|
|
|
|
|
Newsletter 22 October 2014 |
This email contains graphics, so if you don't see them, view it in your browser. |
| |
|
___Hi Everyone,
Mason Contractors has made the carpark at 8 Brick Bay good enough for it to be made temporarily available for the summer. There are some wet spots which require drainage, so this area has been cordoned off. SYC members may now park their car or car/trailer for a period over Summer, free of charge. We would suggest angle parking by backing into the outer edge of the carpark (as shown below) so that we can maximise the number of vehicles able to use the area. PHOTO If a current SYC membership card is not showing on the dashboard so that the membership number can be easily read, the car may be towed at owners expense. If you have any queries, please contact Alan Boniface on
Thank you to Doug Holt, Pam Eede and Grant Brown who offered to monitor various aspects of SYC during the busy period. They will be checking to ensure those parking around the yard or at 8 Brick Bay Drive have current membership cards, those using pontoon facilities are paying their way and that people are generally complying with rules and showing consideration to others. A really helpful gesture at this time of year. SYC members who are in the general area and question any activity which they think may not be in keeping with SYC requirements, are encouraged to do their bit and check it out. Particularly with those trying to avoid paying for launching and retrieving. The $10 fee MUST be paid on launching – not waiting until retrieval. With a friendly smile and polite attitude no one will be offended. Thank you for your help in this area.
The end of year Christmas Party was a thoroughly enjoyable occasion. The meal was delicious; great variety, plenty of it and very nicely cooked. It was a cosy night, and a very cheerful one too. Thanks to all those who came along. If you’d like any photos of that evening, take a peek at this Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MMP-Event-Photos/384820625018485. Michele Mackenzie was the lead bar-lady for the evening and took photos between jobs. Go to the link and click on the photos, you’ll see that each photo is numbered. If you wish to order any they are $5.00 each posted to you. Please text or phone Michelle on 0211500719, or email: michele.m.photography@gmail.com with the photo numbers and your contact details to place your order. Michele is a professional photographer and a wedding and functions organiser. She has another website which some of you may be interested in: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michele-Mackenzie-Photography/241535539334764?ref=hl. Hope you like the photos.
 CateringThank you to Troy Searle and Donna who provided our lovely Christmas meal. Sadly, we must advise that these ladies have hung up their aprons for good, in pursuit of other interests, and bid SYC farewell. They’ve served up lovely meals throughout 2014 for which we are very appreciate, thus enabling our social outings to flourish. So we’re on the hunt for new caterers again…. If you know of anyone who may be interested we’d love to track them down. Contact Glenys Milne on 0274 805051.
SYC Centerboard Division The holiday programme for Learn to Sail 1 classes gets underway on 5th January to inspire a whole new group of youngsters into the world of sailing. Kids about 9yrs old are considered to be of the right age to get into this sport, this being when they are physically and mentally ready to learn the ropes. These are great introductory classes and you will be amazed how quickly they excel and how much fun the kids have, week after week when the usual LTS classes are on. Algies Bay is the perfect spot for learning to sail and a lovely way to spend afternoons after school with your kids watching them learn. They’ll thank you for it.Dates for dinghy sailing classes for Term 1, 2015 have been finalised. Centreboard Co-ordinator Mischelle Mills has itemised these below so if your children/grandchildren are keen to be involved, please let Mischelle know. Green Fleet (for those who have done Learn to Sail (LTS) 1 and LTS2): Sundays, beginning 1st February and goes through to 22nd March 2015. Starts 8.30am, finishes 12.00noon. Learn to Sail 1 classes start on Monday 2nd February and go through to 23rd March 2015. 3.30pm until 7.00pm. Learn to Sail 2 will be doing a block course in the April school holidays (holidays 2nd-20th April). The classes start on Tuesday 7th April and go through to Friday 10th April 2015. This is four straight days, 8.30am - 3.00pm. A $50 non-refundable deposit will secure your space. We suggest bookings are made promptly as these are very popular courses and offered at minimal cost. To book space and get full details on cost and requirements, please call Mischelle on 0212085460, or email her on sandspitlearntosail@gmail.com. Keen to Coach? The Centreboard Division is looking for a couple of race coaches to hone the skills of their sailors in Optis, Starlings and lasers for the 2015 season. Such a coach is also needed to coach the youngsters in their 420s at Mahurangi College. This is a paid position with coaching