'Down here in Australia it's the shortest day of the year but it's the longest night to party!' That's one of the best quotes describing Sailstice celebrations in a land that's experiencing winter during our summer here in the United States.
That quote also 
embodies this year's Summer Sailstice gala at the diehard Lake Samsonvale Water Sports Association in Australia.
"It's winter here in Australia so it will be a get together of willing sailors from (our club)," Sailstice organizer Jenny Buckley said. "Lovely sunny winter days; terrific weather; terrific sailing."
Jenny Buckley will be joining Linda Merriman and other members of the water sports association to celebrate Summer Sailstice. Buckley will be riding the waves on her Windrider sailboat named Kokomo.
The Association — a family friendly club in Queensland, Australia — developed about 4.5 hectares on the south bank of Lake Samsonvale into a well grassed and tree shaded area with a clubhouse, canteen and numerous wood-fired barbeques spread out across the grounds. The lake is a great place for beginner sailors and kids who want to learn water sports, while offering a challenging place for experienced sailors. The club welcomes all types of vessel — canoes and kayaks, windsurfers, and sailboats of every class.
For more information on the club's Summer Sailstice plans, contact linda.merriman@bigpond.com
In other related news from the website http://www.lswsa.org.au/portable/hobie.htm, "Hobie 'Adventure Islands' are growing in popularity and Bob Rankin, who has enjoyed sailing his AI at Lake Samsonvale, would like to see a small fleet of these fun craft sailing and/or racing together as part of the Association's regular fortnightly meetings. The club has two Hobie AIs and Bob has had contact from a few other owners around the Redcliffe Peninsula who are interested in sailing together. If we can get 4 - 6 Hobie AIs together regularly we can enjoy the fun of sailing/racing in a one design class.
"As owners we can decide on whether we will allow use of the mirage pedal drive, for example we could allow on light wind days, or include on special races with a 100 pedal limit which would make for interesting decisions as to when to pump them, like thru a tack or to get a windward advantage or to wait near the finish for that extra burst to the finish line!! Some owners may also be interested in coming together at other times to explore the lake - there is a wealth of natural beauty and birdlife to discover."
For information contact Bob Rankin rrankin108@gmail.com