Two NSW champions crowned – Pittwater Regatta 2022 winners announced
The final races were completed in the inaugural NSW ORC Championship, the Sydney 38 One Design NSW Championship and Pittwater Regatta, with new champions crowned and winners announced at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) early this evening.
Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger led from the outset and did not relinquish throughout. The M.A.T. 1245 design added 1-4-3 results to her second and two wins of the last two days to be crowned the inaugural Division 1 ORC NSW champion.
“It was a tough three days,” Hatton’s son Andrew said. “We started off with thunder lightning and rain, then had a good second day with solid winds, and today was light and shifty.
Gerry: “The first race today we did well, the second we were on the wrong side of a shift and the third we got a bit mixed up at the top mark, got behind and had to play catch up, but we did enough to win. It was a fantastic three days. It was exhilarating but exhausting. We are thrilled to win the first ORC NSW title.”
Hatton is still competitive at 85. Apart from son Andrew, he has son-in-law Michael Fountain (tactician) and his son Tom (20), along with Alex Smith, Andrew’s brother-in-law aboard. Renowned boat builder, John McConaghy also sailed with them.
Keiran Mulcahy’s Soozal and Mark Tinworth and Mark Waterhouse’s Mercury did the work required to hold onto their respective second and third places overall.
Soozal, a King 40, finished the day with 2-3-4 results, while Mercury, a modified Farr 40 was at her best on the windward/leeward courses with 3-2-1 results. She lifted up to place one point behind Soozal. The Mark Griffith skippered DK46, LCE Old School Racing, won Race 5 to finish fourth overall.
The new NSW champion in Division 2 is Simon Grosser’s Young 88, Young at Heart. Grosser also led from Day 1 and finished the way he started, adding a second and a pair of wins to his two wins and a fourth from the first two days.
“We had great fun. It was really good to have other clubs come and compete and I hope we can return the favour. For us, it’s about sailing with a bunch of mates that like doing well. It’s an older boat, but as long as everything works and you sail well, you do well. You don’t need be a millionaire to go sailing and it’s good to kick butt on an inexpensive boat,” he said.
Shane Kearns kept the pressure on with Azzurro-White Bay 6, to place second overall, which he carried over from yesterday. Windward/leewards are not usually the S&S 34s forte, particularly in the light breeze and sloppy seas that were offered up today. It was therefore a surprise to see him score 4-2-3 results to finish five points behind Young at Heart.
Mark Hellyer’s Italia 11.98, Cicero, was sitting in third place overall yesterday. She maintained that place by just one point, saved by victory in the first race of the day before scoring a pair of sixth places.
Supported by Sydney Marine Brokerage, the NSW ORC Championship was a three-day affair that started with two inshore races in Pittwater on Friday, followed by a 25 nautical mile passage race on Saturday and ended with three windward/leeward races today. A more diverse range of races and conditions would be hard to find and certainly decided who was the best of the best in the two divisions.
Sydney 38 One Design NSW Championship
Peter Byford and David Hudson (Conspiracy) came into the day tied on points with Advanced Philosophy (Peter Sorensen) which had led overall on countback coming into the day, but the defending champions were not to be denied.
Two bullets and a second place on the offshore windward/leeward courses sealed the deal for the co-conspirators, who retain their Sydney 38 One Design NSW Championship title.
Sorro and his young crew of philosophers could not keep yesterday’s momentum going. Their 3-6-1 results gave them second overall, helped by victory in the final race. Phil Herscovics 8-3-4 meant third overall for Shine On – Team Callendina, but they were challenged by Liz Charles’ all-female crew on Calibre.
Calibre, chartered for Charles and crew by the Sydney 38 Association, placed fourth overall on countback after scoring 2-4-3 results today. Extraordinary, as they are new to the class.
“One of the things the Association wanted to do was to give women the confidence that they could compete in one-design racing, and look what it’s done,” a pleased president, Hudson, said.
“We had experienced and new people racing, but everyone was very in touch. It was a lottery around the top mark this afternoon. The ladies on Calibre did very well and so did Phil Herscovics. I’m delighted for them.
“We are happy to keep our title, but we like to be challenged. Make no mistake, it was very close racing on both days for the entire fleet. The difference in some races was the length of the bow, and in yesterday’s Race 2, it wasn’t even that much.
