The Yachtsman 2017-2018 The Yachtsman 2017-2018 | Page 5

CLUB REPORTS
CLUB REPORTS
COMMODORE
L
150 Years of Excellence
A new exciting era emerges
2018 and beyond
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YA C H T S M A N R PAY C
ast year has been one of celebration.
We have reflected on our past and
how this Club came to be the
magnificent sporting facility we all
enjoy today.
We completed our Sesquicentennial year
with a garden party and have moved on to a
new exciting era! Another busy year on the
race course, evolving around a new sailing
program providing more opportunity for one
design and sports boats to join in on the fun.
Whilst there is much talk of falling
participation in all sailing clubs, the RPAYC
has very diverse sailing offerings incorporated
in the sailing program to provided members
with more opportunities to sail the way they
want to, these include:
• More regatta style racing;
• A Blue Water race to Southport; and
• A great One Design program.
The aim is to provide affordable and time
efficient ways to participate in our sport on
Pittwater and beyond, while retaining our
ever-popular Club racing series. The offering
spans all generations:
• Centreboard kids aged from 6-15 years,
sailing 100 optimists on any Sunday
together with a wide range of off the
beach craft competing on Pittwater,
makes a spectacular view.
• Youth Development is the next step for
the young adults aged 15-23 starting
to match race on the club’s Elliott
7’s. They travel the Circuit including
Sydney Harbour, Darwin, Noumea,
Auckland and San Francisco. At home
on Pittwater each November these
international and club teams come to do
fierce battle to contest the Harken Cup.
• Our traditional race around the Cairns,
Estuary and Offshore series together
with many feature events throughout
the whole year, the YD kids often crew
on members yachts around the Cairns
or off to Southport.
• Cruising Division last year had a
Coral Coast cruise which was an
enormous success with 17 yachts
arriving back in time to help celebrate
the 150th Garden Party.
By now you have met our Race Director
Nick Elliott, who besides his fabulous work up
training the volunteers, has brought innovative
and a new perspective to the management of
RPAYC sailing. Nick has been working with
Yacht Race and Centreboard committees to
develop and deliver some new race courses,
and a new race program.
Volunteering at RPAYC has a whole new
life with great training program for race
officers on and off the water including jury
and protest, race management and many
other related sailing disciplines, with our
ranks now boasting over 80 race management
volunteers. This area of club life has been
growing rapidly, our race management teams
are in high demand both in the club, state
and national events, this really underlines
how important volunteering and Race
Management are to the success of sailing and
the RPAYC is leading the charge in this area.
We are now investing in our sport more
than we ever have before.
I take this opportunity to thank Suzanne
Davies for 12 years of excellent service as
General Manager and wish her well in her
new commercial role as CEO of the D’Albora
marina group.
I’m delighted to announce and welcome
Craig Evans to the role of General Manager.
He brings with him a wealth of experience
and knowledge from the Cruising Yacht club
of South Australia. Craig, a design engineer
from University of South Australia is a very
passionate sailor and a certified Marina
Manager. We look forward to Craig and his
wife Julie joining us in early November.
There are also many things happening
beyond Pittwater which our members are
involved in.
Some highlights include:
• Members Natasha Bryant and Annie
Wilmont have qualified Australia for the
49’s FX in Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
We wish them luck with the selection
process.
• Natasha and Annie won Australian
Sailing “Female Sailors of the Year
2017”. The girls received a lot of
support from Club members and
proudly fly the Club burgee where ever
they compete in the world.
• There are three young sailors being
sponsored to sail at the “Etchells
Worlds” in Brisbane this October,
together with other club members we
have six yachts participating in a fleet
of 95.
• Our Youth Development teams travel
to many events all over the world.
Recently our “all girl team” skippered
by Clare Costanzo won the Hardy Cup
series at the RSYC on the harbour.
This is the first all girl team to win this
significant event, well done.
Other great achievements this year
include Australian Sailing Coach of the Year
Tom Spithill, RPAYC Clubman of the Year,
David West, and in recognition of many
years racing and volunteering, Peter Kennett
was awarded a life membership of the Club.
Community Involvement for RPAYC
members is another busy part of Club life.
Our Club’s Integrated Sailing Program
(IDS) was formed some five years ago,
achieving great success in the Paralympic
Games with members Dan Fitzgibbons and
Liesl Tesch taking gold in 2012 and 2016.
Ongoing member support continues in many
community programs including “Sailability”
and “Soldier On”.
This year IDS has sponsored four new
members from “Soldier On” through the
IDS support fund. Adrian, Scott, Craig and
Nick (returned servicemen) are stepping up
and joining Club sailing and are very active in
volunteering, providing support for monthly
sailing events for the “Soldier On” and “Son
of God” veterans and their families.

There is plenty
happening at RPAYC!
It’s a busy place.
A premier Sailing event this year is the
Invictus Games being held in October
on Sydney Harbour. The Games feature
wounded, injured or sick armed services
personnel and their associated veterans from
18 countries competing. The event has the
CYCA the RSYS and RPAYC teamed up to
deliver this world class sailing event featuring
RPAYC providing race operations including
Tom Spithill as race director and providing
our Elliott 7’s and Rib’s with our very own
Ted Anderson as Race Officer on water.
I look forward to sharing this exciting
season and a new era of Excellence in Sailing,
as we enjoy more great times at our Club.
Michael R Lockley
Commodore
R PAY C YA C H T S M A N
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