Hey guys

Missed the Wildcat planning action so far (Ithink I had swine flu) but back in action now. C u 6 September.

Radio Use Read as we are using 27MHz and VHF

Radio Services

Free Coastal Patrol Radio Services help boat owners stay in touch and enjoy safer boating. Since Telstra closed its marine radio service in 2002, the only marine radio network service for recreational boat owners is provided by volunteers.

Marine Radio Frequencies Monitored: 27MHz Channel 88; VHF Channel 16; MF/HF 2182kHz*.

*NB Most but not all bases monitor 2182kHz. For information about MF/HF services contact your local Coastal Patrol base.

Marine radios are compulsory in NSW on all vessels operating more than 2 nautical miles (3.7km) offshore and are strongly recommended for anyone using a boat inside that limit or in enclosed waters.

Every day Coastal Patrol radio bases help hundreds of boat owners get more enjoyment and greater safety from their boating. With twenty six bases located along the NSW coastline, including ten between Botany Bay and Newcastle, the Coastal Patrol provides a comprehensive range of free radio services for the boating community.

These include Radio Checks, Logging On, Offshore Tracking, Weather Forecasts and Warnings. If an emergency arises, trained Coastal Patrol rescue crews that can make a life-saving difference are deployed. Remember, calls on marine radios are heard by others and someone closer to your position may be able to help you faster in an emergency.

Coastal Patrol also offers its Marine Radio Safety Service (MRSS) for boat owners. This is a Coastal Patrol initiative that will save skippers a great deal of time when logging on and is available for a nominal fee.

27MHz marine radios are relatively cheap and widely available for general use, however they are short-range radios due to low power output. A licence is not required to use a 27MHz radio but training in how to use one correctly will give you a very useful skill. Some Coastal Patrol divisions offer short courses in 27MHz use. Contact your local Coastal Patrol division for details or see Education.

VHF marine radios use a different frequency band, have higher power output and are in very wide use within the boating community. Some vessels are also fitted with MF/HF (Medium Frequency/High Frequency) marine radios for long distance communications during lengthy coastal and blue water yacht racing and cruising.

A Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP) is required to use both MF/HF and VHF radios and a Marine Radio Operator's VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP) is required to use VHF radios only. Many Coastal Patrol divisions offer comprehensive courses at moderate cost to obtain these certificates.

The Coastal Patrol strongly recommends that anyone who goes boating obtain their MROCP or MROVCP. It's not difficult and it's a valuable competency to have.

Most Common Marine Radio Channels to use on your Pleasure Boat

Channel	Who I can talk to?	For what purpose?
27.880MHz (Ch 88)	Limited coast stations & boats	Distress, urgency, safety and calling
27.860 MHz (Ch 86)	Limited coast stations & boats	Distress, urgency, safety and calling (supplementary to Ch 88)
27.900 MHz (Ch 90)	Limited coast stations only	Calling and working
27.910 MHz (Ch 91)	Limited coast stations only	Calling and working
27.940 MHz (Ch 94)	Limited coast stations & boats	Calling and working (clubs)
27.960 MHz (Ch 96)	Boats	Calling and working
27.980 MHz (Ch 98)	Limited coast, boats and mobiles	Calling and working by safety organizations (eg Surf Lifesavers)
VHF Channel 16	Limited coast & boats or ships	Distress, urgency, safety and calling
VHF Channel 67	Limited coast & boats or ships	Distress, urgency, safety and calling (supplementary to Ch 16)
VHF Channel 72	Ships or boats	Calling and working (shared with professional fishermen, commercial vessels and port operations)
VHF Channel 73	Limited coast & boats or ships	Calling and working
VHF Channel 77	Ships or boats	Calling and working (shared with professional fishermen)
VHF Channel 80	Limited coast & boats or ships via repeater (Central Coast to Port Stephens)	Movement of vessels, safety of vessels and persons
VHF Channel 81	Limited coast & boats or ships via repeater (Sydney area)	Movement of vessels, safety of vessels and persons

KEY
For calling and working	For distress & calling	For distress & calling (supplementary)	Boat to boat

http://www.coastalpatrol.com.au/

2009 Wildcat is coming October 3-4-5

So- How has the weather been?

