sailing regattas

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…

Melissa Yeomans

Open & Secondary Schools Team Racing Championship 2012

On the weekend I experienced an Umpire boat for the first time. I have done plenty of time on RIBS for Rescue boats and also as Race Management. This was different altogether and a great experience. On Saturday it was a wonderful surprise to see Adventures of a Sailor Girl (Nic Douglass) suddenly appear on the Start Boat.

Saturday saw not much wind which was great from my perspective as I got a handle of how to do things and when driving how and where to position the RIB. This was a false sense of security though as the breeze well and truly kicked in for Sunday and saw all the umpires on their toes. WOW is all I can really say! How to digest what I experienced is the current question.

Sunday was amazing. Watching the skill of the competitors in the breeze was fantastic.

I’d like to thank all the Umpires and those on the race course for welcoming me and allowing me to tag along and learn. Looks like I will be doing a little more of this in the future!

A big thanks to Kingsley Forbes-Smith for suggesting I give this a go.  A big thanks to my close friends and family who have supported me trying something new as well. Thanks for all your positive words of encouragement!

Melissa Yeomans

Trying something new!

This weekend I am trying something new!  It is no secret that sailing and me at the moment don’t go so well together.   Hyper mobile reduces what your joints can take and tightens up your muscles around your joints.    So when I sail I weaken these muscles and can then find myself unable to stand up straight.  Not a good look although funny for those who got to see me like this the last time I sailed a Laser. Due to not being able to sail as much I have had to look at what else I can do to remain on the water.  Being on the water and involved in Sailing is a part of who I am and have always been.

Last week doing the Powerboat handling course was just the start of that!

This weekend I try something new for the very first time!   I am getting in a RIB with an Umpire to learn at the YNSW Teams Racing Championship 2012!  It is being held at Woollahra Sailing Club over the weekend and is likely to be a huge learning experience.

Back when I use to crew rather than skipper, from a young age I was able to quote not just rule wordings but rule numbers.   Crewing onboard SSV the Adams 10m we won a National Title in 2002.  From the middle of the boat not only did I run the pit but I also was primary Breeze caller, rules guru etc.   Passing on all the information I could to my father who was doing Mainsheet onboard the boat.   It was a real family atmosphere.

I am looking forward to the new challenges as I find a new pathway on the water.

On water umpire maybe?  more coaching maybe?   more race management?   I am certainly looking into all these options and will see where the water takes me.

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

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.