SSCBC - The once little club with a big heart

by John Curnow on 13 Nov 2014 When you’re a powerhouse of a club, you don’t just have an Opening Day, you hold a full weekend of functions. Such is the case for the Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club (SSCBC) who began their festivities to celebrate the launching of the 2014/15 season last Friday, and only finished on the Sunday.

Now it may hold a relatively little footprint on the sandy shores on the Port Phillip side of Sorrento, but SSCBC enjoys a big reputation the world over for generating great sailors and holding tremendous events. In stunningly warm conditions on Friday, guests of Mercedes-Benz of Brighton and Mornington enjoyed a round of golf at the Sorrento Golf Club before retiring to the yacht club for a splendiferous lunch. The club’s junior sailors were the major beneficiaries of that benefited from this particular soirée.

The terrific day ended at dinner. Geoff Quirk, the Dealer Principal and happy sponsor, commented, 'How good is it to be re-associated with the SSCBC, who have a similar ethos and commitment to quality, service and community involvement. We are excited and looking forward to being on the water during the Mercedes-Benz Mornington Couta Boat National Championships in December. There are several other initiatives we’ll be involved with over the season, so today’s launch was not only fitting, but also thoroughly enjoyed by all. Some sunk quite a few out on the course and others left their best work for when we were al back at the superb SSCBC facilities. It is wonderful that the juniors will gain extra resources from us having such a good time.'

The weekend was presided over by the relatively new Commodore, Andrew Plympton. Apart from his prowess and visibility in the corporate world, he is a former President of YA, and now a Member of the Executive of the Australian Olympic Committee and on the board of the Australian Sports Commission. Plympton retains his interest in sailing by being the Chairman of Australian Sailing Team’s High Performance Advisory Group.

'SSCBC is quite the juggernaut and one of the largest clubs Victoria. We have just the one category, family, which goes a long way to describing our culture. Whether members, staff, volunteers or sponsors, which are led by KPMG, Mercedes-Benz of Brighton and Mornington, or new sponsor Zhik, we enjoy an exceptional bond and friendship', said Plympton.

Saturday’s forecast held bags of breeze, with some locations ultimately seeing up to 40kn delivered, so the sail past was cancelled. Not that this was anywhere near enough to dampen the spirit of either the large crowd or the guest of honour, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Member for Flinders and Minister for the Environment. The Minister provided a stirring address that created even more smiles, and which ultimately segued directly into the usual relaxing and frivolity that occurs on the deck of the clubhouse with its more than commanding view, as the members enjoyed their Opening Day.

Before all of that took place, the irrepressible Plympton took care of both the serious and fun side of proceedings. In the former, it was his great pleasure to present club stalwart, local identity and great personal friend, Tim Phillips, with his award from the SOLAS Trust for his act of bravery. This reflects his selfless efforts to attend to not one, but rather three fisherman who had been immersed for some time in Port Phillip in extreme weather conditions. On his own, Phillips got all three aboard his own vessel and thence to shore to receive medical treatment.

For the latter, and to highlight the importance of the impending McDougall+McConaghy Moth World Championships, Plympton invited two souls with serious Moth and sailing credentials to join him for one of his renowned and entertaining talkfests. The first was 1966 and 67 Victorian Junior Moth Champion, Peter ‘Windows’ Dore, who would also become an Etchells Australian Champion, along with titles in the Sharpie skiffs. Greg Chisholm, also a holder of several Moth and Sharpie titles was the other participant and both are 50-year members of the SSCBC and still very much active in sailing the area’s iconic Couta Boats. Apart from linking the club’s long history with the Moths, it added much to the sense of camaraderie that was omnipresent throughout the day.

Members and guests could not have missed the Moth overtones, even if they had not heard the speeches, for the club had hung a McDougall/McConaghy 26kg Mach2 foiling Moth from the ceiling of the dining room and had on static display, Olive, which was the first Moth (Inverloch 11) in world. Naturally, this was from way back in the low-rider days. By the by, the last time Sorrento held a World Championship was 2008, where Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen took out the 49er title. It certainly augurs well with both returning to Sorrento for the 2015 Moth worlds, and with Nathan the reigning champ.

On the Sunday, it was back to 1966 and every era in between, when 23 past Commodores sat down to lunch and one hell of a catch up. 'It certainly was a great day and we did not need an ambulance, so we must have been pretty well behaved. This was the best way to thank each and every one of them for their continuing support, which is part of the way we do things here. I have to mention Andrew Skinner and Peter Osbourne specifically, who do so much behind the scenes, especially when you consider the planning that has gone into the Moth worlds.'

'We are looking forward to a huge season, obviously with the Moths, but also our Juniors (Off The Beach) and the Coutas. It is wonderful to see Grace Cockman and Wills Nuske as our Junior Club Captains, but for me having Tess Lloyd as the OTB Patron for the season is a sensational way for her home club to mark her triumphant return to the sport', said Plympton.

There are two other significant developments at the SSCBC to help it maintain its status. The first is in relation to getting even more people into the Couta Boats. Options exist for easier pathways to being involved and eager participants should make their enquiries of Tim Phillips at his Wooden Boat Shop or see the Couta Boat Association website, www.coutaboat.com.au. Several younger members have already done so, as the class with no winches or wind instruments continues to show how hard work and a good social atmosphere can be so rewarding.

Finally then, it is important to note that the SSCBC is the new home of Adrian Finglas, the former Australian Sailing Team coach, par excellence. In 2008 he looked after the Yngling and Paralympics classes for the Olympic period in China and in 2012 focussed solely on the Paralympic classes. During that period Adrian was running the Queensland Academy of Sport Sailing Program for YA.

The new Sailing Operations Manager will cover all activities from OTB to Coutas. Judging by comments from previous students, Finglas will have not only happy sailors, but yet more accolades on the way. 'In club life it’s all about participation. So it doesn’t matter if it is a canoe with a sail, an Optimist or 420. The children are our future Commodores, Race Officers, volunteers and members. All are welcomed, loved and included and this is the basic formula that I stick by.' Adrian lives by a simple motto - come sailing!

As a sailor, Adrian describes some of his highlights thus, 'Running second at the 2005 Etchells Worlds in San Francisco with Shah Rukh Khan (who won a Melges 24 Worlds at age 14 and is the son of Philippe of Pegasus Racing fame), Brian Lee and Jeff Madragali. That was a tremendous buzz and huge delight. Winning a Sydney Hobart on Bumblebee V and the Taser Worlds in 1989 were also significant moments in my memory.'

Of course it all goes to show the depth and breadth of knowledge that Adrian possesses and will now impart on his soon-to-be loyal, new followers in everything that has a sail. See www.sscbc.com.au to find out how much heart the once little club has and why family sailing on the Mornington Peninsula is strong, healthy and just plain good for you.