Offshore - Spring 2023 by CruisingYachtClubofAustralia

SPRING 2023 #299

SPRING SAILING

A PREVIEW OF THE OFFSHORE SEASON AND CLUB MARINE POINTSCORES

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IN THIS EDITION FEATURES

AT THE HELM

NEWS IN BRIEF

URM GROUP

22 AUDI CENTRE SYDNEY BLUE WATER POINTSCORE

2023 FLINDERS ISLET RACE

ROLEX FASTNET RACE

YOUTH SAILING ACADEMY

AIRLIE BEACH RACE WEEK

40 HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK 42

CYCA SPRING SERIES

HEADING NORTH

44 SUNSET SAILING

2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

FITNESS FIRST

55 2023/24 SHORT SUMMER OFFSHORE POINTSCORES 58

TWO-HANDED POINTSCORE

60 2023 RAYMARINE AUSTRALIAN MAXI CHAMPIONSHIP 62 TEAM AUSTRALIA CHALLENGE

18 CONTESTING THE BLUE WATERS 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Share your Offshore story or get in touch via email – media@cyca.com.au

FLAG OFFICERS & DIRECTORS COMMODORE Arthur Lane VICE COMMODORE Sam Haynes REAR COMMODORES Tom Barker Peter Gothard TREASURER David Jacobs DIRECTORS David Griffith AM Jules Hall Greg Antipas Sarah Hosking

THE BOATHOUSE GROUP

ASSOCIATES COMMITTEE

ANCHOR STORAGE

SUSTAINABILITY

WINDWARD PASSAGE

FROM THE ARCHIVES

THE ART OF MAINTENANCE

WHAT’S ON

CYCA MANAGEMENT

CLUBHOUSE

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Justine Kirkjian – CEO

The CYCA is open seven days a week. For the latest on opening hours, please visit our website.

marketing.manager@cyca. com.au

John Brennan – CFO Fiona Cole – Administration Manager Marina Gibson – House Events Manager David Hislop – Marketing and Communications Manager Tara Blanc-Ramos – Sailing Manager Matt van Kretschmar – Operations Manager

CLUB INFORMATION Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 1 New Beach Rd Darling Point NSW 2027

Phone: (02) 8292 7800 Email: cyca@cyca.com.au Website: www.cyca.com.au

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Start of the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. Photo: SailMedia

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi, ROLEX/Andrea Francolini, David Brogan, Mitch Grima, David Hislop, Digvijay Jagati, Marg Fraser-Martin, Salty Dingo, Darcie Collington

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Arthur Lane, David Hislop, Jordan Reece, Belinda Aucott, Phil Ross

COMMODORE ARTHUR LANE

At the helm Over the three months since my last At the Helm, so much has taken place at the CYCA. Perhaps the most obvious change at the Clubhouse has been the transition to our new hospitality partner, The Boathouse Group; with the team hitting the ground running with new menus, daily specials, a makeover of the dining area and management of a number of key events at the Club including a special Ricky Ponting Wines Lunch hosted by the Australian cricketing legend, and the extremely well-attended Members’ Introductory Happy Hour.

and an enjoyable trip down to Shellharbour over the October Long Weekend.

We also celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the YSA with a special fundraising dinner which raised over $20,000 to help support the work of our worldleading Youth Sailing Academy. And of course, their regatta successes have continued in 2023 with great results in both international competition in the US and Noumea, as well as locally, with Australian and NSW Youth Match Racing titles for Cole Tapper, Max Brennan, Chelsea Williams and Hamish Vass.

In August, the Spring Series proved popular and the CYCA had strong representation at the first of the Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The CYCA then hosted the second race in October..

Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine won Bronze in the 49erFX class at the 2023 Allianz World Championships and Will Sargent and the crew of Ares were crowned World Champions in the SB20 class. Our congratulations to Will also on being named Australian Sailing’s Tasmanian Male Sailor of the Year and to his crew as Team of the Year. It’s very encouraging to see the Clubhouse so busy. Aside from Members coming down for drinks, lunch and dinner, we’ve hosted a variety of CYCA events on the decks and in the function rooms these past months. The recent Associates 60th Anniversary Lunch celebrated six decades of the Committee and was well attended by past Presidents and committee members from across its years. We have also held Christmas in July, CYCA Club Socials, a special Volunteers Thank You BBQ, Associates Market Day, another CYCA Cruising ‘Informal’, a New Members Meet and Greet, the ever-wonderful SOLAS Trusts Dinner and a celebratory Melbourne Cup Luncheon. Our Cruising Committee had also arranged an informative tour of Cockatoo Island

On water, the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race was a hugely successful start to the 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore. Congratulations to Anthony and David Johnson and URM Group for the Overall Win, John Winning Jr and the crew of Andoo Comanche on their Line Honours, and to David Henry for taking out the Two-Handed IRC division.

It’s a full racing schedule coming up over the next few months. We have already kicked off the Club Marine Short Offshore Series with the Lion Island and Botany Bay races of both the Club Marine Ocean Pointscore and Two-Handed Poinstscore. The Club Marine Short Haul Pointscore has run six races to date with five more scheduled. The Management team is now well down the track with planning for the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as well as the other key events to be held in December - the Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship, 2023 World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship and the Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta. Much work is already going into plans for 2024 and beyond with the return of the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race next year and the inaugural 2025 Trans-Tasman Race in the pipeline. The CYCA has also flagged its interest in participating in the 2025 Admiral’s Cup. For those who haven’t been down at the CYCA for a while, Spring’s definitely the time to pop in and check out the changes at our Club. Our new Helly Hansen merchandise ranges are in store and with Daylight Savings upon us, a range of daily dining specials and an everyday Happy Hour from 17001900hrs, why not bring along friends and family.

NEWS IN BRIEF

CYCA’s Sean Kirkjian and current J/24 Australian Champion represented Australia on SailPac at the 2023 J/24 World Championship in Thessaloniki, Greece earlier in September. The regatta was comprised of 10 races over five days with Australia being one of ten nations competing with the second largest representation of the 36 boat fleet - six entries, behind the host nation’s 11.

64-year Member Leslie Green dominated racing in the MC38 Class Association Act 5, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club on 10 September . With three bullets from three races, the crew of Ginger - which included fellow Members Tara Blanc-Ramos, Murray Jones and Richard Allanson - had the measure of the competition in the 10kt ESE breeze. Matt Hanning’s Dye & Durham Thor placed second after a tie-breaker with Katie Spithill’s all-female team on Leap AU. Image: Marg Fraser-Martin

On Saturday 9 September, the Club hosted the 2023 Annual Volunteers’ BBQ in appreciation of the many Members who give so much of their time to the CYCA. It was a wonderful event with light lunch and beverages provided by The Boathouse Group. Our warmest thanks to you all for your ongoing contributions.

CYCA Members triumphed at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships at The Hague in mid-August as Matt Wearn was crowned ILCA 7 Champion and YSA alumni Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine won Bronze in the 49erFX class to qualify Australia for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

NEWS IN BRIEF

2023 Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week (31 August - 6 September), hosted by Townsville Yacht Club. Congratulations to CYCA’s Darryl Hodgkinson and the crew of Victoire who placed 3rd in the EHC RossHaven Marine Spinnaker Class Division 1 behind Paul Lindemann’s Biddy Hu II and Paul Commin’s Carpe Diem. Image: Andrea Francolini

Our warmest congratulations to Steve Hatch - CYCA Member, Chair of the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race national jury and longstanding member of our Protest Committee. Winner of the 2023 Australian Sailing NSW/ ACT Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to YSA alumni Will Sargent who has won Australian Sailing’s 2023 Tasmanian Male Sailor of the Year as well as skipper of the state’s Team of the Year for the SB20 Ares Racing Team. Fellow YSA alumni Evie Haseldine has been nominated for the national Youth Sailor of the Year.

Pacha, the much-loved 55’ aluminium Camper & Nicholson IOR champion winner of the 1970 Sydney Hobart for Sir Robert Crichton-Brown – represented the CYCA in the 2023 Corsica Classic in August with Mike Seargent skippering her on her first European campaign in 50 years. Originally designed to represent France in the 1969 Admiral’s Cup, she was bought by Crichton-Brown & later, fellow CYCA Member Jose de La Vega, competing in ten Sydney Hobarts from 1970-1994 along with numerous other races. She also cruised to Argentina via Cape Horn, returning through the Panama Canal.

HEADING NORTH

YACHT RACE 2023

The 384nm Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is always keenly anticipated and there had been a definite buzz in the build-up around the CYCA in the weeks leading up to its start. The race marks the first real offshore hit-out since the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart for many of the entrants and as the first race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, is one that everyone wants to do well in to set themselves up for the season.

At the 1300hrs start on Saturday 29 July, a light NE seabreeze of 6-11kts had the fleet of 57 boats out the Heads in just over 20 minutes with John Winning Jr’s Andoo Comanche leading URM Group, skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones, David Griffith’s Whisper and Smuggler, skippered by Tim Davis. The first two-handed boat to reach open water was James Murchinson and James Francis on Avalanche. Philosopher 9

URM Group

Philosopher

From there, the fleet seemed split on how to best navigate the next legs – some boats sticking close to shore whilst others immediately headed outside of the rhumb line in search of stronger breeze. By the evening, the bigger boats had started to stretch the fleet out and by Port Stephens, Andoo Comanche had put a healthy lead over URM Group, Whisper, David Gotze’s No Limit and Stephanie Kearn’s Active Again. The pack of seven TP52s followed in close order.