“Everyone has had a really good regatta. Each has done well, especially given it was difficult sailing offshore today. To keep the boats moving demanded a lot of hard work and attention. It was even hard for officials to set a course in the light winds on a big sloppy sea.,” Hudson ended.
Pittwater Regatta
Participants were given two passage style races around Pittwater on the final day. Michael Ritchie, who came into the day in second place overall with the Ritchie 38, Revolver, designed by his father Bruce, won the first race. However, there was no denying Heath Walters (Banta), who added a further win to yesterday’s two victories to claim the series from Revolver by three points.
Walters had the advantage of his two young sons, Harley (24) and Logan (18), on the crew of his Melges 24, along with their two mates, Liam and Mitch. The ‘young guns’ made up for the disadvantage of being one of the smallest boats in the fleet.
“The boys have been sailing the Melges with me for years. They loved the weekend, and so did their mates. It was great having younger guys on board,” he said shoreside.
“It was a very light shifty breeze with a maximum of 10 knots, so it was hard work trying to keep up with the Farr 40s and other big boats, but we worked hard,” he said.
“We were in the same division with my sister-in-law (Susan Walters with her Cape 35, Cape Fear, who finished fourth overall). We’re not a very competitive family,” he said, tongue in cheek.
“It’s good to have the Melges out. We only got our ORC rating in the last week and I like it, especially this weekend, because we won! It helps having local knowledge too.”
Bob Stoddard’s Alpha Crucis, completed the top three after scoring third and second places respectively, moving the 5.5 Metre right up the board.
In Division 2, Chris Hornsby’s Pick Pocket made it a clean sweep, robbing the rest of the division by winning both races today, adding to yesterday’s two wins. Vittoria (Alan Reece) and James Pattinson’s Ellipse II, also mirrored their performances of yesterday, scoring a pair of seconds and thirds respectively, to finish in that order overall.
“We just carried on from what we did yesterday,” Hornsby said after putting his Gary Mull designed Pocket Rocket 22 to bed.
“The weather was good, it just suited us. And we have a good crew. John Priddis, John Marwood and I have sailed together for ages. We’ve done 20 Hobarts between us and raced Etchells and Dragons. After a while you start to get the idea… Julia (his wife), is a director of the Club (RPAYC) and she always sails with us. She keeps us all in line,” he said laughing.
“We are very happy to have won both ORC and PHS. It’s not often that happens.”
The last word goes to Richard Hudson, a longtime member of the RPAYC and supporter of youth sailing at the Club: “The young crew sailed very well. I really enjoyed the weekend, even though we didn’t do as well as we’d have liked. The Club ran a very good regatta.
“We’re now getting the young crew ready for the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race. A lot of our crew are younger than the boat, which is 25! I love sailing with them,” he ended.
Please see today’s video highlights at: https://youtu.be/PDkWsBZCfVY
For, please visit the official website: https://rpayc.com.au/pittwater-regatta-inc-nsw-orc-championship-2022/
By Di Pearson/RPAYC media
Read more: Two NSW champions crowned – Pittwater Regatta 2022 winners announced
Past champions and budding challengers for 17th Sydney Harbour Regatta
Early indications are that Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s (MHYC) 17th Sydney Harbour Regatta (SHR), to be held over the first weekend of March, will be hotly contested with the return of past champions and up-and-coming challengers.
Bob Cox’s DK46, Nine Dragons, is a strong contender for the Open Class (IRC/ORC) Division being sailed on offshore courses. The MHYC boat won its division last year. She also won the Club’s challenging Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship in November after a close battle with Gerry Hatton’s M.A.T. 1245, Bushranger, which came off second best by a mere point.
Bushranger returned the favour, winning the inaugural NSW ORC Championship on the weekend, beating Nine Dragons which did not make the top three.
Cox says, “I’m looking forward to doing battle with a strong contingent of IRC boats from our club, and Bushranger and Soozal (Keiran Mulchay’s King 40) in particular from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.”
Another DK46, LCE Old School Racing (David Elliott/Mark Griffith) from RPAYC, is expected to be challenging all comers following her third on countback at the SSORC (equal points with Bushranger) and a strong Rolex Sydney Hobart performance.
