Compass Yacht Group
Annual Report 2018
Well the Regatta was held last Saturday 10th February with the BBQ Meet and Greet on the Friday night.
It was a great night as always, a good turnout with about 25 boats represented. There was great camaradie as usual. This year we had some special guests; Adam and Anna of N28 Alibi who bought her in Lavender Bay and sailed to the Barrier reef and back – next stop Hobart. Also Phil and Di, our C28 circumnavigators. Many friends old and new arrived and we settled down to a party. The prize table was strewn with give aways, a 5 litre tin of Jotun Antifouling and a $150 discount voucher for Hutton Yacht Winches (Lucky Door Prizes). The Perspex trophies for “The Longest Voyage in a Compass Yacht in the past 12 months” “Line Honours winner for the 2018 Regatta” “ First C28 Division” “First C29 Division” (looking for sponsors names to be engraved on the bases of these) Did I mention two bottles of wine per entrant.
The race got going about 11.00! With most boats getting off to good start reaching on Starboard tack. C28 started to leave the fleet which was largely bunched for the first mile. With my crew, we had 230 years of experience on board. Jerry Hendry helming and Don Lees working the sheets and myself on the foredeck “skirting the genoa. It was quite a sailing lesson these two gave. Pushing the mainsheet traveller to windward at times to move the cenre of pressure, re-routing the genoa sheets on and off the wind. By gee for’ard hands get fit!
Our wind was Easterly at about 10 knots, with a wide start but crossing the heads the fleet had spread out except when C29 Maeling engaged C28 Secrets in a luffing match toward Quarantine. These old boys play for keeps! Secrets however managed to get past and open up a 10 minute lead by the finish, a beautiful new mainsail! Then we had that nasty short work from Manly West to Manly East before the long run to Neilsen Park. Maeling seemed to be working to dodge the Manly Ferry timetable and four times we we had to tack to avoid. Our second tack must have been favourable as Reverie said we suddenly just walked away from them as we headed between the Heads. The tide must have been favourable but we had more trouble with the tide as we almost stalled with the tide setting us down on the marker.
Crossing the Manly Ferry again we tacked past Sow and Pigs for the finish line and took overgetting the other boats finishing times.
It wasn’t long before we were in the Clubhouse sharing our stories however because of the light breezes we were running late and in danger of outstaying our welcome on the moorings.
The Line Honours Winner BETA Diesel $100 prize went to Carlos in C28 Skylark
The C28 Handicap Division BETA Diesel $150 First Prize prize went to Alan of N28 Anna of CYC
BETA Diesel $100 Second Prize prize went to Adam & Anna N28 Alibi
BETA Diesel $75 Third Prize prize went to Ian C28 Secrets
The C29 Handicap Division BETA Diesel $150 First Prize prize went to Marion & Bob of C29 Reverie
BETA Diesel $100 Second Prize prize went to Martin & Sawjin C29 Nereid
BETA Diesel $75 Third Prize prize went to Geoff & Lynne C29 Maeling
All the entrants who came back for the Presentation got 2 bottles of wine to celebrate another wonderful year, our 17th Regatta of the modern era, in our old boats.
There was one last surprise presentation by Don Lees, a 700mm long half model of a C29, it was a prize left from when Compass Yachts ran the regattas.
We must thank the Committee and Members of the VYC for hosting us, Thanks to Don Lees for coming down to Sydney especially for the Regatta, thanks to those who came to the Friday BBQ, those who participated, those who took times, those who came to the raft-up, Marion my new Captain of Rafting and my long suffering Lynne
Best Wishes for the coming year and we will see you in February 2019
Geoff Raebel
The photos will be put up soon at https://sites.google.com/site/compassyachtgroup/gallery