MUDLARK THE MASTER FROM MAYLANDS. Kim Stephens. The SUMMER EDITION

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1 The SUMMER EDITION MUDLARK Kim Stephens THE MASTER FROM MAYLANDS The Laser Radial contest in the 2007 Indian Ocean Regatta in late October was won by Kim Stephens. Hosted by Fremantle Sailing Club, conditions were extreme. On the ocean the wind was howling at 20-plus knots and gusting to 28 knots. As such, the event was reduced to four heats and Kim won all of them! Kim s tips for heavy weather sailing: Pages 6 and 7 The official newsletter of Maylands Yacht Club Inc

2 Our new Commodore Peter Kerrigan reports A FEW weeks ago I had the honour of presenting Max Albury with his Life Membership badge. Max celebrated his 80 th birthday recently and has been around the club for as long as most of us at MYC can remember. When thanked for his long service to the club, Max said it was no trouble at all; it was a pleasure that he looked forward to every week. Here is a brief history of Max s sailing life: Max awarded badge of honour My first experience of sailing was at about 10 years old when my father took me to Fremantle to go fishing with an old friend. We were to go out in an old 18-footer that we had to rig. To me it looked glorious, with a wonderful, coloured butterfly on the sail. The boat was named Miss Vanity. Later, when I was about 18, I was introduced to a couple of blokes who were building a Sharpie and I became the for ard hand. It was a steep learning experience and I sailed on these boats for six years or so. I got married and, sadly, dropped sailing. Many years later, while crewing at the ANA club (near Barrack St jetty) I met past member Frank McDonald. Frank talked me into coming down to MYC, where he was sailing a Moth, and I joined the club that year, 1973 I think. The next year I was on the committee and soon after was the YAWA delegate, then later also the Swan River Racing delegate. A few years later I bought an Endeavour 24 and sailed from Whitfords Sea Sports Club but also continued sailing a Moth at Maylands. When I eventually retired from sailing I continued to watch the boats at Maylands and one day, when the start box was undermanned, I was invited to help. I eventually became starter and still enjoy the job and the camaraderie of Maylands Yacht Club. WELL DONE, MAX: Commodore Peter Kerrigan congratulates Max Albury for achieving Life Membership at Maylands Yacht Club. Max, below, as we often see him... climbing the stairs into the Start Box on race day. Well done, Max, and we hope to see you around for many years to come. # # # # THE Club was recently invited to apply for a Healthway grant to assist in the purchase of safety equipment. Thanks to the efforts of Les Mack, we received $1350 and will be using this money to buy Bimini covers and first-aid kits for the support boats. If funds permit, we will also purchase some new buoyancy vests for training. The club has received several grants from Healthway over the years and its help to clubs such as ours is invaluable. I urge all members to heed the Healthway messages and, with a bit of luck thrown in, we will be around to enjoy our great sport for a long time yet. # # # # I WOULD like to wish all members and their families a very happy Christmas and I look forward to seeing you all on the water soon. As this is our first publication since opening day I would like to thank all those people who have helped around the club so far this season. A big thank you to David Puddey, who for the past few years has given his time to the thankless job of producing our Mudlark magazine. Thank you also to Steve Fox for offering to produce this publication for the season. I am sure that Steve s experience in newspapers will give the old rag a new lease of life and I am eagerly awaiting my copy. 2

3 A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES COMING UP December 2: Club Heat 2, Steve Fox Trophy Heat 1 (Full Rigs), Consistency Heat 8. December 9: Club Heat 3, Consistency Heat 9. December 16: Novelty Races. December 23: Xmas break. December 30: Xmas break. January 6, 2008: Consistency Heat 10. The life of Brian Club stalwart BRIAN PLUMB talks to new Mudlark editor Steve Fox Q: Plumby, you have changed the direction of Maylands Yacht Club by introducing the Hartley 16 trailer-sailer class and encouraging others to expand the fleet. Are you happy with your choice of boat and satisfied with the way they are fitting in at MYC? Certainly, the racing has been close. A: I did quite a large amount of research into the Hartley and had many discussions with John Gaunt about them. I thoroughly checked the launching facilities and discovered the area where we now launch. This was half-covered with reeds and required a little clearing. I noticed this area was the only spot where there was always enough water, even in the lowest HONOUR ROLL Commodore: , , , , Vice-Commodore: , , , General committee member for many years. Club and state Moth measurer for about 10 years. of tides, for launching and retrieving. If I thought we could not launch