This is Anne Hunting, co-owner of the lovely AMALFI 111.She and her husband Chris volunteered themselves and their boat as the start boat for the KISS 2023 Passage Rally. Thanks so much Anne and Chris

This is Tao Hsu, winner of the KISS 2023 Passage Rally 360Q Helm Trophy. She is receiving the trophy from Barry Iddles, owner of the fabulous restaurant overlooking the harbour at Queenscliff. Wonderful food, outstanding food

KISS 2023 a huge success

KISS has added another twenty nine females to the sailing fraternity. Over the fourteen weeks of the program, our KISS sailors faced their fears, decided that knowledge is power and plunged headfirst into upskilling and becoming active crew members. The webinars covered personal & boat preparation, navigation, weather & tides on Port Phillip, radio protocols, life jacket care & servicing, passage planning and much more. The rally from RBYC to QCYC was a joyous day and there were smiles, high fives and shrieks of pure joy as each of the seven vessels arrived safely. There were looks of wonderment as they realised what they had achieved, how far they had come in their sailing journey and the joy of making new likeminded friends and building a network.

The 360Q KISS Passage Rally Helm Trophy presented by local restaurateur Barry Iddles, was awarded to Tao Hsu, steering Beneteau 393 Martilse to victory, for achieving a finish time closest to their predicted ETA. A back-to-back win for boat owner and mentor Anthony Palmer following the boat’s victory in the inaugural event in 2022.

The Queenscliff Maritime Museum Radio Operators Trophy was presented by Queenscliff Maritime Museam Secretary Carolyn McKinnon to Jolene Laverick-Thorn aboard Jeanneau 349 Kiela, for her excellent radio protocols and logged recordings. It was an appropriate trophy for the Queenscliff Maritime Museum to have donated. In 1906 the Marconi Company set up wireless stations in Queenscliff and East Devonport., with the first official transmission across Bass Strait between then Prime Minister Alfred Deakin and various governors and dignitaries.

The SeaRoad Ferries Navigators Trophy was awarded to Tanya Wilson aboard Northshore 33 Twice Five for her excellent passage planning and logging of the journey. Edel Doyle, Secretary of the KISS partner club, the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, presented the trophy on behalf of ORCV Commodore Cyrus Allen. For boat owner and mentor Marg Goddard it was a double victory and definitely worth a ‘twice five’’, given her bad luck in the 2022 Race/Rally with an eleventh hour seabed issue obstructing her departure from the boat’s pen which put her out of the then race event.

his year, a new award was added to the trophy cache, the KISS Rally Photographic prize, for the best photo posted to social media during the passage event and went to Rachel Cameron, Boat Team Manager for Beneteau 40.7 Boomer.

Commodore Niesje Hees from kindred club, Royal Brighton Yacht Club, hosted berthing and dinner on Friday evening for KISS participating boats from other clubs and then drove to QCYC on Saturday for the KISS Presentation.  Her take on the event -

“Congratulations on the KISS program! It was so much fun to be there for the presentation. I could see everyone was having a terrific time and keen to do more sailing. What could be better than that?”

There are many people to thank.

The wonderful Chris and Anne Hunting provided their lovely AMAFLI 3 as the Committee Boat. Rosie Colahan and Alison Roberts-Wray who not only mentored and gave us the use of their boats, also helped to run the whole show. Denise Smeaton took a pile of wonderful photos.

To our sponsors, Bluewater Sailing School, Boating Central, Mandy Jackson’s Nutrimetics, Paper Sailors Rock, our partners ORCV and She Sails, thanks for everything. The incredible generosity of our boat owners, mentors and presenters gave us wings and once again made our Club the special entity that it truly is.

Jolene with the Secretary of the Queenscliff Maritime Museum, Carolyn McKinnon making the presentation

Tanya the winner of the KISS 2023 Queenscliff Maritime Museum Navigator's Trophy.

Edel, pictured with the KISS Passage Rally 2023 Searoad Ferries Navigator's Trophy