Beachcomber is the monthly newsletter for all members of the Piasau Boat Club. This issue:
Page
Commodore
Page
Watersports
Page
Ballsports
Page
House/Social/Catering/General
2
5
10
11-12
COMMITTEE
Commodore
Secretary
Treasurer
Sailing Member
Power Boat Member
General Member
Ball Sports Member
House Member
Social Member
Squash
Tennis
Hockey
Football/Futsal
Adults Fun Run / Organizers
Kids Fun Run
Bridge
Volleyball
Roller Hockey
Touch Rugby
Kids Netball
Teens Room
Party Team
Thibaut Burckhart
Eleanor Rollett
Léon van den Broek
Andrew Murdey
Neil Hadfield
Ray Fung Yuk Wah
Gaël Riethmuller
Detlef Wodtke
Richard Earl
453247
452656
452443
454679
012-879 2892
012-830 3609
014-683 7004
017 852 0513
019-868 6396
CONVENORS
Ian Kellagher
470s
Benedict Alamiyo
Laser
Donald Burgess
Hobies
Alfred Vreiling
Windsurf
Jason / Maria Townsend
Wayfarers
Doris / Sally / Sarah
Optimist
Frank Wolters
Social Sailing
Diving
Naoki Watanabe
BSAC Secretary
Brendan Hughes
Rowing / Waterskiing
Kerry Burgess/Fran Wilkinson
Fishing
Jo Earl / Ellen van den Broek
Playground
Magdelena/Natalie/Francine
Fitness Centre
Nicolette Du Rieu
Mok Chuang Yong
Lee Yew Liong
Mike Townsend
Christian Ellis
Neil Hadfield
Maggie Wright
Ray Stringer
Jonathan Sheldon
-
BOAT CLUB STAFF
Peter Ng
General Manager
Litad Balang (Linda)
F & B Manager
Virginia Lee
Finance Controller
Usat Bilong
Facility Manager
Battery Segat
Administrative Executive
Ezra Bada
Account Assistant Cum General Clerk
Inggul Milet
Boatyard Supervisor
Boat Attendant / Groundsman cum Boatman/Security Michael Mandau / David Tan / Billie Bujak / Merieo
MAIL ADDRESS
All correspondence to be addressed to:
Hon. Secretary P.B.C.
Sarawak Shell Berhad
Lutong
Sarawak
Sabah:
West Malaysia:
Brunei Darulssalam:
Singapore:
Thailand:
Australia:
HongKong:
Administration
Fax
General Manager
Bar/Catering
E-mail
Website
TELEPHONE
085-655313
085-657249
085-657248
085-452450
pbcmiri@streamyx.com
www.piasauboatclub.com
AFFILIATED CLUBS
Kinabalu Yacht Club, Kota Kinabalu
The Kinabalu Club, Kota Kinabalu
Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur
Perak Yacht Club, Lumut
Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut
Royal Port Dickson Yacht Club, Sri-Rusa, Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan
The Royal Selangor Yacht Club, Port Klang, Selangor
The Valley Country Club, Subang Jaya
The Lake View Club, Subang Jaya
KB Boat Club, Panaga Club and Royal Brunei Yacht Club, Bandar Seri Begawan
Changi Sailing Club
Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
The Bristish Club, Bangkok
Fremantle Sailing Club, Fremantle, Western Australia
Royal South Australian. Yacht Squadron, Australia
Royal Automobile Club of Australia
The Hebe Haven Yacht Club, Hong Kong
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Football Club, Hong Kong
Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong
COMMODORE
Dear members,
September in Miri…
Many of us happy to be back, after some
time spent in cooler latitudes, in the lovely
tropical hideaway by the South China Sea
called The Piasau Boat Club ………..
PBC, just as we left it..
Well not quite, while some of you were
away, our staff has been very busy and quite
a few things are new in PBC. So, let’s have
a look:
A New Kitchen
After many months of preparations, we
finally went into execution mode, and
thanks to the great efforts of our PBC team
and some dedicated members (special
thanks to Francine Spiering and Detlef
Wodtke), we now have a more functional,
hygienic, and all together more professional
and more efficient kitchen.
Changes are behind the scenes (new inox
tables, new fridges, new ovens, new wine
coolers) and may therefore not be obvious at
first sight but will certainly help us to serve
you better.
We have also been working on the new
menus that are just about to be released.
