MHYC Senior Member's Luncheon
50+ years Members 20+ year Members
It was another great day for the Senior’s Lucheon where members who have been with us for more than 20 years get together once again. The club was just buzzing.
This year our guest speaker was Patrick Delaney, the Foxtel Group CEO as well as a Board member at MHYC. He is also not a bad sailor having won a National Adam’s 10 championship in 2016 and the Club Adam’s 20 championship 3 times with his beloved Powderhulk. He currently sails with boat partner Brent Lawson on their Farr40- BLUETACK.
Patrick talked about his involvement in turning around Foxtel and compared it with the recent transformation of our club.
As usual we presented badges to members who had crossed over each of the membership milestones.
Looking forward to an even bigger year next year. I managed to capture a few new members for the organising committee and we are even looking at changing the name of this exclusive group!
Story and Photos by Julie Hodder
Photo: 50 Year Plus members
Mike McEvoy, Gary Gietz, Frank Banks, Michael Green, Glen Attersall, Paul Wotherspoon, Richard Hurley, Keith Le Compte (50 years this year), John Needham, Peter Sorensen and Lloyd Bennett.
The Last Members
Vale Phil Clinton
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Phil Clinton, a long standing and valued senior member of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club community. Phil's deep commitment to sailing and his extensive contributions to the club for more than five decades have left an enduring legacy.
Phil Clinton's association with MHYC began almost 60 years ago, and throughout this time, he has held numerous roles that have significantly shaped the club's culture and its operations. From 2010 to 2015, Phil served as the Vice Commodore of Racing. During his tenure, he chaired the Sailing Committee and was instrumental in implementing several key initiatives from the Sailing Strategy Plan. These initiatives included the "Meet and Greet" nights, which simplified connections between skippers needing crew and members eager to sail, and the MHYC Mentoring Program, which brought experienced sailors on board to help crews and skippers enhance their skills.
Phil's involvement with MHYC extended beyond his term as Vice Commodore. He was an important member of the Race Management Team, frequently seen on the water as part of the starters and volunteer teams. His roles as a Club Judge, Safety Auditor, and PHS Handicapper demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that races were conducted safely and fairly. For over a decade, Phil also served as the Crew Board Manager during Thursday Night Twilight Sailing, where he helped new crew members find boats and boat owners find crew.
Phil's passion for sailing was deeply rooted in his family's maritime heritage. His grandfather was a ship's captain, and his father, Andrew Clinton, was a distinguished sailor and former Vice Commodore of MHYC. Phil's own sailing career included participating in six Sydney Hobart Yacht Races and numerous offshore races. Among his many club racing achievements, he particularly cherished the memory of finishing 10th from 119 starters in the 1982 Sydney Hobart Race on the famed 50-footer Casablanca.
After retiring from offshore racing, Phil continued to sail competitively with various crews, including on the Farr 30 2Excess and the Kernan 44 Swish. He later sailed with Bob Cox on 9 Dragons, enjoying the camaraderie and competitive spirit of yacht racing.
Phil's contributions to MHYC were not limited to his sailing expertise. After completing his term as Vice Commodore, he joined the Board of MHYC, where he represented the Board at Sailing Committees and supported volunteers and senior members. His efforts to adopt a welcoming and supportive environment at the club were deeply appreciated by all who knew him.
Phil Clinton was more than just a dedicated sailor; he was a cornerstone of the MHYC community. His kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the club's values have left an indelible mark. The friendships he forged and the initiatives he championed will continue to benefit MHYC for years to come. In Julie Hodder’s own words “I will miss him a lot. He was true gentleman”. Words that will be echoed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Phil and his family have been integral members of MHYC for many years. We extend our deepest condolences to them during this difficult time.
Phil's dedication will forever be remembered at MHYC. Fair winds Phil you have been an inspiration.
Volunteers needed for Sailability Middle Harbour
Hello MHYC members. We are on a recruitment drive for more volunteers.
Who are we?
Sailability Middle Harbour (SMH) is one of the 25 NSW programs of Sailability NSW. As such, we aim to fulfill Sailability NSW’s mission which is to “facilitate participation in sailing and boat usage at social, recreational and competitive levels for people with disabilities regardless of age and level of disability.” Our SMH sailors have physical and/or intellectual disabilities and the age range is 8 to 65 years old.
We have teenagers and adults of all ages volunteering. Some of our volunteers are skippers. Other volunteers operate the safety boat or distribute and clean life jackets and slings or crane those that need it into the boats. Many volunteers do a bit of everything and of course there is always time for a coffee!
What do we do?
We take the sailors out on Hansa 303 boats which are two-person dinghies and steered with a joystick. The ballasted centreboard provides stability and reefable sails makes sailing very safe in most conditions.
When do we sail?
