Oh buoy, our first regatta!

17 September 2023, La Perouse, NSW: And we’re off! The first NSW regatta of the 2023-4 season, hosted by Pacific Dragons DBOCC, took place at Frenchman’s Bay Reserve, and, oh buoy, are we super-proud of our paddlers.

Head Coach / Regatta Coach Kylie Young and a fever of Stingrays were in La Perouse on Sunday, competing in the Novice (4km) OC6 and Short Course (8km) OC6 races.

For several of our Conjola crew members, this was their first ever outrigger canoe regatta:

  • Novice (4km) OC crew:
    • Seat 1: Karen Wade (first regatta)
    • Seat 2: Jo Svirinas (first regatta)
    • Seat 3: Michelle (JBOCC)
    • Seat 4: Wendy (JBOCC)
    • Seat 5: Kaz Roberts (first regatta)
    • Seat 6: Kylie Young
  • Short-course (8km) OC6 crew:
    • Seat 1: Heidi Graham
    • Seat 2: Sharon Doolan
    • Seat 3: Angela Jenkins (first regatta)
    • Seat 4: Simon Katz (first regatta)
    • Seat 5: Gaz Charlton (first regatta)
    • Seat 6: Kylie Young

Excellent job, all of you. And well done, Coach Kylie, for steering these paddlers towards achieving this major milestone for our tiny, regionally based club.

On behalf of all Conjola Stingrays, a big thank you to Pacific Dragons for hosting a wonderful, friendly regatta and, also, for the loan of a canoe. Thank you, too, Wendy and Michelle, from our sister club, Jervis Bay OCC, for joining Jo Svirinas, Karen Wade, Kaz Roberts and Kylie Young in the Novice (4km) OC6 race.

Enjoy the snaps (below) of the on-water action and post-race celebrations featuring the Stingrays, courtesy of Pacific Dragons’ Facebook page, and as snapped by Jo Svirinas, Deb McCartney, and Kaz and Steve Roberts.

Images credit: Pacific Dragons DBOCC; Jo Svirinas; Deb McCartney; Kaz Roberts; Steve Roberts

From Webscorer, the results from the regatta’s races in which our crews participated can be viewed by clicking on the link/s below:

Keep going, Stingrays! The entire club is cheering you on as you prepare for the next regatta. Paddles up!

Ocean paddling with the Stingrays

It’s Spring, and what a perfect time to kick off ocean paddling training.

Source: Elizabeth Ryder

With funding from generous supporters, Conjola Stingrays OCC recently purchased, and took ownership of, its first ocean-going canoe. With the canoe rigged and ready, Head Coach, Kylie Young, and a crew of enthusiastic club members, set off from Ulladulla Beach, heading into the magnificent Tasman Sea for a paddle on open water.

Club member, Liz Ryder, was there, too, swapping paddle for camera, and able to take some great shots of the Stingrays taking the club’s ocean canoe out for its first spin.

Source: Elizabeth Ryder

And what good timing! The club’s crew, coached by Head Coach and Regatta Coach, Kylie Young, is off to the year’s first regatta, hosted by Pacific Dragons DBOCC, on Sunday, 17 September 2023, at Frenchmen’s Bay, La Perouse. Allez les Pastenagues!

Cheque presentation at Community Bank Milton and South Coast

22 August 2023: Bob Hardie and Kylie Young represented the Stingrays at the cheque presentation held recently at Community Bank Milton and South Coast (Bendigo Bank), with Gavin Hart, Marina Berry and Shaykia Hanchard from the bank joining in for a photograph to mark the occasion.

We are thrilled and proud to have the support of Bendigo Bank, and everyone in the club appreciates their $5,000 contribution towards the purchase of a six-seater outrigger canoe capable of being paddled on the ocean.

On behalf of everyone in the Conjola Stingrays OCC, we say a massive thank you to Community Bank Milton and South Coast.

Paddles up!

Conjola Stingrays OCC is proud to be supported by Bendigo Bank

23 June 2023: Conjola Stingrays OCC is delighted to announce that Community Bank Milton and South Coast (Bendigo Bank) has provided our club with $5,000 specifically earmarked as a contribution towards purchasing a six-seater outrigger canoe capable of being paddled on open water.

On behalf of everyone in the club, we say a big thank you to Community Bank Milton and South Coast and, in particular, to Lauren and Dimmity at the Milton branch.

Growing pains

Just over a year ago, Conjola Stingrays OCC was launched by a small group of passionate paddling locals. In a year, we’ve grown from five to 45 paddlers, and we now offer four training sessions during the week to accommodate our growing membership numbers. Our very old, very heavy outrigger canoes need some urgent TLC.

The club committee has implemented a fundraising plan to secure funds to purchase two second-hand OC6s as soon as we can. Our website is part of our marketing plan, and we’ve set up a fundraising page on the Australian Sports Foundation’s fundraising platform. We’d love you to make a donation, no matter how modest, so that we can continue to grow as a club and paddle safely on the lake and the sea.