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An exciting new
regatta for Sydney has been revealed with the
Sydney Flying Squadron announcing its inaugural
Brass Monkey Regatta.
The two day regatta which
is open to all skiff and dinghy classes will be
hosted from the Sydney Flying Squadron’s
club house at Milson’s Point in the heart
of Sydney on the weekend of August 20th and 21st
2005.
Notice of Race and regatta
information can be sourced from the NSW Yachting
website or by contacting the Sydney Flying Squadron
directly who could email, fax or post a copy out
to interested persons, get info online at the
14 footers website http://nsw.i14australia.org/sfs.
The concept was inspired by
the significant lack of organised dinghy regattas
over winter in Sydney, and a need for skiffs to
get some practice in before the regular season
starts in the ensuing months.
What originated as a discussion
about the Sydney Flying Squadron’s 14 footers
and 18 footers getting in some practice, rapidly
transformed into a bigger plan to address the
same need for any interested sailors no matter
the class of skiff or dinghy.
The regatta has offered a
terrific prospect for all dinghy classes as it
will not only offer training opportunity, but
an chance to match up against similar performance
craft and put their own class on display for upcoming
sailors.
Sailors of 29ers will be able
to pace off against Cherubs, and the 16 footers
will try themselves against 14s and 49ers.
Perhaps most importantly the
Brass Monkey Regatta will help breakdown the isolationist
existence of skiff and dinghy classes that often
happens when classes race amongst themselves at
single fleet clubs.
Given the regatta is open
from Sabots to 18 footers and every thing in between,
each class who comes to the event will have opportunity
to put their boats on display both in the park
and on the water to attract more interest from
juniors and other sailors. For juniors, it will
be a fantastic chance to see just what other classes
are out their, and see them up close in action.
It would be a very short sighted class that isn’t
represented by a couple of boats.
The racing itself will be
held on short courses on Port Jackson in the immediate
vicinity of the SFS, most likely in an area of
water bounded by Kirribilli and Garden Island,
extending only as far as Bradley’s Head
and Double Bay.
This enables the larger, more
powerful Skiffs and the speedy Moths to still
sail within the same area of water as the junior
and intermediate classes. It is also important
to keep courses close to the club so the smaller
or slower dinghies don’t face long excursions
across the harbour just to get to a start.
The courses themselves are
still to be confirmed, depending on the level
of interest and what classes are attending. It
is most likely that it will be short courses with
multiple back to back races per session. Divisions
will be formed based upon speed and performance,
with the smaller boats starting first and classes
such as the 16s, 49ers and 18 footers starting
last.
It expected that the regatta
will attract a large number of boats as it also
represents a perfect opportunity for sailors to
shake off the dust that gathers on boats over
winter, try out new crew and make sure everything
is in perfect readiness for the upcoming start
to the regular racing season.
Presenting this event will
solidify the Sydney Flying Squadron as a mixed
fleet club. Recently, it would not have been unfair
for a sailor outside of the club to think that
it was only about the 18 and 12 foot skiffs, but
the club has hosted many classes such as B14,
Flying Dutchman, 12, 14 and 18 foot skiffs and
also the hugely successful Historic 18 Foot Skiff
class.
The Sydney Flying Squadron
has been part of a resurgence of the 14 footer
class in Sydney, proud to have recently hosted
the NSW State Championships. Another class that
makes regular appearances at the SFS is the Cherubs.
It also signifies a new era
of co-operation between the two 18 footer clubs
in Sydney. All through the 18 footer’s history
the class has been affected by rifts between the
Australian 18 Footers League at Double Bay and
the Sydney Flying Squadron. Much like the Super
League war or Cricket’s World Series split,
the 18s have always been rocked with wars and
divisions where a decade might pass with one club
refusing to liaise with the other, and sailors
restricted to competing only at their own club.
This is changing with the
clubs now acting together with crew details being
swapped, boats and inter-club racing being organised
for the upcoming season. Earlier this year Jeremy
Sharp on Adtec Communications was the first SFS
18 footer to compete in the League hosted JJ Giltinan
World Championships for many years. The Squaddy
Brass Monkey Regatta should see a few League boats
come over, something that hasn’t happened
for an equally long time.
The regatta is also being
promoted in Queensland and Victoria, and it is
expected that several boats from each state will
make the trip for the two day event.
With the regatta being held
in August, the last month of winter, it will be
a refreshing or perhaps chilling change for sailors.
The cold weather and west to south west breezes
that winter in Sydney brings is a stark contrast
to the 35 degree days of summer and the fresh
25 knot North Easters sailors will be experiencing
later in the year.
The term Brass Monkey Regatta
is used extensively all over the world for winter
sailing events. According to the US Department
of the Navy, Naval Historical Centre, “the
first recorded use of the term "brass monkey"
appears to date to 1857 when it was used in an
apparently vulgar context by C.A. Abbey in his
book Before the Mast, where on page 108 it says
"It would freeze the tail off a brass monkey."”
It seems that at least in
Australia and New Zealand, this was quickly changed
to “Freeze the balls of a brass monkey”.
Get out your winter woollies.
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