Mistral

By sunrise, the fleet had progressed well overnight despite the lighter breeze and Andoo Comanche was 40nm east of Tacking Point at Port Macquarie doing 12.5kts. The following boats held much the same order as earlier whilst back in the main pack, Craig Douglas’ Popeye (RPAYC) and Michael Smith’s Tempo (MHYC) were making moves on the projected leaderboards. The two-handers were also

putting on a show with four of the top ten boats in Overall Standings, led by David Henry’s Philosopher who was back near Sugar Loaf. Most of the fleet was now sailing well outside the rhumb line. By 1100hrs on Sunday, Andoo Comanche was 50nm south-east of the Solitary Islands & cruising at 12kts with 160nm to the finish. She was 33nm ahead of URM Group with Whisper a further 27nm astern. Back further, No Limit and Mark Spring’s Highly Sprung marginally led a group of mid-sized boats including KOA, Celestial, Smuggler, Active Again, Frantic, Sticky, Denali and Maritimo – all doing between 6–8kts. By nightfall, conditions were getting lighter south of Tweed Heads with a NW of 5-7kts in the early hours of Monday which dropped even further during the day and clocked into the east in the afternoon. Andoo Comanche crossed the line at Main Beach a few hours before dawn to take Line Honours in a time of 1 day, 15 hours 34 minutes, finishing at 0434hrs on Monday morning; with URM Group in 2nd arriving just before midday at 1148hrs and Whisper 3rd that evening at 2115hrs. The procession of boats finishing overnight kept the team of staff and volunteers at Southport Yacht Club very busy. 14 more boats finished before Andoo Comanche finish line. Photo: Steven Grevis. 11

Popeye

sunrise on Tuesday – Smuggler, No Limit, Celestial, KOA, Maritimo, Active Again, Highly Sprung, Sticky, Tempo, Denali, and Frantic. There were only two retirements from the race – Lexi with sail damage and Z7 due to crew sickness. The remaining 36 boats continued to come in over Tuesday and early Wednesday morning with the last two boats, Reve and Flat White, crossing the line just before dawn. Our warmest congratulations to the crew of Andoo Comanche for their Line Honours victory and to Anthony Johnston’s URM Group who sailed another exceptional race to finish 1st in Division 0 and being awarded the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy for the Overall Win (IRC). Interestingly, the 2023 NSGCYR was an even affair with all four divisions being represented in the top four positions Overall. The team of Craig Douglas’

Popeye sailed a very strong race to finish 1st in Division 2 for 2nd Overall whilst Michael Smith’s Tempo secured 1st in Division 1 for 3rd Overall in their first offshore race as a team. David Henry came 1st on Philosopher (TH) with Steven Prince to be first on both Division 3 and IRC Two-Handed to finish 4th Overall. 13 boats competed in Two-Handed IRC in 2023 and by all accounts, the teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves along with the challenge of racing two-up. The camaraderie back at clubhouse was palpable and the general feeling seemed to be that the division would continue to grow for future races. Thanks as always to the team at Southport Yacht Club for their ongoing support of the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast and for making everyone so welcome. We’ll see you gain next year.

IRC 1 – CYCA ENTRANTS

PLACE BOAT

SKIPPER

1st

Andoo Comanche

John Winning Jr

2nd

URM Group

Marcus AshleyJones (sk)

3rd

Whisper

David Griffith

IRC 2 – CYCA ENTRANTS

1st

URM Group

Marcus AshleyJones (sk)

2nd

Popeye

Craig Douglas

3rd

Tempo

Michael Smith

PHS PERFORMANCE CRUISING 1 – CYCA ENTRANTS

1st

Mako

Paul O’Rourke

2nd

She’s the Culprit

Glen Picasso (sk)

3rd

Reve

Kevin Whelan

PHS PERFORMANCE CRUISING 2 – CYCA ENTRANTS

Wots Next

1st

Philosopher (TH)

David Henry & Stephen Prince

2nd

Mistral (TH)

Rupert Henry & Greg O’Shea

3rd

Rum Rebellion (TH)

Shane Connelly & Andrew Downing

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Fresh from winning the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy overall trophy for the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, we spoke to the team behind URM Group on their plans for the rest of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore. Skipper of URM Group Marcus Ashley-Jones has a steely, 1000-yard stare. His personal charm has a disarming quality to it and is distinctly hybrid in style. One minute silly, the next minute serious, he is all smiles and baseball cap on the docks, but when the boat hits the water, he turns into a captain of war. Marcus made his name as a skiff sailor in Australia, and is a long-time friend and teammate of Scallywag skipper David Witt, who he credits as his mentor. He’s sailed in the Volvo Ocean Race, and Extreme 40 Sailing Series and along with URM’s Johnston family, Anthony, David, Nick and Andrew – he and the passionate URM Group crew are working hard to build a winning team both on, and off, the water. To the owners, the boat and its campaign in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore is more than just a sponsorship or a leisure pastime, it’s a way to promote the sustainable waste management arm of their business. But first they must win! Walking away with the trophy in the first race of the reason was a positive omen for URM Group owner Anthony Johnston. “This is one race we’ve not entered before, so our strike rate is pretty good.” “It’s a clean start. It’s the first race of the season, so it says to me that Marcus Ashley-Jones and the

crew, have done a great job preparing the vessel and we are ready for the rest of the season,” says Anthony at the prizegiving. Right now, he and the whole crew are testing out a formula that they’ve seen bring results in their business. To hear them talk, it sounds like they are honing a complex harmony of hard and soft skills. “Team camaraderie and that team spirit is a real advantage,” says Marcus. It’s these intangible things they say, like great vibes, lots of laughter and good food, that can produce a winning edge. While it has taken the crew the best part of four years to prepare the boat, considerable time has also been invested in honing an amazing team culture. The skipper attributes some of this to his own ability to foster team spirit, to his sailing mentors, the people who have paved the way for this career in sailing to evolve. “Well it has been a four year campaign to get to where we are now, and it takes a while to prepare the team also,” says Marcus. He is full of praise and respect for the Johnston brothers, who have committed to the boat’s program, and thrown everything possible at making the boat ultra-competitive.

With a mix of amateur and professional crew on board – certain crew from URM Group, are absolute legends of the sailing world, according to Marcus, talented individuals who bring a lot of value to the mix. He believes that URM’s history of sports sponsorship, has also influenced their decision to get into sailing. “Anthony and Dave have come from being heavily involved in a lot of sport, including the Manly Sea Eagles, where they have been the longest, continuous sponsor, in the history of game. So,when we decided to campaign the boat, we decided that we also wanted to build a culture around the boat,” Marcus says. In the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, URM Group had three brothers on board including David,

Nick and Andrew - the last of which they call the ‘spiritual leader’ of the group. Anthony Johnston’s brother David Johnston, CEO of URM Group describes investment in community organisations by URM as a key part of their business model, one that boosts morale of staff and simply makes URM a better place to work. “Everybody at URM has a high regard for community and because we’re all coming from the Northern Beaches. we enjoy supporting Manly Sea Eagles. “And we’ve just embraced that and kept going. And now since working with the NRL we’ve gone into the surf clubs, across the 21 beaches from Manly all the way to Palm Beach. Obviously, we have also

extended it into netball teams, women’s soccer teams, local basketball teams. We do the Beach-toBeach fun run. And then the Point-to-Point swim. In 2019 we revisited all our sponsorship agreements, and then we decided to commit to sailing,” David Johnston says. Anthony Johnston’s two brothers David and Nick were both onboard during the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race win, along with skipper Marcus Ashely-Jones and a total crew of fourteen. The spirit on board is building, and certain modifications are more important than others according to the owner. “The boat now boasts a pie warmer and good speaker system, which is a pretty special feature” says Anthony. “Steve “Mothy” Jarvin says ‘a hot pie and good beats, warms the soul’. And Mothy has won fourteen Hobarts so his opinion counts!” Anthony says. Watching them go head-to-head with Andoo Comanche on the way out of the harbour for the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, makes us wonder what track they were listening to. Reflecting on the rest of the Blue Water Pointscore, the team behind URM Group is quietly confident, but not quite cocky. “Our plan is to do all the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Series and the Australian Maxi Boat

Championship, which incorporates the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge,” says skipper Marcus. The Maxi Championship being a title they are defending in 2023, after taking home the top prize in 2022. Over the last four years they’ve been busy.. They have optimised the boat for inshore and offshore conditions and now they love ‘chasing the maxis’. They count No Limit, Moneypenny, Whisper and Willow as boats to watch on the water. And for the owner Anthony, although he was not on board for this NSGCYR race, he says he was really happy with the way the boat was looking. “Well, the start was to windward, and we love windward conditions and the TP52s tend to chase us down when the wind is behind us. So, the conditions really suited us, and the team worked really well together from the start, until the very end. Mothy and Alice Tarnawski, they both did a really great job. We really maximised our opportunities.” He says while they want to stay hungry for the rest of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, they have a healthy respect for all the competitors. “Predicting the winner is difficult,” says Anthony Johnston, “Each one of the yachts performs differently in various conditions. There are many exceptional yachts racing, so it’s difficult for us

to be confident of winning it, but we are certainly confident as a team of securing a good result,” he says.

navigator, she keeps us all in line. I’d say it’s more her boat, than anyone else’s, at this stage,” says Marcus. “She tells us what to do, and where to go.”

The process of optimizing the boat from Shockwave Reichel/Pugh 72- a boat they found in the states to become URM Group has been a real journey. They left Australia, searching for a boat because they wanted something with a bit of an X-factor.

URM Group Owner Anthony Johnston concurs. “Yes, Alice is well looked after by all the boys on board. She is our only girl, our resident female, and she is in charge.”

“I work very closely with Marcus on the sailing program and have become increasingly involved in the operations and tactics. The crew also benefits from the experience of Mothy,” says Anthony Johnston. “Last year we had some good really results, we set the record in the Flinders Island Race and we won the Australian Maxi Championships but we fell a little short in the Hobart, so we are looking to improve on our results this year,” Anthony says. URM Group came ninth on corrected time. When it comes to paying respect to crew members like the navigator, Alice Tarnawski also gets a Guernsey, as a true leader on URM Group. “She is a super star,” says skipper Marcus Ashley-Jones. “We connected with Alice about twelve months ago. She had a great reputation as a good sailor, but also as a navigator and I approached her to see if she wanted to navigate for us, and she stepped onto the boat and immediately impressed everybody. “We are really happy with her, and she is a star

According to David and Nick, Alice is also someone they look to and trust to bring every kind of technology and gadget onto the boat. A crew member who will always come up from the nav table full of ideas and strategic suggestions. “The tactics are determined by Marcus, Alice, Mothy and myself, in the majority of races, although we also tend to consult with other experienced professionals such as Jason Waterhouse too, when he is on board. The real effort has been to establish a strong cohesion on URM Group and to a solid Sydney based crew for the boat that makes each member super passionate about training and racing! “We try as much as possible to have a quiet boat and one voice,” says Anthony. “There is no sibling rivalry on board. The boat is run very much like the way we run our business with an emphasis on safety and organisation. The mood on the boat is good and everyone gets along really well.” “My brother Nick and Andrew love sailing and enjoy being part of the team too. It’s a real privilege to sail with your brothers on a boat as capable as URM Group.”