our boats at all times I definitely would not have purchased a Hartley. The Hartley has swing centreboards and rudders which is ideal for our section of the river. I felt these boats would provide members who were no longer interested in sailing the other classes at our club a chance to continue their sailing. They appear to be quite stable in all conditions and are an enjoyable boat to sail. This seems to be working as we now have four boats with members who would probably no longer be sailing. As you say, the racing is certainly extremely close and keeps us all on our toes. The only disadvantage I can see with them is their availability. We know there are about 60 or 70 in the state but everyone who has them doesn t seem to want to part with them. CONTINUED PAGE 4 3

4 A SAILOR meets a pirate in a bar, and they take turns recounting their adventures at sea. Noting the pirate's peg-leg, hook, and eye patch, the sailor asks: "So, how did you end up with the pegleg? The pirate replies: "We was caught in a monster storm off the cape and a giant wave swept me overboard. Just as they were pullin' me out, a school of sharks appeared and one of em bit me leg off. "Blimey! said the sailor. "What about the hook? "Aaaarrrr mused the pirate, "we were boardin a trader ship, pistols blastin and swords swingin this way and that. In the fracas me hand got chopped off. "Zounds! remarked the sailor. "And how came ye by the eye patch? "A seagull dropping fell into me eye, answered the pirate. "You lost your eye to a seagull dropping? the sailor asked incredulously. "Well said the pirate, "it was me first day with the hook. Life of Brian (cont) FROM PAGE 3 Q: Unfortunately, the arrival of the Hartleys has coincided with the demise of Herons and Pacers. What do you see as the future at MYC? Fleet numbers are down a little this season and we still have just the one Mothie, Dave Hogg, on the water. A: Unfortunately the Moth fleet began to collapse with the passing of Clem (Eaton) but it is great to see Dave still competing, as the Moth has been a wonderful boat for the club. It has provided myself, along with others, a magnificent and successful sailing life at Maylands Yacht Club. It is most unfortunate the Heron has disappeared, although I notice we have had one arrive back at the club. They are an excellent boat especially for dad and one of his children and are very strong at national level. We had quite a rocky period about 15 years ago where a few of us were wondering if we might have to wind up the club. Fortunately it took off again and numbers have been progressing steadily ever since. It is looking extremely great and Ken Patterson is now seeing the rewards for his excellent effort with training. It appears the club may now be producing some very promising young sailors once again. Q: Sometimes when I spot your Hartley heading downwind, Doug Bonny is nowhere to be seen. Is he in the cabin making a cuppa and buttering the scones, or just having a quick nap before the next beat? A: Doug s duties as we round the top mark in priority order are: First, pole the jib out and then adjourn to the cabin and prepare the drinks. We haven t had the scones and cream as yet, but we might work on it if only to make the Laser boys envious. I work Doug pretty hard so he is allowed a quick nap after performing his duties before we reach the bottom mark. Q: When you sailed a Laser, I dubbed you the "Reed Runner" because you always hugged the Belmont shore on the way to Bunbury Bridge. Do you reckon that's still the way to go? A: It is a bit of a fine line sometimes, waiting for that little lift to claw you out and pick up heaps of ground through not having to tack. You can go in fairly close there before you run on the bank. Makes life interesting, doesn t it. Q: When did you start sailing and what classes have you sailed in? A: I started sailing crew on a VJ named Jet in for about one-and-a-half seasons and then I was very fortunate my father bought me a VJ named Ballerina. Incidentally, Terry Gaunt was the champion of the VJs and he came with Dad and me to check the boat out for us. Terry said It was a very well-built boat so Dad bought it for me. I sailed VJs for about 6-7 years before moving into the Moths, which I sailed for about the next 15 years. These were the best years of my sailing life as I visited every state and New Zealand, something I would never have done if it wasn t for sailing. Sailing at nationals is something really special for both sailing experience and making lifelong friends. GP 14s were starting to get established about then and I sailed one of them for five years with my brother-in-law Henry Houghton crewing for me. When my daughter was 10, I bought a Heron and she sailed with me for a few years. Jeffrey then sailed with me for a while before taking over the helm. One day he said to me, Dad, you are too heavy for a crew; it is time you moved out. His cousin Nicole Bonny then sailed with him for a few seasons and I did the support boat for a period until I bought a Laser. I sailed the Laser for about five years and