Zhik Womens Sprint Series Announced
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The Zhik Womens Sprint Series will be held on Sunday 3 November 2024.
This new regatta offers a series of short races with a round robin and final series in Melges 20 lightweight sportsboats.
Organisers are hoping that provided one-design equipment will enable a more diverse group of women to participate and the short course racing format will be more exciting and engaging.
There will be an opportunity for training in the Melges 20s on the Saturday afternoon before a 9am briefing on the Sunday and racing getting underway at 10.30am.
Following one final race to decide the placegetters in the afternoon, there will be live music, canapes and the prizegiving back at the club.
“We are looking forward to having a fun and exciting event on November 3 and are thrilled to announce that Zhik have come on board as event sponsor,” said MHYC Sailing Committee member Katie O’Mara.
“Zhik are providing some fantastic prizes for the placegetters and every crew member at the prizegiving will be in the lucky draw for a Zhik OFS 800 Jacket,” she said.
The Notice of Race is published and entry is now open via the event webpage. The event is limited to 12 teams and priority will be given to MHYC members, but sailors from other Sydney clubs are also encouraged to enter.
For any enquiries, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the MHYC Sailing Office on 8969 3103 (Wednesday to Saturday).
Photo: MHYC’s Melges 20 fleet will be used for the Zhik Womens Sprint Series (photo by Marg Fraser-Martin)
Keelboat Information & Training Sessions
MHYC is conducting a series of informative presentations and practcal training for keelboat owners, crew and race management volunteers.
For all sessions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register at the earliest opportunity.
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Wednesday 9 October from 6pm |
Keelboat Safety Forum Led by National Safety Equipment Auditor and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, Phil Darling, this session covers MHYC’s risk management framework, harbour hazards, dealing with groundings, vessel and crew preparation, and MOB retrieval along with an open forum to discuss participants areas of interest. |
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Wednesday 23 October from 6pm |
Flags & Signals Ever wondered what all those confusing flags mean! This is useful information for sailors competing at MHYC and other clubs, and important for volunteers wanting to build their knowledge of race management. This session also constitutes Part 1 of the MHYC Race Officer Course. |
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Saturday 26 October from 9am |
Mark Laying After an onshore briefing, participants will set up the buoys and tackle and go afloat to practice a variety of techniques to deploy and retrieve race marks. |
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Saturday 2 November from 10am |
MOB Practical Training Session Following on from the MOB theory of the Keelboat Safety Forum, this session provides the opportunity to use a MOB mannequin to practice MOB Retrieval techniques. |
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Wednesday 6 November from 6pm |
MHYC Race Officer Course The following week will be a Club Race Officer Course that will focus on race management and covers most aspects of MHYC’s keelboat racing program. Even if you don’t want to be a race officer, this session will help sailors and volunteers understand the on-shore and on-water decision making processes that determine how races are conducted. Note that this is not an Australian Sailing Accredited course. |
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Wednesday 27 November from 6pm |
Racing Rules Update The new edition of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS 2025-2028) apply from January 1. Come along to find out what has changed, participate in some scenarios to see how the rules apply and have the opportunity to ask questions of experienced race officials. |
Meet Luca - Sailability Middle Harbour
Luca has been sailing with Sailability Middle Harbour for many years. The joy he gets from sailing and his infectious laugh would make the saddest person happy. Luca has been blind from early childhood, and started learning Braille in Primary school. He is now 22 years old and makes handmade Braille greeting cards, helps businesses who want, for example, a Braille menu and has provided Braille signs for organisations such as the Manly Art Gallery. His business is called Braille by Luca. He also presents Braille workshops for schools and other groups. Luca’s passion is to help create a world accessible to all!
Hello MHYC members. We are on a recruitment drive for more volunteers.
We are sailing again on Sunday 8th September. If you are interested to see what we do please call by anytime between 9am and 11.30am. If after observing how we operate you think this activity is for you we’d be delighted to welcome you!
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.
It’s almost Daylight Saving!
It’s almost time to switch the clock back an hour and you know what that means – Twilights!
MHYC’s season of twilight racing gets underway next week October 3 with the Thursday Twilight Warm-Up. Held a few days before daylight saving commences, the start time for this race only will be 5pm. There are 24 pointscore races between now and the final race on April 3 and there is one race each month for the Smithy’s Waterproofing Women’s Helm Twilight Series. Make sure you have your entries in soon and join in the Thursday evening fun. Enter Here
The Friday Spinnaker Twilight Series kicks off on October 11. Held fortnightly between October and April, there are 13 races in the series this year. This is a great way to finish up the week! Enter Here
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Opening Day on September 21
Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Season Opening for 2024-2025 will be held on Saturday 21 September, celebrating the beginning of another exciting year of sailing.
The schedule for the day includes:
- 10.30am Brunch in the Harbour View Room
- All day Zhik MHYC Merchandise pop-up store
- 11.00am Welcome
- 11.30am – 12.15pm Sail Past.