CONTESTING THE BLUE WATERS The six-race Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore offers some of the most competitive offshore racing in Australasia and the 2023/24 fleets will provide both entrants and spectators sensational racing in a series of coastal races culminating in one of the world’s greatest yacht races – the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Photos: Bow Caddy Media

With the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast having already set the tone for the season that runs over the five months from late July to the end of December, it’s the four coastal races ahead of the final showdown that will provide invaluable training and offshore experience for crews as well as an opportunity for owners to make changes along the way to best fine-tune their boats for a variety of conditions.

Photo: Bow Caddy Media

With at least four 100-foot maxis looking to line up on Boxing Day, eyes will be on John Winning Jr’s Andoo Comanche which has entered the lead up races. LawConnect, SHK Scallywag and Wild Thing 100 (formerly the Botin 80 Stefan Racing), will make their appearances later in the season. There are many 60 to 80-foot mini maxis that will be in strong contention for IRC podiums each race. In 2022, URM Group and Moneypenny featured in the Overall placings for three of the four coastal races – only missing out in the Cabbage Tree Island Race where two-handers dominated, with Mistral, Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth and Transcendence Crento taking out the first three positions. With Moneypenny not competing in the 2023 series, the likes of David Griffith’s Whisper, David Gotze’s No Limit and Geoff Hill’s Antipodes, (the Australian based Hong Kong entry), should all come into the mix to challenge URM Group, as will a pack of TP52s including Highly Sprung, KOA, and Smuggler, as well as mid-sized race boats such as the Cookson 50 Sticky, ES44 Tempo and Mumm 36 Georgia Express. And then there’s the perennial favourites, Calibre 12, Cinquante, Pretty Woman and Wild Oats. It’s a wide open competition for handicap victories and results will probably be largely dictated by the variable conditions we get over the race months.

Photos: Bow Caddy Media

Much focus will be on the burgeoning twohanded fleets where interest continues to grow exponentially. Already, a number of new 30 to 40-foot purpose-built race boats have joined our regular fleets and, more and more, we are seeing larger racer-cruisers being adapted and re-rigged to enable their owners to undertake short-handed racing. Once again, expect to see the family rivalry between Rupert and David Henry on Mistral and Philosopher, as well as competition from the likes of Blue Planet, Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth, Imalizard, Jupiter, Rum Rebellion and Tumbleweed. An international fleet and the best of Australia’s racing boats will arrive later in the Pointscore. Expect strong performances from the early entries Caro and Teasing Machine, and local entries, Alive, Atomic Blonde, Carrera S, Chutzpah, Maritimo, Midnight Rambler, Merit, and Pacman.

2023/24 AUDI CENTRE SYDNEY BLUE WATER POINTSCORE RACE 1

NOAKES SYDNEY GOLD COAST YACHT RACE

Saturday 29 July

384nm from Sydney Harbour to Main Beach on the Gold Coast Queensland.

RACE 2

FLINDERS ISLET RACE

Saturday 23 September

88nm return trip to Sydney Harbour with a rounding of the island off Port Kembla Harbour, Wollongong NSW.

RACE 3

TOLLGATE ISLANDS RACE

Friday evening 13 October

260nm return trip to Sydney Harbour with a rounding of the islands off Batemans Bay NSW.

RACE 4

BIRD ISLAND RACE SATURDAY

Saturday 11 November

83nm return trip to Sydney Harbour with a rounding of the island 3nm NE of Norah Head NSW.

RACE 5

CABBAGE TREE ISLAND RACE

Friday evening 1 December

172nm return trip to Sydney Harbour with a rounding of the island just north of Port Stephens NSW. A qualifying race for the 2023 RSHYR. Race 1 of the 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship (for entries over 60-feet).

RACE 6

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE

Boxing Day Tuesday 26 December

628nm international Classic from Sydney Harbour to Hobart, Tasmania.

2023 FLINDERS ISLET RACE The second race of the series, the 88nm Flinders Islet Race, was held on Saturday 23 September and after a slow start getting out the Harbour, the fleet of 30 boats enjoyed light but relatively constant 7-10kt SEs swinging to NEs later in the afternoon.

Anthony Johnston’s Reichel Pugh Maxi 72 URM Group notched up its second Overall victory in the Pointscore with a corrected margin of just over 20 minutes over Peter Wrigley and Andrew Kearnan’s TP52 KOA. Richard Harris’ Cookson 50 Sticky was third.

Line Honours was again won by John Winning Jr’s 100-foot maxi Andoo Comanche, who stormed home in just over 9 hours for a comfortable victory over URM Group and Koa.

In the IRC Two-Handed division, Chris O’Neil’s Blue Planet was followed by two other J/99s – Shane Connelly’s Rum Rebellion and Ian Smith’s Jupiter.

FROM FOG TO FRAY A giant mythical rock, an unforgiving sea, a sinking boat, gusting winds and torrential rains - it seems a giant cyclops was the only thing missing from the 50th edition of Rolex Fastnet Race.

It is not the clear-sighted who lead the world. Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm, mental fog. 1915 Joseph Conrad published “Victory: An Island Story” in “Munsey’s Magazine”

On the 22nd July, as the grey landscape surrounding the race took on Marvel comic proportions, amid whipping wind, and grizzly rain, the fleet set off. One hundred and ten retirements came in the first 36 hours, yet despite these tough conditions, many CYCA Members and Australian crew, battled on, to the finish with many being divisional place getters. To look back on this epic race, we asked CYCA Members and Australian crew taking part in the 2023 Fastnet, to reflect on the race’s highs and lows. According to our Homeric sailors, this edition of Fastnet, was a race that ‘gave and gave’. One that proved a near perfect celebration of the 50th

Images courtesy of Rolex Fastnet Race 2023 ROLEX/ Carlo Borlenghi and ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo

Max Klink’s Botin 52, Caro was officially declared the winner of the 50th Edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2023. Photo: Paul Wyeth.

back in 1925, in 2023 an impressive four hundred and thirty boats were at the start. To tell us first hand how it was on the ground we chatted to Jules Hall, Will Parker, Jiang Hui Ling, Andrew Cutler, Lindsay May and Sean Langman. On the winning Swiss boat Caro, CYCA Member Andy Green was navigator along with fellow Youth Sailing Academy alumni, Will Parker and Harry Hall. In a similar vein, Sean Langman, who missed out on his own Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race this year to compete in the Fastnet, sailed his old ranger Maluka along with Paddy & Keith Broughton’s S&S yawl Kialoa II.

running of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship event. With a stiff upper lip and shoulder-to-shoulder grit, brave men and women got through what has been deemed a ‘classic’ Fastnet. Anyone watching the start witnessed how incredibly diverse the fleet was. From the 32m Ultim trimarans - the line up ranged from the world’s fastest offshore yachts, to the 60ft flying IMOCAs of the Vendée Globe, to the incredible, professional Class40s. While the bulk of the fleet was in the IRC classes - that portion contained everything from maxis, to purpose-built 50-footers, to a substantial numbers of production classes and of course, a record number of double-handed entries. In what was truly a record-sized number of starters, Australia had six yachts in the fleet. And while a mere seven boats sailed this race

In the two-handed division, Disko Tropper Contender_ Sailcloth sailed by CYCA Director Jules Hall with Jan Scholten, did a marvellous job of handling the race in a borrowed J/99, while Jiang Hui Ling, also made a valiant effort, sadly having to withdraw her new JPK Min River on day three due to boat damage. Each are winners in our minds, because each has their very own Fastnet tale to tell. Safety in Numbers To improve safety this year, and to try and avoid prestart collisions, the RORC increased the gap between start times from 10 to 20 minutes. Given the severe forecast, they amended the Sailing Instructions and reversed the IRC fleet start order, with the largest and fastest first away and the gap between starts was reduced to 15 minutes. Veteran ocean racers compared this year’s starting conditions to 2021, but in fact the wind on the start line was less, at around 20 knots, although it was, quite a bit gustier. The overcast sky brought intermittent rain, however as the bulk of the fleet negotiated Hurst Narrows, the Solent was in full ebb, the wind 30+ knots ahead of the front - combining to kick up a vicious wind-against-tide sea state. Over the course of the night, conditions deteriorated, with

Fastnet Rock, Ireland

winds gusting to 40+ knots (F9/severe gale) over a sharp 5-6m sea. One of the first sounds to contend with coming out of the Solent, were mayday calls hailing from boats in distress.. Reflecting on the Fastnet, Jules Hall says their adventure was everything the duo hoped it would be. This two-man crew had done a lot of preparation and training with other two-handers and chartered a-look-a like J/99 out to challenge for the Cup. “Altered start times meant we were chasing the faster boats for the whole race,” says Jules. “The first day was very windy. Up to forty knots once we left the Solent. But it was upwind, so that oddly makes it relatively easier to deal with - you set the boat up with the appropriate sails then you bash along.

Along with enjoying this wild odyssey, many crews simply wanted to survive the first night, and ‘not break anything’. Many crews showed excellent seamanship, choosing to seek shelter until conditions abated. Some like Disko_Trooper continued, while others did not. Twenty-four hours into the race, more than one hundred yachts had retired. Looking at the final tally a total of 166 retired, roughly 39% of the fleet (compared to 45% in 2021 and 76% in 2007). Ironically, the next day competitors, were in the exact opposite position, contemplating how to negotiate light winds.

“For us that was a 3 reef main and number 5 jib. It was a combination that worked well, and the J/99 once again proved itself an extremely tough boat for those sorts of conditions,” adds Jules. He describes his race as two sides of a coin. On the one hand ‘incredibly challenging’ and on the other very special’. Like a test sent from God, it provided them ‘awesome competition’ and along the way. plenty of chances to sail their hardest, have some laughs and meet some fantastic people. “The actual rounding of the Fastnet rock was glorious, we had light winds, sunshine and saw a surprisingly large number of day tripper boats out at the rock fishing and enjoying the day,” says Jules Hall. “At that particular point, we were very focused on making some gains on the fleet, so we were trimming the spinnaker hard. We did just remember to get a couple of photos as we went round, but then it was back to focusing on the next leg across to the Scilly Isles.” This was the pattern, observed by many; a hectic first night with challenging conditions, followed by much calmer waters and lighter airs.

For 2023 there is a stand-out line honours monohull winner in Lucky, the former Rambler 88, now being campaigned by American Bryan Ehrhart.

Crew of Max Klink’s Botin 52, Caro, winner of the 50th Edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2023

Disko Trooper Contender Sailcloth 2023 Rolex Fastnet Cup

and quite a few Hobarts, and he knew where to go. He has done the race a handful of times on Rán.”

