Last Friday saw a very competent group of Eden Marine High students complete their week of sailing with the Youth Sailing Academy.  The long sail to Balmoral, with lunch on the beach, gave the students confidence to race back to Rushcutters Bay under spinnaker using all the sailing skills they had learnt during the week.

To thank the Eden community for their support of The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia during the running of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, a group of Eden Marine High School students visit the CYCA for a week to experience sailing, enjoy the harbour and explore Sydney.  This is the fifteenth year that the CYCA has hosted this event.

After a long trip from Eden on Monday, dinner at Phillips Foote Restaurant in the Rocks has become a regular welcome evening for the students thanks to CYCA member and owner of the restaurant, Howard Dredge.  The students get their ‘sea legs’ early with their accommodation kindly supplied by Peter Franki on five of the East Sail yachts.

On Tuesday it was straight into racing on the YSA Elliott 6’s, with an Advanced Squad Member coaching on each boat.  In the afternoon CYCA Board member, Dick Cawse took the whole group out on ‘Vanguard’, cruising up and down the harbour and giving every student a chance to helm his beautiful yacht.  Another highlight of the week was the St Arnou Wednesday Twilight Race where many members kindly took the Eden students out as crew on their yachts.
Although sailing has been the main focus of the week it was almost out done by a glimpse of the stars of the movie “Australia” at the red carpet launch on Tuesday evening.

We look forward to hosting this event for many years to come.  The organising staff members, Robyn Malcolm and Pam Gollan, who have accompanied the students for many years are a delight and the excellent behaviour and enthusiasm of the students make the week very enjoyable.