now have the Hartley and have another brother-in-law, Doug Bonny, crewing for me. Q: How big is your trophy cabinet? How many titles? A: In the early days we used to receive engraved silver cups. What I do have left are stored in an old cupboard in the shed. We used to receive nice pennants for state championships and Glennis has them in a plastic bag stored away somewhere in a cupboard. TITLES: State Moth Champion , , , , , State Heron Champion Pan Pacific Moth Champion Was runner-up in National Moth Championships in , , I went close in The very strong tide in Queensland washed me on to the windward mark and I hit it with my boom when I was in front in the last heat and had to retire. You couldn t exonerate yourself by doing a 360 turn those days. CONTINUED PAGE 5 Have you paid your fees? 4

5 I joined MYC in 1954 FROM PAGE 4 It cost me the title and then Brian Pearce beat me by half a boat length in in Perth once again in the last heat to beat me for the championship. They were my two biggest disappointments. Q: When did you join MYC? Tell us about some of the major happenings at the club in your time. A: I first joined Maylands Yacht Club in In the early days, when I first joined, we had the old boat shed. Rigging space and river access wasn t that great on the club side and for about the first 17 years the majority of us would rig on the grassed area on the eastern side of the jetty and we launched our boats on that side. When the new clubhouse was built in 1971 the club grounds had been completely altered and everyone then moved over to the club side of the jetty where we now all rig. In my first year as commodore the club had building alterations and the change rooms were enlarged to what we now have. The change rooms and toilets originally comprised of our present toilet area only. It was very, very small. We couldn t use the change rooms while building was going on. The same year the boys moved the bar from the committee room to its present location. The other alteration has been the addition of our new boat shed on the jetty side of the club. Q: What do you think we need to do to keep the club viable and to attract a bigger membership? Should we be trying to build a bigger social membership? A: I feel it will always be difficult to build our club to a huge sailing membership. The reason for this is because of our water and wind restrictions. We could never have a huge fleet of, say, Javelins, 14 footers or Sharpies they travel too fast, couldn t have their extras up long enough and would always be running aground. Smaller boats are our way to go. To build up a large social membership the club would have to decide which way we would want to take. Big memberships would warrant professional staffing as it could not be handled by volunteers as we have always done. Q: What are some of the more amusing moments from your time at MYC? A: With no disrespect, most of my amusing moments have involved Frank McDonald, like the time I was following him to the club in Grand Promenade when he was towing Cindy behind his car. I decided to overtake him and as I drew alongside his boat became completely detached from his car. If I had been still following I would have run over his boat and wrecked my car as well. Then there was the time Frank locked his keys in the boot of the car. Frank said: No problem, I will cut a hole in it with a cold chisel. When the hole was cut he said: Damn, they aren t there. Next week he had a patch over the hole. One more... Frank s gear stick came out and his car jammed in gear right in the entrance gate and no one could get in or out. He called the RAC and they towed him out the way to clear the gate. Q: We're all grateful for your volunteer work at MYC. With the club's present structure, is that as good as it gets for members, or should we be aiming higher? A: This is similar to one of the other questions. If we aim higher it would eventually lead to professional staff to provide the same level of service to a greater number of members. Volunteers could never handle café-type of facilities, for example. Q: Do you have any tips for the youngsters? A: Youngsters are very lucky these days with all the training that is available to them. In our younger days you taught POWERBALL PLUMBY: Hmmm, one Hartley and I m outta here! yourself and watched skippers like Terry Gaunt and Gordon Collins to gain your knowledge. When I was sailing at my peak I used to race at South Perth Yacht Club on Saturdays and Maylands on Sundays. I also did martial arts three to four nights a week so that kept me fit and the reflexes sharp. In my opinion, time on the water is the best way to improve. Q: Finally, "Crusher", do you have anything personal against the Mirror fleet on the start line, or do you just like showing a little bit of river rage to pump you up now and then? A: I have always sailed strictly to the rules and I expect all the other sailors to have at least a basic knowledge, otherwise they shouldn t be on the start line. I would never expect anybody to be so irrational as to take on a whole fleet starting on starboard tack when it was a starboard-favoured line, especially a little Mirror taking on the Hartleys. I guess we should give them points for courage! They would certainly need to learn their rules to compete at national or state level. I don t get too pumped these days, but thoroughly enjoy the competition and fun we are experiencing in the Hartleys. # 5