We sail every second Sunday of the month and every last Sunday of the month. We begin rigging the boats at 8.00 am for a 9.00 am start and finish about 12.30. Some volunteers stay for the whole time and others donate just a couple of hours. We are a very flexible and friendly group and you do not need to commit to every sail. We all just turn up when we can. You can choose to be part of the deck crew or skipper or do a bit of both.
Interested?
You can contact Sally O’Neill on 0411 886 539 or just turn up on a Sunday and have a look at what we do. You will find us on the hard stand at MHYC.
More information about Middle Harbour Sailability can be found on our website.
By Margery Hertzberg
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Opportunity for Australian Sailors - 16th China Cup International Regatta
The 16th China Cup International Regatta is held in the first week of November and is open to all international sailors. It is professionally run and is essentially the equivalent of HIRW in Asia. The event has been attended by many famous figures in the Australian sailing community.
Held in Daya Bay, which is very easy to get to, about 60 km northeast of Hong Kong. The conditions and scenery are very similar to Whitsundays sailing. It is a spectacular venue with several developed marinas and accommodation options in close proximity, ranging from twin-share Airbnb to six-star luxury resorts.
Registration fees are as low as USD $422 per boat and $85 per person for early bird entries before mid-August. Divisions will include IRC and PHS, Beneteau 40.7, TP52, Far East 28R, J/80, and Bavaria Cruiser 37.
China has recently announced visa-free entry for Australian tourists for up to 15 days. English-speaking university student volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors. There has never been a better opportunity to experience the famous hospitality of mainland China and meet other sailing enthusiasts from the region.
View the utube video of last years event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8mAhjGzDEc
For more information and assistance contact:
Paul Bradley
m: (+61) 0420924728
e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Read more: Opportunity for Australian Sailors - 16th China Cup International Regatta
Pacific Rigging Wednesday Non-Spinnaker Series
The Pacific Rigging Wednesday Non-Spinnaker Series 3 Finale was sailed on a mild sunny day that became even nicer with the arrival of a moderate northerly whichenabled the fleet to enjoy a very comfortable sail around the harbour on a Course 6. With a slightly adjusted course, Division 2 boats were first home and led by Steve Chiodo’s Manu from Innamincka (John Crawford) and Let Loose (Paul Saunders). Best in Division 1 was Brent Lawson’s Bluetack from Exile (Rob Reynolds) and Austmark (Gunther Schmidt-Lindner).
This week’s race was the finale of the Series 3 and the Division 1 series score came down to the wire with Bluetack’s race win securing the series by half a point! Austmark was second and Garth Riley’s Gambler claimed third on a tie-break with Zen. Paul Saunders’ Let Loose finished well ahead on the Division 2 leader board, ahead of Graeme & Chris Lee’s Farr N Away and Charles Caskey’s Onya. To view the race and series results – click here
Marg Fraser-Martin sailed with Innamincka to capture the action ashore and afloat - thanks Marg!
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Combined Clubs Prizegiving
The 2023-2024 Sydney Harbour Combined Clubs Series attracted 59 boats for the seven races and MHYC boats dominant performances were rewarded at the prizegiving hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron last Friday 14 June.
Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) was first in Division 1 on ORC and IRC and second on PHS. Wailea (Neil Padden) finished on top of Division 2 on ORC and PHS, while Stormaway (Jack Stening & Colin Gunn) took the series win on IRC. Innamincka (John Crawford) and Waterborne Again (Marc Tromp) finished first and second respectively on both the ORC and PHS series scores. Not only was Marg Fraser-Martin on the water for most of the racing but was at RSYS to capture the prizegiving moments too. Thankyou Marg!
To view the Combined Clubs Inshore Series Results – click here
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2024-25 Sailing Program outlined at Forum
A Keelboat Sailing Forum was held at MHYC on Wednesday 22 May to outline the proposed 2024-2025 Sailing Program, seek feedback from members and discuss any topics of interest. Vice Commodore Racing Mitch White welcomed about thirty keelboat owners and skippers before Sailing Manager David Staley reviewed this year’s calendar, summarised feedback from owners and presented the program that has been developed for next season.
There will be little change to the midweek programs for 2024-2025, except that the Friday Twilight Series will have three more races and the catering arrangements for Thursday and Friday Twilights are likely to change.
MHYC’s Saturday racing program is also similar to the current season, with twenty races scheduled in the Annual Inshore Pointscore (one less) six races in the Ocean Pointscore (unchanged) and eleven Feature Races (also unchanged). Opening Day and the Commodore’s Cup has been moved later in September to enable more boats and people from the diverse activities of the club to participate. Mark Saturday 21 September 2024 in your diary to be at MHYC.
The big difference from 2023-2024 is that MHYC will cooperate with Manly Yacht Club in the coming year to run a Combined Sunday Series. This series incorporates five passage races starting and finishing in the vicinity of The Sound, and two sprint days with three races each day. Middle Harbour Divisions 1 and 2 will be combined into Division 1 for this series, with Division 3 boats being promoted to Division 2. This will align the Middle Harbour and Manly fleets. The aim is to provide a series which has competitive racing for a larger group of boats, is sailed on a range of good courses located in the northern part of Sydney Harbour, activate a new group of boats who are not attracted to Saturday racing, and be able to share the race management resources of both clubs.
