* Sequins and Pearls!
All right. It is not about Mardi Gras or Carnivale, or even our
impending Presentation Night, for then it would be sequins and pearls,
after all. What it is about is that you know that I just love a good
sequence of images and our pal, who's "Not the Oldest Bowman on the Bay", Chris Furey,
has supplied us with a "pearler". We'll just let him explain his
pictures, then. Said Chris, "I know that J/24s are often maligned as
old-fashioned boats these days, but they still provide tight tactical
racing in good sized fleets and at an affordable entry level. I sailed
my first J/24 back in the late 70s and was the original Victorian dealer
for the class, so I have a bit of a soft spot for the boats. We have a
growing and very active fleet at Sandringham Yacht Club, with 18 boats
now parked on the hardstand and prospective owners clamoring for space
for more boats. A fantastic initiative 
from
the local fleet has been to provide two fully-kitted J/24s for
intermediate and youth sailors to charter and race for a season, as a
stepping stone from the off-the-beach dinghy scene to keelboat racing.""Last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride with ISAF Judge, Rob Ware, on the Jury boat to observe and photograph the 20 boat J24 fleet fighting out the last three races on the final day of their 2012 Victorian State Championships, which were held off Sandringham. It’s a privileged position for a keen sailing observer and photographer to be in, as we were right up close and personal with the sailors as they raced hard on a gusty Port Phillip." For more great photos and the rest of this great sailing story.