Max Klink’s Botin 52, Caro was officially declared the winner of the 50th Edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2023. “This is a legendary group of sailors who I have been fortunate to sail with for a few years now,” said Swiss owner, Klink after the race. “When we set out on this race I never expected that we could win. It’s a dream come true, and all the more special that this is the 50th edition of such an iconic race.” Tactician aboard Caro for the race, Adrian Stead – himself a two-time winner previously with Niklas Zennström’s Rán – added “Conditions were pretty extreme and to the west of Portland we found ourselves all sitting in the cockpit and sailing at 5-6 knots just to get through, just to make sure we didn’t break the boat.” Caro famously lost its wand. somewhere in the first twenty hours. but the crew pushed on. CYCA Member Andy Green acted as navigator, and he and the crew had their work cut out for them. Youth Sailing Academy progeny Will Parker was also onboard, invited to join the boat crew by Boat Captain Justin Ferris in January of this year. Having placed third on the same boat last year, in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Will Parker was familiar with Caro and knew they were going to be competitive. “I knew we were going to go well, because the boat is very good and it was very well prepared by Wade Morgan, who is an Australian as well. And I think the whole program is a really good reflection on Max and on Justin as well. “It was a pretty awesome experience to see three hundred boats on a racetrack – it’s a lot different a race from the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The course certainly has a lot a corners, orienteering would be a better way to describe it!,” Will laughs. On board there was a highly experienced crew, with a “mixture of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South African, English, Irish and Swiss.” “We were very lucky to have a guy called Adrian Stead on board and he has done a few Fastnets

“Initially we were going to be second to last division to start off and then they ended up rotating it around so that we were second or third division to start. That was done so as not to have the whole fleet converge at Hurst Castle which is the exit point of the Solent,” Will Parker says reflecting on the start of the race. “It was definitely wet, it was definitely bumpy,” says Will. “It was like the further west you got, the more relief you got, and a lot of those races are current or set dependent, so when you have current running against the wind – that is where a lot of this chop was, and we still had a lot of set or tide, when we were leaving the Solent. But once we started to get up the coast, it started to free up,” Will said. He admits the conditions were intense, but at no point did he feel worried. “It was definitely hectic the first night.” “I think for us, it was just a case of, just get through the first night, make sure everything is safe, because there were a couple of boats in the 50 foot range who didn’t finish, or who didn’t get through the first night – so it was just a plan of, let’s get through the first night and then after that, sail as hard as we can. Which we did a pretty nice job of.” Over that first night, HM Coastguard answered 28 ‘incidents’ while in many other incidents HM Coastguard was not required including the mast foot breaking, on race veteran Géry Trentesaux’s Long Courrier, which retired to Cowes. Caro edged ahead from the outset, arriving at the Rock fifty minutes ahead of Christopher Sheehan’s PAC52 Warrior Won. Under IRC Caro was 8 minutes 19 seconds ahead of Ino Noir, with Teasing Machine 23 minutes 10 seconds back, in third. BP333 Caro crossed the finish line at 06:25:02 on Tuesday 25th July, giving the boat a total race time of 2 days 16 hours 40 minutes and 2 seconds. Rounding the rock was a highlight according to Will, and at that stage they had no idea just how well they were doing.

Andrew Cutler is someone with a grand resume of ocean sailing and racing under his belt. He comes across as someone who is genuinely unphased by a lot of things. Having done the Fastnet five times, and plenty of Hobart’s, he goes along now for these journeys for the mateship and the prosperity. Looking back he is light hearted about the whole saga.

For 2023 there is a stand-out line honours monohull winner in Lucky, the former Rambler 88, now being campaigned by American Bryan Ehrhar

“It was really placid, really flat water. We approached the rock at about 3.30am and I think by the time we rounded it was about 4.30am and it was really nice, the sun was coming up, and it was definitely a lot softer breeze than what we had had the night before! “It was beautiful, it was pretty cool to go and do something like that because I think a lot of people go around it at night, and probably never see it – I think a lot of people go around it in bad weather and maybe never see it. But we were really blessed to be able to go around it in those conditions, beautiful still water, beautiful clear sky – it was really memorable,” Parker said. Jiang Hui Ling on Min River was forced to retire but found the whole experience well worth it. “Although Min River’s pre-Fastnet campaign was successful, and she was doing great, she battled through the difficult weather and sea conditions on the first day of the Fastnet race, unfortunately she had to retire on her third day due to a mechanical issue. “Still the pre-race training experiences, the challenging start, as well as the first three days of the race has given her many good memories,” said Jiang reflecting on her achievements. Also putting in exceptional performances were two classic maxis finishing sixth and 12th in IRC Zero: Ermanno Traverso’s Stormvogel (the 1961 line honours winner) and the 1964 73ft S&S yawl Kialoa II, famously campaigned by Jim Kilroy and now by CYCA Members and brothers Paddy and Keith Broughton. Andrew Cutler ‘Cutts’ from the crew of Kialoa II described the whole Fastnet event as tough, but not heinous. “We started about 1:45pm , and we had the change of tide, so you know for the first twenty minutes, the tide was against us. So we’re working our way up the Cowes shore and then, by the time we got to Hurst Castle and into the needles, well you would have seen the photos.

“It was fruity,” Andrew says. “You name it, we had it. This Fastnet we had, in the four and a half days, three gales, 32 to 37 knots, and one glass out for eight hours where we just sat around at the Fastnet rock. So we really got our money’s worth.” Andrew disputes that it was the worst conditions. “It was tough, but not heinous,” he says. “There were lots of sail changes. Not much sleep, due to sea sickness on the crew, we had some guys on board who had sailed on the boat before=. Even one of our young guys from Australia, who’s done lots of Hobart’s, was crook because of a bug. So yeah, we’re down a few guys. And down horsepower. But there was a really nice bunch of guys and that’s what Pat always puts together. “Paddy is a bit of a legend in his own and it was nice to finish at Cherbourg for a change. “At the end of the Fastnet, when it used to finish in England, you got to Plymouth and it would be a beer tent and a gravel car park and everybody would grab a pint and leave. It was just nothing. The town didn’t get behind it. In Cherbourg, they had a village and you know sailing is a big thing in France, so it was a much better place to finish than Plymouth.” Paddy Broughton and his crew were awarded the Coates Scholfield Trophy for the yacht whose crew had sailed the furthest to compete. The vintage S&S 73 Kialoa II had sailed 14,136nm from Sydney, Australia with Andrew Cutler on board the whole way. Fixing the forestay in Tahiti for 9 days and having another epic journey…. But that is, as they say, another story, for another day. For another of our CYCA stalwarts, Sean Langman, Fastnet was this year ticked off the bucket list. Langman also brought vintage boat ‘feels’ to this Fastnet, by sailing Maluka (formerly Maluka of Kermandie) and finishing first in Division 4B in Rolex Fastnet Race. Langman lovingly rebuilt in 2006, a Huon pine boat and had it shipped from Australia to the Royal Cork Yacht Club in May of this year. Maluka represented the Port Huon Yacht Club in southern Tasmania with an all Aussie crew. Thinking over the race Sean said the experiences he shared with his crew were his highlight. “Maluka faces weather head on,” said Sean after the race, describing the process of sailing his 29.5-foot 1932 Ranger under testing conditions.

Kialoa II, Rolex Fastnet Race 2023

“She’s very tough and has her own personality when things get tough. It seemed she relished starting last. It gave her boats to chase!” “The weather we had prepared for but in a little boat you get dealt with what the sea throws up. You can’t speed up, and run away. We raced other boats the whole way; boat on boat. The racetrack for the Fastnet is very challenging. A lot of corners to go around, tidal gates to contend with and the traffic separation areas to avoid. “We all decided it was the race that kept giving! Gales plus calms, with incredible scenery!” Langman doesn’t regret a single moment. He and his dedicated crew, including son Pete Langman, Josh Alexander, Gordon Maguire, and Peter Inchbold - sailed 29.5ft Maluka around the Fastnet Rock, gleefully toasting the half way point with some delicious Italian pinot gris “Some friends had dropped off a bottle of Pinot Gris whilst I was preparing for the race. I forgot it was onboard, but it felt appropriate to toast our arrival to Fastnet Rock,” says Sean. But their feeling of excitement, was short lived, “There was a feeling of elation, satisfaction, as well as a feeling of relief. Then Gordon reminded us we had another front coming and a long way to go. So we got back into seamanship quickly! As the hours and days passed they saw plenty of sailors tested and trounced.

“It’s always sad knowing others suffer in bad weather. A boat sank quite close to us in big seas and I was heartened to see the rescue helicopter arrive so quickly,” says Sean thinking back on those who didn’t get chance to finish Maluka came 1st on IRC Division 4B, and listed as 123rd on IRF Overall. This epic journey, was by Sean’s own account, ‘a great adventure’ – with the skipper and owner particularly valuing the opportunity to share the 50th Fastnet with his son Peter. “Doing Fastnet with close friends was the goal. My son joining the crew made the event something I’ll always treasure. Peter is a great sailor, great company and a beautiful human too. I’m very lucky to have Pete as my son. We arrived in Cherbourg whilst the prize giving was on. It was very nice to have the prize giving come to us with bubbles and a trophy. “Sailing Maluka in Fastnet further galvanised for me the reason why we sailed in 2006 Hobart. She makes yachting real for me. Connects me to being a boy again. Sailing back then with my dad. I’m so lucky that I can now do the same with Pete.” Those Australian sailors have been lucky enough to have done this race each takes aways his own memories and chattels of success. Whether you floated around the Fastnet pond, passed by night or had a quick toast with mate and kept sailing, this bucket list race from the fog to the fray, was a race, in its 50th edition, that gave and gave!