New Website
Thanks to Homer Uy, we have re-designed
the PBC website and are now committed to
maintaining it and use it as a favored mean
to communicate with all our members. Make
sure you pay regular visits to:
http://www.piasauboatclub.com/
New Football Pitch (soon)
As you are probably aware, some property
construction work has started near the
football pitch. We do not own the land and it
is expected that the work will start on the
pitch itself soon, and that we will have to
discontinue it usage.
In order to “maintain “ service to our
members, we are working on a temporary
solution with the KRP pitch and are also
working with Shell to build a brand new
pitch in the garden of Piasau 100. Work is
expected to start in the fourth quarter and we
will soon have a new shiny Football pitch,
with better drainage and hopefully some
better equipment.
So is it a whole new PBC?
Well, not quite. Some things are not likely to
change, count on some more parties, plenty
of sailing, fun run and lovely sunsets on
Friday evenings…
See you at the Boat Club.
New Car
We now have a new 4*4 vehicle to tow the
seacat or seabarge and perform the ‘heavy
duty’ tasks around PBC. This will alleviate
the pressure on the Hi-lux usage and help
keep down maintenance costs.
Thibaut Burckhart
Commodore
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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WELCOME
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
Angela Bong
Nathaga Mekarapiruk
Mildred Voon Hian Ya
Savignat Jean-Michel
Divya Divakaran
Susan Tuah
Diana Leo
Klaas van Luik
Claire Louise Bowden
Suhaib Rifaat Ahmed
Omar Al-Jaaidi & Majida
Richard & Kathryn Carmalt
Michael & Arraya Price
Edmond Fernando & Elvina
Narmal Singh & Jagdeep Kaur
Bernd & Dorit Rademacher
Sim Theng Hiok & Christina Tan
Pieter Hendriks & Anne Marie
William & Ann MacDonald
Krishnan & Kalaimagal Selvakumar
Ted Sijtsma & Marry Torry
Solomon & Jacqueline Kathleen
Peter Watson & Regina Hendranata
Narayan & Nadhavi Joshi
Wilgard Derks & Petra Hopmans
Walid A. Hamed & Heba Aly A.
Kader
Derek William & Sedna Elspeth
Mackenzie
Henry Scott & Clare Marie Fowler
John Braisby & Kathryn Marie
Hardacre
Mark Alan Poole & Katherine
Elisabeth
Su Kah Seng & Su Kah Hong
Michiel & Elise Johanna MolenaarKristiansen
Christopher & Cheryl Sim
Joerg & Lilian Bauer
Chin Kok Kheng & Joann Phang
(photo not available)
FAREWELL
Mr. Tan Keng Soong
Miss Bernico Ho Soong Sheah
Mr. & Mrs. Erik Segers
Mr. & Mrs. Anton Broers
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Ward
Mr. & Mrs. Nordin Mhd. Ali
Mr. & Mrs. Bong Kuek Chin
Mr. & Mrs. George Kokkoros
Mr. & Mrs. Franz L. Kesseler
Mr. & Mrs. Ooi Kiam Chai
Mr. & Mrs. Zainul Rahman
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel A. Pannunzio
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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1.) on which side of the line should you start?
2.) on what tack should you be at the starting
gun?
3.) to which side of the course should you
go?
WATERSPORTS
Sailing – Tacks & Gybes
The Start: Large gains and losses are made
at the start. When your boat comes off the
line, you want to be in clear air, have good
speed, be on the preferred side of the line
and course, and be on the right tack.
Bart, Diederik & Richard.
1.) Favored end of the line: To determine
the favored end of the line go to the middle
of the line and sail your boat head-to-wind.
While head-to-wind look to either side, left
at the pin, and right at the committee boat.
Whichever side further ahead is the
preferred end. This will be the closest end to
the windward mark, and why not begin with
a head start?
That's not sand, it's woodchips!
At the start, because of the way the line and
the course are set, there are going to be some
large possible gains at the outset. There are
three questions you should answer during
the beginning of the starting sequence:
Ian & Guy
2.) Best tack off the line: To decide the best
tack, you need to decide which will take you
straightest to the windward mark. When you
are head-to-wind in the middle of the line,
checking the favored end, look also toward
the windward mark and see which side of
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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the boat it's on. If it's dead ahead, your initial
tack doesn't matter. If it's to the right, the
best tack is port, and to the left, starboard.
Great day for a sail.
