Will Wilkinson runner-up at Optimist Nationals
Congratulations to Will Wilkinson who has finished runner-up in the 2022 Australian Optimist Championships.
Victorian, Aidan Simmons, backed up his 2021 Championship win in Adelaide with a dominant series at Georges River Sailing Club.
With 97 entries in the Open and Intermediate fleets, MHYC was well represented with 8 young sailors. In the Open fleet, Will Wilkinson was 2nd, Miles Greenwood was 8th, Zara Marks 18th, Heidi Bates 20th, Will Rogers 49th, Meg Bates 51st and Angus Griffin 62nd. In the Intermediate fleet, Thomas Kerum was 28th.
To view all the results – click here
Strong Opti fleet for Summer Series
The Centreboard Summer Series continued today in a light southerly. 14 Optimists were joined by 2 Waszps on the course set near Castle Rock.
Will Wilkinson, Miles Greenwoopd and Healy Ryan each took a race win in the Optimists today. Will has a one point lead over Miles after 8 races with three more races scheduled on January 30.
To view the results - click here
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Centreboard Club Championship continues
Sunday was overcast and cool, but a steady 13-15 knot south easterly was perfect for the third day of the MHYC Centreboard Club Championship Series sailed in Hunters Bay.
Will Wilkinson took two wins today and now has a single point advantage over Miles Greenwood in the Optimist Division. Heidi Bates is in third.
The next racing day is the Centreboard Summer Series on December 19.
For the latest Centreboard Club Championships Results - click here
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RPAYC sailors win Vaikobi 29er East Coast Champs
The Vaikobi 29er East Coast Championships concluded on Friday 7 January with twelve races completed over four days. Conditions were moderate to fresh across the week, proving a challenge for many of the upcoming crews among the 28 boat fleet.
Daniel Links & Marcus Sampson (RPAYC) posted 7 wins to build an impressive buffer at the top of the results table, comfortably winning the regatta from Jacob Marks & Ryan Ewings (WSC / MHYC) and Angus Renton & Elliss Merrett (RPAYC).
Many thanks to sponsors Vaikobi, the NSW/ACT 9er Association and to the race management volunteers from MHYC, RPAYC and a number of 29er clubs around Sydney.
To view the event page and results - click here
Victoire, Nine Dragons and Mille Sabords take SSORC top honours
Paul Jenkins and his Sydney 38 crew onboard Mille Sabords won their first ever regatta on a wild and wet Sydney weekend racing for the host club in the annual Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship that drew 55 mixed keelboats boats from various New South Wales clubs.
“Persistence in Saturday’s offshore race and a reasonable Sunday gave us our first regatta win after buying the boat in January,” a delighted Jenkins said. “The youngest in the crew is 50 – we keep saying where are the 25-year-olds who used to be us? – and everyone had three jobs today with only a broken winch handle to replace. We’ve been together as a team for a long time and did the 2019 Hobart race together – they are a great group of guys.”
After a punishing coastal passage race on Saturday in strong southerlies, the Middle Harbour Yacht Club crew of Mille Sabords fronted six-up for Premier Division 2’s three windward/leeward races on Sydney Harbour, the race management team adjusting the program prior to day two racing and electing to keep all fleets inshore, out of the nasty swell.
Bob Cox’s DK46 Nine Dragons saved the best for last, sneaking through the two RPAYC boats in Premier Division 1, Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger and Mark Griffith’s Old School Racing, on handicap in the final short course race of three to add another SSORC trophy to the Dragon’s impressive collection.
Amazingly, it was the first time the boat had lined up after more than a year out undergoing extensive repairs from hitting South reef during a Short Ocean Pointscore race. “It’s pretty amazing we were able to come back so strong to take it by one point,” said the surprised skipper. “Special thanks to the crew who never gave up, in particular Billy Sykes and Will MacKenzie.”
Second in Premier Division 1 was Bushranger, the Mat 1245 from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and third on a countback to second was clubmate Mark Griffith’s DK46. “I’d say those two RPAYC boats are the best in the country on IRC; for the old girl [his boat] to comeback like this is incredible,” Cox added as the beer flowed down at The Spit where MHYC hosted the trophy presentation after racing.
Darryl Hodgkinson’s Carkeek 40 Victoire (CYCA) narrowly wrapped up top honours in the Super 40 Spring Regatta series of four races that constituted one of the Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship pointscores – a countback with Indy Beck’s MC38 InfoTrack separating the top two teams. Full Super 40 results.
“It was an exciting weekend and it’s always great to race against the MC38 teams,” Hodgkinson said. “We love doing Middle Harbour regattas and we really enjoyed the racing. Earlier I thanked my wife, who loves gold things, for the new yellow A4 kite which made it very easy to spot us on the harbour on a dull and rainy weekend.”
