Kenthurst Probus Club returned to form in April, which in club terms means a guest speaker, a cup of tea, and something genuinely worth listening to.
The speaker was Lindsay May from the Sydney Maritime Museum. His subject: the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a topic that sounds breezy until he explains what navigating that race actually involves. May has done it many times, including as the navigator himself.
The short version is that pointing a yacht south toward Hobart is about as straightforward as it sounds — which is not straightforward at all. Navigators now work with real-time data on currents, wind, and tides, and the margin for misjudgement is the kind that ends races early.
Members and visitors received the talk warmly, which is perhaps the most understated thing you can say about a room full of people who just learned how ocean racing actually works.
What’s ahead for the club: a Putt Putt Golf day, a bus and ferry run to Cockatoo Island, theatre trips, and a visit to the ANSTO facility at Lucas Heights — a somewhat more serious outing, though no doubt equally social.
Meetings are on the third Monday of each month at 9.30 am — Uniting Church Building, corner of Jones Road and Kenthurst Road, Kenthurst. First-timers welcome. Rosalie Chaloner handles enquiries: 0419 119 17.