Success at home and around the globe Over the past three months, our CYCA YSA sailors have been traversing the globe, picking up medals and beating out the competition to mount various match-racing podiums. In early July, two YSA teams travelled to Perth for the Australian Youth Match Racing Championship, hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Teams from both WA and NSW competed in the fourday competition, using the Club’s fresh new fleet of Elliott 7m keelboats. By the end of the week, the YSA teams had once again come out on top, claiming both first and second in the National Championship. Cole Tapper, Max Brennan, Chelsea Williams & Hamish Vass were the victors in

what was the Club’s sixth consecutive National Championship title. Later in July, the Governor's Cup at the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, California, was the site of an amazing achievement by the YSA Advanced Squad members who competed this year. All five of our sailors ended up on the podium making the YSA extremely proud. The YSA entry of Cole Tapper, Jack Frewin and Hamish Vass finished the week with a silver medal, going down in the Finals to fellow YSA sailor Max Brennan, who was sailing for his home Club at the event. Mark Murray completed the YSA podium line up, finishing

with a bronze medal, sailing for Newport Beach Yacht Club. In August, Cole Tapper, Max Brennan, Nathan Gulliksen and Hamish Vass finished in third position at the opening event of the 2023 US Grand Slam Series – The Chicago Match Cup. This three-day event, saw ten teams from Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and the USA compete in TOM 28s, the regatta hosted by the beautiful, Chicago Yacht Club. Later, across in Noumea, Will Sargent, Paige Caldecoat, Nathan Gulliksen and Eddie Reid came from a position of being 0 - 2 down at the Aircalin Match Cup Championship to win the Final 3 - 2 over local Frenchman Tom Picot. The event was hosted by Cercle Nautique Caledonien and this was the first time the CYCA had won in its 14 year history, claiming both the Open and Youth divisions. Finally, back home in September, Cole Tapper, Max Brennan, Chelsea Williams and Hamish Vass secured their second consecutive NSW Youth Match Racing Championship, the Final being held on a tricky day of sailing on Sydney Harbour. The win cemented what is now a 22-year winning streak at this event for the CYCA.

YSA 30th Anniversary Dinner On Friday 15 September, over 100 Members, guests and YSA alumni attended the YSA 30th Anniversary Dinner at the Club to raise funds to foster the future of the Academy. Past participants of the YSA were present to talk about the Academy’s lasting impression on their sailing, including John ‘Herman” Winning Jnr, Sam Newton, and Master of Ceremonies Tom Barker. The evening featured a raffle with a top prize of a weekend away to the Hunter Valley, as well as both an online and live auction with some incredible items available to guests to bid on. The most notable items were an original jersey from the Australia II syndicate, signed by the crew which won the America’s Cup in 1983, breaking an 132-year winning streak by New York Yacht Club, as well as an AC40 experience, donated by the Team

Australia Challenge – Challenging for the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup next year. Life Member and original Training and Development Committee Member Peter Shipway opening proceedings, reminiscing on the very early days of the Academy. In 1993 the CYCA Board approved and established the YSA which today has become of the world’s leading youth sailing academies, with notable sailors going on to represent the Club and Australia at all levels of the sport. Life Member and Past CYCA Commodore David Kellett joined as auctioneer, and across the evening, the event managed to raise an incredible $22,500. If you were unable to attend, you can still make a tax deductable donation towards the Academy through the Australia Sports Foundation.

Kyle Langford Chats Youth Sailing Academy

This month we caught up with Youth Sailing Academy graduate Kyle Langford from Barcelona. Kyle now lives in Europe, but since his first years of catching the train down to Sydney from Port Macquarie, for YSA Winter Squads, Kyle has become a highly sought after sailing athlete - one of Australia’s finest exports.

Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of the Youth Sailing Academy, Kyle says the program, staff, Club atmosphere and training, is second to none globally.

To mark the 30-year anniversary of the YSA’s inception, he reflects on the CYCA’s training program, as a truly, formative experience. One that physically and mentally helped him, to be the kind of sailor he is today.

“I got into the YSA through my older brother. When I started, I was only 15. I couldn’t drive, so getting to the Club in Sydney, was a bit harder for me.

Kyle has just joined American Magic America’s Cup 37 Challenger as coach and currently serves as wing trimmer, for the Australia SailGP Team, having joined Tom Slingsby’s crew just before the start of the 2019 inaugural season. Kyle’s role onboard the Flying Roo helped Australia win both the first two seasons of the SailGP. Kyle has also competed in multiple America’s Cups, including winning in 2013 it as part of the American Team and in the Team Brunel in the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race.

How old were you when you started at YSA? How did you get into it?

“I grew up a little bit further north, so, to do the YSA was a bit of an effort. But the YSA just had that reputation of, you know, if you’re a young kid, and you want to try racing and sailing bigger boats then you had to go there. Did you always know you wanted to sail professionally? “I loved sailing from when I was younger. I wasn’t necessarily the best sailor, I just knew that I loved it. All I wanted to do was go sailing.

“For me, it was a pretty easy decision to make. I guess for me the commitment over the winter - to come down on the weekends – do the YSA squads on Saturday, and the Winter Series on the Sunday, was a pretty easy call to make. I was happy to sacrifice other things in life as a 16-year-old, to do that kind of thing. How does the YSA compare to others you have experienced overseas?

I think the YSA is second to none. I mean, it’s the best program in the world. It’s been instrumental in my career and giving me the experiences I needed.

What was the standout feature?

Did you get to sail a variety of boats in your youth, through being part of the YSA? “Yeah, it was great to do the macro thing on the Elliotts, but also the CYCA Members giving up positions on their boats to have YSA kids sailing them in the Winter Series, was just another great bit of experience. If it was not for the generosity of those Members, then the experience would be a little bit different. That was also a big part of the YSA, the Members are there, to get behind that program and offer positions on their boats, for the other young sailors to gain experience.” Langford now resides in Stockholm, Sweden with his wife and two kids, where he likes to spend his time drone piloting, cycling and kitesurfing, whenever he is not sailing. His sail making company Seagull recently joined with Doyle’s sails from its home in Sweden. Like Kyle, Many of Australia’s most celebrated sailors, started their careers at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Youth Sailing Academy (YSA). On Friday 15 September, the CYCA proudly celebrated the YSA’s 30th anniversary, by inviting members of the sailing community to a special dinner at the Club.

“I think the one really good thing about it, is just the differences in age in the group. When I did the YSA, I was the youngest for my years. I was always with the older kids, and the older members of the YSA, were the ones who really taught me.” “It was of course great, we had great coaches and great support from the Club, but it was the older students within the squad, which were coaching the younger ones. From this I got a huge benefit. I managed to take this forward so much, into of the rest of my sailing. How did the YSA give you an edge? “I think compared to other countries in the world, from what I have seen, they just don’t quite have that level of collaboration and camaraderie. The YSA gave us a little bit more. It made sailing less about the individual, more about one, big, squad, working together.

If you were unable to attend, but would like to make a tax deductable donation towards the Academy through the Australia Sports Foundation, please email media@cyca.com.au

Following the sailing dream Will Ryan is an Olympic gold medallist, five-time World Champion and Youth Sailing Academy (YSA) alumnus, who’s raced boats since the age of thirteen. Will’s worldwide obsession with the sport began at age 11, at the Toronto Amateur Sailing Club, from where he went on to compete at the 2006 Youth World Sailing Championships. Flash forward to 2023, and speaking to us from Lake Garda in Italy, he says the CYCA and YSA, both, still hold a special place in his heart. “We were just so, so lucky, I really don’t think I would have got into the sport at all, if I hadn’t been part of the YSA,” says Will Ryan. For the better part of the last two decades Will has been busy representing Australia, joining forces with Mat Belcher after the London Olympics to form a formidable pairing. Belcher and Ryan won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and their fourth World Championship together in Greece in 2017. Will says he is hoping to get back to Australia for the end of the year for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, but has been busy this year with TF35 events in Lake Garda, a couple of SailGP events in France, a TP52 event and the M32 Worlds in the USA. Will spoke to us in late August where he was competing in a foiling, catamaran series in Italy. He took time to reflect on and commemorate the 30th Anniversary of YSA by generously sharing with us his early sailing memories.

When did it start to click for you that you could sail professionally? I think for me, when I moved to school in Sydney. The YSA was just fantastic, as I got the chance to do a lot more sailing there and had exposure to the youth match racing circuit, as well as the big boat scene. The youth match racing circuit kind of gave me my opportunity to go overseas for the first time through my sport. How important was competing overseas for you? That opened my eyes to what the sport could be and the opportunities that were there - and the pathways you could find through all the different people you meet. How did the YSA, help you to fall in love with sailing? Yeah, I think it offered me the same reasons why I still love sailing today. It’s because I was really, really fortunate to have Jenni Bonnitcha there at the time. And then Pam Scrivenor came in as well to run the Academy. I’d often end up staying down on yachts on the weekends, like between the Saturday, YSA Winter Squads and the Sunday morning sailing.

What are you doing now?

What made the most impression on you?

Since I kind of finished up in Tokyo I’ve been taking the opportunity of jumping on different kind of boats, to get any experience I can. Definitely, I’ve been really lucky this year to find some cool circuits, like doing the TP52 Worlds in Barcelona. I did two SailGPs and we did TF35s events as well. And it’s been awesome I must say.

For all of us at YSA at that time, there were a lot of role models and people that were in circuit already - like Sam Newton - that we were all looking up to. They really showed us what was possible. I think without that, coming from Australia, it’s really hard to know if you can succeed overseas, or not.

Did you know when you were taking part in the programs at YSA, that you were bound for Olympic sailing? I never had my heart set on the Olympics or anything like that. I just really enjoyed sailing and was quite good friends with another YSA graduate Kyle Langford - and with Mark Langford and Evan Walker. The four of us used to catch the train down

from Newcastle to the big city of Sydney and do this match racing program.

Was it a lot to take on the YSA personally at such a young age? It’s a big investment of time and all the rest of it but we were just so, so lucky to have that experience at the YSA. TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTABLE DONATION TOWARDS THE YOUTH SAILING ACADEMY THROUGH THE AUSTRALIA SPORTS FOUNDATION

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A Fickle Airlie It’s often said that everyone should participate in an Airlie Beach Race Week at least once. The regatta is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere and the beautiful natural playground that surrounds its many courses - and the days’ activities give way to live entertainment and lively celebrations at the Whitsunday Sailing Club each evening. Unfortunately, the 2023 regatta was one that didn’t deliver the racing conditions that the participating fleets had been hoping for. Frustrated by the lack of wind on many of the weekdays, organizers were forced to truncate or abandon many of the races including the final day of scheduled racing on Thursday. Congratulations to the staff, volunteers and all competitors for a fantastic week despite the challenging conditions.

Race Week wouldn’t be Race Week without the Clintons and Holy Cow. Photo: Shirley Wodson.

IRC 1 – CYCA ENTRANTS

PLACE BOAT

SKIPPER

1st

Team Hollywood (Botin Fast 40)

Ray Roberts

2nd

KOA (TP52)

Mark Tolhurst

7th

Antipodes (Santa Cruz 72)

Greg Newton

IRC 2 – CYCA ENTRANTS

Nizam (DK46)

1st

David Currie

Team Hollywood with Secret Weapon in background. Photo: Andrea Francolini.

