Woody Point
Woody Point, Pittwater // a painting by Gemma Rasdall
Being from Melbourne, we only heard about the Woody Point Yacht Club when our boat became stranded on Pittwater during the troubles of 2020.
Here, summertime Wednesday
night racing seems to be
a form of sailing cult.
The maximum 100 members fills up before the season starts. When Frank Milner signed up to SWS he pointed me in the right direction to find a bit of history about this very different yacht club. He started by referring me to the charter of the Club.
PURPOSE
This document aims to define the objects of the Club so that its original concept may not be lost or diluted with the passage of time and/or Members, nor fundamentally changed in any way. Persons desiring otherwise are free to choose from numerous other boating clubs which may better serve their requirements.
ACTIVITIES
Founding Members of the Woody Point Yacht Club were a dedicated group of social drinkers with a boating problem. Their motivation was and is the enjoyment of the Pittwater and its inhabitants, largely facilitated by craft giving access to the remote foreshores and to the water itself. Suitable craft included tinnies, yachts, putt-putts, work boats, in fact anything that floats – and even some vessels whose buoyancy is questionable. These craft provide a platform for the many and varied pastimes enjoyed by Members, including fishing, yachting, putt-putt regattas, picnics, parties, breakfasts, etc. The Club does not favour a particular pastime so long as a boat is involved either as a means to an end (i.e. transport, fishing) or an end in itself (i.e. sailing, cruising, just messing). The Club has a penchant for all things traditional – timber boats in particular – and prefers the simple family orientated atmosphere inherent in our unique community.
CONSTITUTION
A Commodore shall be elected by popular vote at the Annual General Meeting together with other office bearers as required. A Committee of five Members shall be responsible for organising all functions during the year. The camaraderie shared by Members is such that ‘rules’ in the normal sense are inappropriate and any semblance of formality is purely for the entertainment such pomp and ceremony usually provides.
However, to maintain a friendly and intimate atmosphere, club membership shall be limited to 100 persons in any year on a first come first served basis. The club does not discriminate, even ladies and Kiwis are eligible to join. Senior citizens (capable of pulling beer) may also join and hold office. In the interests of safety and practicality, Flag Officers may limit the number of vessels participating in aquatic events. The Committee may on behalf of the Members cause a limited number of Trophies to be executed and awarded annually in perpetuity in recognition of sportspersonship, generosity, drinking prowess etc.
FINANCIAL
The founding members believed that the Club should not accumulate money, real estate or any other assets of a major nature (other than a Temprite). Food and sufficient kegs are to be applied at the AGM to ensure that a zero balance is recoded at season’s end. Members should contribute no more than is necessary to cover immediate and unavoidable costs e.g. the next round. The Club’s only assets are the Pittwater, and the warm hospitality so readily offered by members. At the time of writing, no provision for depreciation need be made in respect of these assets. Members unable (or unwilling) to meet their financial obligations i.e. bastards who won’t pay, may at the Committee’s discretion be threatened with Life Membership to alleviate the Treasurer’s workload. Such a penalty may also be applied to Members issuing worthless I.O.Us.
MEETINGS
The ability to hold meetings and make decisions at short notice was crucial to the Club in its infancy. Founding members, in their wisdom, defined a quorum to be constituted by one member and one bottle of champagne. However, in these times of financial hardship, one bottle of beer may be substituted in lieu of champagne provided that such decisions are ratified at the next Committee meeting. (Suitable rats for this purpose may be found adjacent to the Pasadena kitchen). Committee meetings will generally be conducted in the vicinity of Church Point Cellars and all Club Notices shall be posted on the official Notice Board within this fine establishment. Members are urged to visit the Cellars regularly to consult the Notice Board and to participate in extraordinary meetings which are held daily and twice on Public Holidays. Notices will not be mailed to Members.
I think by this stage you get the gist but if you need a deeper understanding Frank referred me to this article from the Pittwater Online News
The Woody Point Yacht Club began around 1980 by gents gathering to do what gents do when they are fond of the water and watercraft; restoring a boat. The vessel they joined in restoring was the PELICAN an ancient Putt-putt owned by Tim Shaw. Anyone who knows a little about wooden boats, and these traditional originals, also knows that planking, sealing, caulking, sourcing original materials and putting together bits from several motors to make one work requires steady consideration, much deliberation, patience and endurance.
Michael Waller, David Lahm, Arthur Spithill, Philip Bond, John Hebden, Bruce Lane, David Yardley (an airline pilot at the time) and Barry Cozens on occasion, volunteered to assist with the restoration and would gather on Sunday mornings in Tim’s boatshed at Woody Point. After a few hours toiling the gents would light a BBQ and make breakfast. This soon developed into a social gathering with the PELICAN becoming secondary to the BBQ.