A third DK46, Khaleesi, is currently having work done, but Rob Aldis, is working quickly to have her ready in time. Cox hopes his clubmate’s boat is ready too, as their results normally come down to the wire.
Jan Newland presented with the first Yngling NSW Championship entry. Newland, who just missed the podium with Yertl in 2021, is as competitive as her famous late father, Graham, who won two Sydney Hobarts representing MHYC.
Racing in the Super 30 division, consisting of Melges 32, Farr 30s and others of a similar ilk, will be outstanding judging by the 15 already listed to start. Andrew York and REO Speedwagon have topped a few podiums, as has last year’s SHR winner, Bruce Tavener’s Ophir and Peter Woodhead’s XC3SS.
A renaissance in the Sydney 38s, with 19 racing throughout NSW, has translated to hotter competition. Reigning champ, Conspiracy, remains the one to beat, but local favourite, Advanced Philosophy (Peter Sorensen), could upset that party. Lisa Callaghan, co-owner of Mondo, was first to sign on. The Manly Yacht Club president is a regular racer on an upward trajectory.
Performance Spinnaker Divisions 1, 2 and 3 are expected to yield the largest numbers and normally provide the most colour on their Sydney Harbour course. The primary handicapping system for these divisions will be ORC (incorporating ORCi and ORC Club) and they will also be scored under PHS.
“We are looking forward to welcoming around 1400 sailors and a diversity of boats from all over the east coast of Australia,” MHYC Commodore, Peter Lewis, said of the regatta to be held on the weekend of 5-6 March.
“We continue to enjoy success as NSW’s largest keelboat regatta and are looking forward to hosting multiple classes and divisions on the water and ashore for our 17th Sydney Harbour Regatta.”
In addition to those classes and divisions mentioned above are: Super 50, Adams 10, Farr 40, J24, J70, Cavalier 28, Sydney 36, Super 20 and 40, MC38 and Performance Non-Spinnaker classes and the Historical 18 foot skiffs.
Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson and Regatta Director Peter Hemery will again have a large job on their hands. Their combined efforts, with help from their teams of volunteers, will ensure a smooth event for all.
Following racing each day, all are welcome back to the Club’s unique after-racing festivities on the private beach for a sausage sizzle and drinks. Post racing on Saturday, competitors and friends can enjoy live entertainment and the Fever Tree Gin Bar, while a DJ will get the crowd rocking on Sunday.
Middle Harbour Yacht Club acknowledges the support of Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, Royal Australian Navy Sailing Association, Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, Manly Yacht Club, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and the Sydney Flying Squadron, without we could not run this regatta.
Our thanks go to key sponsors: Club Marine, Robert Oatley Wines, Short Marine, Quality Marine Clothing and Telstra Business Technology Centre.
Enter on line now at: www.shr.mhyc.com.au
Read more: Past champions and budding challengers for 17th Sydney Harbour Regatta
Backchat wins Adams 10 Nationals
Tom Braidwood and the crew of Backchat from Lake Macquarie Yacht Club have won the Adams 10 Australian Championship held on Sydney Harbour over the weekend.
After seven races, Backchat finished two points ahead of Rock Solid (Mitch Miller & Andrew Gunton) with Another Dilemma (Tim Gallego) seven points further backin third in the One-Design pointscore. Another Dilemma claimed the Performance Handicap win.
With a large swell running in The Sound, the Middle Harbour Yacht Club Race Management Team chose to set the courses between Obelisk Bay and Watsons Bay on both days. South-easterlies were mainly 18 knots on Saturday and 22 knots on Sunday, providing for some close and exciting encounters with umpired fleet racing adjudicated by umpire Simon Barrington.
Congratulations to the Backchat crew and all the competitors. Many thanks to all the MHYC volunteers for running a great event.
To view the results - click here
Prizegiving photos...
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Sunday photos by Marg Fraser-Martin...
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Saturday photos by Marg Fraser-Martin...
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Centreboard Club Championships Resume
The MHYC Centreboard Club Championships Series resumed today after a break since early December.
A light to moderate north-easterly and a fine day made for some very enjoyable conditions and the Green Fleet joined the Open Fleet for one race on the course in Hunters Bay.
Will Wilkinson, picked up the series where he left off, claiming the win in each of today's three races. He holds a 4 point lead over Miles Greenwood, with Heidi Bates 12 points further back at about the half-way mark.
