Sarah Blank Regatta was a fantastic experience!
So many enthusiastic young women participated in racing over the weekend and were coached by inspiring athletes. It was the who’s who in the sailing world happening at Balnaring with the presence of Sarah Blank, Ashley Stoddart, Eliza Solly and Krystal Weir to name a few. It was a truly wonderful experience and the highlight was the camaraderie between all the girls and women that attended the regatta.
Our club was represented by three members, Kelly, Pam and myself. Thank you to all who encouraged Kelly and I to participate considering our hesitation and lack of experience. It was lovely to have Rod and the Caddaye boys at the beach to give moral support and help us launch our boats. Cindy’s presence was appreciated with her warm smile and encouraging words in an initially unfamiliar environment.
Upon our arrival on Saturday morning, we were greeted by the organizers then divided into groups to match our abilities and class. As novices, Kelly and I were welcomed by our coaches Tania Stanford and Caitlyn Davies with warm smiles and words of encouragement and lots of useful tips. I was surprised but comforted to find that our coaches stayed with us the whole weekend, even during the breaks! They were very dedicated, their attention never waned as the day progressed and they got exhausted due to the rough conditions we had on Saturday. Four of the nine novice sailors in our group sailed on Saturday to begin with, two had to retire after a few capsizes, Kelly and I decided the blustery wind was too much for us, so we were content to accompany our coach and the other four sailors on the raft instead and learn by watching and listening to our coach. Glen Ashby’s wife Mel was in our group and it gave us immense pleasure to watch him play and occupy his two little girls while their mum attempted to hone her sailing skills. We learned so much from watching the other sailors screaming past within close proximity as the rules, flags and tactics were explained to us by our coaches. Sunday greeted us with a clear blue sky, gorgeous hot sun and a steady southerly breeze which made the decision to get on the water so much easier. We were keen to test some of our newly acquired knowledge and were only too happy to spend the day afloat.
Westernport Yacht Club deserves a tribute for the unbelievable job they did on preparing their club for this regatta and ensuring everyone was comfortable. A big thank you to Peta who organised the event and to the men who worked behind the scene, erecting a special shelter for the women, cooking breakfast, making lunches, preparing Saturday night dinner, clearing the yard and helping with the launch and retrieval of boats. Nothing was overlooked; the yard was cleared, the toilets and change rooms were cleaned, the club room was decorated, the food was healthy, scrumptious and plentiful, even the selection of classical and contemporary music playing in the background was appreciated. Nothing could be improved on the whole weekend except of course Saturday’s strong northerly wind.
What a fun weekend we had! The regatta was well organised, the coaches were true professionals, and our Westernport hosts were so helpful that the event seemed flawless.
Last Modified on 20/11/2014 22:15