3.) Favored side of the course: The favored
side of the course is often a little more
nebulous than the favored end of the line or
tack. The favored side of the course should
be the side where the most wind is. This you
can tell by standing up in your boat and
looking upwind.
Once you set this plan, stick with it. Too
many times racers tack at the last second,
only to lose the place because they got
worried. Set yourself up so you're coming at
the line at full speed; don't tack too much. It
throws off your concentration for going fast.
Just like a runner throws his or her body
forward into the tape when finishing, you
"throw" the boat over the line. If you're
confident you have the speed, once you're
about 1 boat-length from the finish, "shoot"
the boat straight into the wind. This cuts
down the distance you have to travel to
finish. (You must make sure you have
enough speed for this maneuver. It would be
a shame to be in front, only to come to a
dead stop just inches from the line.)
Back-up Race Committee. (nice work!)
Now that you've mastered starting and
finishing, stay tuned for other upcoming tips!
Yes, of course, it's-that-easy!
Worse than touch rugby players...
The Finish: As you come around the
leeward mark, look to the finish line to see
which side is closest to you. That is the side
where you should go. This idea is similar to
that of choosing a favored side of the line
when starting. However, if the wind has
stayed constant, and if the line is where it
started, the favored finishing end is the
opposite end from the favored starting end.
Junior Sailing
The kids have been on holiday so there is
nothing to report. However now they're back
expect the re-emergence of the ever
competitive optimist monthly mug.
Laser Sailing
Twenty participants have competed thus far
in the first half of the Laser fall racing series.
The weather has been great. The woodchips
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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have been a nuisance. Most importantly,
"Well done Bart!" Current leaders are:Laser Leaderboard
1st
Bart Elias
2nd Andreas Kirchner
3rd Diederik van Erp
4th
Ian Kellagher
5th
Andrew Murdey
470 Sailing
The 470 fall racing series has only just
started with three races completed. Ray and
Patsy are again positioning themselves for a
strong overall finish. Current leaders are:470 Leaderboard
1st
Boating/Swimming Areas.
Upcoming Events
07 Oct
Opti and Laser Sailing
28 Oct
Opti and 470 Sailing
Darwin & Johana
2nd Ray & Patsy Stringer
3rd Mike Townsend & Simon
4th
Andrew Murdey & Mok
5th
Mok Chuan-Yong & Andrew
Safety Note
We've received some feedback (based no
doubt on some near misses) that the boating
/ swimming divide is not being adhered to
on the beach. Boating and swimming don't
always mix, particularly when the boater is
out of control surfing towards the beach. In
view of this please make an effort to launch
and return southwest of the boat-ramp (the
Miri side). Similarly if you have children
who swim at the club please shepherd them
northwest of the boat-ramp (the Lutong side),
in front of the club while people are sailing.
Parting Thought
“You can't complain about the sea if you
suffer shipwreck for the second time.”
- Icelandic proverb
Andrew Murdey
Sailing Member
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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POWERBOAT
Thanks to Homer Uy we have a new PBC
website look, and the powerboat section has
been fleshed out with more information,
including a flicker photosite. Please have a
look
at
http://www.piasauboatclub.
om/powerboat.html.
If you have any
comments on the content or suggestions for
additional information you would like to see
on the site please email me. If you have any
photos of diving in Miri you would like to
add to the flicker site please email them to
me (Ian has already provided a healthy
selection) and I will have them uploaded (if
you keep your photos on your own website I
can also put in links from the PBC pages).
Diving
We plan to dive as long as the weather
allows. We are also looking at expanding
capacity on the Seacat to allow up to 12
divers per trip – we are looking at options
that would allow us to do this without
impacting weekend trips.
In August Gael Riethmuller led a trip to dive
the Labuan wrecks out of the Empire hotel.
The four Labuan wrecks (including two
World War II wrecks), lying in 20-40m
water depth are well worth diving, however
it appears that the diving operator at the
Empire hotel is logistically challenged (as
instead of the nice dive boat the group ended
up diving from water-ski boats). Another
option for diving the Empire wrecks is with
the BSAC club in Bandar who dive on
Fridays and Sundays. They have a dive boat
capable of taking up to 16 divers – but
diving is done in waves so a normal two
dive trip takes the whole day.
Diving demand continues unabated – we
have now done over 1000 dives this season,
compared to about 750 in the whole of 2006.
