deckhardware

Melissa Yeomans

What a week on the water!

NSW Youth ChampsLast week was a big one!  With the Uni Games and NSW Youth Champs on in the same week!  Both were three day events and luckily the weather gods played nicely for the most part.  Uni Games was a Teams Racing event that I was umpiring for the second year in a row.  NSW Youth Champs I was also on the water as part of the Jury working with several of the same people which was nice as we all get along.

Both events were around an 1hr in good traffic from home making the week a very long one by the time I would try to look at some work for DeckHardware and the Sydney Sailboat Expo.

Umpiring Uni Games can be a lot of fun as usually there are several teams featuring some very good sailors.  This year was no different making it enjoyable to umpire as you watch their skills on the race course.

Our DeckHardware Ambassadors did a great job at Youth Champs and it was nice to catch up with them all whilst waiting for breeze ashore.  It was good to see the Green fleet opti coaches having some fun with the kids as well.  After all sailing especially at that age is all about the fun!

As the year rolls on I keep getting busier just when I think it not possible!  In just over four weeks time I will be in Europe to attend the International Sailing Summit and Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam.  There is so much to do to get ready for METS as I will be meeting with all the DeckHardware Suppliers.  Let alone all the work that needs to be done before I am away again.

Roll on the busy time of year!  Don’t forget to check out my Twitter account also!

 

 

Melissa Yeomans

So busy and so excited

SSE_Logo-smallWhat a roller coaster the last few weeks have been.  It was never going to be easy launching a Sydney Sailboat Expo and I was well aware of this.  Wow have I been over whelmed with support I have received.  It was great to finish last week by announcing some Founding Sponsors.  They start with DeckHardware who of course have been in from the beginning as it is my families business.  boaTEC who do some fantastic work with Carbon and play on both big a little fun boats.  MacDiarmid Sails and Rigging which is run by a friend who I first met at MHYC when we were kids sailing MJ’s against each other.  As well as Ronstan who do a lot for the sport both in Australia and Overseas.  The fact that these companies believe in me and what we are trying to achieve is fantastic.

Sailing really is a small world as we all know.  It was no surprise though when I received a message of support from someone I met and became friends with when we were kids sailing Flying 11’s.  Suellen is the founder of LiveSailDie a fantastic website all about our support.  I am so excited to have them onboard as a media partner for the Sydney Sailboat Expo helping out with our website and media.  You can read more about their involvement here.

We are almost finished our application forms and you will start to see many more companies, classes and clubs being added to our website.  It is an exciting time and I can’t wait to start organising all the special activities we will have happening and what our MC Randy will be doing.  Watch this space!  I also will start working on what sort of sponsorship we will be looking for to make this the best Sailing Expo it can be.  Time to get out there and spread the word!

I really must thank my friends and team for all their support.  Without the occasional kick to get me motivated when it gets tricky or just to put me back on the right path when I am overwhelmed with the workload, I could not do it without you all. Special thanks also to my parents as we now cope with both mum and I balancing the work load of the Sydney Sailboat Expo and DeckHardware.  So thank you for helping me make this happen!

 

 

 

Melissa Yeomans

Fitness and an Expo

My training partner Cate and I in the rain making it count.
My training partner Cate and I in the rain making it count.

Well if I haven’t been working I have been working out!  That is the story of the last month! Lots of gym time doing Aqua and Pilates Reformer which has seen a massive improvement in my core.  Then throw in walking Long Reef once or twice a week with my training partners too! I am absolutely loving it and just have to be careful not to over do it as I just want to do more.  The last three days have been big ones including supporting a friend of mine doing the Pub to Pub which I want to do next year.  Just one of the many fitness goals I have now that I am getting the Hyper Mobility under control.

The Sydney Sailboat Expo has also taken up a great deal of my time as you can imagine.  It is such an exciting journey and I can’t wait to put it all together to celebrate the sport of Sailing.  Between the Expo and DeckHardware there is no such thing as a day off at the moment but I am finding time for plenty of workouts to make sure I am at my best for everything I am doing.  It is a challenge but I am enjoying it and lucky that I am able to work the flexible times to try to fit it all in.  With the visits to the Physio and Massage also needed to keep me going thanks to my extra special joints.