Below are two weather maps. The first map is of the weather so far in 2009.

The second is of 2008.

Note the graphs can be compared , but look closely at the scales. The Barometric pressure scales are different.

IF YOU WANT TO lok more closely at the graphs, right click on the graps and open in a new tab.

Or go to the midcoast water site. There is a link on the right.

August

Planning is underway for the 2009 Wildcat. Some discussion about the types of courses we use. We could drop the triangle course, though it is a good way to get the fleet separated.

Planning for the evenings and food as usual is required.

Input on what to serve for meals would be greatly appreciated. Hamburgers have done us well over the past , but are there some alternatives?

Scoring

Les and Scott are working on gettign the sail wave program under control.

We hope to score the results of our weekend races immediatly after the races, this is one way of getting some realtime experience in using sailwave.

Pencilling

We need to recruit some competent penciller and result takers for the Wildcat. This is an important task and requires speed and acuracy and a failry good stomach for writing on a rolling boat.

Other matters:

As always safety is always an important consideration during any event- whether it is the Wildcat or Sunday club races.

We will be conducting a rescue boat maintenance and water safety review at the club. This will coincide with the first race day (Sunday 6th September).

Club Business

A meeting is planned for this Sunday to discuss intended plan of management with Booti Booti national park.

Thanks to Whitey for the prompt addition of several new TV screens to the club. Now we are able to watch multiple sport.

New we need a digital set top box. OneHD.

Woops, spoken too soon. The set top box is in place and all is good.

Club Update

A great weekend for the club with the assisting in the Gepquest 48 hour race.

Thanks to everyone who stayed up all night helping the competitors through the checkpoint.

A great weekend and a soild fundraiser for the club, netting $800 for the weekend.

WILDCAT PICS

Wildcat Results 2008

This is the quick version of the results. I will attempt to email the results out to all. Click on the fleet results to see a bigger version.

Cheers

Scott

Wildcat Weather

So this was what Saturday's weather was like.

Sunday 28th September

Weather forecast:

So far it is looking perfect for the weekend.

Looking good for the cycles of weather patterns with rain during the week and fine weather on the weekend.

Sunday 21st September

Sunday is looking like a great day. A swinging SE heading up into a nice nor'easter. 

Time for a kite run...

2008 Wildcat Notice of Race

Great Lakes Sailing Club- Forster NSW
2008
WILDCAT REGATTA

NOTICE OF RACE

1 RULES
1.1* The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.
1.2 The Prescriptions and Special Regulations of Yachting Australia Inc will apply

3* ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY
3.1 The regatta is open to all boats of the catamaran class(es).
3.3 Late entries will be accepted .

5 FEES
5.1 Required fees are as follows:
Class Fee
1 man boat $ 50
2 man boat $ 60
5.2 Other fees:
NPWS Car permit $10 for 4 days ( nil fee if you have a current NSWNPWS pass)
Camping permit $ 10 per night


7 SCHEDULE
7.1* Registration:
Day and date: Saturday 4th October From 0800 onwards including Sunday and Monday
7.3* Dates of racing:
Date Class all
Sat 4th racing from 1300
Sunday 5th racing from 1000
Monday 6th racing from 1000
7.4 Number of races:
Three races will constitute a series. There will be up to 12 races over three days.
7.5* The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race on Saturday is 1255. The scheduled time of the warning signal for Sunday and Monday is 0955.


9 SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
The sailing instructions will be available after 0800 on Saturday 4th October at the sailing venue.

10 VENUE
10.1 The racing area shall be on the waters of Wallis Lake.

11 THE COURSES
The courses to be sailed will be as follows:
A triangular and a Windward return course.

The diagrams in Attachment 1 show the courses, including the approximate angles between legs, the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left. The approximate course length will be 6k.