PHS PERFORMANCE CRUISING 1 – CYCA ENTRANTS

Victoire (Carkeek 40)

2nd

Ian McDiarmid

PHS PERFORMANCE CRUISING 2 – CYCA ENTRANTS

3rd

Antipodes (Santa Cruz 72)

Greg Newton

6th

Holy Cow! (Beneteau Oceanis 50)

John & Kim Clinton

Night-time fun at Whitsunday Sailing Club post racing. Photo: Vampp Photography.

PHS PERFORMANCE CRUISING 3 – CYCA ENTRANTS

3rd

Calibre 12 (Cookson 12)

Kate Leeson

13th

Blue Moon (Beneteau First 40.7)

Joe Goddard

PHS TRAILABLE BOATS – CYCA ENTRANTS

9th

Like Oxygen (REO 850) Andrew York

Mothers and calf take an interest in the boats. Photo: Andrea Francolini ABRW.

MEET THE JACKSON

As the only public spectator vessel within the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Exclusion Zone, The Jackson provides uninterrupted views of one of the the world’s favourite yacht races. Each year on Boxing Day, Sydney Harbour is a scene of wild activity. Along with the sight of countless boats and buoys bobbing on blue water and noisy broadcast choppers hovering overhead, there is considerable tension that builds in the air from the competitor boats themselves. What better way to spend your recovery from Christmas Day than out on Sydney Harbour soaking up the atmosphere and the energy of this spectacular sporting event? The Jackson is the only vessel that affords you exclusive access to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race’s Boxing Day Start Exclusion Zone and from here you can enjoy being on The Main Deck for the start of the race. This is Sydney’s newest and most luxurious charter superyacht and it allows you and your group a 360-degree view of the start of the race. The Main Deck of The Jackson provides floor-to-ceiling windows, designer décor and luxurious furnishings, a dedicated bar, and direct access to both bow and aft outdoor decks. This means you can see the start line, have prime viewing to witness the firing of the 10-minute, 5-minute and start canons, as well as the chance to watch the fleet jostle for position around the start line. A selection of official 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race merchandise will be available for purchase on-board the vessel too. As always, it will be an impressive spectacle, watching the fleet commence their first day of one of the world’s most gruelling yacht races. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy this classic sporting event.

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HAMMO DELIVERS Photos: Salty Dingo

The CYCA had strong representation at Hamilton Island Race Week again this year with 24 entries having made the trip north, some as deliveries, others continuing the journey following the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast. A few of our boats also opted to compete in either the Brisbane to Hamilton Island Race or at Airlie Beach Race Week. As usual, HIRW hosted a fabulous and memorable week of parties and social events over the eight days and the weather, for the most part, offered competitors and guests tropical perfection. On water, it was more of a mixed bag with conditions varying from extremely light breeze through to solid trade winds over the final few days of competition. The standout boats of the regatta were CYCA Members David Doherty’s TP52 Matador which showed its class against a top-notch fleet of IRC 2 boats including many of the Club’s other 52s, to win the division with an impressive 6 points, and in Division 4, Ray Robert’s Botin Fast 40 Team Hollywood which continued its previous dominant form winning with 8 points. Will Vicar’s exquisite Drumfire was our other winner, taking out the Blue Division. Congratulations to all who competed this year.

HAMILTON ISLAND EHC DIVISIONAL RESULTS – CYCA ENTRANTS

IRC 1

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

1st (6 pts)

Alive

Duncan Hine

2nd (13 pts)

No Limit (CYCA)

David Gotze

3rd (18 pts)

Hamilton Island Wild Oats

Mark Richards

4th (24 pts)

Andoo Comanche (CYCA)

John Winning Jr

IRC 2

1st (6 pts)

Matador (CYCA)

David Doherty

2nd (16.5 pts)

Maritimo

Bill BarryCotter

3rd (20.5 pts)

Virago (CYCA)

Robert Kelly

4th (21 pts)

First Light (CYCA)

Peter White

5th (25 pts)

Highly Sprung (CYCA)

Mark Spring

6th (27 pts)

KOA (CYCA)

Andy Kearnan

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

1st Blue (18 pts)

Drumfire (CYCA)

Phillip Neil

5th Blue (27 pts)

Sydney (CYCA)

David Kellet (sk)

7th Blue (29 pts)

Allegro (CYCA)

Adrian Lewis

9th Orange (34 pts)

C’est Las Vie (CYCA)

Mark Tobin

11th Orange (36 pts)

Molto Bene (CYCA)

Neale Peppernell

3rd Pink (23 pts)

Enigma (CYCA)

James Manning

10th Pink (41 pts)

Minnie (CYCA)

Michael Bell

2nd Purple (25 pts)

Nautical Circle (CYCA)

Robin Shaw

2nd Yellow (24 pts)

Ciao Bella (CYCA)

Karl Onslow

3rd Yellow (28 pts)

Holy Cow (CYCA)

John & Kim Clinton

5th Yellow (29 pts)

Wilde Rush (CYCA)

Arthur Lane

13th Yellow (45 pts)

Antipodes (CYCA)

Greg Newton

15th NonSpinnaker (60 pts)

Dancing Feather (CYCA)

Phil Day

IRC 3

1st (8 pts)

The Red Boat

Jared Macquart

2nd (17 pts)

Popeye

Craig Douglas

3rd (18 pts)

Nizam (CYCA)

David Currie

6th (35 pts)

Calibre 12 (CYCA)

Richard Williams

8th (44 pts)

About Time (CYCA)

Julian FarrenPrice

6th (27 pts)

KOA (CYCA)

Andy Kearnan

IRC 4

1st (8 pts)

Team Hollywood (CYCA)

Ray Roberts

2nd (10 pts)

Kukukerchu

David Ross

3rd (16 pts)

Fargo

Ari Abrahams 41

Springing into action

The popular CYCA Spring Series returned for 2023 with four races over four consecutive weeks in August. Across three PHS divisions, including two for non-spinnaker entries, 27 boats of all shapes and sizes battled it out for bragging rights on Sydney Harbour. In the final wrap-up, it was an all CYCA affair on the three podiums. Congratulations to the nine placegetters and all competitors and our thanks to the many volunteers that made the series possible.

DIVISION 1 (SPINNAKER)

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

1st (6pts)

Superfine (Cavalier 350SL)

George Waldthausen

2nd (8pts)

Shape (Reichel Pugh 42)

Jonnie Vigor

3rd (8pts)

My Way (Beneteau First 36.7)

David Aylward

DIVISION 2 (NON-SPINNAKER)

1st (4 pts)

Foreign Affair (Farr 30)

Matt Wilkinson

2nd (9 pts)

Carioca (Marten 49)

Grant Moore & Albiege Alves

3rd (10 pts)

Valkyrie by Corunna Station (Northshore 380S)

Gerard Kesby

DIVISION 3 (NON-SPINNAKER)

1st (6 pts)

First Light Dehler (41DS)

David Jacobs & Roy Melick

2nd (7 pts)

Shorething (Northshore 380S)

James Butler

3rd (8 pts)

Plato Pendragon (Stewart 34)

Janey Treleaven

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SUNSET SAILING CYCA’s two twilight racing series offer Members and guests the perfect break from the weekday grind and regularly draw large fleets each week over Spring through to Autumn. Monday’s series is run as two distinct Spring and Summer pointscores and allows for spinnakers whilst the mid-week Wednesday outing is non-spinnaker and generally a more relaxed and social affair, providing newcomers a chance to get out on the water with race crews. The Wednesday Twilights are non-pointscore.

2023/24 Sharp EIT Monday Twilight Series The start of the season has already delivered a wild mix of conditions calling for tactical nous by the afterguards and some very competitive sailing across the two divisions. Division 1 offers both PHS and IRC, whilst Division 2 is PHS only.

SHARP EIT MONDAY TWILIGHT SERIES (PHS) RESULTS AFTER 5 RACES DIVISION 1

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

CLUB

POINTS

Tempo (44)

Michael Smith

CYCA

Indi (AUS6530)

Noel Cornish

CYCA

Shine On - Team Callendina (YC380)

Phil Herscovics

CYCA

DIVISION 2

Superfine (9900)

George Waldthausen CYCA

Siena (990)

David O'Loughlin

RPEYC

Scarlett O'Hara (30 KA400)

Robert Skol

RANSA

SHARP EIT MONDAY TWILIGHT SERIES (IRC) RESULTS AFTER 5 RACES

Indi (AUS6530)

Noel Cornish

CYCA

Victoire (84001)

Darryl Hodgkinson

CYCA

Kukukerchu (555)

David J Ross

CYCA

2023/24 Income Asset Management Twilight Series After five races, quite a number of crews have featured on the podiums of the popular nonpointscore series. In Division A, David Gotze’s Triton and Peter White’s First Light have looked consistently strong, as have Phil King’s Last Tango, Ervin Vidor’s Charlotte and Stephen Girdis’ Plym – boats of completely different vintages, shapes and sizes. Division B has featured John Markos and Michael Delaney’s Eye Appeal, DW Watson’s Luna Blue, Robert Skol’s Scarlett O’Hara , Steve Watson’s Ragtime and Neil O’Hare’s Sea Change whilst Division C has seen success for George Waldthausen’s Superfine, Leslie Pongrass’s Caravelle, John Clinton’s Holy Cow and Niel Burling’s Baltic Lady. Division D is a very open affair with the likes of Peter O’Brien’s Lumiere, Chris Pentlands’s La Vela, Peter Berger’s Janelley and Alan Conway’s B&B amongst the placegetters. Sincere thanks to the Twilight Sponsors – Sharp Extensive IT and Income Asset Management. Thanks also to our good friends at Sydney Brewery, supporters of our Sailing Concierge Program and to Brix Distillers, Prize Partners to the Income Asset Management Wednesday Twilight Series. Each week bottles of rum are awarded to the four divisional winners and RTD four-packs to the various placegetters. At the end of the season, all winners will go into the draw to win a 5-litre cask of rum and a crew party at the Surry Hills distillery. Racing continues through to the end of November then will resume in January 2024.

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FITNESS FIRST This month, we look at the enduring appeal of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and explore how its testing conditions impact on sailors physically and how different sailors prepare their bodies for it.

We hear from Greg O’Shea who is co-skipper of Mistral and ocean racing professional, Rob Greenhalgh. Firstly, Greg. Greg won the two-handed division in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race onboard Mistral. Greg sails for fun, he loves being fit and has done tonnes of miles on the side of a boat with coskipper Rupert Henry. His accomplishments include winning the 2018 Melbourne-Osaka race on his first attempt, aboard the mini maxi Chinese Whisper an extraordinary physical feat in a 62-foot boat. By contrast Rob Greenhalgh is a British sailor, who is highly respected for his professional achievements in sailing. Rob has done an incredible amount of competitive sailing in different classes and Volvo Ocean Races, including winning its 2005/6 edition on ABN AMRO ONE.

