Liros Rope

Melissa Yeomans

Showcasing Allen to kickstart the new decade

Once again we finished the year on the Start Boat Boxing Day. It is always nice to spend such an intense day on the Harbour with a great team who make it feel smooth.


January 2020, you have kickstarted the new decade in style. With Allen sponsoring a heat at the Aussie Skiffs followed by being Title sponsor of the Flying 11 Nationals with LIROS Ropes also supporting both events.

This meant I am only just back in the office, I started with spending over a week at Soldiers Point. Massive thanks to my amazing host Cherylle who not only helped with somewhere to stay and taking care of me.

Big thanks to Jamie and the crew of Eric’s Storage who helped get the RIB out on the water, ensuring as much coverage as possible for the Skiffs. Whilst also trying to be there as a sponsor. It is a bit of a balance but I think we are getting there. After all content for them is good for us as a sponsor right!

Congratulations also to the crew of Eric’s Storage on the race win!

Aussie Skiff onshore action

Check out a bunch of content on our Facebook Page.

I think we are starting to settle into having the RIB and working out the best layout and way to do things. It is a work in progress but I certainly am happy with how it is going. Massive thanks to those who came out on the boat at the Skiffs to enable me to get some content of our own and to help with the media aspect especially Maddie, Kate and Jamie. There certainly were times and conditions when it helped to have skiff sailors aboard as second sets of eyes whilst driving.

Special mention also to Team Boatec who checked out the issues I was having with the backseat and check out how we should do the longer road trips. It was also awesome to see so many Allen shirts on back at the club for the Allen Race Sponsorship. Thanks to Eric’s Storage, Adco 16ft Skiff, Taylor and all who put them on. It means a lot.

Next up was to head to RQYS for the F11’s representing Allen which was extremely exciting to be going as the main sponsor. I had actually competed in a F11 Nationals at RQYS so it brought back a lot of memories.  Once again I had a former Adams 10m sailor who I had raced against offer to drive the RIB so I could focus on being a sponsor. I can not say thank you enough to Adam Rowlison.

You can check out all the images on our DeckHardware Facebook page. To see our flags flying at the F11’s is something special as was walking into the club house one day and seeing one of my old F11 friends who I had not seen in years! She was there to watch some family racing and we had a long overdue catch up.

Before heading back to the warehouse I had one more very important part of the trip to complete. A visit north to see my 2-handed crew / bow chick Kate who now lives a LONG way north. Not only was it amazing to catch up and spend some time together, it was also pretty special meeting for the first time her Son. Who is super cute and in need of a lifejacket before my next visit! Kate you have been told hahahaha. Luckily it was raining so we didn’t get around to taking him out on the water. I know Kate is itching to get out there and looking at where she is living I can see some attempts at kitesurfing in her future.

What’s next? I have no idea as so much of the last few months has been building up to all this. Bring on the rest of the year though.

Melissa Yeomans

Talking Rope and Fittings – It’s what I do

Two years ago I attended the Women Who Sail Gathering, spending the weekend with a fantastic group of Women who wanted to share the knowledge they had learnt from time on the water.  I did a short talk and hosted the evening’s panel which was a lot of fun!

This time around with everything going on I was only able to escape for a few hours for a talk on “Knowing your DeckHardware“. A fast pace crash course… Luckily I had fantastic support from Nathan Edwards and Jamie Bulman. Days like these remind me how much of a difference it can make to a business owner when they have the support of those around them.

Nathan and I can talk for hours on this so the bigger issue is keeping us on topic and making sense of what we are saying. It was a great opportunity to share the knowledge we have with those wanting to understand how to look after their boats better and how to know what to look for when purchasing for their boats.

Nathan wrapped up the session with some splicing tips which were shown on the big screen thanks to a camera in front of his hands. With Jamie making sure everyone had what they needed in order to follow what was on screen as well as making sure the Antal Clutches, Allen Blocks and LIROS Rope whips were passed around all the rows. Giving everyone a chance to have a good look rather than just up on the big screen.

It was great to be asked questions and entertaining when Nathan attempted to do a splice in minutes rather than half an hour. Just as a quick example of how to understand the rope construction better.

The journey we are on certainly is incredible when I take a moment to think about it.

Nathan Edwards showing some LIROS Dyneema
Nathan showing some LIROS Dyneema on the big screen
Melissa Yeomans

Where has this year gone

How did we get to December? I think I skipped Spring! I last mentioned my Winter Jobs list, well that is still a work in progress…

I have already been to METS which also included a visit to the LIROS Ropes factory. It was fantastic to visit having not been to their new factory. The comparison was amazing and this time I managed to get to see the region with blue sky and no snow. Thank you so much to the Team at LIROS for once again making me feel so welcome and for spending time showing me the new setup. There is always more to learn and new lines of LIROS Rope being announced some of which will be perfect for the 13ft and 16ft Skiff Nationals which we are sponsoring over Summer.