- 12.30pm Commodore's Front Up! Cup
- 12.30 – 4.00pm Melges 20 Sailing
- 4.00pm Keelboat Presentations including Matt Pyne Cup for Best Dressed Boat & Crew
- Live Music and Food until 6.00pm
- Cruising Group Get-Together
- Enter the Lucky Members Draw to win a Zhik Sailing Jacket!
All members and friends are invited to join in the festivities - dress in your best red and white!
To download the Information Flyer - click here
To download the Sail Past Instructions - click here
To download the Commodore's Front Up! Cup Sailing Instructions - click here
Cruising Division Update
September 2024 Update
This winter has seen some of our Cruising yachts venture north to spend a few months in Queensland. We are expecting them back again for the summer.
This year the monthly cruising meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of each month at the club. Come along and meet fellow cruisers/sailors, catch up on information and listen to presentations from various speakers who share their knowledge of sailing/cruising. We start by gathering at 18.30 for a barbeque where you bring your own food, followed by the meeting at 19.30. This meeting is open to all MHYC members and guests.
The Cruising season at MHYC starts with a long weekend cruise in the harbour (5-7 October), if you are interested in coming along, please sign up on the cruising events website: crusing.mhyc.com.au.
We host the Make-A-Wish charity sail at the club on the 3rd of November.
If you would like to come along to another get-together cruise, check our events page on the website: cruising.mhyc.com.au
October Cruising meeting: 16 October at 19.30 (BBQ at 18.30).
Theme: Cruising at MHYC
Speaker: Zac, MHYC Dockmaster
We extend a special welcome this month to MHYC yacht owners who would like to know more about cruising together at MHYC.
Combined Clubs Sunday Series announced
Middle Harbour Yacht Club and Manly Yacht Club have jointly announced a Combined Clubs Sunday Series that will get underway on September 8 and conclude in April.
Both clubs are pooling their race management experience and resources to conduct the new series which will comprise eleven races over seven race days with a combination of passage races and windward-leeward sprints. Three sprint races are scheduled for each of the two sprint days.
All races will be scored on ORC, IRC and PHS for Division 1 and on ORC and PHS for Division 2.
Competition is looking strong with a variety of classes expected to enter, including a group of 40 footers.
Two Beneteau 40.7s, Neil Padden’s Wailea and Graeme and Chris Lee’s Farr N Away, are likely to challenge Mondo, the CYCA Winter Series winning Sydney 38 of Lisa Callaghan and Stephen Teudt along with Rob Carr and Stephanie Cook’s King 40 Jambo.
Greg Wilkins/Jan Bartel's Archambault 32, Esprit, is well sailed and Kia Kaha, the Julian McPherson/Andrew Watts Young 88, is also fast..
The J/24s will be well represented with Innamincka (John Crawford), Kaotic (Catherine Rofe) and Ace (David West) already in the mix.
The clubs look forward to this new series bringing together the Middle Harbour and Manly fleets along with those from other clubs for some great racing on Sunday afternoons.
For information about the Combined Clubs Sunday Series and to enter, visit the Middle Harbour Yacht Club event webpage.
Photos by Andrea Francolini:
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MHYC Opening Day 2024
The opening of the 2024-2025 Sailing Season was celebrated at Middle Harboure Yacht Club on Saturday 21 September.
After an enjoyable brunch in the Harbour View Room and welcome speeches by the Vice Commodore Racing Mitch White and CEO Andy Forbes, the annual Sail Past featured MHYC boats dressed in red and white. Congratulations to Tracy Richardson and the crew of Artemis, winners of the Matt Pyne Cup for the best dressed boat.
Conditions were perfect for the Commodore's Front Up! Cup Feautre Event with sunny skies and a challenging but not too challenging breeze from most points of the compass. Congratulations to Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) and No Friends (Geoff Charters) for the Division 1 and 2 wins within the seventeen boat fleet. To view the results - click here.
Congrats also to Martina Vieytes Pascual, winner of the Junior Commodore's Cup and to Mario Tosatto, winner of the Members Lucky Draw for a Zhik sailing jacket!
Back at the club apre sail for the prizegiving, the sailors enjoyed live music, food and great company until the evening.
What a great day to kick off the New Season!
Below are a selection of photos by Mark Fraser-Martin and David Staley from Opening Day 2024. To view all Marg Fraser-Martin's photos of the day - click here
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MHYC sailors in the Queensland regattas
Two of the three major northern regattas have now been completed and Magnetic Island Race week is getting under way. Yachts on the MHYC register represented well and there are many members sailing on a range of yachts. Conditions have been mixed but with several very light wind days so far.
Airlie Beach Race Week
Gordon Ketelbey’s TP52 Zen contested the Rating Division 1 on IRC and finished second overall after 7 races. In the Trailable & Sports Boat Division, Justin Brownbill’s MC38 Botany Access finished 6th on PHS within a strong and varied fleet.
ABRW Results – https://www.abrw.com.au/race-info/race-results
Hamilton Island Race Week
In the Rating Gold/White Division, Ian Box and the XP44 Toy Box 2 finished 3rd on IRC while Garth Riley, sailing the Adams 10 Wazza Red Boat as an Manly YC entry, finished 1 point ahead to claim 2nd place. In rating Gold/Black, Gordon Ketelbey also finished 3rd with Zen on IRC and TPR. Justin Brownbill’s Botany Access was 4th on PHRF in the Super 40 Division and 6th on IRC.
