- How is Kurnell Catamaran Club Incorporated (KCC) handling the COVID-19 crisis
afflicting Australia? Are the restrictions still in place?
- KCC's COVID-19 plan is
not currently active.
- Whilst the end of the 2019-2020 sailing season was
abandoned due to COVID-19, KCC was again operational for the
2020-2021 and 2021-2022 sailing seasons subject to
Australian, NSW State and Local Government rules and
mandates. KCC put in place a COVID-19
plan.
- Restrictions in NSW and Australia have generally
eased from late Q3 2022 and KCC's plan is thus
not currently active,
however, KCC's plan is
still available and ready to re-implement at short notice if
necessary and required by the regulatory authorities.
- KCC
requests all members and guests, when at the club or
considering coming out to the club, to remain vigilant and
observe sensible precautions re COVID-19 going forward.
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Any queries re KCC's COVID-19 planning, please contact the
KCC President or KCC Secretary.
- You can see KCC's COVID-19 plan by clicking
here.
- Stay safe all!
- Troubleshooting:- I'm having trouble viewing the KCC website
on my device. Do you have any hints or tips to assist me? What are some of the known
issues or anomalies to look out for?
- INCORRECT OR UNSECURE WEBSITE? Make sure you are using "www.kcc.asn.au" or
"https://www.kcc.asn.au", as from Nov'2022, KCC no longer
uses the un-secure "http://" version of the website. A
padlock should be showing on the address line in your
internet web browser.
- INCORRECT BOOKMARK? If you bookmark the website make sure your bookmark
points to "https://www.kcc.asn.au" or just "www.kcc.asn.au". Do
not bookmark or use "http://www.kcc.asn.au",
"http://www.kcc.asn.au/default.html" or
"http://www.kcc.asn.au/index.html" as these addresses are
now superceded, invalid and un-secure.
- SITE NAVIGATION? Navigation of the site is usually done from the
KCC home page ("https://www.kcc.asn.au") buttons at the top
of the screen. Once there, you can
use the "Site Map" or "Search" buttons if you
cannot find something.
- NOT SEEING LATEST WEBSITE DATA? If you cannot see the
latest website or aren't seeing known/expected updates
to our webpages, such as the latest news or race results, try clearing your browser's cache and history/website
data after closing tabs on your browser.
- INTERNET WEB BROWSER SUPPORT? KCC's website is optimised for 1920x1080 pixels screen
resolution or higher (though will usually work at some
slightly lower resolutions). It looks great on a screen set
to 2560x1440 pixels which is where the majority of the
development and testing
is done.
The website has been tested in the latest versions of
Apple Safari, Microsoft Windows Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox
browsers as at Nov'2022. Primary testing and optimisation is
done in Apple Safari. The website is currently optimised for
Apple macOS,
Apple iPadOS,
as well Microsoft Windows and at a pinch, with some
limitations, various Apple IOS
and Android devices. Generally the website will work using
standard html capable web browsers on
most PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones.
- TABLETS (eg iPAD) SUPPORT? The website works on an
Apple iPad and most Android tablets. The preferred option
if you cannot see the entire site is to zoom your browser to
less than 100%. For example on an Apple iPad, using Safari,
the site works best at 75% (click the
AA on the browser address
line and adjust accordingly) whilst holding the iPad in
landscape orientation.
Similar scaling works on other browsers.
- SMARTPHONE (eg iPHONE) SUPPORT? If you
are navigating from a smart phone such as the Apple iPhone,
there is a modifed home page that is accessed by clicking
the iPhone image underneath our sponsors to the right on
most of our webpages.
- SMARTPHONE (eg iPHONE) ANOMALIES? There are limitations
when using smart phones, such as the slide show scrolling in
the Photo Gallery not being available and some pages not
displayed in a single screen without scrolling or zooming.
Again, in some cases, holding the smartphone in landscape
orientation produces easier to read results. If you want to
bookmark the smart phone version of the website home page in
your phone's browser, then bookmark
"https://www.kcc.asn.au/ikcc/ikcc.html".
- SOCIAL MEDIA ANOMALIES? KCC has a
Facebook account but does not have Instagram, Twitter,
TicTok or other social media accounts. If you are trying to link to the website from social
media accounts such as Facebook etc, you will usually find
that it is better to use your device's browser (such as
Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla
Firefox) rather than the social media app, as social media
app links don't always scale the webpages correctly.
- WEATHER WEBPAGE ANOMALIES? There are also some issues opening multiple windows from
a single link using windows.open javascript code from tablets (e.g.
iPads) and smart phones (e.g. iPhones). This is currently
limiting some functionality on our Weather webpage where we
provide aditional functionality under the "Additional Resources" to
open multiple weather
windows with a single click. This is a current limitation.
It works however on PCs and laptops in the major browsers on
both Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows. Unfortunately, it is
also no longer possible in modern
browsers to open an unsecure website (http://) inside an
iFrame window from a secure website (https://). Hence
multiple source windows on a single page displayed in
iFrames is no longer possible until the sites we want to
display upgrade themselves to more secure https://
websites. This manifests itself on our Weather webpage. If
you are on a PC or laptop, you can still click on individual
links on the webpage to open a window or if you'd rather,
click "Open *** Weather Windows" or click on "Open all
Weather Windows" from the links under "Additional Resources"
on the right hand side of the webpage. If all Weather
Windows do not open, make sure you are not blocking Pop-Up
windows/tabs for either https://www.kcc.asn.au or all
websites in your browser settings and that you have
Javascript enabled in your browsers settings. Also, a hint, if your browser supports
vertical windows/tabs (e.g. Edge on Windows 10+ systems ;
View/Show Tab Bar on Apple Safari; Drop down arrow on right
hand side of Google Chrome etc ), then turn this function on
to enhance usability of the multiple windows.