During Winter 2025, MHYC will conduct three days of the Sydney Harbour Sprint Series and three Feature Events (one of each in May, June and July) and the Leading Edge Pursuit Series of five races held in August. The Winter Pursuit Series will be discontinued and boat owners at MHYC will be encouraged to enter either the Combined Clubs Winter Series (Saturdays) or the CYCA Winter Series (Sundays) instead.
The Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta is the club’s biggest event each year and will be contested on 1 & 2 March 2025. For the offshore racers, the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship on 23 & 24 November 2024 is the event to kick off the summer. MHYC will also deliver a number of regattas for one-design keelboats and five charity and corporate regattas are also planned.
So, another busy season (ten more races than this year) is coming up and we encourage owners, skippers and crew to start now on planning the events and series in their individual sailing programs. The program outline will remain draft until July when final adjustments are approved by the Sailing Committee. The overall schedule, along with schedules and sailing instructions for the different series, will be published on the website during August and the Sailing Handbook will be published by early September.
To view the Keelboat Sailing Forum Presentation – click here
To view the Overall Sailing Program outline – click here
For any questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series Underway
The Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series kicked off on Saturday with competitors battling the light and shifty breezes. Race were progressively shortened as the wind evaporated – four legs for race one, three legs for race two and just up and back for the final race. Across the three races, Wailea (Neil Padden) and Innamincka (John Crawford) claimed the ORC and PHS overall win in their respective divisions 2 & 3. Artemis (Tracy Richardson) was the best Adams 10 on One-Design, while Contentious (Brian Lees) claimed the PHS win. Thanks to Marg Fraser-Martin for the photos. Results are at https://app.sailsys.com.au/.../208/results/series/2541/races
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Combined Clubs Inshore 2023-24 Prizegiving
It's time to gather the crew and celebrate the conclusion of the Combined Clubs Inshore series with a presentation of prizes and an informal dinner at the Squadron.
MHYC boats put in some dominant performances over the season and Toy Box 2, Stormaway, Wailea and Innamincka were all multiple winners across the PHS, ORC and IRC handicaps in their respective divisions. View the results here.
Prizegiving details...
Friday 14 June, 2024
6pm: Drinks at the bar
6.30pm: Award presentation
7:00pm: Informal dinner in the Careening Cove Anchorage (choose and pay as you go)
Parking will be available in the RSYS carpark.
Non-members, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 9955 7171
RSYS Members book for dinner here
Sydney Harbour Sprints Finale
The final round of the Sydney Harbour Sprints Spring Series was sailed on The Sound on Saturday, with the Super 30 fleet from Sydney Amateur Sailing Club joining in to boost Division 2. A light to moderate south-easterly persisted throughout the afternoon, enabling the full daily program of three races and the series of none races to be completed. While Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) and Innamincka (John Crawford) made a clean sweep in Divisions 1 and 3, Small Gains (Don Colantonio), Very Tasty (Al Chase) and Mr Mojo (George Kompolthy) each took a Division 2 race win.
At the conclusion of the nine race Spring Series, Toy Box 2 claimed the Division 1 win from Bluetack (Brent Lawson) and Nine Dragons (Bob Cox). In Division 2, Neil Padden’s Wailea finished ahead of Sirius (Garth Riley) and Artemis (Tracy Richardson). Brett Churcher’s Plan B snatched a single point victory in Division 3 from Innamincka (John Crawford) with Waterborne Again (Oloff Tromp) third. View the race and series results - click here
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Advertising Now Available in 2024-25 Handbook
There is a limited opportunity to advertise your product or service in Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s Sailing Handbook which is published in August each year.
The Handbook is distributed free to members and is kept on their desks and on their boats as a regular reference. Your advertisement will ensure that your product or service remains front of mind. MHYC members cover a wide spectrum of backgrounds and professions – they are not only interested in boating but also in the legal, financial and property areas amongst many others.
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ADVERTISING RATES (All prices include GST) |
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FULL PAGE A5 COLOUR (preferred placement) |
$800 |
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FULL PAGE A5 COLOUR |
$700 |
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HALF A5 PAGE COLOUR |
$350 |
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FULL PAGE A5 MONO |
$500 |
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HALF A5 PAGE MONO |
$250 |
Print ready artwork to be provided as high resolution colour pdf to A5 full page (210mm h x 148.5mm w) or A5 half page (105mm h x 148.5mm w) with crop / trim marks and 5mm bleed.
Booking deadline 12th July 2024
Artwork deadline 30th July 2024
For further information or to reserve your advertising space, please contact the MHYC Sailing Office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 02 8969 3103.