The 38s are firing up!
With the new sailing season upon us I can honestly say I have never seen the Sydney 38 Association Committee so busy! So it is timely to provide a brief update on what is going on behind the scenes.
The next National Championships are going to set a new benchmark for the Sydney 38s so read more about what Bruce Ferguson and his sub-committee have been up to later in this newsletter. We also have some important decisions in front of us in relation to our class rules so make sure you are a financial member of the Association and have your say. You can attend the AGM either in person or via our telephone conferencing facility. See details below.
Whatever your plans – safe and fast sailing.
Nationals 2015 shaping up to be the best in some time!
A Team of Sydney 38 owners and supporters at the RPAYC have been working diligently since March to create a superb 2015 nationals. The team’s objective is to increase the number of boats participating in the event.
The strategy is to enlarge participation through having a Sydney yachts rally that will include the Sydney 32, Sydney 36 and other Sydney yachts into a regatta that incorporates the Sydney 38 nationals. This is supported by the early announcement of the dates of 20-22 February 2014 at RPAYC.
While we hope to get as many owners to race their own boats as possible, for various reasons, some may not be in a position to race. In this case we plan to get as many of these boats available for charter as possible. The team is in the process of creating a “plug and play” charter where the boat paperwork, access, quality, etc is as standard and easy as possible for charterers and the boat owners.
We are planning to make this the first OD event that incorporates a sailor with a disability, RPAYC’s Daniel Fitzgibbon, current Olympic Gold medallist and World SKUD18 champion who will be competing in Another Challenge, a very fitting legacy for the boat and for the late Lou Abrahams.
The event is shaping up to be a great showcase for the fleet, with multiple sponsors coming on board. At this stage we have Performance Boating as the naming sponsor, North Sails, 318 Fasteners, G Brothers Mercedes, Quay Marina locked in.
The team is in the process of creating a fun social and racing program for the event, and will be sending an information pack to owners soon, together with logistics and information on charters, timing and similar details.
All interested boat owners should go to Regattas & Championships at the RPAYC for notice of race and to enter.
For additional information, contact Jo Beashel at [email protected]
See you in Pittwater!
The AGM
Our AGM is planned for mid-November and will be held via tele-conference so all members can participate where ever they happen to be. Venues in Sydney and Melbourne will be arranged so members can gather and consider various matters including the important issue of whether the class should change to a mast head kite as a class. There will be separate information circulated to all members on the pros and cons and the process involved should the 2/3 majority vote be successful. There will also be some important practical and administrative changes made to the constitution and class rules. Again these changes will be laid out prior to the AGM so any questions and concerns can be addressed.
Please make every effort to return you ballot papers once received and attend the AGM. It is your association after all.
Communication
The Association Facebook page continues to get plenty of interest and traffic. Some stories are getting over 500 views! You can “like” us here https://www.facebook.com/#!/sydney38class to stay in touch with the latest news or check out our web page http://www.sydney38class.com/ Read about the recent win by Phoenix in the preseason sprints regatta held on Corio Bay.
Did you see the full page advertisement for our Nationals in last months Australian Sailing magazine? Thanks to our Nationals sponsor Performance Boating for making this possible.
As always if you have some news or a cool photo drop me a line at [email protected]
Sydney 38s in South Australia are building
The Victorian fleet was sad to see Clockwork Orange finally sold and heading west over to S.A.. But it is fair to say that Victoria’s loss will be S.A.s gain as Clockwork has always been one of the quicker boats around. The S.A. fleet is now 6 boats and they are looking to hold an OD State titles as part of the Lincoln Regatta next February. Anthony Wilson off Slipknot is the S.A. rep and he can be contacted on [email protected]
NSW State titles
With the current focus on the Nationals in Pittwater, the NSW Chapter plan to hold the NSW State titles as part of Sail Port Stephens next April. So pencil this into the diary. I hear it is a great venue and a great event. Further details will come out over coming months.
Festival of Sail – Geelong
The next major regatta for the 38s is the FOS in Geelong over the Australia Day weekend. It will be a three day Grade 1 regatta starting Friday 23rd of January. With four (maybe even six) Victorian boats committed to race in Pittwater in the Nationals this will be a key tune up regatta for the Vic fleet. It is great to hear that Slip Knot will be coming over from S.A. as well. We expect a feel of 10+ boats.
Membership of the Association
It is very important that if the 38s are going to retain their appeal as a one design class that we have a healthy association and good levels of participation. We appreciate that not every owner wants to take on Grade 1 events or race in the Sydney to Hobart but it is important that we have your input and support as a member. At $200 a year I hope you agree that being a member of the Association is a good investment. The Committee work hard to maintain the rules, answer technical queries, run events and promote the class. So please give us your support and if you haven’t already, pay your subs. Any queries can be sent to Jo at [email protected]
Greg Clinnick
Class President