- BROKEN HYPERLINKS? If you discover a
broken hyperlink on the website, please report it to the KCC
Webmaster.
- OTHER ISSUES? If you get really desperate - ask someone under 18 for
assistance or email the KCC Webmaster from the
Contact
webpage if we haven't covered your issue above.
- What do the symbols/icons in front of some of the
links or notices on this website mean?
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This icon means the event was not run or has been abandoned on its scheduled
sailing date ; |
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This icon means the event has completed and results have been
been published on the KCC
website ; |
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This icon means the event is
scheduled but has not yet commenced ; |
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This icon means the
event is still in progress and/or the results are yet to
finalised (such as an incomplete series) or yet to be
received ; |
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This
icon is followed by a link that takes you to a different (external) website which KCC
has no influence over ;
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This
icon is followed by a link that takes you to a different page or place in KCC's website ;
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This
icon is followed by a link that will download a file or document in a new window
or tab from KCC's
website ; |
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This
icon is followed by a link that will create an email ;
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This icon is followed by an Australian telephone number ;
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This icon is followed by a link that returns you to the top of the current webpage ; |
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This
icon highlights some news or an important announcement ;
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This icon means that this section of the KCC website is
restricted to the KCC Executive Committee Members only ; |
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This icon means the meeting minutes or
report has not been supplied or the related meeting has not
yet been held ; |
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This icon means the meeting was not held
/ cancelled ; |
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This icon means the report is embedded within
another report and is not available separately ; |
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This icon means the document or report
is not stored online for privacy or security reasons ; |
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This
icon means "these are the guidelines but don't take it too seriously as we are open to parlay, negotiation or
discussion re this" ; |
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This icon takes you to KCC's Facebook page outside of the KCC
website. |
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- What format are most of your documents on the KCC
website in? How do I open them?
- Documents and forms are generally in Adobe® Acrobat® Portable
Document Format (PDF).
You need to use Adobe® Acrobat®
Reader or equivalent (such as Apple's Preview on macOS) to open and print
documents and forms.
You can obtain Adobe® Acrobat® Reader by clicking the red
Adobe® icon under Additional Resources to the
right of this page or other pages that have PDF links on
them. If you have the necessary reader, just clicking on the
link should open the document.
- What type of sailing does KCC cater to?
- KCC caters for the casual and serious sailor alike. We
sail "off the beach" catamarans and "cruising multihulls"
on Sundays from September to April each year. KCC has also
established a
Junior sailing division in the very safe and
fun monohull
O'pen Skiff
boat. It doesn't matter if you
are
world champion or only have enough knowledge to get back to
the beach. The club is a fun, family oriented club and we
would love to have you join us.
- What classes of boat sail at the club?
- KCC welcomes all sailing craft though its multihulls
(including large cruising multihulls) that sail with us in
the main. Predominately at the club we have "off the beach"
catamarans from classes such as "A" Class, F16s, F18s, Hobiecat, Maricats, NACRAs,
Paper Tigers, Prindles, Stingrays, Taipans, Tornados, Windrush and others are always welcome.
Occasionally we even have a fleet of windsurfers who come
along and sail.
- KCC has also
established a
Junior sailing division in the very safe and
fun monohull
O'pen Skiff
boat.
- What are KCC's opening hours?
- 9.30am to 4.30pm on scheduled sailing dates as per the
Race
Calendar unless gazetted otherwise in a Regatta Notice of Race
or Regatta Sailing Instructions.
- Note: The club is usually open for the junior monohulls
from
8.30am to 12.30pm on scheduled sailing dates as per the
Junior
Race Calendar unless gazetted otherwise in a Junior Regatta
Notice of Race or Junior Regatta Sailing Instructions.
- Where are you located and how do I contact KCC?
- We are at the corner of Ward Street and Prince Charles
Parade, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW Australia 2231.
- Note KCC has two physical buildings. The building at the
corner of Ward Street and Prince Charles Parade Kurnell
(i.e. 304 Prince Charles Parade, Kurnell) is
the main clubhouse. The other building to the west at 310 Prince
Charles Parade is what was the old Sutherland Shire Sailing
Club and is now leased by KCC and used for storage of some
boats with mast up and for storage of some juniors
equipment.
- Refer to the
Contact
link for full contact details including links to our email
addresses, our postal address (which is different to our
physical address), our phone number (which is only
available on sailing days), our opening hours, our marine radio communication
channel protocols (which is only available on sailing days during
racing), maps and directions.
- Refer to the
Committee
page to see the names of the various Committee members at
KCC who may be able to assist you with your query.
- Can I come along and try catamaran sailing or the
junior monohulls with an
aim to take it up as a sport, perhaps at your club?
- Yes you are
welcome to come along and we'll try to fix you up for a ride
on one of our member's boats, subject to availability.
- It's
best to contact the KCC President or KCC Junior President and organise a
date and time to come down,
preferably between 9.30am and 10.30am on a Sunday race day, as after that many of our
sailors are rigging up in preparation to race during the
afternoon.
- How much does it cost?
- Please refer to our
Membership link for
the schedule of fees
both for members and non-members/guests. We strongly recommend you read
all the attached/referenced documents and important notes on the Membership
webpage.
- Note that visiting/non-member guest sailors who sail
and use the club's
facilities are expected to pay the non-member's race day fee
whether racing or not.
- Do you hire out boats?
