Our August 2023 club night was ably run by Tim Drinkall, one of the Alan Chinn Award judges, who conducted short interviews with each of the nominees, while showing photos of their boats.

There was an opportunity for questions from the audience as well, and it was good to see so much interaction in this Zoom session. We often see the boats on the water, but don’t get the opportunity to explore the “whys and wherefores” of the design or the modifications that have been made to make it more suitable for the owner, and this evening gave us the chance to learn much more about each boat.

We all think we know our city but most of us really don’t know how it got to the way it looks today. Bob Morgan’s presentation: “The Urban Explorer – The nooks and crannies of Australia’s largest city” looks at the Yarra, Fishermans Bend, Docklands, South Melbourne, Sandridge and Albert Park - the wharves , the railways, the trades, the early shipping, disasters. industries and the infrastructure , the housing, fortifications and the nooks and crannies of the city.

Covering the period from the arrival of the 7 first white settlers on the “Enterprize” on Sunday 30/08/1835 until recent times, it uses old images of locations, incidents, and trades to explain how things were and how they evolved to the way they look and function today.

Which design of sailing dinghy weighs only 50 kg, can be sailed with one, two, three or even four people aboard, can be sailed with a cat rig or a sloop rig and carries a spinnaker, can be rowed very comfortably, can be powered by an outboard motor, can be raced in State, National and World championships and can be easily and cheaply built from a kit or bought second hand for less than $1,000?

Oh, yes, and can be sailed from England to the Black Sea while living aboard?

There is only one answer to this lengthy question; the Mirror Dinghy.

For our May sailing day at APYC the call went out to gather Mirror dinghies and their owners and followers for a day of "Reflections on the Mirror dinghy". My first peep out the window at 7am on this day revealed a cold wet and generally miserable weather scene. Still, sailing is all about getting wet so with raincoat donned, the trailer was hitched up and we were off to the lake. The stalwarts of our club, Chris Kelly and Penny Braybrook were there early to ensure everything was set up for members and guests, and to welcome everyone with conversation and plenty of refreshments from the galley.

Ahoy Boat Enthusiasts! I would like to give you all a big welcome to the newyear! The committee has so many big things planned. 2023 is for Boaties like you and me!

On our most recent sail day, on the 15th of January, Chris brought in quite a few photographs, a bag of history captured by Alan Chinn. The man who slapped down the first $10 for our club. A table was cleared in the upper hall of the APYC, where a handful of members surrounded the collage of images. So many stories captured in those little 4x6
inch pieces of card.

There was one image (that I have attached), taken in the 90’s. It tells the story of how the fish and chips at Rye tradition began. During a WBA group outing on the bay, the group had a stop off in Rye. In the image below you can see how much slack that rope has. Definitely a case of keel kissing the sand. A quick stop off, turned into waiting for the tide and rope tension to rise again. This did not happen until 10pm that evening. What better way to kill time than to eat crisp chips and crumbed fish… or battered. Let me know your favourite.

As simple as that, a WBA tradition was born… about the same year I was born haha. This tale also reminded me of when Nick, Chris and I went around to help Alan’s wife clear out their boatshed. Also known as a garage. Apparently people who are not like us boat freaks store things other than boats in garages. How weird is that?

Anyway, while we cleaned out the boat space. Nick told me about another founding member, Brian. He was showing Nick some WBA images. “It seems odd how you’re never in the photos” Nick asked. “Who do you think took all the photos?” Brian retorts “I was busy capturing the history of it all.”

I’m not sure if I’m making any sense. All I am trying to say is history and traditions are being made at every WBA gathering. This is my call to action to you all. Get on our facebook and start posting. Add images and tell the story behind it. Let’s share ourcollective history.

Ethan Urch
WBA President

Judging Panel Report 

The  Inverloch Classic Wooden Dinghy Regatta continued its success into its ninth year with 34 boats registered as participants, many of those for the first time. The winds were moderate, there was plenty of sunshine and the tide times made the launching and sailing of boats as convenient as possible in the waters of Anderson's Inlet.

The judging for the best presented boats in the various categories occurred on the Sunday morning of the regatta. This year's judging panel members were:- Mark Rimington; Jeff Cole; Greg Barwick; Becky Fairlie; Rowan Fairlie; Leigh McNolty

One of the primary aims of the regatta is to preserve and promote the classes of Australian racing dinghies that were designed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. This era produced many racing dinghy designs that were suited to Australian conditions and the ethos of speed and thrills, where a capsize was part of the fun. They were also boats that could be built in the home garage with a few sheets of plywood.