Sailing to Queenscliff on the Queen's Birthday

What an appropriate venue for a week end sail. Jill Callahan, Gill Whitington, Claire Nicholls, Peter and Karen Dove and us packed on board. It was a chilly motor down in thick fog with no wind on the coldest June day in 13 years and somewhat anxiety provoking with the engine temperature gauge showing max temp but with no observable problem with the engine overheating. The engineer opined that the seawater intake may be blocked and would need inspection. This was a challenge for the official diver who had not brought her wetsuit down but with her natural insulation at record thickness she dove beneath to find no obstruction and recovered with a very hot and very long shower at the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club. The QCYC was host to the annual Brighton to Queenscliffe race which any sensible yacht had abandoned in favour of the Iron Headsail before midday but some people like a challenge and one yacht actually sailed all the way arriving to raft up to Jean at just on midnight. Great thumping were heard on deck awakening those belowwho were not impressed. Sally , Andrew and Olivia drove to Sorrento bringing John Potts and a fine meal was enjoyed at the Vue Grande hotel before the Rewell taxi took 2 jaded crew member back to their nice warm and stable beds back in Melbourne. Sunday evening Ignacio, the solo sailor in Stardust , brought in his cappuccino machine and made cappas for the assembled and trivial pursuit was endured. The weekend concluded with a swift sail in rising seas with a 15-20 kt tail wind taking a record 4 hrs back to Brighton.