6 How to set up your Laser for strong winds Q Avoiding a capsize is an obvious way to enjoy the challenge of sailing in strong winds. Do you sail a conservative/survival race in these conditions? A: Racing a Laser in strong winds provides a number of challenges for the skipper to overcome. Everyone may have a different definition of what constitutes strong winds. Crew weight, the sail area and the sailors' experience in winds above 20 knots, plus the venue you are sailing at, will all affect the task of getting around a race course. The Laser Radial is a much more manageable boat in extreme conditions than the Full Rig. I have found that I am able to still put my energies into "racing" the Radial in high winds when I would be more in survival mode if I had the Full Rig. Boat handling in extreme conditions and the ability to set up the adjustments to make the boat more manageable to sail are paramount. There is no worse feeling than to sail an overpowered Laser in a very strong wind. All your energies are spent trying to keep the mast pointing to the sky and very little thought is given to the actual race. Capsizing is a slow way of sailing. As in any racing, the skipper who makes the least mistakes generally wins! So the first priority is to set up the boat to best suit the conditions. Upwind THE major concern is to de-power the rig so you are not fighting it. This requires a combination of adjustments to the outhaul, downhaul and vang. I aim to get the upper leech of the sail really opening up in a strong wind, while using the bottom third to generate my power. Lots of downhaul on the cunningham is required to achieve this. Assuming I am happy with the vang and outhaul settings, I just keep pulling on the downhaul until I feel in control of the boat. Sometimes this requires heaps of downhaul! If the downhaul is not pulled on tight enough you will find the boat very hard to steer, with lots of weather helm. This makes it very tiring to steer as you are Laser Radial Club Champion KIM STEPHENS talks to Lloyd Blake about sailing in heavy conditions continually trying to pull the tiller towards you to keep the boat on course. Next time you are sailing upwind behind someone, check to see just how far off the centreline the tiller is, on average. The more the angle, the more weather helm that sailor is experiencing. Too much weather helm is slow! The outhaul controls the belly in the bottom third of the sail and is often pulled on too hard. This creates a problem in that, even in strong winds, we still need to be able to point reasonably high. By pulling too much foot out, the back edge of the sail in the lower third becomes too flat and this will affect our pointing. If the rest of the sail is set up correctly, we still need to generate our forward momentum from this part of the sail. I would have at least a fist's width between boom and foot. This can vary according to the sea conditions you are sailing in. Maylands in 25 knots is very different from off-fremantle in the same conditions. But more of that later. The vang is also very important in maintaining control over the sail. A vang that is too loose will make the sail fuller as we ease the sheet. So, in big winds, the last thing we need is a sail getting fuller when we ease in a gust. I set mine up in the following fashion for a big breeze. While sailing upwind, go block-toblock on the mainsheet and then pull on the vang until you see the boom start to drop off to the side of the boat. This is the stage where tension on the vang is greater than that exerted by the downward force of the mainsheet. This set-up leads to a technique known as vang sheeting. The mainsheet in this setting will simply move the boom, and thus the sail, in and out from the side of the transom rather than applying a downward force on the leech of the sail. Remember, we have controlled the leech of a sail with the downhaul tension already set. So, as a gust hits and the boat wants to tip over, if we now ease the sheet, the boom will not rise in the air, the sail will not get fuller and the boat should remain in control. Now all the easy bits are done and the hard work starts. Lasers sail best when sailed flat. So it is very, very important to keep the boat as flat as you can. As a gust hits, ease the sail enough and hike hard to keep the boat flat. If the boat still wants to lean, EASE MORE SAIL. Once the gust has passed, trim the sail in again to power the boat up. The Lasers that sail fastest in a strong breeze are those that have a skipper who is continually adjusting the sail trim. Downwind AS you approach the top mark of the course, give yourself a little more time and space to set up for the rounding than you may normally do. Lots of skippers can lose control at this point and cause all sorts of mayhem on the marks. Don't be too aggressive coming into the mark. Let CONTINUED PAGE 7 Have you paid your fees? 6

