ITW # 22.17 - Friday 29th April 2022.

Fellow Members,

I hope you all had a great week and observed ANZAC Day in whichever way you saw fit. Past Commodore Mark Gallagher was among many who remarked on the poignancy of the local Bayside community's remembrances at Richard Russell Park in Manly and the hospitality of the Manly-Lota RSL during the course of this special day.

Pausing to remember a more contemporary commitment means an ovation for our fantastic band of volunteers - so ably led by our inspirational Nev Willis - who not only supported last weekend's post-COVID resumption of the Cleveland Yacht Club's Peel Island Marathon (in rather fresh conditions) but who've also backed-up to be on the lawns, ramps and water this weekend for our Squadron's hosting of both the South Pacific Laser Masters AND the Hobie Queensland State Championships.

You are all, truly, the backbone of our Club's operations and activities: thank-you!

I'm looking forward to watching the 'Travel Oz' segment featuring RQYS and Yachtshare, filmed a few weeks ago, which will be having its global premiere on 7TWO at 8.30am Saturday morning. Our Squadron has been given permission to utilise clips of the piece for our own marketing purposes so any Members who miss the digital TV broadcast tomorrow morning will likely not be in the dark for very long! A special thanks to our own Spikey (Mike) Middleton for being such a major part of the organisation of this piece. I’m sure it will present the Squadron in a very positive light indeed.

And the spotlight will be landing internally as well, next Friday, 6th May (where HAS 2022 gone?!) with the annual RQYS Club Member / Volunteer of the Year Awards presented for the 2021-22 Season in the Flags Lounge upstairs in the Cavill Building. The uptick in nominations submitted this year, compared with the past couple of quieter, COVID-afflicted years, has been enormously encouraging and it is always a Flag Officer's calendar highlight to be able to formally and publicly acknowledge some of the special individuals rated so highly by their fellow Members.

Recognition of another sort on Mothers Day on Sunday week - why not save Mum cooking dinner and make a Squadron restaurant booking for the evening? Breakfast is almost fully booked and lunch is already sold-out but Members, families, friends and guests are welcome to unfurl a blanket on Rigging Lawn 1 and enjoy the day's live music from 12noon to 3.00pm. Fingers crossed the weather gods are smiling on a perfect late autumn day by our harbour!

Looking ahead to the lead-up to the opening of our next Sailing Season also starts to crystallise focus on the Brisbane-to-Keppel (B2K) and Brisbane-to-Hamilton Island (B2H) races, launching from RQYS on Friday 5th August. 'Hammo' always attracts the bigger entrants - especially following this Easter's fantastic Gladstone and in anticipation of the rejuvenated northern Race Weeks - and the rigging is already humming with possible word of some big-name contenders (with more news to come next week!).

However, that shouldn't detract from the appeal of our traditional signature offshore race in the Brisbane to Keppel, particularly for the smaller boats. In fact, Jody and Ivi - two of our Country Members (from the farthest side of our country in WA!) - have just made their first coastal Queensland passage, from RQYS to Keppel Bay Marina, without issue. Admittedly, they weren't racing (although they did pass the southbound Trouble & Strife off Fraser Island on her way back from Gladstone) It was Jody's first 'serious' offshore passage but, nonetheless, a couple of experienced hands on the helm reminds us that Keppel can be done safely and enjoyably.

Click on any of the Keppel and Hamilton race graphics in this edition of ITW to find out more!

As mentioned in last week’ s In the Wind, we have now finished drafting the documents related to the changes in our Governance structure. In particular, I’m referring to the proposed new Constitution and the proposed new By -Laws.

Both of these documents will be sent to the membership by email on Tuesday and also published on the RQYS website. Should you not have access to email, please just call the Club and we will organise to get a hard copy to you.

Please provide your feedback and comments via the FUTURE CLUB email address (preferably) or in hard copy to RQYS Reception.

The program that we’ll follow from here is:

• Member Information Night 1 Tuesday 10th May
  
• Member Information Night 2 Monday 23rd May
  
• SGM Tuesday 21st June

This is a slightly different timeline to that suggested in last week’s ITW, and provides more time for consideration of content contained within the documents. Meeting Notices and Agendas will be sent out accordingly.

Finally, this long weekend looks to be a pretty good forecast for boating, at least for a couple days. Whatever you’re doing, stay safe, and I look forward to seeing you out on the water.

Your Commodore,
David Redfern

Unfortunately, Ralph Wilson wasn't present for last week's (22nd April) draw,
so it's jackpotted once more for tonight's draw!

