Month: June 2012

Melissa Yeomans

Huge weekend on and near the Harbour

Friday started off with a First Aid course run at Middle Harbour Yacht Club run by Splint-All.  Fantastic course with references to sailing throughout.   So good to do and I recommend it to everyone as it was very hands on and not all theory.   With real fake blood and needles sticking it of people in mock scenarios and more!  This is something I have been meaning to do for a long time and I am glad to have finally ticked it off my list.

Saturday saw me heading out on the water for the first day of  The Captain John Piper Match Racing Regatta out of the CYCA.  This time I had my own whistle!  In the morning there were three of us onboard so for the first time I got to hear Umpires talking to each other which was extremely helpful.  In the afternoon it was just Erica Kirby and I which was fantastic as I got to step into the role properly and have a great time doing so.  The sunshine and awesome Sydney Harbour Winter weather certainly helped make it such an awesome day out there.
Sunday I ended up at my favourite club, Middle Harbour Yacht Club.  Phil Clinton the club Vice Commodore, Phil Yeomans aka Dad the club PRO and myself took out the club start boat Hugh George.   Dad was giving us lessons on how to drive the boat so that we will be able to in future.   It meant we got to head our of Middle Harbour and down the Main Harbour round Shark Island and back.   We ducked into Rose Bay to watch one of the sailors we sponsor Nic Douglass who was out training with her Dad in the Taser as their Nationals get close.

Sydney Harbour certainly put on a show for us.  What a perfect winters day!   Awesome clear blue sky, crystal clear water and a greats breeze.  How lucky were all those out there today!!!

The CYCA fleet was out in force and looked fantastic packing the Harbour and looking amazing.   They gave me so many chances to take photos as we headed down the Harbour towards the CYCA start boat to say Hi.

As we packed up the boat to head home one of our other Ambassadors Georgia was heading out in the 420 with her skipper for a spot of training as well!   You are all awesome!

A busy week is in my sights as we get into boat show preparation mode for the big Sydney International Boat Show which is sneaking up on us.   Plus I will be heading out again next Saturday to learn even more about umpiring!

Check out the photos and videos from today at the DeckHardware Fan Page on Facebook.

I also took some video of Nic and her Dad Rob out on the Taser heading out for their training session.

Melissa Yeomans

A big night in Sailing

The Australian Sailing Team last night proved they are well on their way to Gold at London 2012.  4 Golds, 1 Silver and a Bronze in Weymouth!  What a fantastic effort by the team!   Check out who they are on the Australian Sailing Team website.

A huge thanks and congratulations to the folks on Sail For Gold Radio who did a fantastic job on the Commentary!   Following it on Twitter whilst listening to their great commentary was almost as good as watching live video!

Sponsoring the Australian Sailing Team with our Liros Rope has been a huge commitment by us at DeckHardware.   It is great to see them getting such fantastic results and it makes the hard work to be able to afford to sponsor them more worth while.  We are also extremely thankful to Pietro from PROtect Tapes who has also been supplying members of the team with what they need.  It truly has been such a fantastic support of not only us but the Australian Sailing Team.  Thank you Pietro!   For those who have not seen it yet check out the PROtect Tapes 49er Kit put together by the PROtect Tapes team and Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.

As the London Olympics get closer I realise I will need a lot of coffee to join the online twitter cheer squad each night.  A huge shout out to @mainsheetmeda, @nic_douglass, @soueaster on a fantastic effort last night!  #goaussies #AussieSailorsRock

Join us on twitter!  @deckhardware

Also a big thanks to @craigheydon and @AusSailingTeam

I have some big days and nights in my future with the Sydney International Boat Show happening at the same time as the London Olympics.   I hope you will join me in the late nights cheering on our Olympic Sailors in their quests for Gold!  We all should be so proud of the efforts and sacrifices that they, their coaches, managers, physios, sponsors, family, friends and all who support them in their quest to do the best they can.

I hope the Australian Media realise how big this could be for Australian Sailing and that they show more support for our fantastic sport and our amazing representatives.   They do us proud and deserve more recognition.

I don’t want a repeat of last time.  Being promised by the networks that the medal race would be shown live only to have to find a way to watch it online whilst several news crews watched the family and friends of Nathan Wilmot cram around a laptop to enjoy the moment that they too were all a part of.

It takes many people to climb a mountain.   It truly is a team effort so thank you to those sailors who have also recognised our contribution to their goals.  We are just a small company trying to do what we can for people we believe in.   A special thanks to Nath and Goobs for keeping us all hanging in the Medal race.   I could not ask for more from two people we sponsor.  You always do your best to ensure your sponsors are acknowledged so thank you.   It makes a big difference.

#goaussies   #AussieSailorsRock

Melissa Yeomans

Getting into this umpire stuff

On Saturday I headed over to the CYCA for the Navionics Match Racing Regatta as an umpire.   Or should I say rookie umpire.  I am not sure when I turn into an actual umpire just yet?  Learning as I go…  Maybe when I buy my whistle this week?

Talk about terrible conditions to try and learn!   So much rain it is hard to see and breeze shifting like nothing else plus holes so big appearing out of no where!   Not the best conditions for competitors or officials…  It was great though to learn a little more and witness close hand some match racing.  I think I have a lot more reading to do before I attend the next one though!   Any tips????

One of the best things about heading to the CYCA was catching up with an old friend Nicky Souter who was even colder than I was.  Someone forgot it wasn’t summer in Aus…   Or maybe she was hopeful?  Any way I donated my booties to her as I knew she would freeze in just thongs even with wet weather pants.   It is one thing being on a boat hard at work sailing.  It is something else all together sitting around watching others sail!  You get so cold so fast not working a mainsheet or kite sheet or helm.

Driving home in clothes that were soaking wet from the walk to my car with Nicky was just a little crazy…   It took a few hours, a hot shower, a couple of glasses of Red wine and a hot dinner to come good.   I did have to laugh when Nicky asked if I minded her getting in my car when she was so wet!  I just said “look at me”!  Two drowned rats…   I don’t think we have ever sailed together when it wasn’t a nice day!   Maybe that tells us we are better off sailing than umpiring haha.

There is a little story on the CYCA website.

Seriously though any tips or websites to check out to learn more would be greatly appreciated.   I  might watch some youtube videos of match racing too!  I only ever did a little at the CYCA on their Friday afternoon training sessions.   Years ago so it is all a memory…