To view the lates results - click here
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Centreboard Summer Series Completed
The final day of the MHYC Centreboard Summer Series was sailed today in a light to moderate north-easterly. After 11 races in the Optimist fleet, Will Wilkinson finishd the series on top with 12 points, ahead of Miles Greenwood on 14 and Brendan Goh on 30. Many thanks to Race Officer Lisa Wilkinson and the volunteers who ran the racing today and have helped keep the centreboard program active throughout the season.
To view the results - click here
Matt Pyne Memorial Cruise on 23 February
The Matt Pyne Memorial Cruise in Company will be held on Wednesday 23 February 2022.
Members of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, the wider Sydney Boating Community and friends of the late Matt Pyne are invited to join with Matt’s family and MHYC Flag Officers in a brief ceremony and cruise for sailing and power boats on the Harbour to celebrate his life.
To view the program - click here
For enquiries and to advise your intention to participate, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Nutcracker claims Farr 40 One Design Trophy
The Farr 40 class has kicked off their 2022 program with the One Design Trophy at Middle Harbour Yacht Club this weekend.
While it was a very closely sailed regatta of five competitive boats, with each scoring a first and a last place over the eight races, Sandringham Yacht Club’s Nutcracker claimed the win. Owner / helmsman Rob Davis was supported by tactician Malcolm Page to build a 4.5 point lead during the two days of racing in The Sound on Sydney Harbour. Second was Edake (Jeff Carter MHYC) followed by BlueTack (Patrick Delany MHYC) in third.
To view the results – click here
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Sydney 38 class steps up to support women in sailing
The Sydney 38 Association has gone all out, chartering a Sydney 38 for an all-female crew to race at the 2022 Sydney 38 One-Design NSW Championship, to be held in conjunction with the Pittwater Regatta in NSW this weekend.
“We’ve taken this step to encourage women to sail in this Championship and other Sydney 38 events,” Class President, David Hudson, said.
“The Sydney 38 Association has chartered Calibre and we’ve sponsored an all-female crew to be led by Liz Charles,” said Hudson, who has been president of the Association since end of October 2021.
“I think it’s brilliant and we have the support and the interest of women in our class,” he said.
Charles has performed well as a skipper of the Azuree 46, Kayimai in women’s keelboat events, due to the generosity of the boat’s owners, Rob Aldis and Peter Byford.
Hudson said It was resolved at the Association’s AGM that the Executive Committee be tasked with finding initiatives to increase female participation in Sydney 38 sailing.
“This happened after being encouraged by Victorian Sydney 38 owner, Sal Balharrie,” Hudson explained.
Balharrie bought Bruce Taylor’s Sydney 38, Chutzpah, in 2020 with one thing on her mind. After cleverly renaming the boat No Man’s Land, Balharrie sent an email to a broad range of women, asking if they would like to learn how to sail. Within 24 hours, the yachtswoman had a core of one dozen women prepared to commit to learning how to sail.
At the time, Balharrie said, “I’m not setting out primarily to win trophies, I’m setting out to build a culture, to encourage and train women into sailing,” although the Melburnian does admit to a competitive streak.
Hudson says, “It was a profound discussion and we’ve done something about it. One of the things we are looking to do is to give women the confidence that they can own and run their own boats.
“For our efforts, we have two boats with female skippers for the NSW Championship.”
Mondo is the other, jointly owned by Lisa Callaghan, who habitually campaigns the Sydney 38 out of Manly Yacht Club, where she is President.
Seven Sydney 38’s are entered for the Sydney 38 One-Design NSW Championship, which will entail six offshore windward/leeward races over the two days.
Hudson and Peter Byford’s Conspiracy is the boat to beat, as the defending champion of the both the Australian and NSW titles. And there is one boat in particular that is up to the job: Peter Sorensen and crew on Advanced Philosophy. ‘Sorro’ is renowned for his competitiveness in a range of boats from 16 footers to sports boats, one design yachts and in open yacht events, both inshore and offshore.
“We both have had pros on our boat up to now, but for this regatta neither of us do. All seven boats will sail with Corinthian crews,” Hudson said.
The quickly improving Phil Herscovics and crew on Shine On – Team Callendina may surprise. The remaining entries are Kaizen (Bradley Newton) and Thirlmere (Mike Logan).
