Hello all,

This Weekend at Redhouse we sail the exciting and challenging Max Lippstreu Trophy pursuit race on an incoming tide with an 11.00am start time.

The Max Lippstreu Trophy race is one of the RYC highlights and entails sailing one long race upstream to Perseverance and back. With the added excitement of being a pursuit race and sailing the 'wrong way' up the river this Sunday is a must sail event for everyone.

For those not familiar with this type of race a pursuit race is one where, based on personal handicap, the slowest sailors start first and the fastest sailor last resulting is as much as a twenty minute head start for the slowest sailors who the remainder of the fleet have to catch and pass in order to win.

A Prizegiving and Family Braai will follow the racing on Sunday so please remember to bring the whole family (and even some friends) along for a great fun day out.

It is a bring ' braai and braai fires, plates and cutlery will be provided by the Club. A full cash bar will be available throughout the day as will tea and cake in the morning.

Sailing School - The 2010 sailing school season for both junior and seniors begins at 9.30am this Sunday 17 January 2010.

Taking into account the early start of the racing sailing school will be a very short session with just enough time for you to ask coach Steve and his knowledgeable assistants for some tips on how to sail the very different upstream course before joining the rest of the fleet and enjoying the race.

This Saturday we have an open day for Clarendon School pupils and their families at the Club from 11.00am till mid-afternoon.

The concept is to introduce them to both sailing and the RYC and encourage not just the children but also their parents to return as members and join us on the water. This exercise will be repeated with other schools in weekends that follow.

All sailors, especially those with two person sailboats, are asked to please support this initiative by being at Redhouse with their boats this Saturday so that as many people as possible attending the open day will have an opportunity to try sailing.

In all probability each of us likely had our first taste of sailing with somebody else on their boat and this is your opportunity to now give something back not only to the sport but also your Club - please be there on Saturday to help promote your Club and sailing at Redhouse!

The RYC Eastern Cape Inter Club Regatta is just one week away!

The inter club weekend is one of the few weekends that every RYC member is requested to support and partake in demonstrating the traditional RYC hospitality to our visitors on both the Saturday and Sunday.

The Notice Of Race is already published on the Club notice board or may be downloaded by clicking here.

In addition to teams of sailors from Mossel Bay, George Lakes, Knysna and Algoa Bay yacht clubs the inter club this year will be enjoying support from and welcoming East London Yacht Club - all of whom will undoubtedly result in one of the biggest and best inter clubs for a several years.

The final social program for the inter club will be published this weekend and if you have not already diarised and kept next weekend free for sailing please do so now!

This weekend at Redhouse is a busy and fun weekend and I look forward to seeing you all on both Saturday during the open day and to joining you on the water and at the family after the racing on Sunday.

Have a wonderful and exciting weekend of sailing at Redhouse!

Yours in sailing

PAUL PETTITT
Commodore
041 581-5394