VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise gets cheque

by Lisa Ratcliff on 28 Mar 2007 Cheque presented to Volunteer Marine Rescue Southport/Surfers Paradise at Audi Sydney Southport Yacht Race prizegiving.

Volunteer Marine Rescue Southport/Surfers Paradise is the latest recipient of a donation from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Safety of Life at Sea Trusts (SOLAS).

A cheque for almost $13,000 was presented today to VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise at the prizegiving for the Audi Sydney Southport Yacht Race by SOLAS Board member Matt Allen, who took line honours late Sunday afternoon with his Jones 70 Ichi Ban.

'As sailors have contributed significantly to the SOLAS Trusts, the Board felt it was very appropriate to make this donation today to VMR in front of a large audience of sailors who have gathered to receive their race trophies,' said Allen, who is also the Vice Commodore of the CYCA, the organising club of the Audi Sydney Southport Yacht Race.

VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise recently replaced one of their rescue vessels and was seeking financial assistance to equip and outfit this new vessel. They approached the Board of the CYCA’s SOLAS Trusts and were successful in their application and today, VMR association president Peter Cartwright accepted the cheque.

'VMR Southport is extremely grateful to the CYCA’s SOLAS Trusts and members for this generous donation,' said Cartwright today.

'Without this type of support, volunteer organisations such as VMR would find it extremely difficult to provide the safety at sea that it does. Being almost entirely self funded we rely on our active members’ fundraising activities, associate member sponsors and grants such as the SOLAS Trusts have provided today.

'It is not cheap to run three top class rescue vessels and maintain our 24 hour base facilities and radios, but it is amazing what dedicated volunteers and supporters will and can do,' Cartwright added.

One of the CYCA’s SOLAS Trusts objectives is to assist search and rescue organisations Australia wide. In the eight years since it was established following the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when six lives were lost, more than $300,000 has been donated to 15 organisations in every Australian state as well as the ACT. This is the second Queensland donation; the first was in 2004 when RACQ CareFlight received a cheque for $20,000 to purchase an emergency beacon homing system.

VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise was founded in 1968 and over the past 38 years has grown into an organisation with an active membership of 160 volunteers, including highly trained rescue boat crews, licensed radio operators and technical and administrative officers.

'VMR is an integral component of the successful finish of the CYCA’s long ocean races, which annually bring sizeable fleets to Southport and have done for the past 22 years,' Allen told the audience at today’s prizegiving.

'During that time they have assisted thousands of sailors, not only to successfully enter and exit the Gold Coast seaway but also with emergency situations.

'Just last year Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin developed gear box problems not long after leaving Southport for delivery trip back to Sydney. VMR Southport/Surfers Paradise coordinated to have the boat towed, then took over the tow, safely returning the grateful crew to the safety of Southport Yacht Club.

'This is just one of many occasions where our yachtsmen and women have relied on this important volunteer organisation,' added Allen.

VMR’s radio room is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and six crews of volunteer men and women operate on a roster to provide 24 hour search and rescue assistance on weekends and public holidays. Their three modern, well equipped rescue vessels are on standby 24 hours a day seven days a week and over the past few years, VMR Southport has performed in excess of 950 rescue activations making it one of Australia’s busiest squadrons.

The SOLAS Trust Funds were established following the loss of six lives in the 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and aim to:

* assist the immediate needy family of those lost at sea during Australian Yachting Federation sanctioned races
* provide assistance to search and rescue organisations
* foster research and training to improve procedures and equipment for use at sea.