13 SCORING
13.1 The Lowest Point System will apply.


19 PRIZES
Prizes will be given as follows: 1st, 2nd ,3rd place for each division.

20 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

21 INSURANCE
Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover of $10 million.

22 FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information please contact:
Tim Haffner 6551 0659
or
Scott Machon 6557 2154
scottmachon@bigpond.com

Hobie Fiji Challenge

Great Lakes Sailors Ross Kneebone and Ray Muld recently returned from the Fiji Hobie Challenge.

The Challenge is a 5-day ocean sailing race that visited some of the least developed and most beautiful parts of the Fiji coast and inshore waters. The 5-day endurance ocean race covering 60 nautical miles tested the fitness and sailing skills of all sailors.
The course was set on the prevailing windward side of Viti Levu with most legs having the option of sailing within the protection of the outer barrier reef. With the low pressure system that brought the big swells to Forster recently having moved out into the Pacific, the challenge was one of survival. Some legs of the course were over 15 nautical miles of open water and sailing across 3-6m swells with 18-25knots of wind was a challenge.

Navigating the coral reefs was a significant challenge throughout the event. Often the entrance to the reefs and lagoon was through narrow channels and with large swells breaking only 50m away sailing was often dangerous. A capsize would certainly ended with a smashed boat.

At the end of the challenge Ray and Ross finished mid field in 13th position. An outstanding result against a fleet including several national champions.

Sunday is Dad's Day and Start of the Sailing Season

Let it all begin. The start of the season and a season opener it will be.

Tiome to ge the dust off the daggers and unroll the sails. It's time for some racing.

What sort of forcast that is. There are arrows everywhere.

Racing planned from 1300. Be there for Wildcat discussions and all other sailing matters.

Major discussions about beer prices for the Wildcat and BBQ and bar duties.

-In Pursuit of pleasure with wind.

W I L D C A T 2008

Anaconda Weekend and Club Housework

Volunteers are required for the Anaconda Sunday paddle leg.

The club is assisting the adventure race with water safety on Sunday.
We will be using both the boats for the day.

We will be required to lay our bouys along the course to act as a guide for the canoe paddlers.

The day is a good oportunity for the club to run the boats, get some practice in setting and retreiving the bouys, practice using the radios etc.

Please call Scott on 0418 402 382 or at home 6557 2154 if you are available for Sunday.

We'll plan to sleep at the club on Saturday night and use the weekend as an opportunity to do some house work at the club. Get the printer organised run the dishwasher, chech spare parts for boat. Mow lawns, weed for bindi etc.

The rescue boats GPS is out of service.

Wildcat planning. Who's doing what on the weekend.



Cheers

Scott

SEASON OPENER Sunday 7th September

No, Don't panic and get the gear out early. 

Season starter is on the first Sunday in September. 

So there is plenty of time to watch the footy.  Do all those jobs that 'need' to be done around he house. Watch the olympics and then get the gear ready.

Pre sail Saturday 30th and then a help out a the club on Sunday the 31st August for the Anaconda Race. 

Wildcat 2008

Tides for 2008 add 3 hrs for the Sailing Club

Friday 3rd @ 1023 High of 1.45m
Saturday 4th @ 1101 High of 1.41m
Sunday 5th @ 1145 High of 1.35m
Monday 6th @ 1238 High of 1.29 m

Local conditions are that tides on a waning moon means that the lake is fuller and slower to drain. So tides are 'fuller'.

For more local conditions etc go via Midcoast water weather page .

Wildcat Regatta

Much needs to be done at the next meeting.

Saturday night 28th June - Sunday 29th June
Agenda:

• briefing on use of the sailwave program for results
• briefing on use of IRB
• safe use and number of passengers
• Discussion on funds
• Safety procedures for retreiving bouys, assisting capsized craft.
• course layouts- setting a course.

Sunday

Presentation???

Other matters.

The Wildcat regatta will be on during the middle weekend of the October school holidays.

The weekend will be a big one.

Theme???

Get up and race!