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On the 25th August we ran a trip to the two
wrecks close to the Miri coast, and were
joined by John Elder from the Panaga BSAC
club. John came down to dive the Atago
Maru for the 1st time in 29 years (when he
last dived it the masts were still above the
water). We also did another dive on the
suspected “Shinonome” wreck. There is
now some debate whether or not this wreck
really is the Japanese naval vessel the
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
Page 8
Shinonome, or whether it could be the bow
section of the oil tanker Yuho Maru (the
stern of which is lying in 55m of water off
Brunei).
bungee straps). We plan to replace it with a
new 60 hp engine in September.
More detail on the all of the known wrecks
in
this area can
be seen on
http://www.panagadivers.com/Wrecks/Wrec
ks.htm
There is a fishing trip planned on the 29th or
30th September. Please contact Jonathan
Sheldon or Alvin Bong for details. We now
have 6 fishing rods available to rent, and
detachable rod holders for the Seacat
Fishing
Seabarge
Neil Hadfield
One of the Seabarge engines has finally
Powerboat Member
given up (if you have not guessed it is the
one with the engine cover held down by
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Rowing
Water Ski-ing
The 2007 rowing challenge is still on-going
with three new record times set already this
year. You still have time to join the
challenge if you're up to it. Call Ray
Stringer if you want to take up the
Challenge or if you want a personalised
introduction to rowing.
There has been very little activity so far this
year although the boat is in good condition
after replacing the broken trailer. Call Ray
Stringer or the PBC office if you want to
qualify as a Ski Boat driver or want to take
over as convener.
Ray
Rowing / Waterskiing Convener
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
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BALL SPORTS
For more detail contact Ben Alamiyo 013230 6673
Ben Alamiyo
Tennis Convener
Tennis
Coming up is the Tennis tournament BRSC vs PBC on 3rd November 2007.
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Piasau Boat Club
Marathon Relay 2007
Charity
Half-
On October 6th 2007 a Charity HalfMarathon Relay will be organised to raise
funds and awareness for the Palliative
Care Home Programme (PCHP) Miri.
PHCP Miri is a sub-committee of the
National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Miri
Branch) and supports individuals living in
and around Miri suffering from terminal
illness.
T-shirts are provided to all of the
participants to increase the profile of the
Palliative Care Home Programme. With
the generous sponsorship of the Piasau
Boat Club and SCOMI, entry for this event
is only RM 10 per participant. In support
of the Palliative Care Home Programme,
Sarawak Shell Berhad will donate 25 RM
for every entrant. There’s also the chance
to win a prize for the fastest team, best
team name or wackiest costume.
So, get your running or walking shoes on
Last year 200 participants took part and we
and go the distance for PCHP Miri. Come
are hoping to double the number this year
and join us in raising vital funds for the
and plan for it to become an annual charity
Palliative Care Home Programme on
event in Miri. This relay is run or walked
October 6th. The deadline for signing up is
by individuals or teams of between two
September 28th, so get your entry in now!
and five participants. The total distance is
21 kilometres split into five legs of either
Info and Registration: Mark (012-8719530,
three or five kilometres and is held around
pbcfunrun@gmail.com)
Piasau Camp and Pantai Piasau.
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Kids’ Fun Run
The Friday evening fun run for children is
popular as ever. For new families a quick
explanation: each Friday afternoon the
children can join an organised run, starting
and finishing at the Boat Club. They can
opt for 1km or 2km out and back run. The
children wear a number, which eases
registration, and makes the run more of an
event. Registration starts at 4.45pm and
the run starts around 5:15pm.
At the end of term Heather Arnott, who
admirably held control of the loud hailer
single handed, passed the baton to three
new convenors! Doris Shum-Seward, Sally
Pease and Sarah James are usually to be
seen hovering somewhere near the
registration table when the children are
signing in.
Many thanks go to Heather for all her hard
work as numbers swelled.
A few changes have been made, the main
one being that individual timing has
stopped. We are, however, in the process
of getting hold of a timing clock to be
placed at the finish so that the more
competitive amongst us can check and
compare times. A new line has been
painted on the road, for those with
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
Page 10
strollers/pushchairs, to make the start a
little easier for runners. With safety in
mind, it is worth suggesting to the children
that the runners at the front should be the
fastest ones (usually the older children), so
that they can clear the way for slower
runners/ walkers! We also ask that no
runners start on the pavement.
who are due a prize, parents may need to
sign a chit.
