The Yachtsman 2016-2017 RPAYC Yachtsman 2016-2017 | Page 20

REAR COMMODORE
OF CRUISING REPORT
L
ooking back over the past 12 months Club Cruising has enjoyed
some great sailing and social activities.
Weekends on Pittwater are always relaxed enjoyable sailing
followed by gatherings at various small bays and also BBQs at
Bobbin Head and Akuna Bay. Dinner on Dangar Island once
again proved popular although the bowling had to be cancelled due to weather.
Other destination highlights were the nature walk and the pot luck dinners.
Combining some relaxed sailing, these social times are a great way to get to
know like minded people.
Christmas was enjoyed on Lake Macquarie and once again authorities
managed to dredge the lake as we were leaving! It’s a wonderful place to sail
on flat water with good wind, and at the end of the day there is always a
good anchorage.
We managed to get to Sydney Harbour on several occasions including for
Vivid and Easter. In many previous years the weather over Easter has meant we
are tucked up in a bay on Pittwater, but not this year. The Easter weather was
perfect allowing us to enjoy pleasant sailing up and down the coast and around
the Harbour. The group of 12 boats enjoyed dinner at the Woolwich Pier hotel
and a private tour of Cockatoo Island thanks to Eoin Asker. Tony Nossiter
introduced us to a motor sail down to Hen and Chicken Bay where everyone
enjoyed a seafood extravaganza.
In October 2016 Jim Cormack led as coastal cruise to and on the Clarence
River – see the accompanying article.
As this goes to print 16 boats are enjoying the Coral Coast 2017 cruise.
Rendezvous have been held in Mooloolaba, Roslyn Bay, Mackay and Airlie
Beach, with Magnetic Island and Dunk Island still to come.
You can follow all the adventure on our Alfred’s Cruising Facebook page.
The sailing is all underpinned by our First Friday dinners every month.
It’s good to catch up with old friends or meet new ones. There are always
good topics and activities from ‘The Adventures of Toucan’ to our own Murray
Glase singing for us.
We are in the process of putting our new calendar together. We will have one
or two estuary cruises a month. Christmas will be a blue water cruise and we
intend to get to the Harbour for several major events including Vivid, Australia
Day, the Archibald, Bienniale etc. The idea is to have various destinations as a
reason to go for a sail!
From Pittwater to Whitsunday or Hobart we should have a destination that
suits. We have an extensive seminar and mentor program to help you go to your
dream destination. Don’t dream it, do it. Come join us.
LEON WILSON
18
YACHTSMAN