Summer is just around the corner and the Calendar is filling up fast between all the events I want to do as an Umpire and events that DeckHardware will be supporting.  I can’t wait to get out on the water again.  Having winter off to get all the joints under control has worked wonders and I am really starting to notice a big difference in my overall fitness and health.  I can’t wait for summer and might just have to get out for a sail too!

 

 

My kitten who is 10 months old helping me work on the weekend.
My kitten who is 10 months old helping me work on the weekend.

 

This makes the hard work of getting to the top all worth it.
This makes the hard work of getting to the top all worth it.
Melissa Yeomans

The Sydney Sailboat Expo

I did it!  I have started up my own company all about the promotion of sailing.  The new company is called Animus Productions Pty Ltd which is named after my Adams 10m “Animus”.   I have been asked often about the meaning to me behind the name Animus.  My grandfather was an amazing person living a simply HUGE life both at work and at play.  Those who knew him will laugh when I mention the at play because boy did he!  He was The Big Boss at Tip Top Australia when I was growing up and I spend a great deal of time running around his office, the board room and the factory.   He had the best work ethic I have seen and it is clearly something members of my family have inherited including my Mum and I.  He also played hard and when I was born owned a fantastic Ocean Racer called Defiance.  Defiance was the Original S&S 30, yes THE Original.  With a blue hull and fantastic looking spinnaker design she was a, hmmm well many in the family had different names for her hahaha.  Many of you may remember in the 80’s the Tip Top Australia Ads featuring Sailing the sport he loved.  Like my family now he did what he could to promote and support the sport of sailing, even having a secret bread made for those doing the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race made for the offshore conditions.

When the opportunity came for me to purchase a yacht at the age of 22 my grandfather gave me his full support and in return I decided to name my new boat as a reflection of this.  Animus was born after a lengthy search in thesaurus’ to find another word for Defiance.  In fact the meaning we found was Strength, Will and Defiance which we figured was a great fit being such a young female skipper in a class like the Adams 10m.  Now many years later I find myself once again stepping out of my comfort zone and doing what I believe in.  Promoting the sport of Sailing that I love.  The love I inherited from my family, I was lucky to be born into Sailing.

After well over a year of discussions with those who dropped by the DeckHardware warehouse it was decided to hold a meeting about putting together something like the RYA Dinghy Show.  A couple of meetings later and some lengthy research and discussions have taken place that have led me here.  Along with my Mum and good friend Locky Pryor we have launched the Sydney Sailboat Expo.

The Sydney Sailboat Expo will be held for the first time in 2015. Venue and Dates (2-3 May 2015) to be confirmed in the near future.

The Sydney Sailboat Expo is a meeting place for Sailors, those interested in becoming Sailors and the Sailing Trade Industry catch up with each other and learn more about the sport of sailing.

To be held over a weekend in 2015 showcasing the very best in Sailing. With the Latest Products for sailors on show, a wide range of classes on display and workshops on topics such as Splicing, Boat Maintenance, Sailing Fitness and more.

What an exciting time as well as being busy the next few months will be!

 

Thanks to the Tip Top Facebook Page for this great shot! We have this on the wall at home and it is a great reminder of what I believe in.
Melissa Yeomans

I love Sydney Harbour

Today I had the opportunity to duck out of the DeckHardware Warehouse and play with a new product.  The Windoo.  Breeze was on the forecast which was perfect to play with this new wind speed device that plugs into a phone or iPad etc.  Being a westerly I quickly grabbed my camera knowing that Sydney Harbour would be likely showing off.  I don’t claim to be a photographer by any means but I do love taking photos and am trying to learn more about it.  Sadly today I didn’t have the time I would have liked to play with the camera settings on such a BLUE day.  After all I was there to play with a new product and get some readings to show up online!  Mission accomplished and just a few quick photos at the same time.  How good does a Sydney Winters Day look!

