had 7 different winners across IRC and PHS in the two Divisions. Well done to Checkmate, Wasabi, Joss, Twitch, Atomic Blonde, Corniche and The Cro Connection. Season Round-up 2019-2020
Other Events: Harbour Classic and a Farwell to Jon; arrival of the Clipper Boats The Club Marine Harbour Classic race was held on November 3 (the same day as a farewell for Jon Sanders). Witchy Woman is reigning champion, congratulations. A few boats seemed to have navigation issues in the otherwise clear visibility and close proximity of marks! Arrivals of the Clipper boats started around this time as well, with times drawn out more than usual due to problems for some boats at the SA end; the departure was similarly delayed. The fleet again provided for a lot of activity around the club. Other: The Terry Fisher series started in December (8th) this year. With one race a month planned until May, this series was again well supported (thanks Amanda), but fell foul of the early closure to the season. A new series, named for Rob Thomas was also in train this season, incorporating some offshore, inshore and twilight races. Although it was incomplete, it will be looked at again for the coming year. The Commodore’s Cup, conducted each year by FSC in conjunction with the SS34 Association, was also cancelled in March due to the current concerns. Each year Commodores from various yacht clubs from across Perth metropolitan and country clubs, extending from Geraldton to Albany, are allocated a boat and crew and must skipper the race. The RAN commander from Garden Island also participates. This event has a long history, dating back to 1981. Season Round-up 2019-2020
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