Though there were some nervous moments, Hodgkinson managed to keep Victoire on its feet for Saturday’s Seven Islands Race and Sunday’s two inshore passage races.
Conditions moderated on Sunday November 28, 15-25 knots out of the S-SE compared to Saturday’s rolling rain squalls, step seas and blasts of southerly wind which peaked around 35 knots offshore.
MHYC is grateful for the support of CYCA race management and thanks key SSORC sponsors Club Marine, Sail Racing, Robert Oatley Wines and Short Marine for their generosity.
How to follow the SSORC:
Website www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au
Facebook: @MiddleHarbourYachtClub
Instagram: @middleharbouryachtclub
A selection of photos by Andrea Francolini
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Read more: Victoire, Nine Dragons and Mille Sabords take SSORC top honours
Saturday racing underway with January Cup
Saturday racing for 2022 kicked off today with the January Cup, Two-Handed Cup and the Beneteau Race Series on a warm afternoon with a light to moderate north-easterly.
Adams 10s dominated Division 1 with Jim Vaughan’s Another Dilemma taking the win from Contentious (Brian Lees) and Artemis (Tracy Richardson). Rumba (Rob Carr, Steph Cook & Kerry Burke) were first home in Division 2 from Shibumi (Bryan Moore) and Innamincka (John Crawford). Shibumi won the Two-Handed Cup.
On top in the Beneteau Race Series was Neil Padden’s Wailea, ahead of Freedom (Steve Smith) and Knot a Diamond (Greg Scarlett & Jane Beresford).
To view the results – click here
Alice Murphy was on the SASC Start Boat, Captain Amora, and captured the MHYC fleet as they sailed past.
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Nine Dragons and Mille Sabords take SSORC top honours
Paul Jenkins and his Sydney 38 crew onboard Mille Sabords won their first ever regatta on a wild and wet Sydney weekend racing for the host club in the annual Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship that drew 55 mixed keelboats boats from various New South Wales clubs.
“Persistence in Saturday’s offshore race and a reasonable Sunday gave us our first regatta win after buying the boat in January,” a delighted Jenkins said. “The youngest in the crew is 50 – we keep saying where are the 25-year-olds who used to be us? – and everyone had three jobs today with only a broken winch handle to replace. We’ve been together as a team for a long time and did the 2019 Hobart race together – they are a great group of guys.”
After a punishing coastal passage race on Saturday in strong southerlies, the Middle Harbour Yacht Club crew of Mille Sabords fronted six-up for Premier Division 2’s three windward/leeward races on Sydney Harbour, the race management team adjusting the program prior to day two racing and electing to keep all fleets inshore, out of the nasty swell.
Bob Cox’s DK46 Nine Dragons saved the best for last, sneaking through the two RPAYC boats in Premier Division 1, Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger and Mark Griffith’s Old School Racing, on handicap in the final short course race of three to add another SSORC trophy to the Dragon’s impressive collection.
Amazingly, it was the first time the boat had lined up after more than a year out undergoing extensive repairs from hitting South reef during a Short Ocean Pointscore race. “It’s pretty amazing we were able to come back so strong to take it by one point,” said the surprised skipper. “Special thanks to the crew who never gave up, in particular Billy Sykes and Will MacKenzie.”
Second in Premier Division 1 was Bushranger, the Mat 1245 from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and third on a countback to second was clubmate Mark Griffith’s DK46. “I’d say those two RPAYC boats are the best in the country on IRC; for the old girl [his boat] to comeback like this is incredible,” Cox added as the beer flowed down at The Spit where MHYC hosted the trophy presentation after racing.
Darryl Hodgkinson’s Carkeek 40 Victoire (CYCA) narrowly wrapped up top honours in the Super 40 Spring Regatta series of four races that constituted one of the Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship pointscores – a countback with Indy Beck’s MC38 InfoTrack separating the top two teams. Full Super 40 results.
“It was an exciting weekend and it’s always great to race against the MC38 teams,” Hodgkinson said. “We love doing Middle Harbour regattas and we really enjoyed the racing. Earlier I thanked my wife, who loves gold things, for the new yellow A4 kite which made it very easy to spot us on the harbour on a dull and rainy weekend.”
Though there were some nervous moments, Hodgkinson managed to keep Victoire on its feet for Saturday’s Seven Islands Race and Sunday’s two inshore passage races.
Conditions moderated on Sunday November 28, 15-25 knots out of the S-SE compared to Saturday’s rolling rain squalls, step seas and blasts of southerly wind which peaked around 35 knots offshore.
MHYC is grateful for the support of CYCA race management and thanks key SSORC sponsors Club Marine, Sail Racing, Robert Oatley Wines and Short Marine for their generosity.
