The Yachtsman 2017-2018 The Yachtsman 2017-2018 | Page 45

R PAY C A C T I V I T I E S
LIGHTING OF THE FIRE
E
ach year the Royal Prince Alfred
Yacht Club (RPAYC) holds their
annual “Lighting of the Fire”
event, a tradition to kick start
Friday evening club drinks over the
winter season with the warmth and comfort
of the Edinburgh room fireplace.
On the 25th May the event was held in
conjunction with a fundraiser for the Olympic
campaign of Australia’s “Female Sailors of
the Year”, Tash Bryant and Annie Wilmot.
The fire was lit in more than one way, so
to speak, with an in-depth panel discussion
on Olympic pathways and successes with Lisa
Darmanin, silver medallist in 2016 on the
Nacra 17 (currently campaigning for 2020
with helm Jason Waterhouse), RPAYC Head
Coach Tom Spithill and Team Objective
Coach Traks Gordon, and Tash Bryant and
Annie Wilmot who are currently campaigning
in the 49erFX Class.
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YA C H T S M A N R PAY C
The panel, hosted by Nic Douglass, Sailor
Girl, not only spoke about the upcoming
2020 Olympics, but the efforts needed now to
develop sailors for the 2024, 2028 Games and
beyond in an environment such as the RPAYC
that is rich with Olympic history.
Tom Spithill, Australian Sailing Coach
of the Year, was then auctioned off by Nic
Douglass in order to raise funds for Tash
Bryant and Annie Wilmot, and a raffle drawn
as the girls lit the real fire in the Club to signify
the start of winter.