While Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club (SSCBC) has an army of volunteers for the Australian Youth Championships, there are two who are definitively part of the furniture.  Fred and Barbara Allen have been members of Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club (SSCBC) since 1979 and the pair have been volunteering at sailing events in various capacities since.

After sailing on their Jubilee for over 40 years the couple are now assisting the club off the water.  “When you find you are getting a little too tense down the back end of the fleet it is nice to be able to go into the administrative side because you know what the sailors want,” Fred explained.  “What would the sailors want me to do next or how can I make it easier for the sailors?  That’s part of the act.”

An engineer by trade and amateur artist 83-year-old Fred has volunteered everywhere including the canteen, fundraising, rescue boats and the radio tower where he is working today.

Artist Barbara, 85-years-old, has organised events as the Social Auxiliary President, fundraised, supported the club onshore at events and sewn multiple sets of signal flag, completing four flags per day (58 flags makes up a full set).

This regatta Barbara is organising the volunteer lunches and sketching during quiet periods.  Barbara particulaly enjoys the social aspect of the role.  “We like doing this because you are with everybody,” Barbara said.  “At Sorrento it’s the friends you make around the club.  It’s all centred on sailing and I belong to a sailing club because I like sailing.”

Former SSCBC Commodore Fred added, “The sailing fraternity is a great thing to have.  I love getting involved in the running of events whether it’s on the radio, helping people to understand what’s happening around the club or on the water.  We have peculiar conditions here with the tides and it’s always interesting how people discover how different sailing is here.”

The pair have spent much time over the years working on their art at the club as well as making the boxes for signal flags, historical photos boards of the club and welding the radio units in the club’s tower.

Fred and Barbara’s children both met their future spouses at the club and they are delighted to see their grandchildren get involved in the sport as well.  “The club has been a great as a family and we never tire of saying to ourselves how lucky we are to come down here and be a part of this club,” Fred said.

Sorrento’s Commodore Graham Cunningham said the club was lucky to have the pair.  “They are an absolute institution around the club.  We are very fortunate because Fred is in the tower doing all the race administration.  They have no enemies, everyone is their friend.”

Today is the last day of the regatta and Graham was delighted with the volunteers work.  “It has been an amazing effort by the volunteers, coordinated by Debra Kwasnicki.  It has been terrific.  There is a real sense of community here.  We are giving them all a thank lunch tomorrow.”