“Although we have only seven boats competing at this Championship in this challenging environment, we have 19 Sydney 38’s regularly sailing at regattas and in blue water events throughout NSW,” Hudson ended.
Di Pearson/Sydney 38 media
Read more: Sydney 38 class steps up to support women in sailing
Honour for Martin Hill AM
Past Commodore and Board Member of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Martin Hill, has been recognised in the Australia Day Honours for significant service to business, sailing and the community. The inaugural recipient of MHYC’s Tig Thomas Trophy for international competition, Martin has also been Etchells World Champion, Australian Champion in the Farr 40 and Sydney 38 classes and was the NSW/ACT Male Sailor of the Year in 2019.
To read the citation - click here
Lazy Dog catches the trophy on Pittwater
MC38 2022 Season Act 1, February 5-6 hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club with racing on Pittwater
Owners Shaun Lane and Quentin Stewart and the rest of the Lazy Dog team from Middle Harbour Yacht Club opened the MC38 class’ 2022 season soundly with a four-point win on Pittwater in gusty sou’east winds and dark cloud banks that dumped rain squalls, creating dramatic scenes against the dark coloured carbon fibre boats and black sails.
Steven Proud’s Swish dominated the nine-strong one design fleet on day one at ‘big pond’, the deep-water expanse north of Scotland Island, but couldn’t maintain the rage on day two and slipped back to fourth overall behind Leslie Green’s Ginger in third.
Lane said, “Saturday was lighter and flukier and Sunday more consistent though still ranging from 10 gusting to 21 knots. As always it was good racing on a great racetrack and there was the usual big fight at the first top mark rounding and a few spills. Getting results in this class is all about minimising mistakes.” Champion 49er sailor David Gilmour joined Lazy Dog’s crew on mainsheet.
Lane, the class president, paid tribute to Ginger’s result adding, “for Leslie at his age to get a podium in those conditions is a solid effort.” Green sails for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia where he’s been an active member since 1959. He is one of the original MC38 owners and his team has bagged four Australian Championships and numerous other trophies over a decade of campaigning.
One notable addition to the skipper’s list for Act 1 was Rachel Williams helming Law Connect. It’s been years since the class’ only female skipper Clare Crawford and the MC38 Assassin moved on and Rachel’s partner Christian Beck is keen to support her in the helming role. Beck and Williams shared helming duty on Law Connect while Christian’s seasoned 14-year-old son Indy drove Infotrack into second on the pointscore.
“Everyone is looking forward to the March regatta already,” added Lane. “The class and the owner group are really strong, and we are drawing top Australian talent - plus I get messages all the time from potential new owners asking how they can get their hands on an MC38.”
The class thanks the RPAYC for hosting Act 1 and race officer Steve Merrington and his wonderful team for rolling out a no-fuss seven race series.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia will host Act 2 of the MC38 season March 12-13.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MC38Class
Insta: @mc38aus
Website: https://mc38racing.com/
Further information:
Lisa Ratcliff
Australian MC38 Association media
m. 0418 428 511 e. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
MHYC Inshore Sprints on January 22
Saturday provided ideal conditions for the final day of MHYC's Inshore Sprints. Under partly cloudy skies, a moderate south-easterly freshened slightly and turned more southerly as the afternoon progressed, allowing a course adjustment for the second race in The Sound.
In Division 1, it was a Farr 40 match race with S1 (Brendan McAssey) home first in both races, but sharing the PHS wins with BlueTack (Patrick Delany).
Stormaway (Jack Stening & Colin Gunn) cleaned up on ORC and IRC in Division 2, with Rumba (Rob Carr, Steph Cook & Kerry Burke) and MRX (Geoff Pearson) each taking a race win on PHS.
Plan B (Brett Churcher) won both Division 3 races on PHS and Innamincka (John Crawford) claimed the J/24 One Design wins.
Rock Solid (Mitch Miller & Andrew Gunton) led the Adams 10 fleet home in both heats today. Artemis (Tracy Richardson) and Kick n Chase (Anthony Poiner) took a PHS win each .
For the Divisional Sprints results - click here
For the Adams 10 Sprints results - click here
Many thanks to the race management team for some great racing. Thankyou also to Marg Fraser-Martin who was out on Jack Stening to capture all the action.
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