7 VERY FAST FORWARD: Kim Stephens gets Clocktower Framers humming on the reach between St Annes and Aerodrome at MYC. FROM PAGE 6 others make the mistakes. Ensure your mainsheet is not tangled around your legs. Ensure all control lines are within easy reach. A couple of boat lengths before the mark, prepare by easing the vang to your preferred reaching setting. If you do not do this the boat will be very hard to steer around the mark. Remember, easing the sail will now make it fuller. As you round the mark and ease the sail, HIKE EVEN HARDER to keep the boat flat and in control. A Laser that is heeling to leeward does not want to turn downhill! If the breeze is really strong, forget about doing too many adjustments to the outhaul or downhaul and just hang on and enjoy the ride. If you have confidence in you abilities, ease the downhaul at the first opportunity and then the outhaul to power up the sail. The centreboard can remain down a little more than you would in a moderate breeze. This seems to stabilise the Laser on the runs. Approaching the gybe mark is where all the fun begins. The faster you are travelling, the easier it is to gybe... scary but true! It is not the time for the fainthearted. Pick your moment to gybe and really go for it. Again, keep the boat flat through the gybe for steering control. Assist the boom across by flicking the mainsheet and make sure you get your body on to the new windward side. In really extreme gybing conditions, put all your energies into keeping the mast upright and after you have survived the gybe, then worry about your course steering. Before you round the bottom mark for the beat back upwind, pull all your adjustments on to the same settings you had for the previous windward leg. (Of course, each adjustment on your boat is calibrated in some way that allows you to do this easily, isn't it???) Get as much vang on as you can before rounding because this will make it far easier to pull in the mainsheet. Now you can settle in for another backbreaking and physically demanding windward leg. At this stage ask yourself : "Are we having fun?" On the race course GO for a sail before the start and work out how extreme you need to be to set up all aspects of the boat (outhaul, downhaul, vang) so it is manageable. This includes putting in some tacks and gybes coming back downwind. As the start approaches you should be aware of the approximate settings you want to achieve when the gun goes. Do not have your vang or downhaul pulled down to the upwind settings while sitting on the start line. The vang needs to be eased off to your "reaching" setting and your downhaul about half of your upwind setting. If you do not do this the Laser will be very hard to steer with no speed on and will just want to round up into the wind. Once the race has started and you are hiking hard, begin to adjust downhaul and vang to your chosen settings. Even strong breezes are rarely consistent in strength. It is just as easy to become underpowered in these conditions as it is to be overpowered. It is necessary, therefore, to be able to power up and power down the sail. As the breeze lightens, ease off the downhaul. If still more power is required, ease the vang a smidgen. As the breeze increases, vang on and downhaul on. With practice, you will get to know the settings that will make your Laser manageable and you can begin to enjoy the thrills of fast sailing in a strong wind. Differences in 28 knots of wind off Freo compared with Maylands EACH venue offers a different challenge. The waters off Fremantle contain lumpy things called "waves". These lumps can be very daunting to someone who usually sails on flat water. Sailing techniques and boat trim can be very different. When sailing on the flat waters of Maylands, you can survive with sail trims that give you a much flatter sail. The course steered upwind, even in a big breeze, is still reasonably consistent with an emphasis on "pinching" the boat into the wind in the extreme gusts, as well as sheet easing. If this technique was used on the ocean in big seas, your Laser would stop very quickly and be a pig of a craft to manage efficiently. Sailing in strong winds and big waves requires a rig set-up that will still provide you with power to sail through the waves. So the sail needs to be fuller in the foot. The angles you steer through the waves are much greater. The general technique is to sail up the face of the oncoming wave (i.e. luff slightly) and then bear away down the back of the wave as it passes under the boat. A sail that is lacking power will not provide the aerodynamics to achieve this technique. Those people who are fit enough will rock their bodies fore and aft to assist in moving the bow into or away from the waves they sail through... a very demanding but quick technique. Downwind sailing also offers different challenges AT Maylands on the flat water, the trickiest