In the Hamilton Island Light Blue Division of 11 boats, Walter Carpenter’s Caol Ila finished 3rd and Rob Aldis & Peter Byford’s Daguet 2 were 5th on EHC after 6 races. MHYC’s Vice Commodore Racing Mitch White helmed Gin & Tonic into 2nd.
Andy Fairclough and Flying Cloud claimed 4th overall in the Hamilton Island Orange Division while Laurie McAllister’s Zeusus finished 11th and Mark Downey’s Smitten was 18th in the Non Spinnaker Division.
HIRW Results - https://www.topyacht.net.au/results/2024/hirw/index.htm
Magnetic Island Race Week
Racing gets underway on Friday and we wish Rob Reynolds well with his chartered Farr 40 Bobby’s Girl along with Gordon Ketelbey and Zen completing a full set of regattas.
MIRW Results - https://www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au/results
Airlie Beach Race Week photos by Andrea Francolini, Hamilton Island Race Week photos by Salty Dingo
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Skippers & Crew Meet & Greet
Looking for a crew position?
Come along to Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Skippers & Crew Meet & Greet in the MHYC Harbour View Room at 7pm this Thursday 26th September.
Skippers looking for crew will make presentations outlining the program for their yacht for the coming season and give an indication of the type of crew they are seeking. Prospective crew can then ask questions of the skipper presenting to make sure they understand what is being sought. After the presentations, get together over a drink in the bar.
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone the Sailing Office (9969 1244 Wed-Sat) to let us know if you will be there or if you have any questions about sailing at MHYC.
MHYC 2024-2025 Season Preview
Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s 2024-2025 Sailing Program has now been published.
With the aim of maintaining an active racing program and appealing to a variety of interests, the club held discussions with yacht owners and crew, class associations and the other harbour clubs. As a result, a number of changes and new initiatives are being introduced.
Saturday Sailing
The number of Sydney Harbour Combined Clubs Inshore Series races have been increased to ten this season and each one will be included in the club Annual Pointscore. Sailed from September to March, the Combined Clubs Inshore Series (CCIS) provides great racing with yachts from all around the harbour.
This will be the second year of the Sydney Harbour Sprint Series, aimed at attracting entries from other clubs while providing an exciting format for club boats. Three windward-leeward races are scheduled for each race day with Spring Series racing planned in October, November and March followed by the Winter Series in May, June and July. Starts will be provided for Divisions 1, 2 & 3 with One Design results extracted for classes with four or more entries.
The club’s fun and popular Feature Events program remains at eleven races for the coming season with an event every month except August.
MHYC’s 2024-2025 Inshore Pointscore Series will include races from the Combined Clubs Inshore Series and the Sydney Harbour Sprint Series – Spring, along with a standalone inshore race. All races will be scored on ORC, IRC and PHS for Divisions 1, 2 & 3.
Sunday Sailing
MHYC is collaborating with Manly Yacht Club to establish the Combined Clubs Sunday Series this season. Eleven races are scheduled over seven race days with a combination of passage races and sprints. Races will be scored on ORC, IRC and PHS for Division 1 and on ORC and PHS for Division 2. We look forward to this new series bringing together the Middle Harbour and Manly boats, along with those from other clubs, for some great racing on Sunday afternoons.
Wednesday
The Pacific Rigging Wednesday Non-Spinnaker Pursuit remains a very popular activity at MHYC. Fifty races are scheduled across the four series for next season.
Thursday
The Thursday Twilight Non-Spinnaker Pursuit Series will include twenty four pointscore races next season. There will be a non-pointscore on October 3 followed by eleven races in the Pre-Christmas Series and thirteen races in the Post-Christmas Series. Six of these races will make up the Smithy’s Waterproofing Women’s Twilight Series. A series of Theme Nights are also planned with special food offerings and prizes. Starts and finishes will be on the water in Hunters Bay, Balmoral, to avoid congestion within the Spit Channel.
Friday
Introduced last season, the Friday Twilight Fleet Racing Series has been increased to thirteen races for 2024-2025. Fleet starts in the vicinity of Grotto Point will be provided for two divisions of yachts using spinnakers and a non-spinnaker division. With races held about every two weeks, the aim is to make this a fun and social end to the working week.
Regattas
MHYC will again conduct the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship on November 23 & 24, and the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta on March 1 & 2 next year. The club will also deliver a series of MC38 Acts throughout 2024-2025, including one, two and three-day events. The Adams 10 Australian Championship will be held in February.
Sailing Schedule and Race Documents
The Sailing Committee, Divisional Representatives and Sailing Office have been busy over the past couple of months developing the schedule of races and reviewing all the race documentation after the feedback received earlier in the year.
The season schedule, in both PDF and filterable Excel format, is available for members to download and start planning their season - click here
The Season Notice of Race, Schedule and Series Sailing Instructions are published to the Keelboat Racing Noticeboard - click here
The 2024-2025 Sailing Handbook will be available from Reception before the end of August.