Another season has ended for the Thunderbirds with a disappointing amount of boats that consistently raced. This years championships honors goes to Werewolf, skippered by Jeff Wolff, this is two in a row for the Werewolf. Handicap honors goes to Tambo II, skippered by Darren Pickering, this was his first year campaigning a Thunderbird from owner Bill Newman.

Well after much disastrous planning with major setbacks form pontificating yacht clubs the 2000 State Titles were finally run during the last few races this season. Congratulations goes to Werewolf skippered by Jeff Wolff and crewed by Paul Sanders, Ron Splatt & Steve Montgomery for winning the titles after much time & effort.

Second place goes to Larriken II skippered by Ian Lee and third place was Catalyst skippered by Stuart Minchin. On handicap the honors goes to Metaxa, which was skippered by Ken Dunn who had stepped in for Bob Carroll who had been injured in a car accident.

Stuart Minchin has been busy setting up the Geelong Thunderbird Website. This has been an ongoing project for the last couple of months. What Stuart needs now is as many good quality photos as possible to down load onto the website for exhibition. So of you have any good photos of your Thunderbird and your crew, please send them into Stuart either in person or by mail, details as follows.

Stuart Minchin or email stuart.minchin@nre.vic.gov.au or at the yacht club.

17 Weller St

West Geelong 3218

The 2000 States Presentation day has been organised for the 28^th May 2000, at 1.00pm.

The venue will be the Railway Hotel, where we have been donated the use of the hotel by the owner Charlie, who has been sailing Thunderbirds on & off this season.

A BBQ lunch will be organised similar to last year. The venue will cater to children.

Raffles will be run, great prizes to be won. Guests are welcome….

Price per head will be $15.00 per adult, kids under 12 for free.

The next State Titles have been scheduled with the RGYC Sailing committee. At this stage it will be run on or either side of the "Labor Day" weekend 2001. This will give opportunities to advise all players with plenty of notice as well as generate enough finances to run the races needed. As of the May Sailing Committee meeting, the titles are being organised for the Labor Day weekend in conjunction with the Flying 15s, this will dramatically reduce the costs of the series. So please leave your calendar available in and around this time, until it is 100% certain. This should be finalized by presentation day in late May.

The tennis day will be scheduled for June 2000. Dates still to be advised. Keep those tennis rackets ready.

The bowling day that was organised last March was a good day although more people could have made the effort to turn up. Only four boats were represented, Werewolf, Tambo II, Catalyst & Whitepointer. Please support the T’Bird socials otherwise we won’t have any at all.

Seeya presentation day……….

Imagine the whole fleet racing, all these boats if consistently sailed CAN win.

Imagine a start line with 17 Thunderbirds.

It did happen once.