thing to avoid is going in backwards (Chinese gybe). This usually happens when you suffer a combination of the mainsail being eased out too far, not enough vang on, too much centreboard up, a major wind direction change or all four things happening at once! Off Fremantle, in extreme winds, the waves (those lumpy things), provide some exhilarating (scary!) rides. Your boathandling downwind needs to be of a high calibre to avoid a capsize. Sailing by the lee in the gusts is a great technique if you can master it and provides some thrilling action as you cut across the face of the waves. The gybe mark is where most chaos occurs. A cool head and confidence in your boat handling are required to survive. At the end of the day, sailing in really strong winds can be a lot of fun. Your equipment needs to be in good condition and your sailing skills need to be tuned to the breeze strength. # 7

8 By JENNY PEDERICK W ITH the sailing season now well under way I thought it would be fitting to take a closer look at cap sizes (pun intended). Here is an example of the caps spotted on heads one windy Sunday afternoon at Maylands. If you weren t interviewed this time, don t fret; I ll come and ask you about your boots for the next edition. White Sox Chicago black and white cap Sun protection: Face. Wind Resistance: A deep crown and elastic strap on the back prevents hat from falling far. Sailing Experience: 13 years. Price paid: $0 (pinched from one of the owner s sons). You can leave your hat on! Billabong cream hat Sun protection: Full brim protects ears and neck. Wind Resistance: String around chin can be tightened to wearer s liking. The owner says it has never fallen off. Sailing Experience: 2-5 years. Price paid: $0 (birthday present). Hat selection Sun protection: Classic caps for rigging in windy weather: face protection. Leather full brim for rigging in light breeze: face, ear and neck protection. Yasser Arafat hat for sailing on windier days: protects everything above the shoulders. Wind resistance: The owner was wearing no hat on the day I spoke to him as it was too windy. Despite his impressive collection of hats he said none had enough wind resistance to be able to wear it on a day such as this. In his experience, elastics and other cords can pose a danger in a capsize as they can become caught around the wearer s neck. Sailing experience/cost: Varied. The owner says it has not fallen off while sailing. Sailing experience: Two months. Cost: $0 (gift). Tanami in green Sun protection: Fuller brim than most protects face. Ears and neck covered by flap. Wind resistance: Cord around neck. Sailing experience: One day. Cost: $20. Blue wetsuit material hat Sun protection: The owner loves the protection it affords his ears. Wind Resistance: Owner s spouse has sewn a piece of elastic to fit around the chin. Sailing Experience: Two months. Price paid: $0 (taken from son s top drawer after owner s last hat was lost in the river). Are we seeing a pattern here?! Billabong in white Sun protection: Full brim protects the face, neck and ears. Wind resistance: Adjustable chin strap. Columbia hat in cream/beige Sun protection: Covering protects neck and ears. Wind resistance: Two-fold: Adjustable elastic tightens around head and a clip attaches to the shirt. Sailing experience: Two months. Cost: $28. CHALLENGE! Can you match the sailors to these hats? (Answers on Page 11) 8

9 MEET THE MEMBERS Alan Benn Club Secretary M AYLANDS Yacht Club is one of the few yacht clubs in WA totally managed by an executive committee of volunteers. One of the busiest people on and off the water at MYC is Honorary Club Secretary Alan Benn, who was appointed in 2003, the same year he started his sailing career in a Laser at MYC. Until then, crewing in a keel boat and admitting, I did not have a clue what was going on!, was the extent of Alan s sailing experience. Through hard work and a vigorous training program, Alan is now a Radial fleet leader competing at club and state championship level. Keeping the club afloat by sharing the workload means Alan welcomes more volunteer assistance. Particular tasks that always need helpers: the canteen, learn-to-sail program and a range of club maintenance items. Members in the building industry and allied services should talk to Alan regarding specific maintenance items. Most tasks are minor, some require skilled attention. If you have not yet paid your membership fees, Alan will accept payment at any time. Whenever you hand Alan any money, provide an envelope noting your with LLOYD BLAKE name and purpose of the payment. Questioned on membership growth, Alan was always happy for active, sailing membership to grow. In particular we need increased junior membership. To attract junior membership Alan is supportive of MYC promotional activity at local primary schools, with invitations for students to attend a Try Sailing session. This recommendation, however, needs volunteer helpers to make the event possible. MYC membership has remained at about 100 for several years. I asked Alan: Sailing your Laser, what do you try