- Unfortunately not, however if you are a junior
prospective sailor under 16 years of age, we do have three
club
O'pen Skiff boats available for
Junior club members and
prospective Junior club members to try out sailing in.
- When are membership fees due?
- Annual membership fees and boat yard fees are generally
due on the 1st September, but must be paid by 31st
October.
- Fees received after that may, at the discretion of
the Executive Committee, incur a levy of up to 50% and/or a racing
penalty.
- New members joining mid season or mid year are not
subject to the levy and the KCC Treasurer will
determine a pro rata fee for the part season.
- What are the different types of membership
available?
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Adult/Senior |
Full membership for a single adult of the KCC |
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Family |
Full family membership of the KCC for those residing at
the same home address |
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Associate |
Members associated with the club, but not actively
sailing |
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Student |
Over 18 years of age at the start of the sailing
season and attending a recognised College or University full
time |
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Junior |
Under 18 years of age at the start of the sailing
season and cannot be covered by Family membership |
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Honorary |
Temporary membership at the discretion of the KCC
Committee for 1 month |
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Life |
Life membership as ratified at an Annual General Meeting |
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Junior Monohulls
Individual |
Individual membership (1 junior) for those
residing at the same address for the Junior monohulls
division only. |
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Junior Monohulls
Family |
Family membership (multiple juniors) for those residing at the same
address for the Junior monohulls division only |
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Refer to the
Membership
webpage or the
Constitution for further details. |
- I've noticed you have Life Membership. How does that
work? What are the benefits and how does one become a Life
Member?
- KCC's Life Members are special individuals who have
been awarded KCC Life Membership in recognition of service
rendered over a period in excess of 10 years in promoting
the interests and objects of the club. KCC Life Membership
is voted upon and awarded as a result of 75% of the
attendees of the Annual General Meeting supporting the
nomination.
- Life Members do not pay annual membership fees,
race fees or KCC annual regatta fees. They still pay for
Boat Storage or for Regattas that are not KCC annual
regattas (eg Class Championships etc).
- You can see our Life
Members and other sailing achievers on our
Honour Boards.
- Do I need my own boat?
- No you don't need your own boat, but you will need
someone who is willing to have you on board as crew. If you
cannot find someone, then we'll try and fix you up, but
places are limited. Many people end up buying their own boat
after a few sails and that is when the fun really starts.
- What if I need crew or am crew looking for a boat?
- If you need crew or are crew looking for a regular ride,
email the KCC Webmaster
your details (and experience if crew) and we will place an
advertisement on our
For
Sale/Wanted page requesting crew or detailing you as
crew wanting a sail.
- Do you run/host regattas for any class of sailing
boat?
- Whilst we primarily host regattas for
multihulls, we have, in the past, hosted other classes(including
non-multihull) state and national titles. Subject to club resources being available and the timing against
our own events and
Race
Calendar, we welcome classes wishing to run state or
national titles at KCC. We usually require 9 months
notice.
- Contact the KCC President or Race Secretary for
further information and a pricing quote.
- What about very large multihulls, your Cruising Division?
- KCC also caters for cruising style
multihulls (i.e. large catamarans or trimarans that are
generally large enough to have sleeping accomodation). Depending on the
number of Cruising Division boats we have as members each
year, we may run a Cruising Division series consisting of
racing once per month. Additionally at Easter, we often run
a 3 day regatta (the KCC Mega Multi Regatta) exclusively for Cruising Division boats.
- Contact the Cruising Division Representative
or Race Secretary for further information.
- Can children sail and if so, what is the minimum age for
them to sail at the club?
- Whilst there is no minimum age, it really depends on how
coordinated, strong and confident the child is. Needless to
say, they should be able to swim. We tend to find because of
the speed and power of catamarans, children tend to start
crewing on average between about 11 and 13 years of age.
- KCC has established a
Junior
sailing division in the very safe and fun monohull
O'pen Skiff
boat.
This class targets children under 16 years of age, but is
particularly focussed on those between about 7 and 13 years
of age.
- Contact the KCC Junior President or KCC Junior
Representative for all enquires and checkout our
Junior's
Information Pack.
- What facilities are at the club house?
- The club has men's and ladies separate toilet, change
rooms and hot shower facilities. Additionally the club has a
large balcony and internal seating and tables with a clear
view of the sailing on Botany Bay as well as a canteen.
There is a small pool table and TV. There is also ample
parking in the street. In accordance with club
policy no cash or valuables are left or stored on site.
- Do you teach sailing and offer training courses?
- Unfortunately we do not run official tuition programs,
however if you understand the basics there is always someone
around to assist with improving your skills in rigging,
sailing and racing.
- KCC has, however,
established a
Junior sailing division in the very safe and
fun monohull
O'pen Skiff
boat where there is informal tutition.
- Is sailing dangerous?
- Not normally, but like all sports there are
risks. Participants must familiarise themselves with all the
risks involved. Sailing can be a high risk sport and access
to medical treatment and emergency services can be delayed.
All participants must exercise their own judgement as to the
risks involved. At a minimum participants must be competent
swimmers, be physically fit, reasonably coordinated, not
suffer from medical conditions that may affect their ability
to participate, have the necessary safety gear/attire/boat
in good working condition, wear a life jacket, be able to
sail and handle a sail boat competently, have a knowledge of
the sailing and boating rules, understand the local sailing
area and weather/tidal conditions, be appropriately insured
and understand the risks involved. Kurnell Catamaran Club
Incorporated takes no responsibility for an individuals
decision to sail, race or participate in any capacity with,
or on behalf of the club.
