RQYS Mainsheet 2021

Commodore

REPORTS

COMMODORE

REPORTS

There is no doubt I echo the sentiments of many, observes David Redfern, in writing that it is difficult to look back over 2021 with any suggestion that it has been ‘normal’ (at least as we know it), but we in Queensland have been fortunate to date in our bid to outdistance COVID.

The event turned out to be a great success – so much so that we have now included it in our racing calendar for next year – and it will be called “The Bluebottle Regatta” after the boat owned by our member who suggested the idea. We have a packed sailing program this season including the reintroduction of the Wolf Rock Race, a 200 nautical mile event which will also be a qualifying race for the Sydney to Hobart. Our Off the Beach programjust keeps on growing as do our Junior Sailing and Tackers fleets. Our sail and power cruising members also organised a solid agenda for the season and kicked it off with the annual cruise north to the Whitsundays and all points between. Over 40 boats from RQYS headed north this year and, from all accounts, all had a great time. Abnormally windy conditions didn’t seem to faze the fleet with most now back safely in their berths at the Squadron. Enjoy reading the lavishly illustrated reports from page 33. The Goodwill Cup navigation event this year reached a very significant milestone, that being 60 years of the combined event with our friends at Southport Yacht Club. I am happy to report that the skills of our navigation teams saw the trophy returned to the Squadron for another year. Well done, team! There is one aspect of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron that has surprised me greatly and that is the importance of the organisation within the community. I say this particularly in relation to the number of schools that come and use the Squadron’s facilities and the number of children that exercise brings with it.

With that in mind, I will concentrate on the wonderful accomplishments that have been achieved in an abnormal environment, as well as daring to look ahead into the not-too-distant future where some sense of normality seems to be on offer. Unlike our colleagues in NSW and Victoria in particular, the Squadron has, with certain understandable restrictions, been able to operate in a fairly normal manner, providing many of the services and benefits that members are used to. It is fair to say that the Squadron has perhaps enjoyed even heavier and more frequent use by our members given the restrictions on travel both interstate and of course overseas. Membership numbers at the Club have remained strong and boating in general has only increased during the pandemic, as has the use of the Squadron by our members, so I guess it’s no surprise our numbers are so good.

The occasion gave us the opportunity to express our thanks for the time and attention that His Excellency has given the Squadron in his seven years as our Patron.

Before talking about the season ahead, off-season activity is worth a mention. Youth Week in July saw 113 sailors and 96 boats participate on the Bay, the ‘Frostbite Regatta’ was held with 79 competitors, and we had hundreds of kids from surrounding schools using the Squadron facilities every week. We also hosted the State 18-footer Skiff championships and the State Finn class championships. Unfortunately, we had to cancel both the Brisbane to Hamilton Island and the Brisbane to Keppel offshore races. Hamilton Island Race Week was also cancelled at relatively short notice so, instead, one of our forward-thinking members suggested that, because there were so many boats that had already been prepared to race, why don’t we hold our own regatta … and so we did, it became affectionately called ‘the pop-up regatta’. Our Sailing Manager, Sailing Office and Sailing Committee all did great jobs in quickly organising permits, Notice of Race, et cetera.

We were able to hold the 137th Sailing Season Opening Day celebrations with our guest of Honour and Patron the Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey ac cvo. This was His Excellency’s last visit to the Squadron in his capacity as Governor, with his retirement on 31st October.

Mainsheet 2021

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