“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, and the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, and a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.”— John Masefield
This is my last edition of the Newsletter, as I have stood down as Vice Commodore after 6 years serving the Club (10 years on the Committee in total)…..…time for a change!
Thank you to all the members and contributors over the years and I am sure the new “Editor in Chief” will take things to new heights! Regards, Steve.
Message from our Commodore…
Hello fellow members. May I start this first report of mine by conveying, on behalf of myself and all the members, a huge thank you to our previous President, Commodore, flag officers and committee members for all that they have done for and meant to SBYC during their tenure. What a tough act to follow! It is as the result of your, and your predecessor’s hard work and dedication that SBYC is the great club that it is. You have left a legacy that is to be protected at all costs.
Secondly thank you to all the SBYC members for the confidence of entrusting the responsibility of the running of your club to me for a while. Having been around for some time I am certainly under no illusion as to the complexity of the task which awaits me and diverse issues that need to be dealt with from time to time.
A club is made up of members from various walks of life and often from extreme ends of the poles with very different opinions and ideas of the way things should be run. I believe that our primary focus at SBYC is and should be sailing and being on the water. Any activities or projects that the club enters into, or embarks upon, should be of a nature to support and facilitate this focus. A responsibility also exists to ensure a sustainable operation for like-minded members to enjoy in years to come.
I believe that SBYC is, by necessity, entering a new phase in its history and while protecting the character of the club, some changes in the way of doing things are inevitable. I look forward to being part of these current exciting times at SBYC and adding some value to a strategy for the future.
The first meeting of the new committee is scheduled for Saturday the 8th June. Once this has happened more details of projects, calendar for the year, etc., will be made available.
In the interim please feel free to make direct contact with either myself or the club manager should you wish to discuss any innovative ideas you may have, matters of an urgent nature or issues which may need clarification.
I look forward to seeing you all on the water.
Peter
The SBYC 60th AGM was held on Saturday 25 May. Approximately 80 members, a larger than usual number were present, it was great to see such interest in Club affairs, thank you for making the effort to attend!!
Thanks go to Bernice for the great snacks and all who were involved in preparing and setting up for the meeting, it is much appreciated!
After the elections for President and Commodore at the AGM, we have the following:
President: Steve Mc Comb
The 2024/5 General Committee members are:
Commodore: Peter Theunissen
Vice Commodore: Calum Wedge
General members:
Claire Wedge Audrey Redmond
Wilhelm Herbst Diana Steyn
Elize Herbst Andrew Bews
Diekie Schoeman
We wish all the very best to the new Flag Officers and Committee!
Unfortunately, our auditor had to undergo emergency surgery and could not attend…Calum however stepped in and very ably presented an executive summary of our financials which show that the Club is doing well and is financially stable. It was agreed that a 10% increase in fees would be instituted so that the Club may continue to flourish and grow. The audited financials will be circulated as soon as they are received.
The proposed Vision and Mission statements were also approved, these will help guide the new Committee to deliver on our goals:
VISION:
To be a financially viable, well organised and welcoming family orientated Yacht Club with a strong focus on sailing, recognising youth sailing as our future, growing our relationship with our key stakeholders and recognised as a preferred destination by local and foreign sailors.
MISSION:
- Encourage and support the yachting interests of our members and guests as enshrined in our Constitution.
- Provide opportunities for yacht racing and cruising
- Provide training programs for boat handling and racing.
- Have a membership appropriate in size for our facilities consisting of yachting enthusiasts of good character and all ages with an affinity to the local areas.
- Cultivate a diverse membership with shared interests
- Promote camaraderie and friendship among our members and guests.
- Offer a warm welcome to guests and members of the public
- Provide our membership with well-maintained water and Clubhouse facilities, supported and serviced by a responsive staff.
- Function in a fiscally prudent manner, supported by long term planning to preserve a sound financial position.
- Encourage, facilitate and promote volunteerism for club committees, events and activities.
Wilhelm gave a brief update on the COF situation, which is unfortunately not great in terms of compliance. Yacht owners were urged to send their new COFs to Bev and Wilhelm for the records. The new Sailing App was also briefly discussed…it is super easy to use, so please remember to do so, you can even close it off afterwards if you have forgotten to do so…
The end of season dinner and prize giving was held at the Saldanha Hotel, it was a great event with much camaraderie, laughter and fun. We were honoured to have SAS Saldanha CO Captain Madonsela, Admiral Koos Louw (speaker) and Professor Jacques Bezeidenhout, Military Academy (speaker,) and two staff members of SAS Saldanha as our guests.
The racing results are further down in the Newsletter…….
The magnificent beauty of our West Coast….!