to achieve in good boathandling skills? He said: Try to copy Kim Stephens when I'm close enough to see what he is doing! I practise a lot so that most operations become automatic: tacking, sheeting and adjusting controls. My goal is to keep my head up and watch what the wind and other sailors are doing. I'm not so instinctive at feeling the wind, so I use the tell tails a lot to help with trim. It s essential to keep the boat flat and keep it moving. A corker porker LLOYD Blake, gun reporter for The Mudlark and Full Rig diehard, prepares to pop the cork on his bottle of Le Bubbly de Plonque for the rechristening of his Laser at the start of the season. Lloyd and his wife Elaine, pictured, spent several months in Europe, but mainly in France, early in the year and it s obvious that the French influence has rubbed off. Lloyd once sailed Piglet, but now calls it Petit Cochon, which is the same thing. Elaine gave a rousing speech to the gathered throng of friends at MYC. Lloyd started the season with three wins on handicap. Sacre bleu! 9

10 Laser Radials SEASON is well under way with mixed wind strengths and temperatures, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous one week wetsuits, the next heatstroke. The Radial fleet has been in double figures for each of the races held if everyone decided to sail there would be a fleet of 15-plus Radials on the water. Kim has been showing us his transom and winning all the races in which he has competed. When Kim has been away, Alan, Ray and Andrew have shared the line honours. Jerome has been sailing very fast and a fastest time is not far away. He was heard to comment after leading during one race, I suppose I should have covered it s always easier in hindsight. A warm welcome back to Ray the yellow Snapdragon hull is always a great sight and Ray always seems so calm on the water. Bruce is back sailing D/Costalotta hope to see him regularly on the water. Ian has been frustrated at the way he s been going like everyone just wants to go faster. Jeff has had several topthree places. Terry had to be talked into sailing after canoeing during the week and then proceeded to get third. Les is improving with every outing. After going through the training program Laser Full Rigs THREE Lasers came out of winter hibernation for the Opening Day Regatta. In the following weeks fleet strength quickly returned to last year s Magnificent Seven (M7)! This diverse and interesting group of seven Laser sailors welcomes back David Mickle who did not sail regularly last season, but his recent race results and skills afloat deserve to be seen. David s recent party tricks include riding the rail and tap dancing on the centreboard to avoid a capsize. Spectacular! David Ponton was sidelined with a knee injury that threatened to end his sailing career and members were taking lustful looks at David s boat. He s pleased to report after a break from sailing and rest (in Germany) the boat is definitely off the market. Wiley and competitive regular, Rear Commodore Ken Patterson, returns for another season in addition to his role as leader of our very popular Sail Training program. By introducing juniors to 4.7 Laser sailing, Ken is contributing to growth in the Laser fleet in a most practical fashion. Welcome back, Rob Hermans. Rob has consistently led the M7 ever since he joined the club. Always ready to share his With JOHN WALLACE last season, Vince is really sailing well two first places in the short-course races. Bob has been working too hard hopefully more sailing is just around the corner. Brian has sold Maxi and has been sailing a Cherub with his grandson. In general, the consistency places have been shared around the fleet every boat that has sailed regularly has picked a topthree place. # # # WEDNESDAY afternoon training is under way. Alan is planning some exercises to improve specific areas, such as starting, boat-handling etc, so get down to the club if you can. That way you can push yourself that little bit harder without the pressure of racing. Also, with practice more things become automatic and you can get your head out of the boat and look for: Other boats plan early to tack or bear away for boats on starboard. Gusts on the water, other boats heeling. Wind shifts the heading of other boats up the course, whether they are tacking. # # # THE Laser State Titles are in Busselton over the Anzac weekend next year It would be great to get a Maylands contingent to go down. With LLOYD BLAKE skills and discuss sailing tactics, Rob provides a strong challenge to any would-be race leader. Bert Brescianini is the core of the M7 group, keeping the frontrunners honest. A competitor always with a ready smile, Bert almost convinces those around him there is pleasure in a good capsize. The same on-the-water smile can be found at the bar where Bert and Lynne give generously of their time in providing drinks and food for weary sailors. Another traveller... welcome back, Steve Fox. Steve recently visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on a business assignment. Asked to report on the experience, Steve s assessment was: All those islands... only one bar! Steve has been seen cruising with the Radials but always returns to the M7 for the test of serious competition. Hard to beat in 20 knots of windward work, he can become dangerous downwind (to himself). Living in Europe from January-May 2007, Lloyd Blake missed the latter part of last season. The French food and wine experience saw him come home happy and heavy which led to a non-french diet and daily exercise. He regularly joins Bert in harassing the M7 group. Thank you to our sponsors The Steve Fox Trophy (a twoheat handicap event for Laser Full Rigs). Piglet Trophy (MYC Junior of the Year) sponsored by the Blake family. Milbold Cup (Laser Radials) sponsored by Alan Benn. 10

