A week after the close of Sailability Batemans Bay’s sailing season on April 18 a group of members turned out for Batemans Bay Sailing Club’s annual Anzac Regatta.
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After being approached by Sailability members Michael Leydon and Tish Ennis, Batemans Bay Sailing Club commodore Lachlan Brown was delighted to include a component for smaller boats at the regatta.
Instead of sailing at their usual location on the sheltered northern shore of the Clyde River beyond the bridge, the members rigged five Hansa dinghies at Corrigans Beach to sail on more open waters.
Leydon also enticed Sailability ACT to compete and they entered four Hansas, and brought a start boat, skippered by Terry Peek, and a safety boat to help out Squirt, the Bay Sailability’s safety boat.
On the Saturday afternoon, after a briefing at BBSC’s clubhouse, the nine Hansas and three other dinghies set out on a well-laid trapezoidal course west of Snapper Island for two races in divisions seven to nine.
Well-seasoned ACT sailor Gerda Lambeck aboard Marie Newell held off world Paralympian sailing champion Mark Durnan and Bay sailor Michael Brassill on Pumpkin, a Bay boat, and Bay sailors John Parker and Dana Strain on Acorn, in both races.
After contending with a strong sou-easterly and big ocean swell the day before, conditions on Sunday were lighter on the course, which took three windward loops around the first mark, a downwind leg to the second mark and a windward run to the finish.
In the third race, Lambeck held on to the lead to beat Allister Peek, on Royal Arch, and Parker, and repeated her superiority again in race four over Durnan and Parker.
Back at the BBSC clubhouse for the presentation, Lambeck, Durnan and Parker were congratulated for their outstanding performances.
Sailability Batemans Bay president Jocelyn Righton said she was thrilled with the participation of the smaller boats and that she was optimistic that the turnout would be as good as, if not larger, next year.
“Big thanks go to all our sailors, some of whom had never raced before, to Sailability ACT, Batemans Bay Sailing Club, and Michael and Tish, who organised for us to participate and also skippered both safety boats,” Righton said.
Sailability Batemans Bay’s 2016/17 season will commence in September.
New volunteer members are always welcome.
For more information, contact Jocelyn on 4478 1262 or Terry McDonough on 0425 213 052, or visit Sailability Batemans Bay Facebook page.
