BBYC August Log 2026
Commodore's Report
With the warmer weather and the start of the new season just around the corner, there has been a noticeable increase in activity around the club over the last few weeks.
This month's Log has a heap of information — please see below in News and Upcoming Events. In particular, I draw your attention to the items on our Presentation Day (Sunday 1 November), the Women Discover Sailing event, and information for racing skippers regarding race fees, Cat 7 inspections and general eligibility for racing. Also check out the item on SailPro: the club has subscribed to this new sailing race tracking app to assist with race recording and results — more detail in News below.
Around the club, VC Brian is coordinating improvements to the back car park, which is already looking much improved. I can also report some progress (albeit slow) on Council's repairs to the access way. On behalf of the club, I attended and presented to Georges River Council in early August in support of the council staff report to approve renovation of the access way to a heavy vehicle standard. That report was unanimously endorsed by Council, which means the project now goes into the detailed design phase. Council have undertaken to continue to consult with the club as the project progresses. Unfortunately, Council's report suggests that completion may not happen until December 2027.
Be prepared in the next month to respond to a club survey of members. Our last member survey was conducted in 2020, and the Board is keen to hear from members about the club and its development. It will be important to hear from as many members as possible to inform the Board's decisions regarding our club.
Last but not least, I am pleased to welcome Grace and Taylor Coffee Co. as new sponsors for BBYC, courtesy of Matt Troughton — thanks Matt, much appreciated.
See you at the club and on the water,
Phil
Vice Commodore's Report
During the month-long break in sailing activities at BBYC, the Project Advisory and Working Committee (PAWC) members decided that it was an ideal opportunity to tidy up the area directly up against our eastern neighbour's fence. This area also took in the neighbour's very large eucalyptus tree and the two sheoaks on BBYC property.
The area was cleared of rubbish — plastic wrappers, iron, steel, bricks and the like — and a start was made on installing a new 600 mm high retaining wall across this border. Knowing some of the obstacles that would be encountered (tree roots, change of height, and so on), the construction, although lengthy and challenging in parts, went surprisingly well.
The steel framing for the fence panels was re-straightened and new COLORBOND sheets fitted. The flashing strip capping both sides of the fence was recovered, re-aligned and re-attached after initially being dislodged by the expansion of the eucalyptus tree.
The retaining side of the wall has been insulated from dampness and the base has been provided with adequate drainage. Although this section is nearing completion, it will still require a layer of topsoil to encourage plant growth (with the addition of heaps of water). Hopefully, later work will go ahead to improve the area between the two smaller trees, which may lead to the surrounding ground being stabilised for additional car parking.
Our thanks also go to Mark and the team at EBS for the invaluable assistance they provided with this project.
Brian
News and Upcoming Events
Welcome to our new sponsor
Thank you to Matt Troughton, who has come on board with his company Grace and Taylor Coffee Co. as the club's newest sponsor. Many of our members already enjoy Matt's coffee through his supply of beans to our regular race day baristas. Please join me in welcoming and thanking Matt for his sponsorship.
BBYC Annual Presentation Day — Sunday 1 November
Save the date!
We are gearing up for a huge celebration to wrap up another brilliant year of racing and cruising around beautiful Botany Bay. And we want you there, along with your family, friends, and anyone who loves good food, good music and great company.
What's on the menu?
A delicious Indian feast featuring entrées, mains and dessert — all for just $35.00. Early-bird tickets can be purchased here by Saturday 24 October, or by the QR code. Tickets are $40.00 after that date.
Live entertainment
We're excited to have Peter Richardson performing live throughout the afternoon.
Why you should come
- Celebrate an awesome year on the water
- Connect with fellow members, friends and families
- Enjoy great food, music and company
- Have fun — simple as that
Let's make this our biggest and happiest Presentation Day yet.
Mark your calendar, spread the word, and come and celebrate!
Women Discover Sailing at BBYC
A huge thank you to all our volunteers supporting the Women Discover Sailing program, and to everyone who helped spread the word. We're delighted to report that all places were filled very quickly.
If you know women who were interested but missed out, please encourage them to email [email protected] and we'll contact them when registrations open for our next Women Discover Sailing program.
We're looking forward to welcoming 20 women across three sailing days: Sunday 13 September, Sunday 27 September and Sunday 11 October. Please note that priority access to the tender and wharf on these days will be given to program participants. You'll recognise them by their turquoise BBYC She Sails hats, so please take the opportunity to say hello, make them feel welcome and help build their confidence around the club and on the water. Friendly faces and encouragement go a long way in creating an enjoyable and inclusive experience.
We're still looking for a few more volunteers and boats to get involved. Both racing and cruising boats are welcome. Our goal is to have at least one female member on each boat to help participants learn the ropes, build confidence and feel at home on the water.
