Hot action over winter

COMBINED Clubs racing on the Derwent has been an outstanding success these past summers, with last season attracting record fleets.

The program saw yachts enter a single summer pennant series, with each of the three major yacht clubs alternatively conducting the series total of nine long and river races.

Autumn is here, with keen interest in short-handed racing, and then it’s into the popular club winter series, with the Bellerive Yacht Club, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and the Derwent Sailing Squadron each conducting its own winter pennant series on alternative Sundays.

The RYCT has made a major change to its winter series racing format, changing from mid-river fleet starts and generally windward/leeward courses to a “stern chaser’’ or pursuit race on each of its five Sunday contests.

To make it a little more interesting, there will be cash prizes: $300 for first place, $200 for second, and $100 for third for each race.

“We will start races from off Castray [Esplanade], using our twilight courses rather than the previous winter race courses,” sailing manager Nick Hutton said this week, explaining the new race format.

“At this stage we are planning on one division, with the smaller boats starting at 9.30am and others following by one-minute countdowns through to the bigger, faster boats,” he said.

“The club’s race committee decided on the change to a pursuit winter race as a more entertaining style of competition for this time of the year. The cash prizes will be an added incentive.

“With the morning northerly breeze usually constant over winter, we expect close racing as the bigger yachts chase the frontrunners.”

However, the Derwent Sailing Squadron and the Bellerive Yacht Club have elected to maintain their successful winter formats.

The BYC Winter Series starts on May 27, followed on June 3 by the RYCT, then on June 17 by the DSS (there is a two-week break because of the Queen’s Birthday weekend).

The winter racing then continues through to the DSS race five on September 9.

Glen makes a big move

AUSTRALIAN Sailing’s new regional manager in Tasmania, Glen Stanaway, has taken up his role with enthusiasm.

He is based in Hobart and is already actively in contact with clubs throughout the state.

Glen takes over from Richard McMinn, who is returning to university to study for his Masters degree.

Previously the head of sailing services with Australian Sailing, based in Sydney, the move to Tasmania will see Glen continue to build on the close relationships developed by Richard with the clubs and class associations.

In a press release, Australian Sailing described Glen as “a tenacious, confident and progressive member of the executive team who easily adapts to any technology or corporate environment”.

As regional manager in Tasmania, Glen will be responsible for the club services network in the state, liaising with local and interstate staff and contractors to achieve the objectives of Australian Sailing by promoting the sport and building relationships with the local sailing community.

The release said the network’s objective was to build effective “one on one” relationships with all 29 Tasmanian clubs, identifying each club’s needs and priorities.

Glen was introduced to a large gathering of southern Tasmanian keelboat sailors at last Saturday’s Combined Clubs prize night at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

Maritime seminar

REGISTRATIONS close this coming week for an important seminar in Tasmania that draws together representatives of the large number of maritime museums, nautical collections, displays and maritime centres around the state, as well as interested members of the public.

The seminar has been booked for May 23 at the East Coast Heritage Museum at Swansea on the East Coast, a venue considered central for people from all parts of the state.

It has been organised by the widely representative group called the Maritime Heritage Organisations of Tasmania.

The seminar enables a general sharing of ideas and latest news from museums and other nautical centres, all of which celebrate Tasmania’s wealth of maritime heritage.

Speakers will cover such subjects as accessibility to sites, volunteer surveys and, of course, the storage of and caring for objects, collections and information.

Centres and organisations to be represented include the Glamorgan Spring Bay Historical Society, the St Helens History Room, the Bass Strait Maritime Centre, the Burnie Regional Museum, the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, and the Friends of Tasman Island.,

The seminar will run from 10am to 3pm.

For inquiries phone John Wadsley on 0417 487 289.

Bookings can be made to john.wadsley@maritimetas.org