Biting the bullet: An eventful Acacia Energy Next Gen Day
By Chris Johnson
Acacia Energy Next Gen Day has always been my favourite race each year. This is because it is a day for me to share my love and passion for our Couta Boats with other people who are new or who don’t always sail on them.
The day for me started off being hoisted up the mast of Duchess one hour before the briefing. Isaak, who came to do an internship at The Wooden Boatshop over the past 4 months has become a great friend of mine, and after a twilight race on Wagtail the week before, he got talking to Sally Law and was dead keen to take out and skipper a Couta Boat for the first time. My intention was to show him how the boat and rigging worked and pull up the sails quickly to make sure all was well. Upon getting to the boat in the VSR we saw the cap stay hanging in the water. No time for the lesson as it was back to The Wooden Boatshop to make a new set of rigging, and fast. It was a relief to see the boat racing shortly afterwards, even though all the battens in the mainsail were missing, but with a very happy Isaak at the helm.
For the last couple of years, Nick Williams has kindly offered for me to organise and take out his Couta Boat Wagtail for Next Gen Day. I enjoy doing this because I regularly sail with him and his crew each week. I am very passionate about Next Gen Day. This is mainly because I grew up from a baby sailing to Queenscliff on our family boat, my great uncle’s Rip. This year was my first Next Gen race as a skipper under the skilful guidance of my great friend Will Phillips. The crew consisted of Nick’s son Frank, Will Phillips and Georgina Oakley, my girlfriend Kate as well as her sister Lucy, who had never raced a boat before.
The race started with a lot of boats lined up near the Volunteer at speed, with only a small slot for us to get a good start. Will was great in communicating to me and getting the crew prepared so the boat was in a good position to start well. We came off the line alongside Nick Joel and my uncle in his bucket hat onboard his boat Rip. Looking down the start line each weekend I get such enjoyment seeing all the boats that I work on each week, building and repairing, being sailed at full speed by so many of my friends and family.
As the race went on, Will was not only helping run the boat but also giving me a lot of support and guidance on strategies as well as overall skippering advice. The rest of the crew were having great fun chatting and trimming the sails. Other than the few instances where the jib sheet forgot to be let off during the tack, we were sailing beautifully. Upon rounding the first top mark in second position, young Frank exclaimed that he was yet to lose a Couta Boat race and that I would be in considerable trouble if it were me responsible for ruining his streak. Fortunately for Frank’s trophy cabinet, Wagtail gained the lead by the next mark and never looked back. It was great to have my dad out on the water cheering us on as well as Nick and Moose keeping a watchful eye on us. Wagtail is a beautiful boat to sail and race on.
Helming was a change for me, as I generally do the more forward jobs onboard. It was a great shift and a totally different perspective to normal racing. Overall, the day was a great success, and I would like to thank all the owners whose boats were out, for trusting us and letting so many different people enjoy them.
Acacia Energy Next Gen Day Recap
By Grace Cockman
Acacia Energy Next Gen Day is one of the highlights of the SSCBC calendar and this year was no exception. A 10 knot north-easternly breeze made for ideal racing conditions. With 29 Couta Boats sailing, and 200+ sailors making up their crews, it was a fantastic day on the water.
The Next Gen Committee has worked hard to grow this program over the last few years. Bringing in new sailors to the Club, encouraging existing Members and of course building relationships between next gen sailors and Couta Boat owners. We have seen more next gen sailors becoming part of regular crews this season which is an indicator of the success of the Next Gen program at SSCBC.
This year’s event saw back-to-back champion, Harry Mighell on Jennifer take out Division 1 handicap, followed by Sam Phillips on Southerly, and James McLennan on Nepean. Wagtail was first over the line in Division 1, sailed by Chris Johnson and crew.
Maddie Collett on Fiona was crowned the winner of Division 2 handicap, followed by Peter McCann on Gisella, and Tim Hannah on Tarni. Peter McCann and crew on Gisella also taking out line honours for Division 2.
This day would not have been possible with the support we receive from the sailing club. We were generously provided with delicious food and drink offerings on the deck after sailing, as well as live music to celebrate one of the highlights of the SSCBC calendar, all contributed to by Acacia Energy.
Next Gen Day would not have been such a success without the support and sponsorship we receive. On behalf on the Next Gen Committee, I would like to thank Acacia Energy for their significant contribution to our program and for matching our enthusiasm for such a terrific day of sailing.
While Acacia Energy Next Gen Day is behind us for another year, I encourage all sailors to get involved in the rest of the Summer Series and regular aggregate racing to grow the next gen presence at the Club. I look forward to seeing you all throughout the season.