Whilst in Europe I managed a little escape to Nuremburg. What a place, I absolutely loved being a tourist for the weekend. I forgot to have a little rest having gone straight to LIROS when I arrived in Germany. Who needs rest right? Just fight through the jetlag and keep moving.

METS in Amsterdam was EPIC as always with so many of our Suppliers coming out with new products and catalogues. I had a fantastic time personally as well, it is so nice to call so many of our suppliers friends and to catch up on not only work but also how they are going over a drink or two at the end of the day.

As always it was tricky to catch up with everyone and there was so much to see. There were plenty of other Aussies that I knew were over there that I did not even see.

So much of what happens at METS I can often not talk about straight away and I know some of my friends are wondering what is to come. Me too! In the meantime enjoy the photos from the weekend in Nuremburg.

What next? there are new products to add to the website, catalogues to review and a Summer of action to come.

Melissa Yeomans

Women who Sail

Where did March go? All of a sudden it was April and time to head to the Women Who Sail Australia Gathering on the Bay. After missing out last year this event had been in the Calendar for some time and one I was looking forward to.

Hanging out with 100+ like-minded sailing women is an experience that cannot be described. I think Jackie Parry has summed it up pretty well so I will leave you with her words on that.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to talk about rope care and choice as part of the talks. Trying to do this in just over 30mins certainly is a mission let alone finding time to mention maintenance tips and tricks on everything else we do! I hope I was able to shed a little light on the topic for those in the room.  With technology constantly changing I find Rope a fascinating topic at the moment.

On the Saturday night I had the pleasure of asking the Panel questions at the Dinner. The panel consisted of Lauren Gallaway, Jackie Parry and Lin Pardey. How fun it was to ask them about superstitions, places they never expected to go and their best tips!

For me the best part was finding out just a little about those in the room. You just never know till you open the cover what you will find!

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Melissa Yeomans

Sail Sydney and Hail!

What a week! I wasn’t back in the office for long before I found myself at Sail Sydney supporting the sailors.  Making sure those we sponsor have stickers on their boats and catching up more importantly with the Moth Sailors to check where we are at leading up to the Worlds!

It was great to see Sail Sydney back on the Calendar.  The Finn Fleet in particular have been big supporters of DeckHardware and in particular Liros Rope.  Big thanks to them for being so friendly too!

Yesterday I manned the car park for a few hours to make sure everyone behaved and parked in the appropriate sections while trying to get people to park a certain way to optimize the space!  What a mission.  Thanks to those who stopped to chat and worked with us to make it happen.

Today I have spent the day working on the Sydney Sailboat Expo.  While busy working away I got more than a little distracted by yet another crazy storm.  This week has been all about storms here in Sydney.  I can only imagine the stress it added to the PRO and RO’s at Sail Sydney!  As I type this yet another one is about to come through… Amazing clouds all week as each storm has crossed over Sydney.  Today was different though as the Northern Beaches got hit with some serious Hail!  My Facebook feed is filled with Hail Shots and Video.  Just crazy weather.  Sydney is known for it’s afternoon Summer Storms but it isn’t normally every day and more than one!

Let’s Hope the weather plays nice for the Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday and the Extreme Sailing Series later in the week.  I can not wait to get out there and cheer on some friends of mine who are sailing.  #AussieSailorsRock

Melissa Yeomans

METS 2014 was fantastic!

Sitting here at the CYCA before the last day starts of the MUSTO International Youth Match Racing event I am trying to remember back to just over a week ago when I was in Europe for METSTrade. METS this year was EPIC! It had been a few years since I had attended and this year Visitors and Exhibitor numbers were cracking some magic numbers which is fantastic for the industry.

METS this year had extended trading hours which I thought I would not need till I found myself still there on the last day almost at close. For people who have not heard of METS it is the Marine Equipment Trade Show. This is an industry event and all about the product and technology in the marine industry. This is simply an incredible event for those in the industry. For those who aren’t I have also had the opportunity to attend a few of the best boat shows in the world. Annapolis, London, Auckland and Dusseldorf which I call the best in the world. I hear Paris is pretty amazing but it is just at the wrong time of the year for me to attempt attending. I often tell people if you ever get the chance check out the Dusseldorf Boat Show. AMAZING!

Back to METS. Before the start of the show I had pre booked meetings with all my suppliers. This was to try to ensure we caught up on as much as possible during the three days and that I did not miss out on seeing anyone.

Day one I managed to get to see a few of our suppliers and get around a couple of the halls.  I didn’t even make it to the hall with the Aussies in it on the first day!  Yes this is how big METS is.  I finished the day with a few drinks at the Allen stand with their team.  It was great to catch up with those I have met and meet a few more of the team at Allen.  They had a few new products on display including one that was nominated for a DAME Award and got a special mention.

On Day two I went to see Forespar and they were so busy we decided we would meet on Day three! To see one of our longest standing suppliers so busy with new customers was fantastic. Art and Bill are two of the loveliest people I have had the pleasure to work with. Both have been with Forespar for over 30 years.

We have also worked with Liros Rope from the beginning and Like Forespar Sven and Uwe have been fantastic to work with and have a long history with their companies.  I also had meetings with PROtect Tapes, Schaefer Marine, Blue Performance, Passage SAS and JDC.  If I were to go through all the new products I got to see and each day at METS it would take me hours hence the shorter version! I will be updating the DeckHardware website with new product details over the next few weeks.

METS has introduced a new Youth Club which is fantastic news! I remember the first time I attended METS as a young female, it certainly was a big step to take.  So to see there is now a group to support the younger generation is fantastic.  It was good to have a place to go and talk to people about the busy days.   The industry needs some youth with new ideas and it is great to see this being recognized. The industry is changing that is something we are all well aware of and METS is certainly adapting to suit the changing marketplace and way of marketing and connecting!  Thank you to the team at METS for the hard work and research you must be doing.  Thank you also for featuring me in the Tuesday Newsletter as a Young Professional.  METS was certainly EPIC this year more than ever.  I have been three times now and each year I seem to be more exhausted.  I don’t know if that is age or just showing how much DeckHardware is growing and how big an effect METS has on us.

This time around I didn’t stay near the RAI.  I wanted to enjoy a short walk each day in the centre of Amsterdam so that it would feel like a holiday even though the days were filled with work.  Enjoying the view on the walk to and from the train station was worth it, even with blisters from so much walking!  It certainly didn’t feel like home hahahaha which was entirely the point.  They say a little change is as good as a holiday right? I was lucky enough to get a deal on an amazing place called the Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam.  The Employees were fantastic and it was so nice to be able to have some good food aka fuel to get me through and keep me going.  I certainly would look at staying there again next time!

Thanks to all the DeckHardware Suppliers for the catch-ups.  It was great to see you and discuss what comes next for us all!  Amsterdam once again you were AMAZING and I promise to one day make time to be a tourist in your city instead of flying out the very next day.  Beautiful you were as I was leaving with the sun shining!

Don’t forget: Keep an eye on www.deckhardware.com.au for new products coming soon!

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Melissa Yeomans

Supporting friends and sponsored sailors at the JJ’s

I have spent almost all of the past week and a bit out on the water taking photos, helping rig and more at the 18′ Skiff JJ Giltinan Championships.  Another JJ’s is over with 7 taking the win. We were there every day to support the teams we Sponsor and those who use our products. With our suppliers Allen Sailboat Performance Hardware along with Liros Ropes also sponsoring several boats from the UK and Europe there were plenty of teams we were following. What a tough series in some tricky conditions, well done to those who made the podium.

We are very proud to support the 18’s where we can and it is always funny when asked on the ferry which boat am I following.  Such a tricky answer that always ends in a few laughs.  Of course the main one we follow is our good friends onboard The Kitchen Maker.  Having known Mal Page for longer than I would like to let on, as well as Cam McDonald who is a friend and customer it is great to be able to support them and cheer them on.  This time around Darren stepped aside with a bad back and they got Will Philips a member of the Australian Sailing Squad to steer the boat.  Will is someone I have known of for a while through work and sponsorship commitments so it was great to be able to get to know Will better over the week.

Between friends and boats sponsored by DeckHardware and our suppliers we couldn’t count on one hand the boats that we were following and hoping would do well. Always good for the heart rate! With the UK boys on Haier finishing in 10th place which was a fantastic achievement after moving to Sydney for several months.  The Kitchen Maker had their moments during the regatta with their best result a 2nd place finishing just behind Haier, a brilliant result for a team who had not sailed together.  Thanks to Kim Wilmot for joining me on the back of the ferry to celebrate that 2nd place which was so close to a race win.  A definite highlight of the week!

There are plenty of photos if you head over to the DeckHardware facebook page.

Now to spend the week in the office before heading out on the water once more this weekend to do some umpiring.

Haier
The Kitchen Maker

 

Melissa Yeomans

Heading out on the water again

Tomorrow is the last day in the office before two Match Racing events at RPAYC and CYCA.  It has been a busy few weeks and I have had the chance to go out and watch the 18′ Skiffs a couple of times to support friends and DeckHardware Ambassadors.  I even got to watch from the 18’s ferry an old friend out on a 12′ Skiff showing off some extreme skills and managing to keep the boat up whilst it turned 360 with a kite up!  There are plenty of photos on the DeckHardware facebook page.

Yesterday I was at MHYC for the Launch of the new 470 Happy Feet for Mat Belcher and Will Ryan.  Here is a photo album from in the rain.  I had the opportunity to be there along with other sponsors, supporters and team members.   It wasn’t the best day for sailing with pouring rain and strong breeze!  However we were all there to celebrate the success that Mat and Will have had the past year.

 

Mat and Will ready to go sailing on the new boat.

It has been an interesting start to the season weather wise and Ambassadors Fire Stopping Skiff Racing Team seem to be doing things a little different.  Check out their facebook page to read how their season is going and just why they may be looking for recipes!  Never a dull moment working with these guys that is for sure!  They have also been working hard on their Trailer program to ensure all their requirements are met when onshore.

Fire Stopping’s trailer has plenty of accessories!
Melissa Yeomans

18’s came to visit us at DeckHardware

Yesterday I headed over to the 18’s as Team Southern Cross launched their boat for the start of a new season after a massive refurb!   The boat spent two days at our warehouse along with skipper Ollie Hartas getting ready for the big day.  Ollie has been a DeckHardware Ambassador for a number of years and it is always great to be able to support someone who appreciates it!  The previous weekend we also had the UK Team visit the warehouse and spend more than a few hours working on their boat along with my radio co-host Nic aka Adventures of a Sailor Girl.  Nic and I had spent the morning on air with Sailing Chix with Nix before heading down to the warehouse to help the guys out.  Nic only planned on being there for a few hours but ended up staying for the day!

Photos from Yesterday as the teams rigged and got to go sailing!

Launching Celebrations

It is great to see a couple of 18’s with Liros, DeckHardware and Allen stickers on them in the fleet now!   A big thank you to Cam McDonald who does a lot of work for the skiffs and uses our products also.   Cam sails onboard the Kitchen Maker and was rigging alongside the two boats who have spent time at our warehouse recently.   You know you are supporting the right people when they greet you so warmly and are so glad that you are there to watch them launch their boats.  Being just a small family business we really feel like our Ambassadors and those who support us are a BIG part of the DeckHardware Team.

The UK Team and Team Southern Cross
The UK Team and Team Southern Cross
Melissa Yeomans

Keep on going

You know you have had a hectic month when you have to look at the Calendar to work out what you have actually been doing!  Crazy!  Either that or I have fried my brain with all the study I have done lately.  Last night I sat for the National Judge Exam just another step forward since becoming an umpire.  Yes I passed so all the study of non match racing rules was worth it.   I would not have been able to do this without the support of my umpire/judge friends who have been amazing since I started umpiring!

The last month has been wrapped up in a lot of sessions at the Gym:  Pilates with the Awesome Michelle at Virgin Active Frenches Forest, Zumba with Claudine and her Aqua Zumba which I am certain is more of a workout for her than those of us in the pool, weights and the usual Bike, Treadmill etc.  I can see that I am on the road to recovery which is such a nice feeling.  My core really has been giving me so much trouble and as I can’t afford to go to the Physio as much as I would like it is taking longer to get stronger.   I can’t wait to go sailing this season.  Yes I said it.  I don’t think I can wait much longer to be honest but don’t want to go too soon and set myself back again.   I might have to test myself on a no-extras day or something and see how I go first.

Many of my mornings were also spent watching the Kiwis take out the Louis Vuitton which will see them in September go up against Oracle USA for the America’s Cup.  We have been talking about it a lot on Sailing Chix with Nix especially as Nic D has been over there!  On Monday Morning the Red Bull Youth AC starts which will see some very early rises at 4am for the Aussies wanting to cheer on Team Objective!  We also had Liesl Tesch fill in whilst Nic was away as a guest Co-Host!  SO much fun to have her in studio talking about her quiet year, which in everyone else’s words is hectic.  Liesl was also let loose in the Warehouse getting new Liros Rope for the Skud.  For those who don’t know much about her google her!  She is an inspiration and I am lucky to call her a friend as she inspires me all the time.

Playing with new Liros Rope for the Skud
Liesl Tesch Playing with new Liros Rope for the Skud at DeckHardware

I also got the chance to head out and watch the Sound Regatta at MHYC.  When I was growing up sailing there we had one of the biggest events that kicked off the Sailing Season and it was great to see this happening once more.

Photos of the Sound Regatta

The next few weeks are just as crazy with a visit to Wangi due this weekend to see some friends, MHYC 75th Opening Day, Manly Relay for Life, The Youth AC and the big one the America’s Cup 30 years since the team on Australia II showed the world how good Aussie Sailors Are!  I can not wait to watch these events and wish I could make it there.