Jibsheet - November 2025

We can reflect on a mixed bag of sensational sailing days as well as some challenging days with strong westerlies as well as no wind days.  

Thankfully reasonable conditions have prevailed for most of our Learn to Sail groups in the mornings. 

This weekend we can look forward to a Try Sailing day on Saturday 15th November to boost our membership and we have some Adult Learn to Sail already started with another group starting in November. 

We are also looking forward to a Christmas party on the deck after sailing on 14th December. BYO food and set up a tables downstairs. We are negotiating appearances with Santa and a live musician so please support this free event for the whole club to socialise together.

Dates for your Diary

• Saturday, 15th November Try Sailing Day Sign up here to help
• Sunday, 14th December - Xmas Deck Party after sailing from 5pm 
• Tuesday, 20th to Thursday, 22nd January - Sailing Camp 9am to 4pm Sailing Camp Jan 2026
• Monday 26th January - Australia Day regatta NOR coming
• Friday 13th to Sunday 15th February - Pantaneus Pittwater Regatta (Yachts) RPAYC organiser
• Saturday 14th Feb, 21st Feb, 28th Feb, 7th March - Adult Learn to Sail
• Tuesday 3 March - Fundraiser - Sail the world with Jim Flaye 7:30pm 
• Saturday/Sunday 14th/15th March - Pittwater Off the Beach Regatta

Centreboard

In October and November ASC Gold fleet members attended the following regattas:

• Zhik Youth Sail at Toronto, 
• NSW Youth Sail Championships in Belmont 
• Masters in Canberra, 
• F11 States on Pittwater run by RPAYC
• Dolphin Chaser at Mannering Park.  

Coutas racing on Sydney Harbour in October

The Couta fleet Sylvia, Cariad, Kathleen Mary and Tenacity sailed down to Sydney harbour for the Thistle Cup and Muriel Trophy and a Passage race on the weekend of 17/18/19 October. Cariad came 2nd overall on scratch and Sylvia won the passage race. Three of our Coutas stayed another week for the Balmain regatta on 26 October but all retired due to lack of wind. They came back on a very wet day on Wednesday 29 October, motoring all the way in chop and wind, seeing lots of whales. 

Safety on the Water 

Just a few thank yous and reminders of processes to keep us all safe:

Thank you to the response crew and Tony Cockle who came to the assistance of SunTzu who  lost their mast towards the end of their race.

Thank you to Kingsley who assisted yachts with tender service in 30+knot westerlies and a tip for coming into a mooring in challenging or short handed conditions: Pre-prepare a line, cleated at one end then as soon as you have got hold of the mooring, thread the line through your mooring loop to tie off on your boat. You are now safe and it gives you time to sort the details. 

Any boats involved in collisions involving significant damage, injury or man overboard, immediately render assistance and probably retire from the race.

Race start delays

The Race Officer can delay the start of the race from the official time via hoisting the AP flag (red/white stripe long pennant, like a Where’s Wally Flag). When the race officer is ready to start the sequence the AP is lowered and the sequence starts one minute after the AP comes down.

eStela Yacht Race tracking

eStela Tracking trial has been successful for four races now and if you are not tracking you can do so by joining here: eStela Yacht tracking Login for Yachts

Help Needed - Try Sailing Day 15th November.

Thank you to Yachts Burrewarra, Cariad, Papillon and Kate Kelly who have offered to take people out for a sail. 

Can you assist with 

• Welcoming prospective members 
• Selling morning tea in the canteen 
• Helping people on the water. 

Sign up here

The plan is to welcome people at the club and get them onto the water from 10 till 12 and then bring them back before 2pm. We will register them, furnish them with life jackets and then guide them onto yachts or dinghies. If you can be there from 9am to help 

Parking on Old Wharf Reserve, our access road

Thank you to all the members who have communicated with the Northern Beaches Council to let them know we do not need No Stopping Signs. They have removed the No Stopping signs on the first bend (at the top) only. Be careful where you park. If you park someone in then please leave your keys in the canteen with a note with your registration number on it. 

Rack Audits and Key Audits

Helena, Gary Timm and Pat Quinlan have conducted a rack audit. There is always some movement of boats on racks. If your boat has a yellow or red tape on it then you fall into the category where we don't know who owns (yellow) or who has paid (red). Please get in touch with us to let us know you will/have paid and that the boat is yours. 

We are also finding a number of kayaks (mainly flotsam washed up on our beach) in our racks. We will have a fire sale or a trip to Kimbriki over the coming months.

We will contact members who have not registered but have keys to ask them to return their keys.

Club Gear (Xmas is coming)

You can purchase Avalon Sailing Club branded clothing including shirts, vests, hats or caps from Shoreside, a local business. Our orders earn a rebate of $8 on Instructor shirts. If you want to personalise with your boat name please contact sales@shoresideclothing.com.au. They deliver to the club once a month. Avalon Sailing Club range

Regatta Rashies

Thank you to Matt Young of Laing and Simmons at Careel Bay for sponsoring regatta rashies for Team Avalon Centreboard sailors to take to regattas. 

Zoom in on our F11 at the State Champs last weekend wearing their TEAM AVALON rashies. 

New Puffin Pacer with Road Trailer

Thank you Kingsley who sourced a fourth Puffin from Hallidays point to replace one that blew off the deck 3 years ago. This boat came with a road trailer, so we are now the proud owner of a trailer which we can use to transport boats or support craft (small tender) to regattas. Looking to store the trailer somewhere… not on Old Wharf Reserve.

Paint Pittwater with Meredith  - Fundraiser

This fundraiser art evening on Thursday, 23 October was fully subscribed with 15 participants.

It was a lovely evening, and the weather was good. People said they really enjoyed the evening and they were all nice people too!

Amie B who came along to help with RSA and James G and his daughter Bronwyn helped pack up tables at the end.

It was a long day for Meredith who commutes home by boat, after dark and carried most of the volunteer workload for this event.

 Thank yous 

1. Rachel Verity - Accounts payable assistant for the last five years; collecting mail from our PO Box; reimbursing people who’ve spent money on behalf of the club; processing instructor and response crew allowances. Martin Didsbury our treasurer will handle this himself going forward and James George our secretary will pick up the mail. We could use help from another volunteer with accounting experience to assist Martin with book keeping decisions and provide reporting oversight. 
2. Garry Oughtred and Ian Craig - have finished the Men’s changeroom/bathroom, the cladding on wall outside the bathrooms above the canteen and significant repairs to entrance walkway. 
3. Meredith Rasdall for the Paint Pittwater fundraiser.
4. Hugh Spear - painted the newly cladded wall above the canteen.
5. Kingsley Forbes Smith drove up to Hallidays Point on the mid North Coast to pick up a new Puffin Pacer.
6. Jim Flaye - offering to do a fundraiser talk for us on 3 March next year recounting his adventures from his world circumnavigation in the Oyster Rally in 22-23
7. All the Blue group parents who have signed up to do Canteen. We are organised till December.

Happening in our Community -

The Deep North Festival Friday 5 December to 7 December 7 2025