- Refer to the
Disclaimer which outlines only some of the risks. Also
refer to the
Racing Rules of Sailing Rule
3 "Decision to Race".
- If you are a novice, we recommend you confine your sailing
days to days when the wind is blowing on shore (N, NE or
E wind directions are best at the club) and the wind
strength, including gusts, is less
than 15 knots.
- I've heard catamarans capsize easily? What if I
capsize? How do I right a catamaran?
- This is a common myth, catamarans are actually much more
difficult to capsize than monohull boats of equivalent size.
However once they do capsize they can be more difficult to
right quickly unless you use the correct technique. The
golden rule when a catamaran capsizes is to not let go of
the boat, when on their side they will drift faster than
most people can swim. Always check on your crew/skipper for
injuries immediately after a capsize. If you witness a
capsize from another boat, check on them by sailing close to
them or hailing them (it wont affect your results we'll
award "redress" if necessary). Once over, you need to loosen off the
mainsheets, traveller and jibsheets and any other sail controls that
may cause the boat to sail away if its righted and you
aren't yet on board. You must then manuevure the boat such
that the mast points into the wind (this can often be
achieved by sitting or standing on the lower hull when a
catamaran is on its side, right down near the bow or stern), throwing a righting rope
over the hull and then leaning (with assistance of crew or
trapeze harness) out to bring the boat back to an upright
position without letting it go back over in the process.
- Feel free to ask our more experienced members such as our
Division Captains (refer to our
Committee
page) to show you the correct technique
before you experience a capsize.
- Remember, never leave the
boat, if you are sailing with us, the Support Boat will come
to your aid if you signal them.
- What should I take on board the boat, what gear or
attire do I need to sail?
- All competitors shall wear whilst racing (and in our
opinion whenever on the water), personal flotation devices
which are in good condition and in accordance with the
specifications issued or approved by a national authority
affiliated to the International Sailing Federation, or a
standards organization, or certification authority,
recognized for the purpose by its respective government.
What does this mean? In essense, it means you must wear a
life jacket that is in good condition when on the water.
- If
you are sailing on a boat rigged with trapeze, then it is
recommended you wear a trapeze harness. If your boat is a
two or more person boat, you shouldn't sail it single
handed. Other than that, suitable clothing for sailing on a
boat in conditions that can vary with the weather. Many
sailors wear wetsuits (steamers), rash vests, sailing
gloves, wetsuit boots, hats, sunscreen, watch and
sunglasses. Many take additional safety gear such as a
shackle key, knife, whistle(for attracting attention), head
gear/protection (for higher performance boats) and a bottle
of fresh water. Bear in mind, you will get wet, so best to
leave anything not salt water friendly onshore.
- Needless to
say, if you are on medication you should consider whether
sailing may interfere with your condition or vice versa and
whether you need to take medication when out on the water.
- Do I need a NSW Boat License to sail at KCC?
- That depends. For "off the beach" catamarans and our
junior monohulls you are not required under current laws
(as at July'2023) to hold a boat license. Depending on your boat, for
the large cruising multihulls you may be required to hold a
boat license. To skipper our Support Boat(s) you are required
to hold a Power Boat license.
- Further information re Boat
Licenses can be found on the
NSW Government
Maritime Licenses website page here.
- Can you recommend a boat or dealer?
- Unfortunately not, suffice to say most beginners start
in smaller 14' (<4.2m) boats and then graduate after a year
or two to 16' (<5.2m) or even bigger. The most experienced
sailors tend to sail the bigger boats and particularly those
with spinnakers. However, we have a number of ex-champions
sailing in our 14-15' single hand boats.
- Our
Junior
division is targetting the
O'pen Skiff monohull.
- When planning/intending to sail at KCC, what weather
forecast should I look at?
- KCC recommends using, at a minimum, the
Australian
Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website including
sections such as the BOM "Sydney Coastal Waters Forecast:
Broken Bay to Port Hacking" and the BOM "Sydney Enclosed
Waters Forecast: Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and Botany Bay" in
conjunction with the BOM "NSW Warnings", BOM "Tide
Predictions (Botany Bay)" and BOM "Sydney Radar
Loop".
- KCC also has a number of relevant links on our
Weather
webpage.
- What is the boat launching area like? Is it sand,
mud, grass, coral, pebbles, shale, rocks, concrete wall or ramp?
- The launch/retrieval area is from opposite the KCC clubhouse
at Silver Beach, Kurnell, NSW. Silver Beach is a white fine grained sandy beach with a
sand/sparce sea grass bottom that is
usually a minimum of
about 0.5 to 1.5 metres deep even at low tide for the first
30 metres from shore before dropping into deeper water.
The beach is divided into multiple sections of 100 to 200
metres long separated by rock walls (~4 to 5 metres wide and
~30 to 50 metres long) that jut out into Botany Bay to stablise beach erosion and
conditions. The
water is enclosed within Botany Bay, NSW and effectively has
little to no shore break except under very extreme
conditions. It is an excellant "launch from the beach" area for sailing craft including
those with dagger rudders and centreboards.
- Larger cruising
multihulls and similar craft should anchor at least 50
metres from shore (generally at least as far out as the end
of the beach rock walls) and use relevant navigational charts, depth sounding
gear and local tidal/weather information before anchoring.
- Is there parking and a rigging area on sailing days
for car/boats/trailers at the club? Is there a path from the
rigging area to the beach sand?
- Yes, there is council designated parking opposite the
club backing onto the rigging area for car/trailer
combinations. It should be noted that this is reserved for
car/trailer combinations on Sundays during specific hours
and vehicles must remain attached to the trailer to avoid
council parking fines. The public may use this parking area
outside the specified hours. The grass rigging area is adjacement
to this parking.