required to support the sailors in their leadup to regattas, some taking place in January. All applicants considered. Expressions of interested are to be directed to Carola Corkill on 0273313161 or email syccentreboard@gmail.com.  027 217 2588027 217 2588 or email: hawksnestorchard@xtra.co.nz. Or refer to our SYC handbook for all up-to-date details. We’d love to have even more participation for the next season’s racing!A pleasant evenings’ sail with BBQ and drinks at the clubrooms on Friday 19th December rounded off a very enjoyable season of Friday night racing. Nine boats participated with Rattle & Rum taking first place, Rational 2nd and Floyd 3rd. A big thank you to all those who have been involved over the past season. Your support is always very much appreciated – always a good excuse to get out and use the boat and fine tune those boating skills! SYC Matakana Marine Cruising series The first event after Xmas will be the evening race to Mahurangi on Friday 23 January 2015. This is a cruising event (a penalty applies if you fly an extra and/or do not tow a dinghy). The start will be off Algies Bay at 1800 and the course will be displayed on the committee boat. We are hoping that all SYC yachts planning to attend the Mahurangi Regatta on Saturday will enter the cruising race. As is normal with our cruising races this season the race will be sponsored, this time by Burnsco. A breakfast BBQ/prize giving will be held on the beach on Saturday morning, 24th. Tentative plans are for this to be at Otuawaea Bay (otherwise known as Meter Bay – just north of Sullivans Beach) at 0900, but weather may determine that it is held in the grounds of the old Scott homestead at Scotts Landing. We will provide the BBQs and you will need to supply anything you want to eat. We recognise that some of you will want to participate in the MCC races on Sat. and may have to leave the BBQ early so we will ensure that they are really hot by 0900. On Sunday 25 January it is planned that we will hold a race back to Kawau. The details of this will be advised to you later, probably at the BBQ, or on VHF Channel 77, or through the SYC Newsletter. On Sunday evening the Kawau Boat Club is holding a dine/dance evening and members may care to join in the fun. On Monday 26 January we may hold another breakfast BBQ on the Mansion House Bay lawn if there is sufficient interest. We will do a straw poll on the Saturday to gauge support. For further information regarding the cruising series, contact Conway Stewart on 425 5892 or SYC Racing Series (held in conjunction with the ‘cruisers’) The first SYC sailing event of the New Year for the bigger boats will be the cruise/ race on Friday 23 January 2015 from Snells around to Mahurangi to watch or participate in the Mahurangi Regatta. No extras (spinnakers etc) and dinghy to be towed. There is also an SYC race on the Sunday heading back to Algies. Mahurangi Regatta is always a fine spectacle and a “must” on the boating calendar if you can get there. Please see link below for full details of the Mahurangi Cruising Club’s Regatta, the egg-and spoon races, the BYO BBQ ashore, prize-giving and dance with Prohibition Big Band on Saturday evening, and the race on Sunday. The main regatta will be held on Saturday 24 January at Sullivans Bay. There will be beach entries at Sullivans Bay, or Scotts Landing in strong easterly conditions, 9am to 11.30am on Saturday. It would greatly assist if the Mahurangi Regatta organisers could take as many entries as possible by post or email beforehand. Entry Forms available online: http://www.mahurangi.org.nz/Regatta/2015/General-Format.php. Sandspit Dredging The TR Healey has made seven return trips to the Barrier to dump the spoils from marina dredging. Early in the New Year, she will be joined by another two barges so that progress can be ramped up. Follow progress by visiting the marina website: sandspitmarina.org.nz. A reminder, that the barges, both those dredging and the dump barges which are coming and going create obstacles to other boats in the area and need a big turning area. They are big and slow and not easy to manoeuvre. They are operating in a construction sight so please take extra care when exiting or entering the harbour. Remember: BARGES HAVE RIGHT OF WAY AT ALL TIMES!! Sandspit Marina office hours: Closed from 4pm, Thursday 18 December, re-opening on 1pm on Tuesday, 27 January 2015. During the holiday period, please call Graeme Maker on 021 279 8117 A reminder that the Thursday evening bar sessions will continue throughout January. The bar will be open from 4.30pm on Thursday 8th, 15th and 22nd January. Our thanks again to Mike Smith, Ross Sutherland, Wayne Adkins and Rob McRae for their volunteer services during this time. Reminding you that dinners at the clubrooms have finished for the year and will not resume until Friday 13 February. As mentioned above, our most recent caterers have resigned from the club and whilst we will be doing everything we can to find new caterers, we will resume operation on 13th Feb only if we are successful in filling this vacancy. We would happily talk with anyone willing to give it a go… you may recall