Sailing Club
Tell Tales
7th February 2026
Smooth Sailing and Sunfish Surprises at Apollo Bay.
It was a picture-perfect day on the water last weekend as Apollo Bay turned on the charm for our fleet. With a steady sea state and a consistent 7-knot easterly breeze, conditions were tailor-made for the Flying Fifteen class to show off their technical prowess.
With the large keelboats staying in the pens, the stage belonged entirely to the off-the-beach fleet. The competition was tight, featuring five Flying Fifteens and a lone Laser, Icebreaker, providing a classic display of tactical racing. The lighter air rewarded those who could keep their momentum through the slight swell, making for some incredibly close rounding marks.
The battle for the podium saw a high-stakes flip-flop between the top two contenders across the different scoring systems.
A Close Encounter
The highlight of the day occurred on the final leg when the Laser, Icebreaker, had a close encounter with a surprised sunfish. These gentle giants are a rare but welcome sight in our waters, though they do pose a unique navigational challenge for a single-handed sailor! Despite the mid-race shock, we are happy to report that—protests aside—both the fish and the boat emerged from the meeting completely unscathed.
It was a fantastic reminder of why we sail in such a vibrant marine environment. The sportsmanship between the crews was top-notch, and the steady easterly allowed everyone to hone their light-wind trimming skills. We look forward to seeing the keelboats back out with us for the next heat!
Special welcomes to new crew Andre and Nala who sailed with old hands Pete Bourne and Gary Summers. Congratulations to Edmond Squires for notching up his first line honours placing proudly wearing his Windward Bound cap. Well Done Edmond!!
Results
| Handicap | Keel YS | Dinghy YS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. SOTA | 1. | 1. Black Pearl |
| 2. Black Pearl | 2. SOTA | |
| 3. Ziff | 3. Affrodite | |
| 4. Euffamism | 4. Ziff | |
| 5. Affrodite | 5. Euffamism | |
| 6. Icebreaker | 6. Icebreaker |
Duty - Simon Howland, Russell Smith, Mick Slatter
Affrodite: S: Tim Cobb and C: Katie
April Dancer: S: Bruce Johnson and C: Geraldine
Euffamism: S: Peter Bourne and Crew Andre
Black Pearl: S: Peter Geekie and C: Edmond Squires
Ziff: S: Gary Summers and C: Nala
Icebreaker: Anton Tibbits
Learn to Sail is recommencing this Friday. Check the What’s App Group for latest news !!
Life is good. Come Sailing!
To find out more please see our Facebook group - Apollo Bay Sailing Club.
New Members Always Welcome!
Many thanks to Bendigo Bank for their support of Learn to Sail at ABSC.