- There is also a cleared artifical path for
launching/retrieving off the beach catamarans and small
monohulls using beach wheels or hand trolleys from the
rigging area to the beach sand. Vehicles cannot use this
launch/retrieval path, however, about 500 metres west of the
club on Prince Charles Parade there is a public boat ramp
and public car/trailer parking area for larger craft and
power boats.
- Can I take my four wheel drive vehicle onto the
beach?
- What are the two marks ~75 to 100 metres offshore directly
opposite the club?
- The two small yellow marks, lying in a line north of the
club and approximately 75 to 100 metres offshore are used as
finishing marks for selected club racing and are not
available as mooring buoys! They are not designed for
holding the bottom with a vessel attached. All craft should avoid
the area near or between these marks on racing days unless participating in the event.
- Is there accomodation nearby if I am attending a KCC
Regatta?
- There is accomodation nearby in Kurnell and Cronulla.
KCC recommends searching the internet with a search argument
of "Accomodation Kurnell NSW" or "Accomodation Cronulla
NSW". There is usually no accomodation at the club itself
due to the conditions on KCC's lease.
- Can I camp on the beach or in the rigging area?
- Is my boat/gear secure if left overnight in the
rigging area, clubhouse or clubhouse surrounds during a
regatta/event?
- Security of persons, vehicles, trailers, boats and
valuables/gear including from, but not limited to:
accidental damage, criminal activities and
weather events remains the responsibility of the individual. KCC
accepts no liability and takes no responsibility for security of persons, vehicles,
trailers, boats and valuables/gear.
- To assist during
multi-day
regattas, KCC may, at our
sole discretion, allow temporary usage of the locked KCC storage boat
yards (subject to available space) at no charge for the
duration of the regatta (also see FAQ 37 below). We may also elect to turn
on the club's floodlights and other external
lights during regattas and special events which
provides some limited illumination of the rigging area
and clubhouse surrounds. We sometimes, depending upon
the size and length of the regatta, have a KCC Committee Member onsite to oversee the clubhouse
overnight.
- Can I permanently store my boat at the club and if so, what does
it cost?
- Yes, we offer boat/trailer storage at a very competitive rate
in our boat yards near the club. We also have a small
lockable storage shed for a limited number of Junior
member's O'pen Skiff monohull craft.
Refer to the
Membership link and to the
KCC
Boat Yard Policy
Terms and Conditions for pricing, boat storage agreement
form and the terms and conditions that apply to all craft
stored.
- What's the deal with two boat yards for storage at
KCC? How do I get my boat in either one or the other boat yard?
- The "back boat yard" at 7-9 Ward Street, Kurnell is for storage of boats/trailers
with their mast down (you cannot store mast up in this boat
yard due to the powerlines across the road between the beach
and the boat yard). The "front boat yard" in the grounds at
310 Prince Charles Parade Kurnell is where we can store boats with their masts raised. We
have a policy of only frequently sailed boats using this
yard. In addition to the two boat yards, KCC also has a
small storage shed with limited storage for a number Junior
member's O'pen Skiff monohull craft.
- Is my boat/trailer secure in the storage areas?
- Whilst the storage areas/shed are fenced and secured by
padlocks, security of trailers, boats and valuables/gear
including from, but not limited to: accidental damage, criminal activities and weather events
remains the responsibility of the owner. KCC accepts no
liability and takes no responsibility for security of
trailers, boats and valuables/gear.
- Due to the possible
exposure of the boat yards to strong winds during extreme
weather events, it is recommended that boat owners securely
anchor/tie down their boats. Be aware there is underground
power in the "front boat yard" that poses a hazard when
using stakes/anchors to secure a boat to the ground -
extreme caution should be exercised.
- Is temporary boat storage available for members or
guests?
- Yes, KCC Casual Boat Yard Storage is subject to
availability and discretion of KCC Race Committee and must
have a KCC Race Committee Member’s
written approval. Refer to the current year's KCC Sailing
Instructions for Race Committee Members, but it usually
consists of
the KCC Executive Committee, Assistant Race Secretary and
Boat Captain.
- There is a ten (10)
day minimum and thirty (30) day maximum term for temporary
storage and it must be
pre-paid. A KCC Race Committee Member will determine the
actual storage space and in which boat yard.
- For KCC Casual
Boat Yard Storage, no key will be issued or lent and hence
casual storage users must coordinate entry/exit of boats
with the KCC sailing dates and times.
- The KCC Boat Yard Storage
Agreement (refer
Membership
link) must still be fully completed and signed by the
Boat Owner for casual storage and the
relevant
KCC
Boat Yard Policy Terms and Conditions still apply.
- Can I bring my new / second hand boat along for someone
to show me how to rig up?
- Yes, as long as you arrive early on a Sunday. For
example after 9.30am but before 10.30am; after that Members are usually busy
preparing their own boats for the afternoon's racing.
- Contact the
KCC President or a KCC Division Captain and it may be possible to organise
some early "one on one" assistance.
- My
boat is not seaworthy or needs repairs, can you help?
- Your best bet here is to come down and ask us for advice
one Sunday morning. Organise a time and date through the
President, Vice President or Race Secretary. They can also
introduce you to the Division Captains and/or Junior
President that usually specialise in your class of
boat. If possible,
bring the boat, sail, gear or offending parts with you.
- Alternatively look on our
Links
webpage under the category of
Sponsors or
Manufacturers for additional support.
- What if I have a boat to sell or I want to buy a
boat?
