The Interclub - What is it?

Open Letter to all GLYC members.

Lets turn the Algae in the Gippsland lakes into a positive, for GLYC. By building some club spirit doing things we don't normally do and I believe we have a very good opportunity coming up.

On Sunday 12th February the Eastern Region Regatta will be raced at Latrobe Valley Yacht Club, while we can't sail at Paynesville lets go sailing somewhere else.

What is the Eastern Region Regatta about? Well the following is what it means to me. Originally it was called the Gippsland Open Sailing Regatta (GIOSR) and started back in the 70's and has been sailed annually ever since between Gippsland Clubs, from Inverloch to Marlo. In the early days a team of the best sailors was selected by each Club to race as a team against the other club teams. In those days it was a big thing to be selected to race, something you where very proud of, it meant the club thought you where one of the best sailors.

I was just a kid at Latrobe Valley YC and looked up to our selected team, hoping one day I would be selected. Now everybody that wants to sail from a club can participate and that is a good thing, because everybody gets to be part of the team, doesn't matter what you sail or how experienced you are, the more club members that are involved the better the chance the Club has of winning. I think of it as being the one chance we have as sailors to truly represent our club, while there are individual prizes the ultimate prize is the Interclub Regatta trophy, which goes to the winning club, a trophy of no real value (I think it is a timber tray) but it is enclosed in a glass fronted case and has plaques showing all the clubs that have won it down through the years.

I first came to live in Paynesville and be a permanent member at GLYC some 24 years ago and within a couple of years I was lucky enough to be part of a winning GLYC team, at the time I didn't know many people at the club and sailed on my sailboard or crewed on my fathers Hood 23 keelboat. The Interclub Regatta that year was at Glemaggie SC and to cut a long story short I don't think GLYC expected to win, not many members turned up to race, but luckily the wind was strong enough for me to win my division and the couple of Flying Fifteens and Trailer Sailers (sorry I cant remember who exactly) that made the effort did well as always, so GLYC came away with the Interclub Trophy. It was back slapping all round, on the way back some of the members stopped for dinner at a Pub in (if my memory serves me right) Maffra and I pulled in as well, for the first time I really felt like part of the club and have ever since, enjoying a number of such trips to Interclub Regattas sailing for GLYC, most notably a number of years with David Dennison who rallied the Sunbird trailer sailers to participate.

So lets all get together and go to Latrobe Valley YC on the 11th and 12th of February. If you don't have a boat you can tow, volunteer to crew on another club members boat or borrow a boat you can tow, from Sabres to FF's and trailer sailers they can all be sailed at Hazelwood Pondage, there is a good ramp and jetty and shore moorings. There is also camping right by the water, so you can go for the Invitation race starting at 2pm Saturday and we can all get together Saturday night for a meal and a few drinks. Making it easy to be ready for the first of the two races at 10am Sunday and show the other Gippsland clubs, just how many good sailors we have at GLYC and that we can win away from our own water.

All racing stopped due to blue-green algae

The following is a link to the latest update:

media release 20 Jan 2012, Algae levels rise again in Paynesville and Eagle Point

Signs currently on display along the Paynesville foreshore state "waters must not be used for recreation".

The committee of management have reluctantly decided that the club will NOT be running any racing until further notice. This includes weekend racing and Tuesday night Twilight racing.

Trophy races and divisional races will be resailed whenever it becomes possible.

Australia Day

If any sailors are still keen to sail on Australia Day, on a similar basis to the Winter "old-farts" activities, please gather at the club before 1pm.

Gippsland Lakes Race Week

This will be sailed from April 4th to 9th, 2012.

For more information go to the Gippsland Lakes Race Week page.

Coming Events

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