This Friday, we have 2 draws, the first which will be drawn is the $1,000!  ​

From Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron

As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the sailing community and improve the quality of our events, we are pleased to invite your members to join us for a Club Judge training session on Saturday, 14 September, from 9 AM to 3 PM, including lunch. The session will be led by Tim Dorning, a National Judge and National Umpire, and the cost is $30 per participant.At times, we have trouble finding qualified volunteers for protest chairs and protest committees at Blairgowrie, and we know this can be challenging for other clubs as well. We are keen to expand our pool of skilled Club Judges, and want to share this training opportunity with our neighbouring clubs.
While the Club Judge – Protest Committee training is already available online to all Australian Sailing (AS) members, we believe there is significant value in working through the training in a group setting, combined with a mix of theory, discussion, mock hearings and written Q&A. We also see great value in fostering a local "rules group community" allowing more participation in protest hearings and support across clubs.

Please RSVP by Thursday 12 September to ensure your spot in the training, https://www.revolutionise.com.au/bys/events/254387

Safety and Sea Survival Courses (Sunday 8 September) 
Register for ORCV’s Safety and Sea Survival Courses on Sunday 8 September! As well as ensuring your boat has the required number of certified crew, these courses allow you to confidently support your Skipper and other crew members by gaining a deeper understanding of safety and survival. September’s course is your last chance to obtain certification before the Melbourne to Devonport race, so check your currency, and register for the refresher or full course below. 
www.orcv.org.au/calendar
 
West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint (Saturday 21 September) 
The West Offshore Coastal Sprint races kick-off in four weeks! The first of three coastal sprints on the ORCV calendar, the race on Saturday 21 September will see crews start at Queenscliff and compete over a 55nm course that will have you home before dark. The Coastal Sprint races have been designed as short-distance ocean sprints to provide a crew development pathway for longer ocean races and as a stand-alone coastal racing program. Enter individual races or all three.  
www.orcv.org.au/coastal-sprints
 
Melbourne to Devonport ‘Rudder Cup’ (Friday 1 November) 
What better way to spend your Melbourne Cup long weekend than competing in one of the most iconic events on the Australian sailing calendar! The Melbourne to Devonport ‘Rudder Cup’ is the oldest ocean race in Australia but features a youthful spirit and energy amongst competing crew, on full display during a warm reception hosted by Mersey Yacht Club. This race is also a qualifying event for the upcoming Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’. Entries are now open! 
www.orcv.org.au/devonport
 
Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ (Friday 27 December) 
The  ORCV ‘Westcoaster’ is a legendary yacht race where tactics and sailing well can crown you as the race champion, regardless of boat size. Across the 435nm passage, yachts contend first with Bass Strait before taking on the wilderness and ruggedness of the West Coast of Tasmania and the long ocean swell of the Southern Ocean before turning towards the finish line and the shifting winds of the Derwent. For more than 50 years, the Westcoaster has provided sailors with a unique race full of tactical challenges. Entries are now open! 
www.orcv.org.au/hobart

The races:  
The Melbourne to Devonport race, also known as The Rudder Cup, is Australia's oldest ocean race and will be held on the "Melbourne Cup" long weekend (1st November 2024) Starting off Queenscliff, the fleet will race 195nm to Devonport and be welcomed and hosted by the Mersey Yacht Club.   
The Devonport race is also a qualifying event for the 2024 Melbourne to Hobart "Westcoaster" race and is expected to attract a large fleet.  Open to fully crewed yachts, 4+autohelm, and double-handed crews, the Devonport race has always been a popular destination for ORCV and is a great place to visit. 
To book crews in go here: https://www.orcv.org.au/devonport  
The Melbourne to Hobart, also known as the Westcoaster, starts in Port Phillip on the 27th December and finishes in Hobart. Arguably Australia’s most challenging ocean race, the 435nm course takes the competitors out of Port Phillip Heads, across Bass Strait then down the rugged West coast of Tasmania, around the Southernmost tip of Australia, past Maatsuyker Island, before heading up the Derwent River to the finish in Hobart. 

This is a race run for yachties by yachties. It presents an amazing challenge to the participants and is run with a level of spirit and camaraderie not often seen. There are no fat wallet boats here, just great sailors working hard.  

Crews can book their entry here: https://www.orcv.org.au/hobart 

The Melbourne to Port Fairy race is a 135 mile course running SW from Queenscliff past the coastal resorts of Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay, before rounding Cape Otway and entering the southern ocean.  
The second half of the race runs NW to Port Fairy, often with eased sheets or under Spinnaker, along Victoria’s spectacular shipwreck coast - past Moonlight head, Port Cambell and the 12 Apostles. 
The date of the race has been moved to February to allow crews to continue on to Adelaide for the 75th Adelaide to Port Lincoln Race, and stay for Lincoln Race Week.  
There is a fast public coach and rail public service from Port Fairy to Melbourne on late Sunday afternoon for those who need to return to Melbourne for work or flights. 
Crews can book entry here: https://www.orcv.org.au/port-fairy 

Draft Minutes of our Meeting held 11 August
CLICK HERE>

Why not introduce a friend to our club? We'd love to thank you for this.
Just ask them to mention your name on their membership application - It's that simple!

​Surprise your dad with a scrumptious lunch at MYC with the best view in town!!
Bookings essential, just give us a ring on 5975 7001
or send us an email [email protected] by Wednesday, August 28th

The book this month is: On a Wing and a Prayer: the race that stopped the world by Di Websdale Morrissery
Thank you to those that joined us for our last catch up.  The next book will be discussed on Monday 26th August. Come along if you are interested! The more the merrier!! - friends and family also welcome :)