Big River Sailing Club wrecked by mini tornado

The same day that I was getting my arm in plaster. 2nd January, the Big River Sailing Club was wrecked by what the insurer's technical expert described as a "high precipitation super cell".

The damage is so severe that the insurer agrees that the clubhouse needs rebuilding from scratch (with the possible exception of the toilets). It has been fenced off and the asbestos panels that flew hundreds of metres over the sugar cane fields have been removed. The committee is now busy with plans for rebuilding, insurers, engineers, quotes, DAs.  

Little Dragon was sitting in the paddock on her trailer alongside the clubhouse ready for my already cancelled (see previous post) weekend sailing. The mini tornado pushed Little Dragon at least 30 metres across the paddock and she came to rest on the only tree stump in the whole area - undamaged save for the jockey leg. If she hadn't been stopped she would have bowled on into the power line potentially bringing down the mast.

POSTSCRIPT

On the 20th January, as soon as the asbestos was removed and the site made safe, sailing resumed. After all the Clarence River wasn't damaged and the dinghies stored in the boat sheds were unscathed.