Rules of Attendance, such as “bring something to throw on the BBQ, preferably a fish caught on the way across, and a bottle of champagne” were followed. Soon enough those gathering decided a very exclusive Club of eight may be formed. At the time none owned a yacht, but all had a wooden craft of some description and thus, in one of the first instances of the quirky sense of humour that is still an inherent ‘code’ of this unique club. The Woody Point Yacht Club was formed with the eight aforementioned gents as Founding Members and Barry Cozens listed as Patron. Tim Shaw is listed in the WPYC Log as the first Commodore and had emblems made up for fun at the business next door to his own.
Membership Fees were set at $2.00. The ‘Fee’ covered the supplies needed at BBQ’s such as gas and tomato sauce. Club Assets and ‘fiscal responsibility’ was established at this time, and this policy is still adhered to. At present it consists of A beer temp rite and three essential temp rite accessories - being a BBQ, a PA system, and a tarpaulin. The Club also has a commercial mooring in Lovett Bay which is available to members for short term occupancy. The Annual General Meeting, apart from nominating the next Commodore and ‘office bearers’, is ‘to is to expend whatever funds have been accumulated during the year on beer, wine and food. A WPYC quorum (“fixed number of members whose presence is necessary to transact business") consisted of one member and a bottle. Ladies, including Christine Hebden, June Lahm, Trilby McIlveen and Annette Freeland joined a little later.
Thirty people attended the launch of the PELICAN, a celebration still recalled with smiles and also for being the day Arthur Spithill was renamed ‘Splithead’ after falling off the jetty. After 1985 discussions held at Church Point between David Yardley, Tim Shaw and Mick Waller it was decided the Club should apply for official ‘Registration’ in order to enjoy ‘club’ privileges. The official 'Club Log' lists the first Commodore as being Tim Shaw in 1987, and the second as Tony Stackhouse, both unfortunately deceased. Bob Blackwood, is the third listed Commodore. The Club was not incorporated until this was imposed upon them for Insurance in racing, registering a WPYC course and fear of litigation purposes. Paul Burchall is credited with achieving this.
By 1990 the group of eight had become 100 with members who did possess yachts and raced them. Arthur Spithill and Philip Bond set themselves the task of compiling all records to date and writing the WPYC Charter.
The WPYC began in mateship, in camaraderie, and as a Social Group that would enjoy putt-putting to offshore areas for picnics, fishing, and parties. The original Breakfast is still held once a month. They were and are a community and family-orientated group with a passion for beautiful wooden boats. Membership is limited to 100 each year on a first come basis. Social racing Events, such as The Gentleman’s Launch and Putt Putt Regatta, with a calendar of Summer Series (20 races), Winter Series (12 races) bring old friends and new together on the waters they love. The Putt Putt Regatta helps outsiders see what defines the heart of this club, scheduled for when Treharne Cove’s beach will be accessible (IE: not invisible under a full tide in January) members deck out their boats and themselves in themed costumes and ‘race’ around Scotland Island and back to moor off the cove. Each deck has children as well as adults who are relaxed, happy and at home in this place. A BBQ on the beach afterwards continues this celebration of family, Pittwater waters, and the beauty of the offshore areas.
Treharne Cove, between Towler’s Bay and Long Nose Point, was named by the WPYC in honour of the Treharnes, a well-known yachting family of Pittwater and more particularly, Ian Treharne. A local moorings gent, former Pittwater Councillor and yachtsman who sailed on the winning 1987 Sydney to Hobart yacht, Ian is well known to offshore and Scotland Islanders for all the assistance he has given to anyone who needed a hand and is considered ‘a true gentleman’. Offshore folk remark he was always ‘the first to arrive and last to leave’ whenever any community work needed doing. His barge was the ‘flagship’ of the Wooden Boat Races. Although not marked on maps as such as yet, this is how this watery nook is known and named by locals.
An annual Trophy Series (3 races), honours Tim Shaw, the gent who is revered, and sometimes blamed, as the Founder of the Woody Point Yacht Club. He will always be remembered and his spirit, attitude and the ‘customs’ he helped verse will always be carried on in the Club he initiated. In its tenets and customs, the WPYC honours all that is truly and originally Australian and all that is pure Pittwater spirit and essence.
With yacht club social fleets shrinking all over the world, it’s interesting to consider why this particular group is having such wonderful engagement. Sure, they have a great place to go sailing. Pittwater is hard to beat when it comes to flat water summer sailing. But they also have a great attitude. Its well run, friendly, refreshingly anti-establishment in a typically Australian way and most importantly its inclusive. That’s a word that many yacht clubs with the word “Royal” in front of their name are yet to fully understand.
Editor // Mark Chew
//
SIGN UP to never miss the news!
GOT AN IDEA for a story? Drop us a line.