Hi all.


NATIONALS 1

Big announcement for the week is that Michael Lancey - 2nd in the
Olympic trials, world-class Mistral sailor and the fastest One
Designer in NSW - will give professional coaching for free to the
Juniors and any "beginners" at the nationals. The plan is for the
Juniors and inexperienced racers using 4.5 metre sails to race around
short courses before (and perhaps after) the rest of the fleet races
further out. Michael is the coach for the NSW Sabot fleet and other
classes and his skills will be a great help and incentive to any
Junior or inexperienced sailors. So the nationals now offer younger
or newer sailors professional coaching as well as fun and practise.
Many thanks Michael!


NATIONALS 2

We're looking for feedback about schedules. A tentative schedule is
below. We have to allow time for the kids and any beginners to race
around a short course just off the beach in the morning, before the
main racing (and perhaps in the afternoon as well if the main fleet
finishes early).

The idea behind having only the slalom and/or freestyle on the
Thursday was one of Johnsy's. It will allow those who can't/don't want
to take an extra day off to compete in the course racing and marathon
which are for many people the major events. Sounds good to me.

The Marathon will be set for Friday (unless conditions are unsuitable)
because the local yachts will be doing that course that day. That will
give us some extra safety cover if the worst comes to the worst and
will reduce the load on the club. The plan is to do a course that
takes us around the beautiful bay so these are important features.


Th. Jan‭ ‬25‭

‬Registration‭ ‬-‭ ‬regatta venue‭
9-10
Information session‭ – ‬regatta venue‭ 10.30‭
‬hrs
Competition for freestyle and/or slalom‭ ‬11.00‭ ‬hrs
commences‭

Welcome Party at regatta venue‭ (‬or BBSC‭
clubhouse in case of bad weather‭)‬.‭
‬19.00‭ ‬hrs


Fri Jan‭ ‬26‭

‬Registration‭ ‬-‭ ‬ regatta venue‭‬
09.00-11.00‭
Junior/Beginners 4.5 Fleet races 10-11.30
‬Information session‭ – ‬regatta venue‭
‬12.00‭
Competition period‭ (‬inc.‭ ‬marathon‭)
‬13.00‭ -‬17.30‭ ‬hr

‬Beach party‭ ('‬70s theme to mark the‭ ‬
30th year since the first Wally nationals,‭'‬77‭)
‬19.00‭ ‬hrs


Sat Jan‭ ‬27‭
‬
Competition commences‭ ‬ 10.00‭
‬hrs-17.30‭ ‬hrs ‬Class
meeting‭ ‬19.00‭ ‬hrs


Sun Jan‭ ‬28‭ ‬

Competition commences‭ ‬ 10.00‭ ‬- 17.30‭
‬hrs
‬Presentation‭ ‬18.30‭ ‬hrs until midnight?



Points to consider -

1) When do people reckon racing should start and finish? Bear in mind
we will (hopefully) have a few Juniors and inexperienced sailors to
get around the course in the morning or late afternoon.


2) How many course races do we want? Is planning for six enough
(assuming we will do more if we can)?


3) What time do people want to start and finish the presentation
dinner. It will be at the Catalina Country Club, which in our
experience is very well organised. Will people want to kick on, or
leave for the trip home? They have a courtesy bus available and are a
15 minute walk from the regatta site.

See http://www.catalinacountryclub.com.au/.

Don't worry, the preso night is booked - they just need to know the
times later.


4) It has been suggested that we have to formalise the class a bit
more. It looks as though we can stay under the wing of the Australian
Windsurfer Association (which takes away the hassle of incorporation
etc) but Yachting Australia needs someone to deal with. At the moment,
the AWA (NOT me!) has been referring to me as the "president" to the
YA, which I'm certainly not (and I don't claim to be, but they need to
show someone from the class). At the moment it seems that Johnsy,
Lloydie and I sort of work like a South American junta and democracy
could be a good thing.

Would people be interested in a meeting on the Sunday night to thrash
out some sort of structure and throw some people into the positions?


MARMONG SPRING REGATTA

With a terrible forecast and pretty terrible weather, only three One
Designs made it back to Marmong on Lake Macquarie. The first day's
racing was a wash-out (literally) with pouring rain and zero wind.
Sunday had everything from near calm to a 30 knotter that had only 7
of the 18 starters (mainly Formula) making it home. Chris won from
Roger with Steve Barton coming home third after a late start.

Highlights were watching the Formula boys howl around in the strong
stuff (although not all of them left the One Designs behind, the top
guys were really quick and impressive); the dedication of the Marmong
guys, especially Barry Fawkes who spent a day in pouring rain running
the racing; and playing with a GPS after the racing.

Sam Fawkes, currently ranked 5th out of the 700+ windsurfers on the
GPS Speedsurfing rankings, scored a personal best on his Formula gear
with 31 knots earlier that day. I then borrowed his GPS and did a
reach out and back on the edge of control in big winds and a chop. I
was driving hard and it felt quick and dramatic, but considering the
chop and how stuffed I was, it was shocking to see a 21.9 knot peak!
In flat water, with better angles and less exhausted after five races,
the Wally would have to be able to go knots faster. I'm working on
getting more reaching pace out of the Wally (I've always just done
windward/leewards) and its speed is getting to really surprise me.


NEXT NSW REGATTA - WOLLONGONG

Wollongong is next up for the Wallies. The racing will be on Saturday;
some of us are heading down the coast further that night to camp out
and sail the next day. Wollongong's Glen Morrell has tracked down a
bunch of Wallys for kids to learn on and we should really try to
support his efforts by turning up.

Also, we're still looking for one or two NSW sailors to go to
Melbourne for a teams racing weekend in October.....please call me.


See you all


Chris