Welcome to 2009!  I hope you all had a great summer wherever the sailing or holidaying has taken you. For the club this is the one time of the year when we are quite and club's everywhere else are busy. National titles have been held around Australia and congratulations to everyone who competed. 

The summer sailing season at Albert is back into full swing over the coming few weeks. On Saturday 24th January, we have the third and final race in the three race Commodore Series which has been conducted across January. It is the Australia Day weekend, and a sail on the Lake on Saturday is a good option for those of you who are not away for the weekend. There are a range of sailing regattas over the weekend including the annual Altona Yacht Club two day regatta on 25 and 26, with full details on there internet website.  The big Skandia regatta for keel boats and trailable yachts is on Port Phillip and Geelong across the long weekend, with several hundred boats sailing in the Passage Race from Williamstown to Geelong starting off Williamstown on Saturday morning.

Twilight Sailing re-commences on Tuesday 27 January, and will be conducted each Tuesday until 17 March. The short informal races start around 6pm, with briefing at or soon after 5.45.The late afternoon sea breezes have made the summer twilight races popular over recent years, with fleets of over twenty boats per week.

On the weekend of 31 January/ 1 February we have a full-on weekend with events and activities both days. The seven race Summer Series commences on Saturday 31 January. With the water level of the lake up and expectations of good summer weather with warm weather and light to moderate breezes we should see good sailing across the fleet in a range of classes. The next eight week Basic Skills training course also commences at 9.30 am on 31 January with a full class of 16 people expected. On Sunday 1 February we have our summer junior training program from 10 am and our second Community Service Day for the 2008/09 season. Albert Sailing Club and the Kiwanis Bayside Club will be hosting a BBQ and Boating Event from 11am to 3pm for autistic children and their families from the Southern MOIRA community group. Speak to our club secretary Bill Avallone if you can attend and assist on the day.

On the following weekend 7/8 February we have a mixed program of events and activities. On Saturday, the annual Top of the Bay Regatta for the six off-the beach clubs at the top end of Port Phillip will be conducted by Altona Yacht Club in the waters of Port Phillip out from their club. There will be no club racing on Albert Park Lake on the Saturday. We are looking for a good turnout of Albert SC boats at the regatta, which provides a good opportunity for a competitive sail on the bay. A copy of the Notice of Race for this event is attached. The warning signal for the first Division is scheduled for 2pm, with entries required before the Information Session at 1pm. There is no race fee for entry. Altona has good facilities with a grassed rigging area and ample free parking. 

On Sunday 8 February Albert Sailing Club will be open from 10 am to 4.30 for a monthly Sunday social sailing day. There will be training available in the morning with Junior Training from 10am, and a training clinic for interested senior and family members from 10.30. There will also be an informal scratch race at around 2.00 pm. Social sailing is an option all day, and the club’s Pacer, single-handed and Minnow boats will be available for use by members and their families.

An additional 8 week Basic Skills training program for novice and less experienced members on Sunday afternoons has been added to the club program commencing on Sunday 15 February. A signon sheet for participants on this course is on the noticeboard in the club foyer, and is close to full..

There is plenty on at Albert over coming weeks, with a good number of programmed sailing races and activities. We look forward to seeing you down at the Club and on the water.

For those in the Volvo Virtual Ocean race we now have 19 competitors in the race, currently Silke is in 72nd place, on the current leg with Bill, Gary and Andrew right behind her. Good luck to everyone sailing up to Qingdao. 

Thanks

 

Luke & Rod

(Vice and Rear Commodore's)

Saturday: