Sailing

Melissa Yeomans

CHS Sailing Regatta is over for another year

The 46th Combined High Schools Sailing Championships (CHS) in conjunction with 34th Australian Secondary Schools Sailing Championship and 37th NSW Secondary Schools Sailing Championships.   An event that tested all those in attendance, competitors and race officers alike.  What was with that weather!   Breeze, No Breeze, pouring rain and boiling hot!   From Freezing in the rain to crews going swimming and capsizing on purpose or being capsized by other competitors during the postponement!

Watching the sky above Lake Macquarie proved a tricky read for Race Officers and competitors resulting in several postponement’s and a day abandoned.    Wouldn’t it have been nice to have a Noreaster!

Watching the skill levels of some of the sailors out on the water was fantastic.  It was great to see so many different classes being sailed so well.  In particular the leading Flying Eleven sailors who I enjoyed watching sail extremely well.   Along with watching people sailing something new to them or giving a regatta a go.   I hope you all enjoyed the new experiences.

With the inclusion of Allen, TBS and PROtect Tape to our range of Liros Rope we are now in a position of being able to supply a support van to local Regattas.  Our first trial of this was the CHS at Belmont.  I could not have done it without the assistance of Rhys and Georgia Llewellyn, Goughy, Liz Gazzard, Greg and Emma Harris.   Thanks so much for your help in keeping the van company!  Special thanks to Rhys who helped re rig a couple of boats along with Georgia, Kate and Emma who took time to write and draw on my whiteboard to be displayed in the van.   I learnt a lot about how to manage the van at regatta’s in the future.   It was a fantastic experience and we will be doing it in future.   So keep an eye out for the newly stickered DeckHardware van!  Thanks Rhys for putting the stickers on.
Special Congrats go to Georgia for coming Third in the Laser Radial  plus Emma and Susie Milton coming Third in the Aust Girls Division. The Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club was represented by 6 fantastic young women who did so well!

Congratulations to all competitors and especially to the Division winners.  Year 6 and all High School Students make sure you put this in the Calendar for next year!   It is a great event to meet sailors from other classes and perhaps sail something you would not normally compete in.

Here are the links to all the photo albums on our facebook fan page.  I hope you enjoy all the photos.   There is video yet to come.  A huge thanks to our DeckHardware supporters / assistants Liz Gazzard and Rhys Llewellyn who assisted in getting so many photos from different locations during the regatta.

Race Results

Image Links:

CHS last Race from a second RIB   

Last Race of the CHS from the RIB

CHS Race 3 from Shore and Finish Boat

CHS Race 3 from RIB

CHS Race 2 from Shore

CHS Race 2 from the RIB

CHS Race 1 from shore

CHS Race 1 from the RIB

Melissa Yeomans

Three more sleeps

Just three more sleeps till I have a simply massive week ahead!  I am heading to a regatta for the first time with a van ready to go.   I will be onsite for the entire event as sponsor with hopefully enough product to help out the competitors should they need it.  The regatta I am headed to is the Combined High School Sailing Regatta.   Luckily a fair few friends will be at the event and there are a few I have not seen in a long time who will be their with their kids.

Setting this up has taken a lot of effort.  A huge thanks to Mum who has helped put together the Allen bins which have images, product codes and prices of all the parts in each bin on the front to make it easy.   Trying to work out what to take has been a mission.  It really is a guessing game being our first attempt at this.   I am looking forward to it.   Trying to decide what Liros Rope to take has been the biggest challenge with such a diverse entry list.  So a real assortment was the decision and occasionally there are colour choices too.

I will have my camera out for the week and post links to photos as soon as I get them all online.   With such a diverse fleet it should make for some great images.  As always I will be following DeckHardware Ambassador Georgia Llewellyn very closely as she competes in a Laser Radial for the first time.   No doubt she will do fantastically well and will enjoy this new experience.  The CHS is perfect for trying out a new boat and sailing something you don’t normally sail.

I am looking forward to a week on the water, talking Sailing, fun with friends and talking DeckHardware.  It should be a fantastic week!  If you are there make sure you come and say Hello!  I have all sorts of goodies with me!

Melissa Yeomans

For the love of sailing

This summer due to my Hyper Mobile I have not been sailing much.  But to keep myself on the water which is like a drug for me, I have turned to jumping in a Rescue Boat or Start boat at the Local Club.  In the mornings they coach the kids and some new adults wanting to get into the sport.   Then in the afternoons the racing for the older ones and adults goes ahead.   In the mornings you often have Sabots, Herons and Lasers.  In the afternoon there is always a good fleet of Herons and Lasers.

Not being able to sail has been interesting but I have found that I have really enjoyed the opportunity I have had this season to help out with some coaching and course laying.  Having not done a great deal of coaching I am happy to stand back and let the guys who have been doing it for years take control and help out where needed.   I have noticed a few of the wives coming to me as I stand quietly aside.   Realising I know a little they then start to ask questions.   With husbands or children into the sport it is great to see them wanting to learn and get involved.  It is even better when they start to ask even more questions as they start keeping up with the fleet.

ImageThere is nothing better then seeing a big smile on someones face as they simply enjoy their time on the water!

To those who started sailing this summer welcome to our awesome sport!  See you on the water soon!

Georgia Sailing past with a big smile!

Melissa Yeomans

Another birthday gone

Over the weekend I celebrated another birthday.   Not sure that celebrated is the word though.   I spent it with friends out on the water which was a nice way to do it.   I was lucky enough to be surprised by a friend who was over from WA as well!  Being the only day off last week it was a really nice way to spend the day.   How nice is the view at the end of the day!

The breeze from the South around 15 knots with some stronger gusts certainly had us on our toes with plenty of action on the water.   Plenty of capsizes and unfortunately one broken mast.  They almost managed to sail home as it was bending but we ended up towing them the last little bit when it completely broke.   Nice boat handling!

A few of the Heron Sailors were missing crew and decided to go out one-up which was fun to watch in that breeze!  They did an awesome job especially the young girls!   Nice work girls!  I am about to load the videos to our YouTube page.

I made myself a yummy cheesecake to celebrate and it went down very nicely for lunch with those who joined me.   There was a plain vanilla/lemon one and a cherry with chocolate base version.  Big thanks to Goughy, Liz, Kate and Ben who dropped in even though they weren’t sailing!!!

There is so much going on at DeckHardware at the moment.  I really need to duplicate myself I think!   Phil is back in the office for the week before he heads off yet again this time to Melbourne!   Then when he gets back he will be at the Access Worlds and I will be at the Combined High Schools Regatta.   So much to prepare to get ready!   Lots of signage and stock to pack.    Oh and yeah we are also still working on website as always.

Did I mention Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is coming up?  Good friend Ben is coming up to stay in the house we have rented to help us out for the second year on the stand!  Thanks Ben!   There is a bit of work involved in getting ready for this one with sooooo many new brands to show off!  I can not wait!

ps.   Don’t mention the Manly game last night….

Melissa Yeomans

The Juniors show us how it’s done

There is no question when you look at the photo to the left that these young teenagers can sail.   As I said last week there were four boats fighting it out at the front of the fleet for the Junior Heron States.     All four of them took a race win with Georgia and Samuel taking two.   Jerome Watts and crew Katrina taking out First Place overall.   Georgia finished second with Emma and Matt close behind on equal points.  Proving that any of them could have won this event on their best day.   Georgia’s capsize last weekend no doubt cost her a great deal but these are the things that you learn from to make you better sailors and as she finished with two race wins there is no doubt she has learnt her lesson.  Sailing is something we do because we love it.   Forget about the pressure and stress just go out there and enjoy yourself and the results will follow!  Georgia is not only a good friend but one of our DeckHardware Ambassadors.

The weather certainly made it interesting for those of us setting the course.  Huge thanks to my good mate Goughy for keeping me company in the RIB.   The breeze on Saturday luckily held off changing from the east to the southeast just as the last boats finished the first race.  Meaning we had to do a course change in between races as well as making sure everyone had enough water to drink on the hot day.  With the southerly also came some breeze and there was one reach in particular that it was great to watch the little ones in the Junior / Senior fleet getting up on the plane.   Sunday was back to being a light easterly.

The smiles on the faces of everyone young and old was fantastic and there is no doubt as to how much this event is loved by these sailors.  A huge congratulations to all who competed!  Especially those who were skippering for the very first time!

Photos from the event that I took from the RIB:

Album 1

Album 2

Album 3

 

 

Melissa Yeomans

Heron Junior States Heat 1 and 2

There is something special about watching a young sailor “get it”. On Sunday I had the pleasure of heading out on a RIB to watch the Heron NSW Junior State Titles at Dobroyd Aquatic Club. This coming weekend I will be doing the same at Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club where I spend my Sundays. After some terrible weather recently we were so lucky that the rain only came as we were all headed home which meant we had a great day on the water. The breeze started light and gradually built to around 15knots. Perfect for the little skippers who were for some giving it their first attempt.

The Heron class do such a great job of fostering young sailors. There was the first start which was for Junior / Juniors then a second start for Juniors with their Senior crews. A big hats off to all the adults who jumped into the front of the boat! Now to my point of seeing young sailors “get it”. Up the front of the Juniors there are four boats who were so evenly matched and all pushing it hard it was just fantastic to see. The Skippers Jerome Watts, Emma Harris, Matt Doyle and Georgia Llewellyn. Not only are they fantastic young sailors but they also have a great attitude and respect for each other on and off the water. Watching them have close racing around marks and tacking on top of each other and sailing clean at the same time was a joy to watch. The skill in boat handling was evident even as Georgia unfortunately capsized and Matt had issues with his pole. They both showed the skill and maturity to deal with the situation they were in and stay on the water and try their hardest. Fantastic to see.  The other three skippers all wished Georgia better luck next weekend after her swim even if they did make fun of her choc top.

These sailors truly are showing such skill it is hard to remember they are still so young and can improve so much more.  Looking at their sail trim, mark roundings and so much more it is obvious they enjoy their sailing and take pride in doing the best they can.   It is obvious too by the banter on and off the water that these four skippers push each other to further their sailing.

I am so looking forward to watching the last three races this weekend and have no doubt the winner will not only be deserving but that the others will also celebrate with them. As a sponsor this is something that is fantastic to see and as a sailor it is why we love the sailing community so much.

The Heron class have apparently been doing this for years.  Letting their little crews have a go at steering in a regatta is just such a fantastic idea and the parents have done such a great job of fostering this talent into little skippers who turn into skippers of their own boats as they get older.  It is no doubt a tribute to the adults in this class that:

These young sailors get it.

Melissa Yeomans

DeckHardware supports CHS Sailing

CHS Sailing posterWe are extremely excited to be involved in this years CHS! It is a regatta I loved as a high school student and I am glad I can now be involved as a sponsor. This is an event we have looked at sponsoring for years so it is fantastic to now be involved. I met so many friends at CHS and have so many good memories from on and off the water.  From our perspective not only are we sponsoring an event that features a variety of classes but it is also an event that this generation of teenagers will remember for life.  That is something very special to be a part of.

I hope this generation are as lucky as I was and enjoy the experience as much as I did.   I hope they make great friends and memories which will be the stories they tell in years to come.   My friends and I often tell the stories that were our CHS experiences.

Press Release:

The Notice of Race is now available for the 2012 Combined High Schools/ Australian Secondary Schools Sailing Championship to be held on the 10th April to 14th April 2012 at Belmont 16’ Sailing Club.  The event is sponsored by SLAM in conjunction with DeckHardware.

To be eligible the Skipper and crew MUST be students attending an Australian Secondary School. The regatta is open to all classes and sees entries from many classes including Sabots, Flying Elevens, Lasers, 13’ and 16’ Skiffs, NS14’s, Herons, 29ers and in the past has also seen the entry of sports boats and small yachts. This is one of the highlights for many who compete in the regatta as it brings together teenage sailors from all classes giving them the chance to meet and experience other classes.  Many of Australia’s well known sailors will agree that the CHS as it is known was a highlight of their teenage years.  The event showcases some of Australia’s top young sailors and past winners of the event include current Olympians and Volvo Ocean Racers.  America’s Cup Champions have also competed in the CHS as Teenagers.

The races are sailed on the same course in five divisions making for very exciting racing and exciting viewing for the adult spectators:
Div 1 Monohulls & Yachts
Div 2 Medium Monohulls
Div 3 Multihulls
Div 4 Slower monhulls
Div 5 Sailability

The Combined High Schools Sailing Championship in 2011 had over 140 boats entered. The 2011 Championship was eventually won by Alex Chittenden and Tom Potter sailing their 13ft Skiff ‘Sheads’ from Middle Harbour 16ft Sailing Club (NSW). Chittenden and Potter displayed good speed and tactics throughout the regatta which saw an array of different breezes.

The final placing was not confirmed until the final race of the series where Chittenden placed second, which was enough to secure the title. Second overall was Harry Price and Nick Connor (29er) and a further 3 points behind was Sarah Parker and Alicia Watt on their Flying 11 ‘Wave Runner’.

For more information on the 2012 event visit Belmont16s

The DeckHardware Facebook Event

Melissa Yeomans

Funny how life changes

So a few years ago I was happy working two jobs and sailing 3 -4 days a week in Summer and 2 days a week in winter.  Then everything changed.  I got a call that changed my world and went to work for DeckHardware full-time.   It was not long after this that my family made the decision that we would like to purchase DeckHardware and that would change my life for ever.   I would end up working even more jobs to help grow the company and doing more hours and unfortunately have to sell my beautiful Animus so that we could buy more stock and bring in new brands.

As much as I miss the girl she has gone to a flat water home that she deserves after 30 years of hard racing out of Middle Harbour Yacht Club on the sound.  In an easterly she was unbeatable as one of the softer and oldest hulls still racing.   I was so lucky to be the third owner of such an awesome boat and it truly was a privilege to be allowed to drive such a fantastic yacht. It was also a sad day when she left our extended family as back in 2002 with good friends, my father and uncle aboard we had won the Adams 10m Nationals.   It was not long after that I bought her from family friends the Whites.

Owning DeckHardware has changed my life completely.  I have had the chance to travel to Europe multiple times visiting Ireland twice, London three times, Germany twice, Amsterdam Twice and Paris.  I have also had the chance to go to America several times visiting California as well as Washington DC and Annapolis.   I found myself until last year pretty much working 24/7.  Which is how I have found myself sitting here on a beautiful Saturday working away on the laptop instead of being out on the water. Seeing DeckHardware grow and change has been worth it even if it has been one hell of a ride and continues to be.  Along with all the experiences and friends I have made as a result.

I now make sure I do spend time on the water which has reminded me why we bought DeckHardware in the first place and why I love being a part of the Sailing community.

My parents tell me as a kid my personality would change as we approached my grandfathers yacht.  I was lucky growing up as one grandfather had the ocean racer and the other the 1920’s ketch with bowsprit and all which we restored.  The 1920’s yacht Thistle was kept on a mooring and apparently when I would step from the carpark to the grass to row out to the boat I would change completely in personality.  I even worked out how to go Wednesday Sailing for School sport with Adams 10 legend Pat Carroll during my teenage years acting as my coach.

For me I am at home on and near the water.

So sitting here with my laptop looking out at the ocean I better get back to work so I can enjoy it tomorrow…  Enough reminiscing and reminding myself why I push myself and work two jobs.   As my crew who are still in my life always say to me when they help out at Boat Shows and in the warehouse: one day you will own a boat again for us all to go sailing on.

In the meantime I have a pretty awesome company that I believe in and love to work for that needs all my attention to keep growing and I am proud of that.

Melissa Yeomans

Sailing Photos that rock

Some days you just know there will be the chance for some awesome photos.  Looks like yesterday in the 18’s was just one of those days.  This photo of Thurlow Fisher Lawyers who won Race 3 of the Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship on Sydney Harbour is just one of those shots that everyone is talking about.

Check out the other images

or read the story on MySailing

I was lucky a few years ago to spend a day on a headland filming the 12′ skiffs.  It was one of those days that I could not decide between video and still images.  The 12’s are another class which are known for getting just a little bit of air.  They even have a miners trophy.

To read more on the 12′ skiffs visit their website

Photo album of some 12 action that I took.

I think it is time I tried to find another one of these days and hit the water or closest headland!

Melissa Yeomans

The Estate Master Womens Sailing Team entry in Womens Challenge

This is our story, we would love to hear the other crews stories. Whether it is in Division 1 or Division 9. Every crew has a tale to tell.

The Estate Master Womens Sailing Team came out in force for the Manly Yacht Club Musto / Sturrocks Womens Challenge last Sunday, 22nd of March. The initial challenge was to assemble a team of talented women to get the Grand Prix Farr 40 around the race course. In doing this I am very lucky to have the support of Martin and Lisa Hill who have allowed me to steer their boat for several years.

This year I stepped aside from the helm to enable Sarah Hill to be our skipper for the day, which broadens the skill set of the Estate Master team, but I was to call tactics so not much of a move! Sarah has sailed on Estate Master over the years and has a background in top class rowing and we were both excited about the new approach to this years Women’s Day challenge.

Several of the crew for this year have sailed together on Animus (my Adams 10m) for several years and a few have been onboard Estate Master but not all together as a crew. A Farr 40 is an entirely different beast to control! This did not make them a novice crew, far from it but it was a team who had never sailed a Farr 40 or anything like it together before. Bearing this in mind we allowed for over an hour of training before the race which is generally enough to iron out the major kinks, to help the crew to gel and for Sarah and I to find a rhythm. To complete the triumvirate of brains trust at the back of the boat we had Estate Master newcomer Kristen Short on mainsheet, someone who I have sailed with for over 5 years and trust implicitly.

Rounding out the crew were from front to back, on the pointy end we had Katrina Ham who was a first timer on a Farr 40, previously a stranger but now a friend to us all who impressed us greatly at the tricky end. On the mast was Rosi Winn someone who has a great reputation from the Adams 10m fleet and she backed it up here. In the middle of the boat pulling the strings we had two ladies who need no introduction but for kicks we’ll do it anyway! Lisa Hill and her partner in crime Sam Phillis. No kite went up, no headsail came down without their say so. They combined wonderfully as usual and made life easy for the rest of us. Running the engine room we had three very talented trimmers, Cate Barry, Katie Cooke and Liz Gazzard. They shared the duties of trimming, as it should be on any good boat, and they powered the boat upwind and downwind and communicated beautifully with Sarah and I. This made the job of steering Estate Master to the double of line honours and handicap a joy for us both. Sarah Hill did an amazing job steering this complicated beauty for the first time and I might have picked a shift or two but then again boat speed makes you a wonderful tactician eh? Might I add it was a pleasure to sail with all these awesome women.

The Musto / Sturrocks Manly Yacht Club Womens Challenge is a fantastic event co-ordinated by Ivana McAlpine and the team at MYC. There are over 50 boats sailing across nine divisions in both all womens and mixed crews. In all womens sailing finding enough women who can sail is easy; finding enough to fill every position is the hard part. This is one of the reasons for us to compete in such events, the chance to try out a crew slot you might not otherwise get and to improve the skills and experience of women in sailing. As a skipper and boat owner it is important to me to increase the numbers competing in our sport and if an all womens event introduces new people then it can be only seen as a positive thing.

Firstly the Estate Master Womens Team would like to thank Middle Harbour Yacht Club for allowing us to use their start boat, Hugh George, as our support boat for the day to entertain our sponsors, friends, partners and family. Onboard were such luminaries as Martin Hill, Commodore of MHYC and owner of Estate Master, Chris Williams reknowned Sydney Harbour sportsboat sailor and all round top bloke. Phil Yeomans from DeckHardware and regular MHYC RO and Duncan Curnow from Musto Australia. During the course of the day they combined their talents to assist race entry Zen (a mixed crew Sydney 38) from the tricky spot they found themselves on the rocks in Taylor’s Bay. They also provided the love, support, affection and a little bit of pre-start coaching that we needed.

Thanks go to Manly Yacht Club for hosting a wonderful event and their excellent race committee. The sponsors of the event Musto (employer of our own beloved Sam Phillis!) wonderful manufacturers of wet weather gear. Sturrocks, equally wonderful supplier of wet weather gear and all your other sailing wear needs, a big thank you.

Finally a massive thanks to Martin and Lisa Hill for providing the continuing platform for the Estate Master Womens Sailing Team to perform on.