We welcomed Helen Wood as skipper in September last year and got to work training her, her crew and readying the boat for the year ahead. What a fantastic season, she was just a superstar and such a valued member of our weekly fleet, thank you Helen! We especially thank Dan Cassell for the generous use of his boat ‘Etchellence’ throughout the season!  Here is Helen’s experience of the season:

"I was lucky enough to be selected for Brisbane Etchells’ ‘Loan a Boat’ Program for the 21/22 season, which should really be rebranded ‘Etchells Fleet Fast Track Program’ , as I’ve got to focus on sailing skills and technique every Saturday, immersed in a community with a shared passion for sailing and skills to be endlessly observed in a one design fleet.

"The Etchells Class has it all. It attracts the most skilled and seasoned sailors, and the allure of the class has always interested me. When the opportunity to join the ‘Loan a Boat’ Program came up, I leapt at the application - although unsure of what I would achieve from it.

"And now at the end of the season, I can certainly say it surpassed my expectations, and has left me anticipating the next one. I’ve learnt far more than I expected, on so many levels. It’s the type of environment I was looking for - to sail, race, improve, and have a good laugh. Sailing every Saturday on Moreton Bay is a pleasure in itself (if you can dodge the sandbars) ..."

READ MORE ON THE BRISBANE ETCHELLS WEBPAGE!

A mild misapprehension has been brought to our attention in that some Members believe that this event is only for ‘Past Commodores’ and not the general membership. Were such nomenclature that literal, the Goodwill Cups ("no no - you first, after you; please: I insist!") would be joyously circular affrays with everyone a winner ... but not sure what that may mean for Myora and Canaipa, though ...

Although the Past Commodores' Cup is listed on the Squadron's annual calendar as a Navigation Event, it should be more appropriately regarded as an 'Intro to a Navigation Event' - and one for the whole family to enjoy, too! A pleasant Saturday morning (28th May) circuit of Green and St Helena Islands to practise (or hone) waypointing and track-keeping skills concludes with lunch on the RQYS Boardwalk and a chance to share stories, tips and trophies, and learn some pointers from your fellow Members.

Formally, this event is to be conducted pursuant to the RQYS Predicted Navigation Event Rules and will be run in two divisions: GPS and Traditional. To download the info pack, program and entry form, please CLICK HERE

WHAT'S NEXT?

• Monday 9th May
  Course instructions will be available on the RQYS website or from RQYS Reception
  
  
• Wednesday 18th May
  Entries close 1700hrs, (Entries after this date incur a late entry fee)
  
  
• Saturday 21st May
  Start Times to be emailed
   
• Wednesday 25th May
  Late Entries close 1700hrs

For any email enquiries, please contact Pip Fenwick HERE

Get your virtual passports ready - we are going to take you on a food experience to remember. Join us for an intimate food and wine tour through some European regions - Germany, Spain, France, and the UK. M-m-m-mmouthwatering menu teasers to come!

• Friday 3rd June - Spain
  $150 per person. 4 courses with matched wines
   
• Saturday 25th June - Germany
  $150 per person. 4 courses with matched wines
   
• Bastille Day | Thursday 14th July - France
  $160 per person. 5 courses with matched wines
   
• Saturday 23rd July - United Kingdom
  $140 per person. 3 courses with matched wines

Ahoy, Cruisers!

There is quite a busy period coming up with the series of long weekends, RQ annual award evenings and a couple of cruises planned. Here’s hoping for some good weather for a change!

Easter Cruise Report

With fresh SSE winds forecast for the Easter period, the group decided to head to Canaipa instead of the planned Sandhills and other parts of the bay. There is always plenty to do with the obligatory sundowners and BBQs each day, the odd walk, bike ride, lunch at the bowls club and crabbing. We had 13 boats attending throughout the weekend -  Imoogi, Spirit of Tommie, Brittany Rose, Sensation, Scarlett, Epernay, Sundowner, Southern Exposure, Affaire, Moonglade, Chantelle IV, Curlew and Whirlpool.

With the weather forecast, Canaipa was the place to be with more than 50 boats anchored each night in very comfortable conditions. There was a bit of rain around but it made for a fantastic rainbow during sundowners on the first night. Some boats were lucky enough to be at the end of the rainbow. I’m not sure about a pot of gold, maybe they will have a change of luck with maintenance costs.

A few of the more energetic yachties walked a leisurely 7.8km return journey to Aunty Alice’ s Café for breakfast. All in all it was a great weekend.

Here’s the next lot of events and dates.