- You can
email the KCC Webmaster
and they will place it on the
For
Sale/Wanted webpage. Please read all
the conditions on this webpage. We don't charge for placing the
advertisements, but its customary for a small donation or
some exchange of services if we are responsible for your
sale.
- What if I have an old boat or equipment/gear I want
to donate to KCC?
- KCC generally welcomes donations of old boats as long as
they are in reasonable shape and easy to transport to the club in terms of distance and size of the boat. Sometime we
use these boats for spare parts, sometimes for club members
and sometimes we sell them after minor repairs using the
revenue to better the club generally. The club however, is
not a dumping ground for unserviceable/unneeded boats,
equipment or gear. So please, don't be upset if we decline
your boat or equipment/gear offer.
- What if I just want to crew at KCC and don't have my
own boat or even want one in the future?
- You can
email the KCC Webmaster
and they will place an advertisement on the
For
Sale/Wanted webpage to link "would be"
crews up with skippers. Please read all the conditions on
webpage. This is a free service.
- Do you have people watching and looking after me
when I'm on the water?
- During racing periods (most Sunday afternoons September to
April), KCC has a Support Boat (twin hulled Webster powerboat
with 90hp outboard) on the water that is in radio contact
with the club. Additionally an Officer of the Day oversees
the clubhouse and provides additional observation of the bay
from the clubhouse. The KCC Junior monohull sailing
division also has Support boat(s) on the water when they are
active (usually AM on designated sailing dates).
- We also have very strict rules
regarding when to sail in relation to the weather. For more
information consult our
Operational Plan
and the
Sailing Instructions.
All boats are required to have righting ropes on them(towing
rings and bridles are recommended) and all sailors must wear
lifejackets when on the water.
- If you are a very raw
beginner at sailing, we strongly recommend you confine your
sailing to days when the actual wind strength (including
gusts) is less than 15 knots and the wind is blowing onto
the shore (N, NE or E wind directions are best at the club).
- If you are not actually racing but still having a
pleasure sail, we recommend you let both the Officer of the
Day and the Boat Captain know that you will be on the water
and stay within reasonable visual contact of both the
clubhouse and the Support Boat. We also recommend you finish
sailing and come ashore before the final race of the day
completes (Support Boat will commence picking up the racing
marks (yellow buoys) when the final race is finished) as the
Support Boat will come ashore then and observation of the
water from the clubhouse ceases then.
- What facilities are at the club if there is an
emergency, someone is injured or someone has a medical episode?
- The club has an
Operational
Plan to deal with emergency situations including a Risk
Management Plan in Appendix B of this document.
- At the
clubhouse we have a first aid kit, on site
clubhouse phone access to emergency services, club and
support boat radio access to monitored VHF and UHF radio
channels (eg the coast guard etc), clubhouse fire
extinguishers, clubhouse signed emergency exits and a
defibrillator.
- Our support boats have the relevant
government mandated safety equipement as well as VHF radio
contact with the clubhouse when they are on duty on the water.
- Are there insurance requirements?
- Yes, boat owners must have their boat insured (including
racing cover if you intend to race) for third party
property.
- Additionally you must have a minimum $10m AUD (or
the figure mandated in any associated sailing instructions) third
party personal liability cover. It is recommended that you have full
comprehensive insurance but this is obviously a personal
decision.
- The club itself also has the
legislated public liability insurance.
- Do I have to join
Australian Sailing?
- Yes, members are required to join and subscribe annually
as part of their membership (i.e. the Australian Sailing membership fee is embedded within your KCC membership fee.)
You do not pay separately.
- All KCC memberships, where the sailor is still actively
participating in sailing, include Australian Sailing membership
except Associate and Honorary
Membership. It is only included for Life Members where the
member is still actively sailing at KCC.
- The benefits
and other pertinent information can be found on the
Australian
Sailing website.
- Note if you intend to race at regattas, it is
often a requirement that you prove your Australian Sailing membership. The
KCC Treasurer can assist you with finding out your membership
number and details after you have joined the club and
Australian Sailing has
acknowledged your membership. Alternatively, you can self-check if you are an active
Australian Sailing member or find your membership number by
clicking on this
Aust
Sailing Number Finder? external link.
- Do I have to join KCC when sailing, can't I just
come along and sail as a visitor or guest regularly?
- Generally visiting sailors who sail/compete on more than
3 occasions in a season are expected to join KCC.
Visiting sailors/non-members/guests who sail and who use the club's
facilities are expected to pay the non-member's fee race day
fee whether
racing or not. It is usually more cost effective to sail
regularly as a member.
- Visitors will still show in the individual race day
results but will not be shown in aggregate scores or be
eligible for perpetual trophies/prizes.
- Ok, so when do you sail and what type of races and
courses do you have?
- Wow, that lost me. What is a Notice of Race and what
are Sailing Instructions?
- The Notice of Race is just an announcement about a
special sailing event, when its occurring and other details.
Think of it as an announcement or flyer pinned to a notice
board telling you all about the event. Sailing Instructions
are the rules under which the events will be conducted,
including the starting procedures, the course maps
etc.
- Do I have to race?
- Of course not, but many find it improves their skills
and adds that little bit of extra enjoyment. However, we
have members who do no more than come for a casual sail that
coincides with the club being open.
- So I don't know the rules of sailing a racing
catamaran. Who do I give way to? When do I have right of way?
Where can I find them?
- The Racing Rules of Sailing can be viewed at the link
Racing Rules of Sailing
online. In particular, you
should familiarise yourself with the Rules in Part 1,
Part 2 and the Race Signals.
- OK I've read the rules, but really have no idea how
to get started in racing at the Club?