For the final session on Sunday 11 October, we're planning to sail the Norma Dicken Trophy with female helms on each boat. It's wonderful to see how many past participants and trophy winners have continued sailing with the club, and we'd like to thank everyone who has generously shared their time and experience over the years. Some memorable achievements include Karen helming Bella with Nic coaching in challenging conditions, Lexi taking line honours in Tic Tacs in 2016, and Sue winning aboard Jeeves.
If you'd like to support the program or have any questions, please contact Karen or Jane.
Be race ready for 2026–27
Racing skippers are reminded of the eligibility and entry requirements in the club's Conditions of Sailing (clause 7.9): race fees paid, Cat 7 equipment check completed, and an insurance certificate with confirmation of public liability and race coverage provided to the Race Secretary (Charles Marussich). See the items below regarding race fees and Cat 7 forms.
As per item 7.3 of the Conditions of Sailing (Entry), all crew on board must be current BBYC members or hold a valid SailPass — the SailPass application process is available here. Racing skippers are reminded to sign on in the clubhouse, including crew names, before the start of each race.
Race fees for 2026–27
Race fees are due before the first race of the season, scheduled for Saturday 5 September. Members can log in and pay via revSport, via Square, by the QR code, or at the bar.
Equipment audits due
As with race fees, skippers are required to have their Cat 7 equipment audit completed before the first race of the season on Saturday 5 September. The Cat 7 form can be downloaded from the BBYC website — go to the bottom right of the home page and click on "Cat7 Equipment Audit Form 2026".
Schedule of Events 2026–27
The Schedule of Events for the new season is included as usual in the Blue Book. The first few months are reproduced below.
SailPro — race tracking app
BBYC has taken out a club subscription to SailPro, an Australian-developed sailing race tracking app. The app is free for individual users to download and use on your smartphone (iPhone or Android) and will be particularly useful for races without race officials to start and/or finish. It is effectively a replacement for raceQs.
All racing skippers are asked to ensure that at least one crew member on board has the app downloaded (see the QR code below). It works slightly differently to raceQs: club officials set up each race in advance, then a link to that race is provided to racing skippers. In our case, we will send an entry code for each race via the Signal groups BBYC Racing or BBYC Twilights, as relevant. Crews need only enter the race in the phone app using that code once it is issued — this can be done any time before the start of the race: days before, in the clubhouse, or as you're sailing out to the start. The app then automatically processes the race, including start and finish, based on the boats entered. No further interaction on the smartphone is required.
The Race Committee would like to see as many boats as possible using the app for every race, so we can evaluate its use for future seasons. In particular, to record finish times:
All boats in transit and twilight races must use SailPro.
The QR code here will take you to the relevant site (iPhone or Android) to download the free SailPro app. You don't need to sign up for the free 14-day trial. Once you've got the app installed on your phone, wait for the race code to be issued on Signal, then use that code to enter the race in the app. It might be worth entering the first race as soon as you have the code, so that any problems can be sorted out ahead of time — see Paul, Charles or me for assistance if necessary.
Additional course for the Sprint Series
Following discussion at the end-of-season Skippers Meeting in May, the Race Committee has developed an additional course for our Sprint Series that adds sailing and tactical variety. The new course has been included in the Blue Book as Course G (for Gate) — thanks to Chris Paskins for the schematic below.
Racing will still be windward–leeward, but skippers can choose which direction to leave marks after passing through the top and bottom gates. The start boat will remain on station from start to finish, and will act as one of the rounding marks at the leeward gate. Note that the race will finish at the leeward gate, following completion of the second downwind leg (two windward and two leeward legs).
Friday evening socials
These fortnightly get-togethers are proving very popular — thanks to Greg B and Bert for the initiative and organisation. Two more socials will be run before they are overtaken by the start of the Twilight season in October (which is really a continuation of the social events with a sailing race thrown in). Add these dates to your diary; we hope to see you there:
- Friday 11 September
- Friday 25 September
Cruising Report
Blue water cruising
From Sue and Glenn, Moody Blu
Moody Blu left Kogarah Bay on 16 April, northbound. We didn't have a set destination, but we were hoping to get up to the Whitsundays. Well, we made it — and went a little further, to Cape Gloucester. In this blog we will list some of our favourite anchorages and marinas.
First on the list is Kingfisher Bay, K'gari. The sunset bar is a must after a day of exploring this beautiful sand island. You can also use the resort facilities, pool and showers, and eat at their restaurants. We also did a day tour here and highly recommend it.
Continuing north, we stopped at Burnett Heads Marina, Bundaberg. There is a lot to see and do in Bundaberg, so put it on your stopover list. The marina puts on a Friday night barbecue, which is a great place to meet up with other sailors and share a story or two.