1. May Cruise Briefing, 13 May 2022. The crews that are back from the Tasmania Circumnavigation will be presenting their trip report. This will be in the auditorium from 7.30pm. Please let me know if you plan on attending dinner at the club from 6.00pm so I can book some tables.

2. May Cruise, 14 -15 May 2022. This will be a simple sundowners cruise with a brief discussion about yacht spares. I’ll handout my yacht inventory during sundowners to generate discussion and we can add more spares and tools based on the discussion to come up with the ultimate list. We haven’t been very successfully prediction a suitable location but it will be an anchorage best suited to the conditions. Instructions will follow in the next update.

3. Sail Cruising AGM, 10 June 2022. We would like as many of our Sail Cruising Group to attend. There will be a year in review presentation and we will see in the new Committee.

4. June Cruise, 11-12 June 2022. Night Raid. I encourage the sailing group to attend a cruise put on by the Navigation Committee called the Night Raid. This is a great way to experience a short night sail in company and then practice night anchoring. For those that would prefer not to sail at night, we will put on a simple Sundowners cruise. Details will be provided closer to the event.

5. Cruising and Navigation Presentation Night, 24 June 2022. This is the annual Black Tie event and it’s always a fun night. More details will follow shortly.

6. Combined Christmas in July at Canaipa, 2-3 July 2022. Pencil this one in your calendar. This has been a bit stop-start over the last couple of years due to covid however its always well attended.

That’s about it for this edition. See you all soon. But before we sign off, the following piece (including link to the complete, illustrated 4pp document) is a tantalising reflection of the amazing Tassie trip (aka 'The Gordon River Cruise') and definitely worth a read!

More information about the Sailing Cruising Group can be found HERE

Dean and Sally Johns
Sail Cruising Chairs 21-22
Ph: 0419 274 822
sailcruising@rqys.com.au

Bastille Day (July) events will be on us sooner than you think - you can read the latest QFYOA news HERE

Just to forestall any thoughts that your editor may have dropped the ball this far down ITW, no, there's been no substantive changes in MSQ notifications this week. And the regular Commonwealth Hydrographic email summary lobbed in just before deadline, also with nothing new or major to report for Moreton Bay and associated waters. Last week's warning's about the renewed deterioration of conditions at Mooloolaba and the post-floods debris fields in the Brisbane River have been retained as a reminder to Members and ITW readers.

190(T) - MooloolaBAR SHOALING and dredging

Mariners are advised that a hydrographic survey of the Mooloolah River and its coastal bar on Wednesday 22 April 2022, shows a shoal patch extending from the end of the eastern breakwater in a westerly direction across the entrance channel. The shoal has a least depth of approximately 1.2 metres at LAT within the centre white sector of the entrance channel. The shoal patch on the eastern side of the entrance channel's red sector has a least depth of 1.1 metres at LAT. The shoal patch on the western edge of the entrance channel's green sector indicated by the port entry light has a least depth of approximately 0.9 metres at LAT ... READ MORE

Click on the chartlet below left to see an enlarged view.

BRISBANE RIVER SURVEY ADVICE

Following hydrographic surveys of the Brisbane River from the Entrance Beacons upriver as far as the Eleanor Schonell Bridge, a number of submerged objects remain. These objects may pose a hazard to navigation when anchoring, trawling and during other subsurface activities in these areas. Unusual currents may also exist in the area. Mariners should navigate with due caution when operating in close proximity to these locations.

Click on the chartlets below for enlargements.

Remember that you can check recent ITW editions on the RQYS website's Publications page as many of the MSQ NOTAMS reported may remain current.

That's the round-up for this week but always remember: the onus is on skippers to visit the MSQ webpage and inform themselves of relevant issues. Remember, too, you can also sign up to the Commonwealth Government's free email advisories about changes affecting your choice of local charts and publications, both paper and electronic.

DOCUMENTS AND POLICIES

The new TECHNO FOIL & IQ YOUTH FOIL HIRE POLICY has been placed on the RQYS website.

Please CLICK HERE to view RQYS Documents and Policies, as many have been reviewed and updated in recent weeks: files with 'Last modified' dates from November 2021 to March 2022

APPROVED TRADESPERSONS

Please CLICK HERE to see the Approved Trades & Contractors List.

You can also check our MAINSHEET 2021's expanded TRADES and SERVICES Directory in the fully-searchable, interactive 'one-click-contact' eMagazine ONLINE HERE

Place your advertisements on the RQYS website for free! To view current adverts or to add your own CLICK HERE