HYC's Commodore Update - april 2019 Hi to all members of the Hobsonville Yacht Club. 2019 as you all know going to be a year of large changes for our club but at the end we will have a facility designed to be fit for purpose and a great asset for the Hobsonville Community as a whole. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Greg, Stuart and Lisa for all the hard work they have put in on behalf of the Club to get us to this point. I suspect that a lot of our members are unaware of the literally hundreds of hours that our team, lead by Greg have put into ensuring the continuation of the Club and I wish to thank them on behalf of the club and personally. As most will know the HLC has sold the area that we now occupy with the intention of building flats along the waterfront necessitating our moving. Our current expected date for vacating the club is June/July this year, but this could change. HLC have stated that they will supply facilities (port-a-com (s)) for the interim that will be suitable for the club to continue business as usual. The temporary building will contain a bar and kitchen but its exact layout/location has yet to be finalised as is the arrangements for the storage of the clubs dinghies, rescue boats etc. Nothing concrete has as yet been confirmed. The intention at present is to build the new club adjacent to the grassed area on the right hand side of the area below Launch Rd. This was originally intended to include a jetty type pad extending into the harbour so as to ensure we had a big enough area to build on. This meet with a lot of resistance from different stake-holders whom do not want encroachment of the harbour seabed full stop. A compromise has been suggested that a concrete pad cantilevered over the water that would give sufficient area for our proposed building. Whilst not approved at this stage it has found favour as a possible solution and is being considered. There is also the intention to build a jetty that will give club members 2 meters of water at low tide and is suitable for the rowing Club to launch and retrieve their skiffs. The building platform, jetty and the supplying of utilities is all at the cost of the HLC and while not yet agreed to on paper is the intended path for all parties. Resource consent is another big one and up to 2 years to obtain it is more than possible. So to finish up, a big year for us with a lot of changes happening as previously mentioned but also and most importantly a new beginning for the club that holds many possibilities for an exciting future. Happy Sailing Bruce Melvin Commodore Pre-Christmas Message from the Sailing Captain: December 2018 Hi and Season’s Greetings to All, Firstly, my apologies for this belated 1st message of the Summer program, I have been meaning to put a message together for a while now. No real excuses other than work and lots going on, but I will endeavour to provide the club with updates on a more regular basis. Sailing Report The summer racing program has at best been a mixed bag so far due to the weather. We had good days and bad but I guess it’s what we can expect in Auckland pre-Christmas, however, we have had some good days racing for both the Dingys and Keelers. The Friday night ‘learn to sail’ and dingy training program has had great attendance which is pleasing to see. The senior club members are more welcome to join the juniors on the water in one of the club Sunbursts for a bit of fun and sailing knowledge sharing on Friday nights. I will not talk too much about the racing results because Trev and Gill have been doing a great job of posting the results, but I guess the biggest talking point was the result of the 1st Golden Rivet race against CCYC. Let’s not talk too much about that and get out there and win it back on the 9th Dec. It was great to have some nice weather, a full clubhouse, some colourful/themed club members and some good food after the 1st Golden rivet. Thanks to Sharon and her house team for their efforts. Looking forward to seeing a similar full club house this weekend, with a hopefully a better result! From the Dingy perspective, well done to our Junior sailors Mackenzie and Grace for entering the French Bay regatta. It was an excellent opportunity for them both to experience large fleet racing, and to meet and associate with sailors from other clubs. Of note, some top Starling sailors were in attendance including the national champ. Recommend reading Mackenzie’s report on Facebook, it is a great read! Sailing Committee Meetings and Initiatives: I thought I would also take this opportunity to let the club members know the sailing committee (6x Club members) are meeting on a regular basis. We have recorded minutes and we are reporting to the Executive. We are currently working on several initiatives including; • Updating the sailing instructions, • Audits and updating racing equipment, plus a tower tidy up, • Updated computer and back up for race results and club admin/history (Special thanks to Scott for donations/help), • Engagement/possible alignment with CCYC for future racing, • Planning for future YNZ coaches course (to be offered to all members); differed until next year due to YNZ circumstance. Wrap up: Unfortunately, the safety boat has been out of action due to OB servicing/adjustments and some minor issues. It should be back for this weekend all going well. Lastly and more importantly thank you to all the volunteers in the club. From the running the bar/house, making the sailing happen, junior sailing coaching and admin, managing the finances and communication, and generally keeping club running. I would like to say a special thank you to our secretary Lisa who is doing a fantastic job in keeping things running smoothly, and to the team who are working hard on the Trust advocating for the club membership on the club’s future.  