Cruising
Saldanha Bay Hotel breakfast: 11th May
There were only 18 names on the list on cut-off Wednesday. An impressive total of 39 rocked up for breakfast at the Saldanha Bay Hotel — late bookings and some just arrived! After inspection of the jetty it was decided not to continue with the cruise to the venue. Pieter and Gerhard on M’Lady however decided this was the greener option and did anchor off. The weather could not have been better. The hotel is considering an upgrade of the jetty facilities.
People mingled between the tables, chatted in the queue waiting for their eggs and made countless servings from the cold and hot buffet. The hotel catered admirably with the extra numbers. A walk through the lounge to the magnificent view from the balcony ended the morning’s activities.
Nico Uys exchanging burgees with Rimini Yacht Club, Italy
Great to see Bandit out on the water again with skipper Mieke Herbst….!
The following aids to navigation have been reported as not working, caution to be exercised in their vicinity:
- West Coast: Saldanha Bay leading light not operational (17 April 2024)
- Cape of Good Hope/Hout Bay: Slangkop Light not lit (4 May 2024)
- Cape of Good Hope: Cape Point Lighthouse is unlit until further notice (4 May 2024)
- False Bay: Whittle Rock Buoy is off-station (20 March 2024)
- False Bay: North cardinal buoy near Roman Rock Light has been removed due to maintenance (22 March 2024 – note from ed.: this has been missing for several years)
- False Bay: The lit radio mast on Elsie’s Peak has collapsed (8 January 2024, see NtM120(T)/24)
We are proud to have been successful in bidding for the host club for the 2025 Western Cape Dinghy Championships over 26-28 April 2025.
JUNIOR SAILING
TS Saldanha Sea Cadets on their 8.5km route walk to Marcus Island……
The first of 3 Saldanha dinghies undergoing overhaul for a new life of teaching “how to sail”
Racing
2023/2024 RACING SEASON PARTICIPANTS
| 1 | SEA GLORY |
| 2 | BLAZIN |
| 3 | ANGEL |
| 4 | PARAGON |
| 5 | SUNTAC |
| 6 | JULIE ANNA |
| 7 | MUFARO |
| 8 | TALISMAN |
| 9 | ANNIE E |
| 10 | ELOHIMS |
| 11 | JML 2 |
| 12 | CHARLOTTE |
| 13 | NAVIGATOR |
| 14 | INACHEVEE |
| 15 | FLIK FLOOI |
| 16 | NINA |
| 17 | SAVANNAH |
| 18 | MOBY DICK |
| 19 | GALLIVANT |
| 20 | SERENITY |
| 21 | ARAGON |
| 22 | LOVE AFFAIR |
| 23 | FLEUR |
| 24 | JIWO |
| 25 | CHAZAQ |
| 26 | FREE TRADER |
| 27 | HOLON |
| 28 | AITSA |
| 29 | SEA OYSTER |
| 30 | MONEY PENNY |
| 31 | HOCUS POCUS – YACHTMASTER SAILING SCHOOL |
BRIDGE BOATS
| 1 | AQUARIUS |
| 2 | HORIZONT |
| 3 | JULIE ANNA |
| 4 | SUNDOWNER ROSE |
FROSTBITE SERIES SPRING SERIES
| YACHT | POSITION | YACHT | POSITION |
| BLAZIN | 1 | ANGEL | 1 |
| ANGEL | 2 | FLIK FLOOI | 2 |
| SEA GLORY | 3 | JIWO | 3 |
SUMMER AND AUTUMN SERIES
| YACHT (Summer Series) | POSITION | YACHT (Autumn Series) | POSITION |
| SEA GLORY | 1 | JIWO | 1 |
| BLAZIN | 2 | NAVIGATOR | 2 |
| ANGEL | 3 | SEA GLORY | 3 |
CAROL MIDDLETON MEMORIAL CUP RACE
| YACHT | POSITION |
| AITSA | 1 |
| ANGEL | 2 |
| MUFARO | 3 |
| SEA OYSTER | 1st MULTIHULL CLASS |
See you at the Club!
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome Stuart Kirk, Norman Wacker, Thinus Vos and Kevin Bouwers.
We hope you enjoy your time at the Club!
Meta AI generated poem about SBYC….thanks to Patrick Dyer!!
Amidst the waves of Saldanha Bay
A haven for sailors, a sight to sway
The Yacht Club stands, a beacon bright
Guiding boats home, through day and night
Its shores a haven for weary crew
A place to rest, and to dream anew
The sound of gulls, the sea’s sweet song
Echoing memories, all day long
The Clubs warm heart, a welcoming space
For tales of adventure and friendly face
The thrill of racing, the joy of sail
Unite the members without fail
So here’s to the Saldanha Bay Yacht Club
A haven for sailors, a treasure to hub
May your anchors hold and your sails be full
And your love for the sea, forever be cool.
KEEP WELL AND STAY SAFE!!