- Firstly, you should consult with an experienced sailor in
your division or class of boat at the club. Ideally the
Division Captains are best placed to sort out most of your
queries (refer to the
Committee page).
- Divisions are how we segregate boats
based on size or other characteristics like performance. As
a guide, the Divisions can be found in the current year's
Sailing Instructions.
Juniors should seek out the Junior President.
- Then we suggest you go
sailing and just follow your Division around the race course for a few
races, observing the starting procedures, finishing
procedures, signals and how
boats generally give way to one another.
- Another good source
of information is our Race Secretary and Assistant Race
Secretary who will both be only too eager to assist you.
- How do I see my results?
- Race results are published on the KCC website
Results page usually within 48 hours of the
day's racing. You can also see archived results for previous
years there.
- What if I disagree with the race results or wish to
protest against the actions of another sailor or the officials ?
- Your first course of action should always be to consult
in an amicable manner with the competitor or official
involved. If you cannot resolve then you should consult with
the Officer of the Day, your Division Captain and/or the KCC
Race Secretary.
- If you wish to formalise your protest, you
can obtain a protest form at the clubhouse or link to and
download the protest form from the
Sailing Instructions
webpage.
- There are
time limits and rules around lodging protests and whilst you
are well within your rights to protest, it is not a very
common thing to pursue at the club.
- Do I have to do duties around the club?
- Yes, all members are expected to complete at least one
rostered duty
day per season (refer to the
Duty Roster
webpage)
and usually two if we don't get enough volunteers or too
many sailors cancelling at the last minute. If you contact
the KCC Vice President, they will try and accomodate your
preferred
dates on a first in, first served basis. If you don't,
they'll roster you at random across the season.
- Your duty role could be as Officer of
the Day, Boat Captain (if you hold a power boat license) or
Boat Crew. Don't worry, we don't put people in roles until
they are ready, confident and tell us they are competent to do them. New members are
usually rostered on with more experienced members in their first season.
Click
here to see a description of your duty responsibilities.
- Most of the forms you will need when on duty, such as
sign-on sheets, time keepers sheets etc can be found on the
Sailing
Instructions webpage.
- Additionally we have
working bees
scheduled on the Race Calendar to mow lawns and do odd jobs and maintenance
around the club. We encourage members (including junior
parents/guardians) to also assist at two or three of these each year.
- Will doing duty affect my race results/scores?
- The effect on your results depends on the current year's
Sailing Instructions, but generally the combination of
race calendar and sailing instructions has been designed by
our Race Committee to ensure that duty has minimal effect on
a sailors results.
- Can I bring the family, young children, pets,
grandma and grandpa etc?
- Absolutely, they may be future Olympians or Australian
Champions (well maybe not the pets) or just your biggest
supporter. The club is
large and roomy inside. We do ask though, that you supervise
children under the care of a responsible adult and not leave
them on their own in the club, surrounding grounds or boat
yards.
- KCC has established a
Junior sailing division in the very safe and
fun monohull
O'pen Skiff
boat for juniors.
- Pets are not permitted inside the clubhouse building, we
have no objections to them outside as long as they are well
behaved in nature and supervised.
- Don't forget to clean
up after them if they make a mess - that goes for the pets
too :-)
- Can I take my dog onto the beach?
- Not where we rig/sail (opposite the club), but approximately 100-150 metres
west of the club on Prince Charles Parade there is a section
of Silver Beach that is council designated friendly for
dogs. Refer to local beach signage for details.
- I'm probably going to be pretty hopeless at racing,
what's the point if I'm against all these hot shot sailors?
- Whilst our Club Championship racing is aimed at the best
sailor winning, our other race series all have personal handicaps
applied, so you can come physically last across the finish
line and depending upon your handicap still win the event. Its
all about continuous improvement. Those that improve the most
tend to win handicap events and because beginners tend to
improve fastest, then they have a definite advantage here.
- I have heard that KCC has developed a modified form
of the original Victorian Yachting Club (VYC) yardsticks (now
Australian Sailing Catamaran yardsticks) for use in events at the
club. What are
the KCC yardsticks or what yardsticks do you use?
- Yes we did, however the Australian Sailing Catamaran
yardsticks are now identical and have been for several years
now so the KCC ones have been retired.
- KCC uses the
Australian Sailing Catamaran yardsticks which, using results
gathered over many seasons is a set of boat handicaps used
to determine mixed fleet racing results (all other things
being equal) which fairly reflects the current crop of
modern racing catamarans.
- There is a link to the Australian Sailing Catamaran
yardsticks from the
Sailing
Instructions webpage.
- Is the club licensed for alcohol?
- Yes, but it is a very strict operating license for
members and visiting sailors/guests after sailing and only on
sailing days and specially pre-designated event dates. The club abides by all laws concerning the
responsible serving of alcohol(RSA) and it is only available when
the qualified RSA certificate holders and Licensee are
present. You cannot just walk in off the street and
purchase alcohol.
- If you hold a current Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA)
Competency Card and are a member/prospective member and
would like to assist KCC in meeting our obligations re the
responsible serving of alcohol when you are on duty or
attending KCC events, please write "RSA" when answering the
"special conditions KCC should be aware of" question on your
membership application or renewal.
- Do you have poker or gambling machines?
- Is smoking or vaping permitted inside the clubhouse, on the club's balcony
or on your support boats?
- Is food, soft drink, tea/coffee available at the
club?
- Yes, we have a canteen that opens up just
before lunch time and closes an hour or two after racing,
usually around 4.30pm.
- So what's on the canteen menu? Is it available to
the public?