How to follow the SSORC:
Website www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au
Facebook: @MiddleHarbourYachtClub
Instagram: @middleharbouryachtclub
View the photo gallery
Read more: Nine Dragons and Mille Sabords take SSORC top honours
Centreboard Summer Series caps off 2021
The final MHYC sailing event for 2021 was the Centreboard Summer Series with two races completed before a storm cell caused the abandonment of racing.
Will Wilkinson and Miles Greenwood each claimed a race win, leaving Will one point ahead in the series score.
To view the results - click here
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Brutal SSORC Day One
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Big seas and strong winds offshore for the Premier Divisions contesting Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s annual Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship put the stress test on crews over the 24 nautical mile course, described as “brutal” by the division 1 winning tactician.
Michael Fountain from Gerry Hatton’s Mat 1245 Division 1 IRC, ORC and PHS corrected time winner, Bushranger, said: “brutal is the only way to describe it….very tough conditions with constant 27 knot southerlies gusting to 33 and seas 4 metres.”
Video highlights thanks to @Tillymcknightmedia
John McConaghy and Steve Coates helmed the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club boat, Coates hitting a record downwind boat speed of 20.2 knots with a poled-out number 4 headsail. Fountain added: “We got a good start at the right end of the line, and we were up there getting out of the harbour into clear air and weather the boat likes. It’s handy going into day two on top and in fact, we are better suited to windward/leewards.”
Second on IRC was Bob Cox’s DK46 Nine Dragons (MHYC) and third and the line honours victor, Seb Bohm’s JV TP52 Smuggler (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) made the most of the heavy weather outing a month out from the Rolex Sydney Hobart start.
In Division 2, Paul Jenkins MHYC-based Sydney 38 Mille Sabords captured the treble of top boat under the three handicap systems and Neil Padden’s Beneteau 40.7 Wailea had to be satisfied with second.
Conditions heading south to the waverider buoy off Kurnell proved too much for some – six withdrawals were recorded from a starting SSORC fleet of 16, due to low-level gear and sail damage.
Super 40 Spring Regatta entrants completed the Seven Islands Race, Indy Beck’s MC38 InfoTrack gaining a 32 second edge over Darryl Hodgkinson’s Victoire on corrected time as those crews enjoyed calm waters laced with rolling showers and wildly shifting cool breeze west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Super 40 results.
The fleet in the annual Seven Islands Trophy Race also headed up the Parramatta River to try their luck, pursuit handicap wins going to Rob Reynolds’ Exile, Tracey Richardson’s and Brendan Smid’s Artemis and Frank Milner’s Pinta Bay in the Jeanneau Cup division. Seven Islands Race results.
SSORC Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson said there was some rejigging of the weekend series program, given the strong wind warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, however all fleets completed their full course on Saturday. The tough conditions are associated with a high south of the continent pushing a southerly flow up the New South Wales coast.
Winds are expected to moderate on Sunday November 28, 15-20 knots for the second and final day of the 44th edition of SSORC when the Super 40s take on two short passage races and the Premier fleet switches to short course racing either on the Manly or Macquarie Circles outside Sydney Heads.
The SSORC is held in conjunction with a Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Ocean Pointscore race.
MHYC is grateful for the support of CYCA race management and thanks key SSORC sponsors Club Marine, Sail Racing, Robert Oatley Wines and Short Marine for their generosity.
How to follow the SSORC:
Website www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au
Facebook: @MiddleHarbourYachtClub
Instagram: @middleharbouryachtclub
Fresh breezes for Combined Clubs Race
The Combined Clubs Inshore Series race on 18 December was started earlier to clear the racetrack for the foiling F50 catamarans and the final day of the Sydney SailGP. It was a lively race with a warm and fresh north-easterly.
In the Combined Clubs results, No Friends (Geoff Charters) and Rumba (Rob Carr, Steph Cook & Kerry Burke) were 2nd and 4th on PHS while Wailea (Neil Padden) was 2nd on IRC. Innamincka (John Crawford was 5th on PHS in Division 3.
Combined Clubs Inshore Series Results – click here
MHYC Inshore Summer Series Results – click here
MHYC IRC Summer Series Results – click here
MHYC Adams 10 Combined Clubs Series Results – click here
Marg Fraser Martin was on the water to capture all the action
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Seven Islands Race and Jeanneau Cup
MHYC’s Seven Islands Race, Race 1 of the Jeanneau Cup Series, was started in a strong southerly today with occasional rain. Breezes became generally lighter once the fleet pushed west of the Harbour Bridge, but with some serious gusts and some shipping traffic to avoid. Congratulations to Rob Reynolds’ Exile in Division 1, Tracey Richardson’s and Brendan Smid’s Artemis in Div 2 and to Frank Milner’s Pinta Bay in the Jeanneau Cup division.
This week has been the first use of the newly renovated SandBar Deck and today saw the christening of the Club's race management boat "Jack Stening" - lots to celebrate.
To view the results - click here
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