Season’s Greetings to all, and have a safe Christmas and New Year’s both on the water and where ever you may be (or travelling) over the Christmas break. Sean Munro HYC Sailing Captain Mumbling from the commodore below.... AGM Thursday 26 July at 19.00 It is once again that time of year. Winter and the Ice Cube Trophy have been happening for a while, the days have grown short and are now starting to lengthen again and it’s time for the HYC Annual General Meeting. Tempting as it may be to give it a miss to make sure you don’t get roped into something , the Club really needs you to be there. There are some constitutional changes proposed that will affect us all and how we will run the club in the future. This is your opportunity to discuss and if necessary amend those changes. Like an election you can’t complain about the result if you didn’t vote. Yes there are elected positions that we need to fill. In the next 12 months we will need the wide range of experience and abilities that our membership represents more than ever before so think about putting your hand up to help rather than just leaving it to the same few faces that volunteer each year. We will need to present a strong and united front to the outside players that will impact on us in the coming months and we will need to support our trustees on the Marine Centre trust as they work to get us the best possible outcome. That best way to start that is with a well attended AGM. See you there Trevor Muttering from the commodore - April 2018 Hi All, Many of you will have detected a big hole around the club in the past few weeks. Denise Ellis, if you didn’t already know has left Auckland for the warmer climate of the Bay of Islands. Although slight in size Denise has a stature that would make a heavy weight boxer jealous. She has been a fantastic, dedicated and hard working club member for more years than she would like to admit to. From playing “bad cop” on the ramp for the juniors to winning the 50 miler recently, she has participated in all facets of the club. That participation has included being secretary on the club executive, a role from which she has now stood down. My thanks and those of the rest of the Executive committee go to Denise . We wish her well in the move to the Bay and look forward to her hopefully frequent visits to the “big smoke”. Lisa Mackay has graciously agreed to step into the secretary job until the next AGM. Cheers Trevor Higgins Musings from our mighty commodore for April 2018 Hi All. There has been much speculation about the future of the club and as is always the case when little information is available, plenty of rumour flying about, much of it incorrect. While our time in our current building is coming to an end, we do not have a definite finish day. Estimated dates have come and gone demonstrating the pointlessness of worrying about the unknown. What we do know is that our representatives on the HPMSRC trust have and are working to ensure the best possible outcome for us both for the final result and during any transition that may be required. We have a strong junior programme that needs to be kept on the water and active and a social side to the club that we do not want to see curtailed. All parties are aware of this and are working to ensure these things continue as much as possible. Having said that, our purpose as a yacht club is to foster water sport and in particular sailing and if there are any limitations to be worked through in the changes coming our emphasis, as a club, will be on maintaining sailing activities and on the water training. We are confident we can do that. As part of that emphasis on sailing activities, at the last executive committee meeting it was decided to close the acceptance of new associate members at this point in time. We have seen a growth in this area but it has been unmatched by a growth in full sailing membership and we are keen to see our sailing growing and our efforts as a club used for that We will continue to accept all other types of members and to encourage all our members to get out on the water. Regards Trevor Wise words for December 2017 from Trevor Higgins HYC commodore As 2017 draws to a close and the golden weather of December seems destined to extend on into January, it seems easier to look forward than back. Certainly the Hauraki Gulf beckons as I write this. This year has had all the appearances of treading water while waiting for something to happen. The Hobsonville Point Marine Sports Recreation Centre Trust has had a roller coaster journey of highs and lows, and, while not much seems to have happened, behind the scenes there has been action aplenty, culminating in a meeting, chaired by Paula Bennett, to try and get things moving along at a suitable pace. The physical changes around the landing are there for all to see, including the removal of the grid and pontoon, just one more reminder of our impending move. Although our short and long term locations are still up in the air there seems to be lots of support to try and make it happen. Huge thanks go to Greg, Stuart and Andrew for their efforts as our reps. For the club itself, the AGM rang in some changes and some familiar faces decided to step back and take a well earned rest. They were replaced by new but equally enthusiastic people. To anyone who thinks that it’s easy keeping things running as smoothly as it seems to, in reality it’s the result of dedication and hard work by a small group of people. The fact that you are reading this is because of the time put in by Samatha to keeping our website and Facebook up to date and always worth a look. It is also the result of her, sometimes, gentle persuasion that we all need to contribute for it to be successful. I’m sure its often a thankless task given that as writers we all make good sailors. If you have photos or stories to share I know she always welcomes them. Sailing, both senior and junior, is well served by the folk who give up their time and inject energy and enthusiasm in enormous quantities to keep things running and growing. The juniors in particular have gone ahead in leaps and bounds and this shows no sign of changing in 2018. And after a hard or not so hard days sailing we have a well stocked and well run bar to come back to and tell our tales of derring-do and hardship. That does not happen by chance. It is all thanks to a small group of people and part of what makes us the club we are and would like to continue to be. I want to thank all of those people who have made it work yet again in 2017. Finally a plea as we head into what promises to be a fantastic summer, be safe in what you do and if you have the opportunity to take a novice or child sailing for the very first time be mindful that one bad experience can scare that person away from an activity you love. As much as is possible do things in their comfort zone, help them to participate as much as they want, explain what is happening and above all share your enthusiasm and help them see the joy that is being on the water. Cheers Trevor Commodore's musings - April 2017 As we wind down to the