Great news! A few of us VS people ventured up to Neranie Sands last Sunday for a final reconnoitre & and test sail. The result – the Neranie Sands nationals are GO.
About 20 of us made the trip. Takes about 1 hr 40 mins. I’m sure everyone has google to get exact times. The rigging area is Hearts Point picnic area. For details
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/picnic-areas/hearts-point-picnic-area
Mick T has been in touch with Waterways regarding our proposed activity & has that sorted. A general enquiry has also been made to National Parks. The consensus is we are just day visitors using the park daily. From the web site the National Park entry fee is $8 per vehicle/day or there are annual options. There were no signs indicating a fee, nor a payment box at Hearts Point, but there is at Neranie Sands campground, which is about 200m away. Camping fees are $12/adult; $6 child. There are 25 sites but no bookings. First in, best dressed.
The rigging area is grassy & will easily fit our fleet. One or two branches overhang the carry to the boat ramp but they might be ‘trimmed’ when we get there. The boat ramp is wide enough to fit a couple of boats side by side so launching & retrieving should not be a problem. Note that the rigging grass is about 50m from the boat ramp. Get those wheels on your racks working!
The water is fresh so no need to rinse off or hose boats after sailing. There are two gas BBQs (free), one picnic table & a drop toilet but few other facilities. The assn will organise a shelter or two and a refreshments esky. We might do a sausage sizzle or two but in general it will be a self-catered series. Bungwahl has a small shop. Pacific Palms is another 10 minutes up the road & has a variety of shops, restaurants, takeaways, etc. Forster is another 20 odd minutes away. At this stage we planning on a picnic style presentation but that might change when we get closer to the series (and check weather forecasts).
As for sailing, the course area has plenty of room for unobstructed courses in all winds. It is fairly shallow, similar to Teralba, but the water is fresh, generally flat and chop free. The crews that had a sail all gave it the thumbs up. Should be fun!
Don’t forget the dates. Sunday 7th January for Invitation race. Try to sail this race if you can. It gives the race officials good data for the series. It will be a handicap race but with a new twist so it should be interesting. The Championship series runs from Monday 8th, finishing on Saturday 13th, with Wednesday as a lay day.
NOR will be out soon. In the meantime, get you Association memberships & boat registrations up to date. Teralba TT races are only a few weeks off.
Cheers
John
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