When I headed to Clontarf to take the last readings and feel the force of the westerly it certainly was cold.  Well worth getting sand blasted to record 30+knots though!  Check out how the new Windoo logs the breeze here with one of the posts I logged on twitter!  What a great looking day to escape the warehouse for a little while to play with something new.

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Melissa Yeomans

Never stop learning

Just this morning I attended another seminar which is what has reminded me of everything I want to do. I am lucky enough that I live and work within Warringah Council who have a great Chamber of Commerce setup. It was surprising though I must admit that I was only one of 12 people in the room? A big thanks to Warringah Chamber of Commerce and Industry for putting together some great events for small businesses.

Those who work in Small Businesses will understand this one. The more you do and the more you learn the more there is to learn. DeckHardware is just a small family business and I like to try to keep up on the latest Technology, Laws, Marketing ideas, Products etc as much as possible. It seems though that my list of what I would like to do and learn just keeps getting longer rather than shorter! I see this all as self – growth though which is always good. There is still all the work that needs to be done on a daily basis and all this just adds to the work I do at home after hours and on weekends. After all the real work of running a business and earning enough to keep going has to come first.

The life of those in a small business is an interesting one. The long hours can be tough sometimes and in particular the lack of holidays. Over the past two weekends we have had public holidays in Australia which meant I got to work at home rather than at the warehouse. Which was great as I could focus for a few hours at a time.

It is a well-publicised fact that business owners struggle with a work life balance and I will admit that I do. I am lucky to have a handful of friends who have stood by me and supported me since we bought the business. Over the past few months I have been back working a little more rather than getting out on the water but that was in part due to a fractured foot. It is now healing fairly well and only getting a little stiff and sore when I do too much too soon. So over winter I have decided to focus more on getting my health back on track which will take away some time from volunteering on the water unfortunately. I hope though that I am then able to get out sailing this coming summer to work on that balance just a little bit better. Now that I have been officially diagnosed as Hyper Mobile it is getting a little easier to manage which is great.

Now don’t get me wrong I love my business and I love the research that I do for it I just love it. I just wish I could find the time or money to spend on some of the things I would love to do for DeckHardware as well as have a life. In the meantime I will continue to work on it and watch the business as it changes and grows. I am sure many of the things I would love to do will happen in time! So many dreams for our small family business and I am lucky to have so much support. Even as I type this I am watching our Facebook likes grow closer and closer to 1500 people. That I am extremely proud of!

Melissa Yeomans

Rules, rules and more rules

The last few weeks have been very much about the Racing Rules of Sailing.  I have started having monthly dinners with my good friend Liesl Tesch to talk rules.  So far we have got together twice at different locations with our little boats to play with whilst having dinner.  With both of us busy it is great to make the time for a catch up and to play with different scenarios.   With both of us doing different events we always have plenty of scenarios to share and discuss.

I have also had the chance to do a few more events recently as a Judge and an Umpire.  WIth the Opti States and the NSW Schools Teams Racing both on the last two weekends.  It has now been a few weeks without a day off and it is certainly showing!  Both events were great fun and I learnt a great deal.   This past weekend with the Teams Racing it became obvious that winter was fast approaching.  Many of the umpires were wearing multiple layers for the first time this year.  It is one thing when you are out sailing but when umpiring you aren’t doing a great deal to keep warm!!!  Big thanks to my fellow umpires who take care of me with my joint troubles.

It is a busy week this week as we prepare for the Combined High Schools Regatta that we (DeckHardware) sponsor.  It is an event I loved competing in so being able to support it and watch it continue to be a strong event that people love is fantastic.   It is amazing how many adults I speak to who would love to do it again….  If only it wasn’t just for High School Students.

Opti States - when it is a day like this I realise how lucky I am to be on the water.
Opti States – when it is a day like this I realise how lucky I am to be on the water.
The Changeover boat was a busy place over the weekend.
The Changeover boat was a busy place over the weekend.
Teams Racing
Teams Racing
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

New Ambassadors and more

We have two new Ambassadors! Zac and Jake Barnabas who have jumped into a Flying 11 for the very first time! They just competed in their very first Flying 11 Nationals with some great results in the lighter winds. Still a few years to grow into the stronger winds yet but a great first time result for a small team.