end of the summer series, there are a couple of events still to look forward to before we head into another keenly contested winter series, Closing day and Prize Giving. Even if you haven't been racing regularly during the past few months, closing day is a wonderful opportunity to blow out the cobwebs, check the gear is all working before winter and enjoy some quality time on the water before the last of the warm weather is gone. Closing day at Hobsonville was in the distant past, when we were strong on dinghies and short on keelers, an epic race around Kauri Point and down to Rona buoy. It was raced as a Mark Foy race and produced some interesting results. For one year light wind and a outgoing tide meant rather than a race around home it was more a case of trying to be the last boat carried backwards under the bridge. Another year the opposite applied and no wind at the start and an incoming tide kept everyone at the start until the skipper of the last starter having finished a soothing beer, strolled down to his boat where upon the wind filled in and the rest of the fleet finally crossed the start line. For many it was the last chance to avoid winning the dreaded turtle trophy. Awarded to the crew who had sailed the most races for the least reward it is a trophy with the names of many good (but unlucky that year) sailors. Given it was the last chance to win trophy the closing day is always well attended. Closing day is April 28th. Prize giving will be later in May, and I encourage as many members as possible to come if they can. Our time in the current building is drawing to an end and this could very well be the last prize giving there. Let's take the chance make it one to remember! Happy sailing everyone. Trevor Musings from the HYC commodore Trevor Higgins - December 11th 2016 The second race of the Golden Rivit was raced last week and I had the pleasure of racing on Bluebeat. It was the type of day that has broken the heart of many a sailor. Light breeze and strong outgoing tide combining to make it a long day for many. Congratulations to all our competitors for hanging in there all the way to the end and well done on winning and squaring up the series with a race to come. It was our day but there was plenty to suggest that the last race could be a tight one . I came across this blog on the Royal Akarana Yacht club this week that parallels the situation we find ourselves in and the future that hopefully awaits us. I had the pleasure of chatting to the vice commodore of that club about the changes they are going through. As we stood on the balcony of their temporary clubhouse 70 to 100 people were active on the water below and it was a Thursday night! Junior sailing, waka paddlers and standup paddlers made a colourful sight and were, he told me, the future for their club. We have a rapidly growing population on our doorstep. What are they looking for from a local yacht club?  Message from HYC Commodore Trevor Higgins, 21st November 2016 One of the attractions of racing at Hobsonville is that boats of different sizes, shapes, and speeds crewed by people of different experience, knowledge and skill can sail against each other with the chance of winning. Typically all goes well until this mix is forced into a confined space like a start line or mark rounding. At that point the variety of boats and crews can be put to the test. Normally it is a test of nerve, knowledge of the rules and sense of humour. Typically shouting happens, with boats claiming right of way, rightly or wrongly and everybody gets out of each other's way after a few more shouts and perhaps the odd threat to protest and the occasional waving of a flag. We then argue about it later in the bar or more rarely in the protest room. In the past few months however we have had boats damaged in collisions during our races and that is not what we want happening. No one wants their boat damaged and out of action. That is not why we race and the rules we race under specifically prohibit it. We are holding a rules evening on Dec 2 so come along and be better informed for the rest of the season. But more than that, please if you are racing in the coming months, be aware of your limitations, your boat's limitations and just how experienced the crews or manoeuvrable the boats are around you. Better to lose a couple of boat lengths than have your boat damaged . Being in the right is small consolation. Message from HYC Commodore Trevor Higgins September 2016 Hi Deb and I are having a fantastic time checking out the coastal playgrounds of Italy. Given my status as commodore of a major New Zealand yacht club we have been given the use of a yacht, tender and seaside villa. See the attached photo.  Actually, while it is fun to see how the other half lives and Italy is an exciting place to holiday and there are many many things to appeal ( great transport system, dinner at 11 pm after an afternoon nap) I am also reminded of the many things that we have at home. Near empty SANDY beaches, uncrowded anchorages, clean water and the prospect of a long fine summer. I'm enjoying every moment while I'm here. It's the trip of a life time but when you live in paradise going home is no great hardship. Cheers Trevor Message from HYC's new Commodore Trevor Higgins -August 2016  We had the first committee meeting since the AGM on Tuesday 9th August and I was struck by how enthusiastic, knowledgable and skilled the people running our club are. Some of them like me have been part of yachting at Hobsonville for many years while others are newer on the scene. What they all share is a desire to be part of a successful, well run club that our members enjoy coming to and being part of. We have an exciting time ahead of us with a new building to be built, a strong junior programme and an ever growing source of new members in the expanding suburb of Hobsonville Point. A few more boats on the water, some friendlier weather and plenty to look forward to. A great summer beckons. |
Start sequence for HYCThe Class Flag goes up at five minutes before the start and remains up until the start. This is a warning flag only. The Rules of Racing (RRS) don’t kick in for another minute. It is accompanied by a sound signal. The The START: The Class Flag comes down. It is accompanied by a sound signal. You should be at or very near the starting line going fast.
OTHER FLAGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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