- Generally the canteen is available to members and guests
as well as bona fide visiting sailors and their guests. It is
not available to the general public.
- Items on the menu
include sandwiches, pies, sausage rolls, snacks
(potato chips, chocolates etc), tea/coffee, water, soft
drinks and alcohol (at selected times when a club RSA
certificate holder and the Licensee are present) all at
reasonable prices. During
regattas and special events additional menu items and/or
specific catering is often
available.
- Does the club take EFTPOS (eg credit card, eftpos,
apple pay etc) for payment for food/drink/fees?
- Is the KCC Clubhouse available for hiring or public use?
(e.g. weddings, birthdays, engagement parties, fund raising
events)
- Generally no, however, it may be available as part of a
KCC Executive approved and authorised sailing regatta or
similar associated event that supports the local community.
This is subject to very specific conditions including KCC's
own racing calendar requirements and availability.
- Contact the KCC Race Secretary, KCC President or the KCC Secretary
for further enquires, T&Cs (e.g. Insurance conditions, RSA
certificate holders, licensed alcohol dates etc) and
potential charges. Such requests usually require a minimum
of at least 9 months notice.
- Are the KCC Support Boats or Tractor available for
hiring or public use?
- Generally no, however, as part of a KCC Executive
approved and authorised specific sailing regatta or event
KCC has in the past supplied a crewed Support Boat to
assist. This is subject to very specific conditions
including KCC's own racing calendar support requirements and
the availability of our volunteer members to captain and
crew the vessel.
- Contact the KCC Race Secretary, KCC
President or the KCC Secretary for further enquires, T&Cs
(e.g. Insurance conditions, Boat and Tractor registration
conditions, Boat License etc) and potential charges. Such
requests usually require a minimum of at least 9 months notice.
- How do I get on to Committee and help out at the
club?
- Simply nominate for Committee at the Annual General
Meeting that is usually held in early May each
year.
- Refer to the
Committee
page for the AGM Notice and Committee
Nomination Forms and a description of the Committee Duties.
- Also refer to the
Constitution
which describes the electoral rules.
- Is KCC a profitable organisation and is it privately
owned?
- KCC Incorporated is an incorporated body under the
Associations Incorporation Act of 1984. KCC is a non-profit,
volunteer staffed and run, sporting club that exists for its
members. It is not a singular privately owned enterprise.
- My company or I would like to sponsor KCC or a KCC
event. How do I go about it?
- You may be able to obtain naming rights to an
event, your companies name or logo advertised on flags,
banners or the side of our Support Boats as well as your
logo on our website depending on the type and size of the
sponsorship (which could be either cash, goods, prizes or
services to the club).
- Contact the KCC President or
KCC Publicity Officer.
- What if I don't want to be on Committee, don't want
to sail, but am just looking to do some casual volunteer work
perhaps at your club?
- We have several honorary associate members doing
volunteer work at the Club such as timekeeping, driving and
crewing on our Support Boats etc.
- Contact the KCC
President and discuss how you might like to contribute.
- Does the club have WIFI / internet access?
- Yes, but for selected KCC Executive Committee members
only. It is mainly used for monitoring weather conditions
and for transferring results. It is generally not available to other
members. It is not available to visitors, guests
or the public.
- Is KCC active on social media?
- KCC has a Facebook page, a link to which exists on the
right hand side at the bottom of the Additional Resources
column on most of our website's webpages. KCC does not have Instagram, Twitter,
TicTok or other social media accounts.
- I'd like a larger copy of a photo from your website's Photo
Gallery. How do I get a copy?
- Full sized copies of photos in JPG format (if the original source still
exists with the KCC Webmaster) from the KCC website's
Photo
Gallery are available to relevant club members, those
depicted in the photo, or if a child is depicted, to the
parents, grandparents or a guardian.
- Email the file/photo name to the
KCC Webmaster.
- Note that the KCC Webmaster does not control
access to, or have the ability to supply photos that are on the club's Facebook page.
-
What other important documents or rules should I be
aware of at the club?
- I'm sure what I want is on your website but I can't
seem to find it in the FAQ or elsewhere. Any ideas?
- If you cannot find what you want from the main
KCC home
page or the
Site Map, try using our
Search
page or when all else fails, email the
KCC Webmaster from the
Contact page.
- Who can I ask if I have more questions?
- You can contact us from our
Contact
link or alternatively come along one Sunday morning after
9.30am but preferably before 10.30am and have a chat to us.
If you see us on the beach, don't be shy, come up and say
"hi". If you mention the website, we might even buy you a
tea or coffee at the club's canteen.
- Additionally our
Links
page has hyperlinks to many other sailing resources
and general websites of interest.
- Our
Photo
Gallery page and
Facebook
page can show you some of the action and fun.
- I'm hooked where can I get a Membership Application
form or other relevant forms and how do I pay?
- Please refer to our
Membership
link for the membership terms and conditions and application/renewal form(s) which also
contains payment details.
- There is a form for full Catamaran
Club membership (which includes, as relevant, catamaran
membership, the cruising division,
juniors, Australian Sailing membership and/or boat storage) or a separate form for those
that are only joining/sailing in the Junior monohulls.
- There
is also a boat storage agreement if you are storing your
boat at KCC and a form to register
your boat for racing at the club, if you desire to race.
- You
will need a PDF reader such as Apple Preview on macOS or
Adobe® Acrobat®
Reader or equivalent to read the forms.
- Thanks for all that, I'd like to give feedback on
your website or club. Who do I contact?
- Email the KCC Webmaster (see
Contact page) and your feedback will be passed onto the
appropriate committee member.
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