It was banners and boats across the river and a wonderful crowd of past and present members on the deck of the clubhouse which created the scene to celebrate the 50th birthday of the club. It was a glorious day on the Lower Clarence which no doubt added to the day.

Many past members made the journey back to the area specially for the event, some not previously seeing the new rebuild of the club since its devastation in 2017. Stories of old and new were traded and many laughs were had, but the one story that remains relevant throughout is that the BRSC has always and will no doubt continue to be an important contributor to sport in the area.

As always, Jan and her helpers in the canteen and did a wonderful job of what they do best. A lavish morning tea was followed by a BBQ lunch ensured that everyone was well fed as much as they were made feel welcome. Between the offerings, Hariet and Rod orchestrated a ‘sail past’ where the fleet were adorned with flags, decorations and spinnakers in a downwind run in full view of the spectators.

Many spectators stayed on to watch the days racing and with the inevitable nor easter building, it was going to be a ‘fun’ afternoon. The fleet of starters took to the water enthusiastically however as the sea breeze continued to build, this took its toll with a number of non-finishers and broken mast in the first race and only four starters and two finishers in the second. Congratulations to Nathan and Gus who won both of their races in their respective divisions. A mention must be made of Roddy and his apprentice, Brett’s rescue of a capsized sailor and boat in challenging conditions, where both risked their lives, displayed amazing athleticism and seamanship to get the boat and sailor happily on their way.

Results

Race 1

Div 1 – Nathan Stanton, Brian Linnet, Sonya Price. Div 2 – Gus Young, Peter Schaeffer, Hariet Woodrow.

Race 2

Div 1 – Nathan Stanton Div 2 – Gus Young.

Sonya Price