The registration table needs volunteers. A
sign up sheet is attached to the whiteboard.
Please add your names to the list. The job
is considerably easier than previously as it
is now simply registration, not time
keeping and should take no longer than 1
hour in total. We request the volunteers to
stay at the desk for about 20mins after the
start to help register any new runners,
answer questions and cheer the finishers.
As ever prizes are available for runners
completing significant distances; 21km,
42km and 64km. Our yearly tallies
revolves around the Chinese New Year.
This year it’s the Year of the Golden PigSo all there remains to say is get down to
that’s what the piggy banks are all about.
the Boat Club on Fridays and get running!
Watch out for new red T-shirts appearing
as runners reach the 42km total. Watch
Doris
the notice board for the names children
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SOCIAL
Good News for all Newcomers to the
Piasau Boat Club, we have a Social
Committee that have a whole host of
events lined up for you for the rest of the
Year........
My name is Richard Earl and I am the
Social Member for the PBC, you can
normally find me hovering around the bar
on a Friday night, so feel free to ask me if
there are any events you want to run or
would like to see happen at the PBC.
Here are the up and coming attractions at
PBC:
13-14 October, Hari Raya, following
Ramadan the PBC will organise a
Traditional Malaysian Celebration
A chance for the little Monsters to dress up as
even scarier Monsters...This took place in the
volleyball court last year and we will try and
do the same again this year. With organised
Trick-or-Treating, Competitions and plenty of
weird stuff to get gooey with,....
Halloween party will finish by 7.30pm and
Ceilidh start around 8pm.
08 November, Scottish Country Dancing
Practice,
15 November, Scottish Country Dancing
Practice,
10 November, EXTRAVAGANZA
A NIGHT OF GLAMOUR & DECADENCE
Details to follow........
22 November, Scottish Country Dancing
Practice,
24 November, St Andrews Night,
09 December, Kids Christmas Party
27-28 October PBC International Beer
Festival
Just enjoy the different beers or complete your
card to claim your souvenir mug.
Any
questions?
Contact
me
at
earl@streamyx.com
See you down the boat club then.............
Richard Earl
Social Member
03 November, Halloween (kids) / The
Scottish Community’s Ceilidh Party
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August & September 2007 Beachcomber
Page 11
HOUSE
Dear all,
A couple of months ago, Stuart Arnott
passed on his role as PBC Committee
House member to me. It was easy for me
to take on this role – Stuart has done an
excellent job over the last couple of years,
the club house is in a very good state.
Let’s all thank him for his efforts. I will do
my best to continue his work.
So, what is happening around the Club?
During the month of August when most of
us were away enjoying our annual leave
we finally managed to go ahead with the
kitchen upgrade – a major project worth
more than 180,000 RM. The complete
overhaul included replacement of most of
the electrical equipment and wiring,
adjustment of plumbing as well as
replacement of most of the kitchen
equipment. All preparation works were
done overnight and we managed to
exchange and install the new equipment in
a record time of only 2.5 days without any
incidents or injuries.
The new kitchen layout and equipment
will allow the preparation of a greater
variety of dishes in a shorter amount of
time. During September we are planning to
introduce a new menu.
parties, birthdays, open air meetings or
simple get-togethers. The wooden gazebo
is planned to host up to 20 persons in a
sheltered, exclusive environment with all
the boat club catering benefits you are
used to. A complete new entertainment
experience! Design of the structure is
currently being finalized with construction
due to commence in Q4 this year.
Unfortunately this summer also saw a
couple of vandalism incidents on the Club
premises, mainly in the newly renovated
toilets and the skateboard court. We do all
agree – destroying or damaging Club
property and equipment is a serious
offence which will result in cancellation of
Club membership without long debate.
Parents remain responsible for their
children. Let’s please work on this
together; we do not want to populate the
place with fences and CCTV.
That’s all for now. I hope you all had
smashing holidays and you are looking
forward to plenty of relaxed time out at the
PBC!
Detlef
House Member
In the name of the club committee, I would
like to thank everybody, who has worked
long and hard to make the refurbishment
happen. Very special thanks goes to our
Club Manager, Peter Ng for coordinating
the execution of this project and Francine
Spiering for taking on responsibility of
planning and designing the kitchen layout.
Some more good news, with the kitchen
refurbishment out of the way we will now
be concentrating on our second large
project in 2007: The PBC gazebo – a new
venue for private dinner arrangements,
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