Heaven Can Wait 2022 (HCW) is now just 2 months away

Heaven Can Wait 2022 © Melvyn Steiner

Now that we are out of lockdown you can firm up your HCW entry plans, get your crew into shape and be prepared for another great experience sailing around the length and breadth of fabulous Lake Macquarie while competing in the equally fabulous HCW Charity Fund Raising Regatta - the 16th HCW Charity Sailing Regatta to be run over the weekend of February 5 and 6. The Charity Dinner will again be held on the preceding Friday - February 4th, at the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto.

Again we are working on having some great dinner guests who will - for your entertainment, be interviewed by well-known ABC Newcastle sports commentator Helene O'Neil. Tickets for the dinner will be available later this month. Paul Bennet will again be performing in front of the Royal Motor Yacht Club prior to the start of the Regatta - about 10.00am on Saturday February 5th. So get your crews organised and set yourself up to participate in this great Charity Regatta, and more particularly, the 24 Hour Endurance race. Yes, you can take the less challenging events - the One Lap Dash and the 12 Hour race, but there is nothing like having done the 24 Hours on the lake and being able to say 'I did It'.

In case you did not know, the HCW Charity Regatta was conceived and inaugurated by Lake Macquarie resident, keen sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki as a major annual sailing event on the lake to promote sailing, the Lake Macquarie / Newcastle / Hunter region - and originally, to raise funds for cancer research - particularly men's cancers. As the survival rates from cancer have improved, so have the needs of the Hunter Branch of Cancer Council NSW, and the funds we raise from this regatta are now directed to a new program - a Home Help Program. This program provides domestic assistance to both recovering and terminal cancer patients who - because of their illness, are unable to perform many of the domestic duties they would normally do.

In the 15 years that this event has been run, it has raised some $470,000 in support of the charities and we fully expect to be well over the $500,000 after the 2022 event. We would like to think, that you will be there to help us.

The HCW Charity Sailing Regatta will again be part of Lakefest - a celebration of aquatic activity on Lake Macquarie which - in 2022, will include the Lake Macquarie Regatta, the Australia Day Regatta, the SheSkippers race, the Classic Boatfest and the Charity Ball. You can find more information about Lakefest at www.lakefest.com.au. When you come for the HCW Regatta, why not stay a while and participate in some of the other Lakefest events.

The Notice of Race - NOR (preliminary) is now available and the HCW Race Entry System is open. Both can be accessed on the Heaven Can Wait website, www.heavencanwait.com.au.