The long-anticipated Vincentia Sailing Club Christmas Party was once again a glorious success, bringing together the Jervis Bay community for a day filled with festive cheer and thrilling sailing action. Anticipation buzzed in the air as an overcast, breathless morning gave way to blue skies and a howling nor’easter sea-breeze.
With no short-course racing scheduled, the sailors turned their attention to the fifth heat of the VSC’s Round the Bay Rally Series. The rally took place before the VSC Christmas lunch, with free sailing on offer afterward. The fleet agreed on the medium-sized race track, sailing two laps around the sanctuary zone markers off Huskisson before the final stretch back to the clubhouse.
The off-the-beach start saw MB & Liana leading around the jet ski mark, closely followed by Paddy & Courtney. Unfortunately, rudder troubles had the Hooper clan starting on the back foot. Adrian initially led the 14s, but Jakey managed a well-timed overtake on the upwind leg at Husky.
The standout performance of the day went to young Evan, who sailed the short course unassisted, crossing the line ahead of his dad and Joel on the 14. A huge thanks to Spinelli and Egbert for recording results for the day. After much deliberation—and some playful banter—the committee decided to enforce a new rule: a five-minute time penalty for any boat failing to round a cardinal mark during a Round the Bay Rally. This came after the 14s cheekily called it quits, declaring the long-distance course “too far for us old boys,” and MB once again skipped a marker after forgetting to attend the briefing.
The bottle-decorating competition was another resounding success, showcasing creativity and festive flair. Marc, Lottie, & Eddie took top honours with their gingerbread model of a Hobie 16, complete with a bottle of plonk as the mast. Honourable mentions go to Helen, the Hodders, and, most importantly, Egbert, whose divine mango cheesecake was a hit as always—what would we do without it?
A big thank you to everyone who made the day so memorable. It’s moments like these that highlight the incredible spirit of the VSC and our wider community. Here’s to more fun on the water as we sail into the New Year!
See you next weekend for more adventures!