11 Classifieds Training With Rear Commodore KEN PATTERSON FOR SALE Minnow: "Flamin Idiot" 1103, 22.5kg plywood boat, built Nov 06. New sail used only half a season. Equipped with quality Ronstan racing fittings $1600. Minnow: Kelpie" 1098, 24kg plywood boat, built Sept 06. Second-hand sail, equipped with standard Reilly and Ronstan fittings. $1200. Contact Kelvin Davis (vice-commodore) (home) (work). Bicycle: Ladies Riccardo bike $60ono. Dog's bed (steel frame with hessian) $20 ono. New pool blow-up toys: (large whale and tractor with trailer) $10 each. Call Carla on or Bicycle: Girls Graecross 50cm (20 inch), vgc, $25 ono. Guinea pig cage: 60cm x 90cm x 45cm, vgc, $25 ono. Call Jerome Toonen on Club Polo Shirts: Currently in stock and selling fast don t miss out! Sizes available: Small 2, Medium 1 (old logo), 3 (new logo), Large 3, XL 1, XXXL 1. Each shirt $29. See Rear Commodore Ken Patterson or Bert and Lynne Brescianini at the MYC bar. Radial bottom section: Good condition, $100; Radial sail: very used, $80; Full Rig sail: used, $80. Call John Wallace or see me at MYC. All reasonable offers considered. Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses: Brand new. Classic Black. New $139, now $80ono. Very cool! Call Josephine Engdahl or Maylands Yacht Club (Inc) Cnr East Street and Fourth Avenue East Maylands WA 6051 or PO Box 5 Maylands WA 6931 Clubhouse: (race days only) Secretary: Alan Benn or myc@iinet.net.au Website: THE training program got off to an excellent start again this year, thanks to the willing assistance of Jack and Matthew Clark-Massera, James Cohen, Hugh and Owen Davis and Sam Thiele. Their early one-on-one tuition really helped boost the confidence and lower the learning curve for the beginners. There are now 12 students enrolled in the training squad, six aged eight or under, making the average age of the group one of the youngest yet. Despite their youth these little folk are picking up the skills very well indeed, as are those in the older age groups. Some are already showing early signs of being champions in the making. A very big welcome to all of the following to Maylands Yacht Club: Sebastian Engdahl, Callum Ferguson, Kelly Hodgson, Heather Hugo and son John, Rebecca Nicholls, Robin Palmer, Denver Stephens, Lara and Remy Van Leeuwen, Donal and Leslie Wild. We hope your involvement with the club is a lasting one. # # # THE wind has not been as kind as it was last year, serving up some blustery mornings early in the program that have resulted in some exciting rides and spectacular capsizes. To their credit, all the swimmers remembered the drill and set to the task of getting their boats upright again, assisted on several occasions by parent-helper Gregor Wild who swam to their aid from the support boat. Parent help again has been a feature of the training: many thanks for their assistance in rigging the boats; to Lars Engdahl for ensuring the boats leave the shore and return safely; and to Eric Van Leeuwen for his on-the-water help, transferring his foredeck experience on Etchells to I like sailing, it is lots of fun and I want to do it next year. The first day out I capsized and I felt scared but now I think it's lots of fun. Sebastian Engdahl skippering a Mirror. Max Albury, the club s newest Life Member, has again shown his interest in being involved. Paul Borrett has also given valuable assistance on the water, as has Alan Benn. Thanks, guys. # # # ALL trainees are making good progress towards finishing their Basic Skills 1 Certificate. We have now covered most of the skills, including some not intended like the spectacular gybes. They were reserved for the next lesson! # # # SOME of the club s Mirrors are starting to show their age. At the time of writing, the possibility of purchasing one or more boats on offer at a good price from Royal Perth Yacht Club is being investigated. The next issue of The Mudlark will be the Autumn Edition and is planned for March 1, Contributors and advertisers are asked to forward all submissions to editor Steve Fox at thefoxfamily@optusnet.com.au PAGE 8 ANSWERS: White Sox Chicago cap: Ken Patterson; Billabong cream hat: Andrew Nicholls; Blue wetsuit material: Jerome Toonen; Hat selection: David Ponton; Billabong in white: John Hugo; Tanami in green: John Gaunt; Columbia hat in cream/beige: Ian Pavey. 11