New Competition for the Club Marine Series

Rohan at the 2003 Moth Worlds in les Sables, France. Rohan Veal

Port tacking the fleet on the start line during the 2007 Moth World Championships on Lake Garda. Bet you want some of that experience coaching you and your crew. © Oskar Kilbhorg

'We are delighted to see the 'prep gun' fired for the beginning of the 2013/14 Club Marine Series. The Notice of Race is available from the website and the Organising Authority is to be praised for expanding the range of classes to include novice skippers and crew, sports boats and multihulls. We really do hope all of these new divisions attract large fleets in their own right. It will really add to this truly unique yacht racing experience on Melbourne's Port Phillip, so please support this wonderful initiative to get more people involved in our great sport', said Club Marine CEO, Greg Fisher.

Expressions of Interest are sought for these three new classes and you can register your boat, Here. The first is the ever-expanding and exciting sports boats. The second are the spectacular multihulls. The final is for Novice Skippers and/or crew who can nominate whether they will chose to use a spinnaker or not. This division will not do the regular windward/leeward courses, but rather use one of the many fixed mark courses in the top of the Bay.

Time to go racing, whether you have in the past and don’t anymore, or are completely new to it. © John Curnow

This latter division has been introduced to provide pathways for those first time boat owners to utilise their boats more often and see what they can go on to achieve. To assist with the process of taking yourself from stern-chaser events to proper start lines and races, there will be a series of seminars that will cover topics such as starting, tactics, sail trim, spinnakers and crew work. These will be conducted by revered sailors and industry legends alike, including World Champions, offshore geniuses, inshore wizards and some of the Bay's best and most experienced.

Also part of these seminars will be a 'meet and greet' aspect, so as to allow Skippers to find extra crew and the many souls looking to get on the water a chance to talk with their potential new boss. This is also bound to be of great help to those boats that used to compete in the Club Marine Series and would very much like to again, but over time have not been able to get sufficient crew.

Penfold Audi Burwood gets a head of steam up on Port Phillip. © Teri Dodds

To help make it all a reality, would prospective owners/skippers from any of these three divisions please place their expression of interest into TopYacht via the clubmarineseries.com.au website, where you can also see who else is interested. Potential crew can join the event on the Melbourne Sailing site – melbournesailing.com.au. With the first round starting on October 26, you'll need to get on to it now.

In addition to all of that, seven lucky crews from any Club Marine Series division will win the opportunity to have on board coaching with them for the whole day. One of these experts is Rohan Veal, the former foiling Moth World Champion. See the CMS website for how you can do that. Now that just has to be worth having a crack at, no matter whether you're a complete beginner or an old salt!!!!

'The team from 38 South Boat Sales is delighted to be involved in the CMS this season. We'll be out there to support not only the Jeanneau and Archambault owners, but also all sailors. If you would like to have at least one of us come out on board your boat to help you sail better, simply send in your response to the question, 'Why I need a yachting coach?' Your responses can take any form you like. The best seven will be our winners and get one round each with us on board. Jump to it, October 26 is not far away...'

Multihull action could be part of the next Club Marine Series. © Teri Dodds

Got your interest then? Now usually the Ts and Cs associated with this sort of competition will say something along the lines of 'no further correspondence will be entered in to...', but the CMS Media Team is far more obliging. All creativity (read bribes) will be reviewed most favourably!!!

Still want more information? Considering why coaching from the 38 South team would be beneficial? Perhaps take some of this on board, then. 38 South Boat Sales is one of Melbourne’s longest established brokerages and derives its relatively new name from the latitude that is synonymous with the heart of boating in Victoria. Now 38 South is also without doubt, the only destination for Melbourne's largest range of boats including Jeanneau yachts, Archambault yachts, Jeanneau power boats, Prestige luxury motor yachts and of course quality second hand vessels. With over 100 years of combined staff boating experience, the new team at 38 South offers experience that is literally unprecedented in Victoria. 'We know boats, we race boats and we only offer honest advice to customers and boat owners', said Rohan Veal.

OK. So you'd like even more of a reason to have a session of coaching during one round of the 2013/14 CMS? Then take this lot on... Rohan Veal is renowned in high performance racing specialist in the International Moth Class dinghy, where he was heavily involved in the Class' transition to the use of hydrofoils from 2003 onwards. Following a win in every single heat of both the 2005 and 2007 World Championships (usually the most emphatic way to claim a world title!), he was also shortlisted as a finalist by the International Sailing Federation for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. Since 2006, Veal has being involved in the marketing, sales and support of both dinghies and yachts, but is now the Dealer Principal of 38 South Boat Sales and Sales Manager of Jeanneau Yachts and Archambault Yachts in Victoria. He is also regularly seen out coaching new yacht owners and crew across Port Phillip.

KISS hard at work on Corio Bay. © Teri Dodds

For most of his working life, Steve Bull has been involved in the marine industry, including introducing Harken to the Australian market and being the General Manager for the boat division for Mercury Asia Pacific. Steve is now the Sales Manager for Jeanneau powerboats and Prestige luxury motor yachts in Victoria. Despite having a large involvement with the powerboat industry, Steve has actually spent most of his recreational time racing yachts. This includes the 1983 America's Cup, multiple Admiral Cup's, around 20 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races, along with countless State, National and World Championships.

The third member of the 38 South team is the man best known as 'Not the oldest Bowman on the Bay', Chris Furey. A revered inshore and offshore sailor, Chris is also a dedicated sailing Dad and gives generously of his time to assist all manner of regattas and events. In addition to coaching your foredeck crew, Chris will take many a snap to ensure your day with the experts is captured for posterity.

Time to go racing? You bet ya. Now the usual Divisions - Zero, One, Two and Three can get there NoR from the CMS site. The Organising Authority is also expanding the Club Marine Series to account for Sports Boats, Multihulls and Novice Skipper and/or crew. There are over 20 yachts and two sports boats, already. Potential crew can join the event on the Melbourne Sailing site – melbournesailing.com.au. Indeed there are 30 new crew looking for boats to be crew on for the CMS, right now!!!! With the first round starting on October 26, you'll all need to get on to it now.

Now six out of the seven race days were in glorious sunshine last time around, so pack the sunscreen and the thermals for this season, as you never know what you'll get from Huey. One thing you are bound to get from Race Management, headed by David LeRoy, is the best fun on Port Phillip.

Don’t leave the boat in the pen and don’t miss this opportunity to get some really good help towards being a better sailor © John Curnow

Whether you're an old hand at it or new to the Bay, the Club Marine Series is a unique offering for all sailors. If you're based in Melbourne, then maybe you should come out and get amongst it. SIs to be made available soon, so keep a weather eye on clubmarineseries.com.au for all the latest information. Casual entry is also welcome and in fact, very much encouraged! Just use you home club's entry system and you are in... The first round is on October 26, 2013.
The Club Marine Series is proudly sponsored by Australia’s largest marine insurer - details and full information about the series can be found at clubmarineseries.com.au