The next highlight was Middle Percy Island. After watching YouTubers stopping here for years, it was very exciting to see it ourselves. We didn't get around to leaving a Moody Blu memento — maybe on the way back. The anchorage can be very rolly! Just at the start of the Whitsundays is Shaw Island, which we enjoyed for its white sands, abundance of wildlife and protected anchorages.
Arriving at Airlie Beach, most cruisers make their way to one of the marinas. While we have gone into Coral Sea Marina a few times, we have found anchoring in Pioneer Bay to be very convenient. There are two public wharves: one within Coral Sea Marina where you can stay for two hours and refill with water, or dinghy in for the day; the second is at Whisper Bay, which we found very convenient as it's only a short walk to Coles, the laundromat, chemist and other shops.
If you have sailed the Whitsundays, you will know all the popular and very beautiful spots, but we have found some of the less busy anchorages have become our favourites. Happy Bay, Long Island is just perfect and only a short 7 nm from Airlie Beach. It has great holding, calm waters and protection from the strong southerlies — and we have had our share! It's easy to get ashore here at low tide, where other places can be a challenge. There are a few good walks, one of which takes you to Palm Bay Resort where you can enjoy their facilities and, of course, a cocktail over lunch.
Bauer Bay, South Molle Island is another favourite. Although no cocktails are available, it has fantastic walks which provide views north and south from Mount Jeffreys and Spion Kop. We prefer to anchor where possible, but it is necessary to pick up moorings if it's too deep, and especially if snorkelling.
After two months up here, we will start to make our way south soon. Even though the northerlies haven't kicked in, we are hoping for lighter winds and will choose destinations that give us a sailing angle — because the cruiser's life is all about the downwinds! Looking forward to sharing a few stories back on the BBYC balcony.
Local cruising
Want to join our coastal cruising division and cruise in company this October? Plans always depend on the conditions, but we're hoping to head up to Pittwater and Cowan Creek for a week or so after the school holidays, from approximately 17 October.
Kogarah Bay to Pittwater is an easy day sail in fair weather. Keep the land on the left and stay clear of the Heads, Wedding Cake off Coogee, and Long Reef. There are usually plenty of humpbacks to be spotted as they head south at this time of year.
A popular destination is The Basin or Coasters Retreat on the western shore of Pittwater. Surrounded by national park, it's protected in everything except a strong north-easterly. There are three public moorings (pink) just to the north of the port and starboard marks, and many moorings owned by various clubs.
The Basin is a netted lagoon for protected swimming, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. There's a national parks campsite with barbecues, showers, and plenty of wallabies and goannas. You can catch a ferry to Palm Beach and connecting bus services if you need to do a supply run. If your solar panel is up to it, take your camping freezer for some treats. BYO boat — or, if you're not a boat owner, reach out if you're keen to join for a day sail offshore.
Racing
Race start tips
With the start of the 2026–27 racing season now less than a week away, EBS has been hard at work getting boats clean and shiny. To get you in the mood for racing, here are some links to race start techniques, tips and tricks:
Member Reports
Meteorology
Contributed by Brian Talbot
Cast your mind back not so long ago and you may recall that 10 August 2026 was an extremely windy day, and the following day was relatively calm (although the winds did resume again some days later).
So why did Sydney receive such high velocity winds on that day, after many sunny days before and after? The abrupt change in conditions on the 10th was a classic Sydney winter "switch", where the atmosphere can go from very windy to almost dead calm remarkably quickly.
The basic cause of this change was a substantial difference in air pressure across the region ahead of an approaching cold front (low pressure). That pressure difference — the pressure gradient — is what accelerates air and produces strong winds as the system attempts to balance itself. When this pressure gradient is quite steep, the spacing of the pressure contours (isobars) tends to be very close, which causes a more dramatic change in pressure over a shorter distance.
The cold front continued to move across and away from Sydney, and once this low pressure system had moved sufficiently south and south-east, the pressure gradient weakened — but less dramatically — so a point was reached where the atmosphere resumed its previous higher local pressure and more stable dry air.
The following day, the 11th, a high pressure ridge moved into the area, bringing subsiding, relatively dry air and producing a clear blue winter's sky.
Members' contributions
The editors welcome input to the BBYC Log from members — old or contemporary photos, sailing news, and other items of interest. Please send contributions to [email protected].
Sponsors
We appreciate the support of our fabulous sponsors:
- Endeavour Boatshed
- Herrick Sailmakers
- AusSea Sailing School
- Infinity Rigging
- Sydney Mooring and Barge
- IT Ventures
- Grace and Taylor Coffee Co.