when the Vaissieres and Huxtables took over for a year and presented a one-choice per night menu - it worked wonderfully! So don’t hesitate to spread the word or make enquiries. Phone Glenys on 0274805051 or email glenysmilne@yahoo.co.nz. Let’s hope we can fill this space soon! Membership cards are available for collection from KBC for those who have already joined. If you’d like to become a member to support the club, please make yourself known to new managers David and Robyn Lee. Shop: The shop is stocked in readiness for those visiting over Christmas with supplies including bread, milk, fruit, basic vegetables, cereal, snack food, ice-cream, chocolate, ice, bait etc, but please understand that it will never be a full-on dairy. Think of the shop as a back-up, not your full shop. KBC pennants and good-looking polo shirts are also available for purchase. The shop will be open from 0900hrs until late in the evening with bar open and meals being available for you, your family and friends seven days a week through the summer. Pop over with friends for the day or include a family meal out if you’re spending some time over in Kawau. New Years Eve Party: KBC will be reviving the past with a New Year’s Eve party, on 31 December. Music by a great ‘covers’ band, Usual Suspects. There is a small cover charge per person of $10 after 1930hrs with food, beverages and dancing till late. So don’t sit at home – head over for the night and enjoy a great night out at this fantastic location. The company is bound to be great! New Years’ Day Regatta: The great traditional New Year’s Day Kawau Regatta will be maintained by RNZYS with entry forms and sailing instructions available at the Club. Start time 12noon with First Division boats. Divisions include keelers under and over 30’, multihulls, centre-boarders 14’ and under, and radio yachts. Modern and traditional boats welcome. The day will conclude with a prize-giving in the clubrooms around 1700hrs. Everyone welcome. Fuel: As earlier indicated, getting permission to sell fuel has apparently been a considerable uphill battle for KBC, grappling with compliance bureaucrats and red tape over the past few months. At last they are pleased to confirm that fuel is now available at KBC wharf. For members, (at time of writing) diesel will be the same price as Gulf Harbour, (despite the considerably higher delivery costs) at $1.48 per litre (non members $1.54). KBC Foundation Committee wish you all a very Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you soon…. Martin Farrand (Club Captain), David Innes (Hon Sec), You are invited to spend an afternoon at Mansion House enjoying music from 2pm on Saturday 14th February 2015. Last year tickets sold out two weeks prior so don’t leave booking yours until the last minute. This is a very popular day out so please be advised that parking around Sandspit on this day will be at an absolute premium – particularly if the weather gods are working in OPAK’s favour. The event is put together by Kawau Island business owners and residents collectively called OPAK – Organisations Passionate About Kawau with great support from Warkworth and Matakana businesses. Check out this website to learn more about OPAK and the Music in the Gardens event. www.kawauisland.org.nz. A swing mooring located at the end of the first set of poles going up the Sandspit River is available for about six months from early-mid January 2015. Suit shallow draft boat. Phone Brian Tuck on 422 3415 or 021 102 1052 The SYC Sailing Division now has its own Facebook page. Handy for those who are already "on Facebook". Just click on the link below and put in your password. Sandspit Yacht Club•Sailing Division https://www.facebook.com/groups/887729757906807/
Please wear them. They do save lives. It’s been an awful year for boating related incidents where many people have drowned, many possibly avoidable had life-jackets been worn. And children wearing ill-fitting life-jackets is a big problem too. Make sure you have the right number and the right sizing aboard for your family and friends. Coastguard will be at the Sandspit main Wharf (or where they launch off the beach) on Saturday 3 January 2015 from 7.30am to 1.30pm offering a discounted price to those trading in their old life-jackets for new ones. Go check them out. (Go to Coastguard.org.nz to check out other locations where the ‘Old4New’ is taking place).
And don’t forget to support Coastguard by buying a ticket in their Great Summer Lottery this year. $7 from every $10 ticket bought at the roadside stand gets to the local unit. And every dollar they get really helps. And that’s a wrap for 2015! We hope the weather is favourable over the New Year and right throughout the summer so you can all enjoy some great boating with family and friends. And for those staying at home, be it entertaining, pottering in the garden or having to work – we trust you have an enjoyable and productive time. Take care everyone, and stay safe. See you in 2015. With our very best wishes and kind regards from the entire Sandspit Yacht Club Committee and volunteer base. Glenys Milne Social Convenor & Publicity Officer Sandspit Yacht Club | |