This is extremely exciting for us as Phil and Robyn know their Grandad very well from years gone by and Mel went to school with their Mum Christine along with knowing their Dad Trent as kids at the 18’s park. I guess you could say we were always going to sponsor Zac and Jake. The best part is they love Sailing and that is a big part of how we choose ambassadors, their attitude! It is in their blood after all.

It really is nice to be able to support some young sailors who love the sport that’s in their blood.

Zac and Jake
Zac and Jake

Last Friday and Saturday I headed to Gosford Sailing Club to support Sam Ellis who put together the very first Gosford Match Racing Event! Sam deserves massive praise for putting together the event. As do all the top competitors who attended using the event as a training session which was so very smart. Ash Rooklyn took out the event and made a great speech encouraging everyone to support the smaller and startup events. Nice one Ash. When you consider the skippers were Ash, Jay Griffin, Sam Ellis, Milly Bennett and David Witt it was quite an event with some great racing! Even better was the effort from Harry Price and Louie Collins who were the Race Officials! It really was a fantastic event out together by the young match racers to help promote and grow the sport.

Melissa Yeomans

So busy time flys past me

It has been an insane few weeks!  Two of them were spent out of the office at Match Racing Events on the water of Sydney Harbour and Pittwater.    This was followed with coming back to the office as Phil headed down to Sail Melbourne!  Which coincided with the busiest month of the year starting and it was BIG!  Then we get to this week and Monday Night I had the opportunity as a sponsor to attend a special function for the Australian Sailing Team – the “Road to Rio” Begins.  Then Tuesday was the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge and I took the time to head down to the shore and take some photos and videos!  So where do I start…

I truly love this time of year.  Plenty of time on the water at different events as well as a business which is all about the sport of Sailing meaning we get extremely busy at this time of year!   The Match Racing saw some interesting conditions and I do not think I have ever been as wet as I was umpiring on Pittwater and it was not even raining!  The conditions and breeze saw waves breaking over the boat and the umpires!  It was however great fun with a great team.  The conditions at both events truly were all over the place making it really hard and some long exhausting days.   By the end of the 8 days I was looking forward to a bit of rest and that was never to come!

The good news is however that business has certainly hit the peak season.  With DeckHardware keeping us more than busy as we try to keep up with the demand!  A huge thanks to Cam McDonald who turned up just in time to help unpack the big Liros Shipment. Cam is well known in the 18′ skiff fleet in particular for his splicing. Thanks Cam! We all know he wanted first go at the new stock haha

The Road to Rio Launch was a fantastic event to be able to attend.  We have been involved with the team for a number of years now as well as some of the athletes and even some of the support team are friends so it was great to be included.  We were reminded that we are all a part of the journey and have our part to play.  To find out more about the Road to Rio Launch head over to the Australian Sailing Team’s Website.

Australian Sailing Team Embarks On Road To Rio

The SOLAS Big Boat Challenge was the very next day.  For the seventh consecutive year, the CYCA has decided to dedicate the event to raise awareness and funds for its SOLAS Trusts, which were established following the stormy 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when six lives were lost.  This is something that is extremely important for many of us.

Link to my photos

 

Up next is the Sail Middle Harbour Regatta which is going for the next three days out of two of my favourite clubs MHYC and MH16’SC. For those who remember my yacht Animus, I had both clubs written on the stern as my crew was often filled with skiffies.

To finish off I have a ThrowBackThursday moment from 2008, I stumbled across this great photo! One American Sailing Anarchist who wanted to see what it was like to sail with a chick crew hahaha.  Yes he flew to Aus!  What a great day! Most of the time I did not seek out an all female crew it just sometimes happened when none of the guys could make it.  Other times as the skipper I would be the only chick onboard.   #TBT

The Animus Crew
The Animus Crew