Not all plain sailing at yacht club season launch
GUESTS at the launch of the Southport Yacht Club sailing season were treated to high tea and high drama with a display including a collision and a capsize.
The annual spectacle is never a dull affair with a flotilla of club vessels – from small sailing dinghys to powerboats – completing a tight turn in the marina right in front of the clubhouse.
A strong northerly made conditions extra tricky for the 70-plus sailors and vessels taking part in the 72nd instalment this year. A prophetic club general manager Brett James told the Bulletin prior to the sail past not to be surprised at the odd crash – and he wasn’t wrong.
There were plenty of close calls but the most dramatic moment came when a boat carrying most of the club’s exCommodores slammed into a luxury vessel berthed at the marina.
Despite a large bang, there appeared to be just minor damage amounting to little more than scratches and a bit of a fright for those onboard and in the audience.
A club junior member also capsized as he turned but came up smiling to cheers from guests including Senior Sergeant Jay Nataro, the officer in charge of Gold Coast Water Police.
The MC noted later: “This is one of the better sail pasts we have had in years. We have had a capsize, we’ve had a crash.”