Yet when it comes to getting the mix right, both gentlemen agree the perfect race prep comes down to strength, stamina and suppleness. Or as we say today, weights, cardio and agility. Both advise to start an ocean race in prime health and be prepared to lose a little weight at sea. Greg got serious in 2017/2018 before embarking on the 5,500 nautical miles to Osaka. Greg was kind enough to share with us his experience of getting fit for racing ahead of his trip to sail in New York. “I am a MAMIL - I’m a middle aged man in Lycra,” says Greg laughing. “I think a lot of people see sailing as a sedentary sport, but to me, it is anything but that.” Greg sailed for years growing up and after an extended break to his sailing career, he reconnected with it through his cycling buddy Rupert Henry.

“I love cycling and I basically do road biking, gravel biking and mountain bike riding whenever I can. I love it. So on the weekend, I was out doing a 100km ride with a bunch of mates. And my other passion is wind foiling and windsurfing.” Recently taking part in the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup with Guido Belgiorno-Nettis (RSYS), he prepared for the one design Corinthian regatta with a long gravel ride with friends almost as soon as his plane touched down in the US. “I try to pick three to four mornings a week where it’s dry to go riding because I don’t ride in the rain. Then if it’s nice and windy, a couple of mornings a week, I’ll go out for a wing foil or a windsurf,” says Greg. Finding a balance between work and play is a choice, according to Greg. His philosophy is that if you’re not cardio fit - then that’s a personal choice, there are just so many easy ways to stay cardio fit. “I find that my training regime is cycling for cardio riding is really good for cardio but it’s also good for concentration, because if you are on the bike for many hours at a stretch, you have to be focused. My other passion is wind foiling, just because it’s so much fun.” With contagious energy and a self-effacing style, it’s easy to see why Greg is never stuck for friends to get fit with. In terms of frequency, he doesn’t stick to a fixed schedule, but instead he tries to pepper things he loves throughout his week. This ensures he can eat what he wants on long lunches with clients, while doing frequent social engagements as business development.

This sailor gives full credit to trainer Andrew Verdon and says he would recommend anyone preparing for a Hobart or Osaka race, to get a trainer to help you focus on any weak spots. “To me sailing is absolutely a sport of movement and my view with short-handed sailing, is that if you can’t look after yourself, then there is probably a good chance you are not going to be able to look after what you need to do on the boat. There is a big piece of self-ownership that goes into it.” Rob Greenhalgh Rob is a British sailor who has made Australia his adopted home since 2018. In the Extreme Sailing Series, his achievements included winning in 2007, (when it was known as the iShares Cup), and as Skipper of Team Duqm Oman in 2013 and in 2014 of Oman Air. He has so many ‘firsts’, next to his name they are too numerous to list. Rob is a serious sailor, and he tells it like it is. He says when preparing for something long like a forty day ocean race, he just tries to get ‘as fit as possible’. “Yeah, I mean, obviously, with those campaigns, fully professional campaigns, we have physical trainers, and a rigorous fitness regime. Which would involve the gym once or twice per day, certainly once a day, unless we’re offshore, and

“When we did the Osaka race, I got Andrew Verdon, a strength and conditioning coach for Australian Sailing, to help me set a program. “For Osaka we sailed Whisper two-handed, and so to prepare, we did a lot of strength and conditioning work, for purpose. It was very focused on being able to lift the sails easily. “Like the Zero that we had on that boat was 8090kgs. So the two of us had to man-handle it and to prepare, I did two, to, three months of focused weight lifting and endurance training to get ready for that race,”says Greg. He advises that a baseline fitness is important for anyone embarking on an ocean race like Hobart, as is engaging a trainer to reinforce potential weak spots, ahead of setting off for longer stretches at sea. “The hard thing for anyone I guess, is doing the proper strength and conditioning training. The kind where you’re really engaging the right stabiliser muscles, making sure that you are lifting properly and you are not wrecking your back. That’s where the benefits of a trainer are crucial,” says Greg.

Greg OShea

are notoriously quite unfit, I think it’s horses for courses. For different types of sailing there are different shapes and levels obviously but depending on what sailing you are doing, it’s about getting fit for the job.” A typical preparation program for Rob involves water time, and the gym coupled with appropriate rest and recovery. “You’re doing weights and cardio, and stretching, just to make sure your whole body is ready to go. Now I’m mainly doing mainly inshore stuff, it requires a slightly different body shape and size to the offshore stuff. I find I need less preparation time for that, because you’re sleeping in a bed at night, which makes it a lot easier on the body than the offshore stuff. Rob Greenhalgh at the British Moth championship Photo: Mark Jardine photo.

from then you know, as with any sport you do now, you can’t be fit enough,” Rob says. Being a fit all-rounder is essential. “For offshore sailing, especially these days, your role onboard is always varied. So it’s hard to train specifically, for a specific grinder or such. What you must do is train to make sure you don’t get injured. “So when preparing, you’re doing enough just to ensure that you don’t get injured. You’re training so you don’t sustain lower back injury, because that can put you out of the race.” Rob agrees that lower back, shoulder and knee injuries are the most common complaints. “Sailing is a lot of repetitive stuff, you are often working on funny angles. There’s quite a lot of risk of repetitive strain injuries and risks of stuff like that from driving or trimming.” Though he now mainly sails inshore, Rob’s sporting achievements have seen him compete in, and win, some of the longest endurance events in the world. He’s someone who’s done his fair share of time shedding weight at sea and sailing hard on little sleep. His advice to first timers doing their first Hobart, is to basically harden up. “You need to strengthen your back, you need to make sure your glutes are nice and strong, and then keep the back strong. When I am getting ready, I also want to make sure my body is in good shape to be able to survive with no sleep, and in a cold, wet environment and then to function with a warm up.” The challenge as Rob knows only too well, is that ocean races often call for long periods of relative inactivity, followed by quick bursts of action. “You are often just sitting there, hunched over on the side of the boat, and although sailors

“In the end, a lot of it also comes down to diet. When you’re offshore, you’re eating freeze dried food, you get a lot of muscle wastage. So it’s very hard to maintain a kind of a healthy, fit body if you do normal offshore races. And really, until you’ve done a bunch of it, you don’t really know how your body’s gonna cope. And then once you do, you can tailor your training accordingly. “But as with any endurance sport, you can get quite tired. I think for offshore, you don’t want to be getting on board with an athlete’s build, you probably want to have some fat reserves. In the same respect, you, you know, the fitter is better.”

Photo: Daily Telegraph/News Ltd

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SOPS, OPS AND SHORT HAUL For the three fully-crewed 2023/24 Short Summer Offshore Pointscores, the Club has welcomed onboard new Naming Rights Parter and longtime supporter Club Marine. These races offer a broad range of competitors the opportunity to gain valuable coastal racing experience and to add additional weekend competition to their programs. The Club Marine Short Ocean Pointscore is a nine-race series with the best six results to count with all races sailed off Sydney Heads. Overall and season pointscore trophies are awarded in both IRC and PHS handicap categories to placegetters in each division. The Club Marine Ocean Pointscore consists of eight races including return journeys to Lion Island, Botany Bay and Port Hacking as well as Day One of the MHYC SSORC and the Australia Day Regatta. The Club Marine Short Haul Pointscore is a nonspinnaker series comprising thirteen races. Several are raced in Sydney Harbour and at night, while the majority of races are sailed off Sydney Heads. There is also a separate Passage Pointscore made up of the Pittwater passage races and the Botany Bay Race (a total of five races with the best four to count). For each series, both Spring and Autumn Pointscores will be conducted. There have been several races already held in the 2023/24 season. Congratulations to all who participated and to the placegetters.

CLUB MARINE SHORT OCEAN POINTSCORE (PHS) AFTER 3 RACES DIVISION 1

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

CLUB

PTS

Virago (883)

Robert Kelly

CYCA

Jambo (MH66)

Robert Carr

MHYC

Erica (237)

Peter Williams

CYCA

DIVISION 2

Shine On - Team Callendina (YC380)

Phil Herscovics

CYCA

Bandit (SM150)

Rachel Spain

CYCA

Stormaway (5915)

J. Stening & C. Gunn

MHYC

CLUB MARINE SHORT OCEAN POINTSCORE (IRC) AFTER 3 RACES DIVISION 1

Virago (883)

Robert Kelly

CYCA

Jambo (MH66)

Robert Carr

MHYC

Erica (237)

Peter Williams

CYCA

DIVISION 2

Stormaway (5915)

J. Stening & C. Gunn

MHYC

Amante (6609)

Dennis Cooper

CYCA

Thirlmere (3060)

Daniel Belcher

CYCA

CLUB MARINE OCEAN POINTSCORE (PHS) AFTER 3 RACES

Ragtime (RQ130)

Steve Watson

CYCA

Never a Dull Moment (6111) Colin Wilson

CYCA

Bandit (SM150)

CYCA

Rachel Spain

CLUB MARINE OCEAN POINTSCORE (IRC) AFTER 3 RACES

About Time (7700)

Julian Farren-Price

CYCA

Foreign Affair (AUS6133)

Matt Wilkinson

CYCA

Ragtime (RQ130)

Steve Watson

CYCA

CLUB MARINE SHORT HAUL POINTSCORE (PHS) AFTER 6 RACES (1 DROP)

Cyrene 3 (8412)

Michael Selby

CYCA

Next (6081)

Miles Bastick, Haydn Dare & Jon Short

CYCA

Cadenza (8301)

Gunnar Tuisk

CYCA

CLUB MARINE SHORT HAUL POINTSCORE (IRC) AFTER 6 RACES

Cyrene 3 (8412)

Michael Selby

CYCA

About Time (7700)

Julian Farren-Price

CYCA

CLUB MARINE SHORT HAUL PASSAGE POINTSCORE (PHS) AFTER 2 RACES

Next (6081)

Jon Short

CYCA

Indefensible (A113)

Hugh O'Neill

SASC

Cadenza (8301)

Gunnar Tuisk

CYCA

5.5

CLUB MARINE SHORT HAUL PASAGE POINTSCORE (IRC) AFTER 2 RACES

Cyrene 3 (8412)

Michael Selby

CYCA

About Time (7700)

Julian Farren-Price

CYCA

Two Up The CYCA’s 2023/24 Two-Handed Pointscore kicked off in September and consists of four Category 4 and two Category 2 Races. The series has been designed for crews looking to build up their experience in two-handed racing as well as to provide additional racing between the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore events. The first three races were run concurrently within the Club Marine Ocean Pointscore’s two Lion Island and Botany Bay races. The series returns in the new year with three dedicated two-handed races – the City of Sydney Cup on the Australia Day Long Weekend, a Shellharbour Race in February and Newcastle in March.

OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER THREE RACES

PLACE

BOAT

SKIPPER

CLUB

POINTS 5

Jupiter (MYC 99)

Ian Smith

MYC

Mahligai (NZL 1)

Murray Owen Jenny Kings

CYCA

Yeah Baby (112)

Maike Muth & Lindsay Stead

CYCA

Crowded Haus (35135)

Jason Neuhaus

DSC

Philosopher (020)

David Henry

RSYS

Salt Shaker (5826)

Pete Franki

CYCA

Verite (4411)

Paul Beath

NCYC

Tumbleweed (AUS077)

Graham Biehl

CYCA

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2023 RAYMARINE AUSTRALIAN MAXI CHAMPIONSHIP

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that Raymarine will be the naming sponsor of the upcoming 2023 Australian Maxi Championship in December. This exciting partnership will bring the prestige and excellence of Raymarine together with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s long-standing commitment to sailing. The Australian Maxi Championship is a highly anticipated event in the Australian sailing calendar, showcasing some of the most impressive and technologically advanced maxi yachts in the country and abroad. Raymarine is a leading global brand known for its innovative marine electronics and navigation solutions. Their commitment to advancing the field of marine technology makes them an ideal partner for an event that celebrates excellence and innovation in the world of sailing. Raymarine’s high-performance marine electronics for the recreational boating and light commercial marine markets continues a legacy of marine navigation technology spanning over 80 years and its products are renowned today for their ease-of-use, rugged design, and reliability.

We are proud to be the naming rights sponsor of the 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship, held at the renowned Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. This event embodies the values of innovation, excellence, and teamwork that are at the core of Raymarine’s philosophy. We look forward to an incredible Championship and to witnessing some of the most thrilling sailing action Australia has to offer. Damien Weber, General Manager for the Raymarine brand at FLIR Maritime Asia Pty Ltd.

Now in its third year, the Australian Maxi Championship is a multi-day regatta conducted over five days and four separate events incorporating a longer passage race (the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore’s Cabbage Tree Island Race), windward/leeward races off Sydney Heads and culminates with the prestigious SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour. It is open to eligible race boats of either 60-79 feet (Mini Maxis) or 80-100 feet (Maxis). This Championship is the penultimate event before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and is a showcase and final competition for the larger boats in its fleet. The 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship takes place from Friday 1 December to Tuesday 5 December. The event will be available to view on live stream on CYCATV (YouTube) and CYCA Facebook. The event is endorsed by the International Maxi Association.

TEAM AUSTRALIA CHALLENGE In September the Club was alive with 32 youth and female sailors, taking part in the Team Australia Challenge selection camp. As the official Australian entry to the Youth and Puig Women’s 37th America’s Cup, Barcelona 2024 it was a scene of friendly and vibrant competition, with familiar and new faces mingling around the Clubhouse and marina. Sailors spent time listening to inspiring patrons, out on the Club’s fleet of Elliotts on Sydney Harbour and inside the AC Simulator, in the Academy Room at Winnings in Waterloo. Since announcing the national entry opportunity in April 2023, and opening Team Australia Challenge 2024, the organisation has had 132 applicants from an impressive roll call of some leading sailors from around Australia. The criteria for applicants was carefully designated by ETNZ with a youth category age of 18 to 25 and an open women’s category – with women eligible to compete in both provided they qualify. With the America’s Cup competition being staged in the four person AC40 craft for each regatta, the selectors, headed by Patrons John Bertrand AO for women and John Winning Jnr for youth, had the daunting task of culling 100 applicants over the past several months. The first-round scoring reduced the applicants to 85 with just 44 athletes then invited each to complete a Deep Sphere behavioural profile, a fitness assessment and provide two referees to endorse their commitment to sailing. For the third round at the CYCA the selectors identified the best 32 athletes to take part in Selection Trials Camp, with fun and challenging on water and off-water activities planned. The two and a half day program in Sydney included media training, team bonding activities, and assessment time as groups of four in the high-tech AC40 simulator, now permanently based in Sydney. Visitors to the Club included sailors from all over the country and CYCA Members: Cole Tapper, Harry Hall, Harry Smith, Jake Liddell, Will Sargent, Evie Haseldine and Olivia Price. Panel members at the Sydney selections camp were John Bertrand, AO, John Winning Jr, Yvette Heritage, Victor Paya, Haylee Outteridge, Sam Newton & JC Raad (Deep Sphere).

Team Australia Camp 2023. Photos: Darcie Collington.

A final team to head to Barcelona for competition is expected to be announced in the first half of 2024 ahead of the regattas in September and October.

Sea change The Boathouse Group finds safe harbour at CYCA Fresh, light and sophisticated food is now the order of the day across their ten venues, according to The Boathouse Group Executive Chef James Brownrigg. The opening of a new full-service venue at The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, means the Group has an opportunity to inject their popular coastal vibe into yet another waterside enclave. A modern sailing Club with a long history in the heart of Darling Point, adds yet another star to a cosmos that includes an event space in Palm Beach, Boathouse Group Home, Barrenjoey House in Palm Beach, Moby Dicks at Whale Beach, The Boathouse Hotel at Patonga, The Boathouse Rose Bay, Manly Pavilion, The Boathouse Balmoral and The Boathouse Shelly Beach. James Brownrigg says the key to their success has been casual eateries that create community, and a food philosophy that keeps things decidedly simple.

Antony Jones, The Boathouse Group CEO and Justine Kirkjian, CYCA CEO. Photo: Jessie Ann Harris.

When James Brownrigg left the UK and first joined The Boathouse Group in 2014, the Group’s outlets were modest, and decidedly ‘North of the Bridge’. Their cafes had a nautical theme and they served simple scrumptious breakfasts that kept people coming back for more.

“At the end of the day, we love what we do, and we are here to make sure that when people come in, we look after them and they have a good time. We haven’t lost touch with that, we are here to make sure of that,” he says reflecting on the Group’s evolution from cafes to fully fledged dining and events venues. For a Group who has made a name for themselves by bringing people together around casual shared food, staying abreast of NSW’s top produce is key to creating venues, that hold perennial appeal. He says he is excited to be based at one of their newest and biggest venues, Manly Pavilion, but has an affinity for all their most versatile, waterside dining spots. “Places like Manly, places like Patonga - you feel like it’s a small little bubble, a small little harbour, and we almost feel like we are a part of that community. We become a natural centre for people to come together next to the water. We don’t do anything very complicated, and we don’t think we should either,” says James Brownrigg emphatically.

Eggplant Parmigiana and Beef Carpaccio. Photo: Jessie Ann Harris.

Having worked all throughout Europe, including Spain, Germany, France and Italy - James’s favourite references come from the heart of the foodie continent. This past winter, he has worked hard on overhauling the menus at all of their venues and says he’s happy that French and Italian food are both having ‘a moment’ in contemporary Australian dining.

James Brownrigg, The Boathouse Group Executive Chef. Photo: Jessie Ann Harris.

Aperol Spritz and Crumbed Chicken Cutlet. Photo: Jessie Ann Harris.

“I wouldn’t call us a Mediterranean restaurant, but we like to keep it simple. At the end of the day, we like to make sure that we are cooking food that people enjoy, food that people want to eat.”

As the sun sets there will be main courses like crab pasta with orecchiette, garlic and chilli, eggplant parmigiana with stracciatella, or freshly grilled fillets of barramundi served with artichoke, preserved lemon and crisp fennel.

While this may sound obvious, James says that not gilding the lily, is a discipline within itself when it comes to restaurants. “We think that a produce-driven approach, is the most closely associated with the Mediterranean palate,” James adds. For the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s food offering, James says he has instigated an approach that runs along two distinct streams. “The most important thing is that we please a lot of the sailing crew. We want to offer something for them that is thick and fast and filling. But we also want to serve something where people can come in and have a very up-market dinner. Somewhere that Members can be proud to bring their friends and family along to,” he adds. In real terms, this means that fixtures of the breakfast menu like avocado toast with tomato, feta, basil and olive oil will remain a staple, alongside their famous bacon and egg roll with tomato chutney. The sophisticated coastal vibe will manifest itself, in small share plates like Sydney rock oyster mignonette, beef carpaccio with truffle and pecorino and taramasalata, served with housemade flat bread.

Moving forward, The Group will trial nights of the week that focus on different cuisines and popular food concepts, while rolling out a range of creative menus for functions and events for Members and corporate guests booking into the upstairs function rooms. Food aside, he says the community dining aspect is always front of mind for The Boathouse Group. “I think a big thing on our menus, has always been sharing and bringing people together. We try and keep it casual, and share food really lends itself to that.” All fish will be fresh, all pizzas cooked on their signature dough baked on site in their new pizza oven, and seasonal produce will be picked at its prime, before being popped onto the plate. “You can sit on the deck, and have a beer with a snack, pop in and have a glass of wine with a friend after a walk, or alternatively you can come in and have a very special dinner, for someone’s birthday.” We like the cut of his jib.

For more bookings and venue information visit theboathousegroup.com.au/venues Discover our new menu offerings by visiting our website at cyca.com.au/bars-and-dining

Celebrating the opening of The Boathouse CYCA On Friday 8 September, CYCA Members were treated to a very special opening Happy Hour at The Boathouse CYCA, with all drinks and food offerings at 50% off their usual prices from 5-7pm. It was a beautiful Sydney evening and guests were out in force from mid-afternoon – in larger numbers than had been seen at the Club for a very long time. The festivities continued well into the night with live entertainment and gatherings in all quarters of the Clubhouse. Photo credits: Darcie Collington | CYCA

Master chefs Whether it’s a flaky homemade pie on the rail, a piping hot cup of hearty homemade soup while racing, a well-seasoned curry down below or a charcuterie board and seafood extravaganza up on deck, food is as essential to sailing, racing and cruising as good winds, good friends and in more than a few cases, good wine or rum. While freeze dried food has it place, there’s no reason to go hungry aboard a boat - or sacrifice great taste. There’s no better “foodie experience” than a meal shared with mates at sea or a tasty feast on deck on a sunny harbour afternoon. And few know better than members of the CYCA the recipes, tricks of the trade and little hints that make preparing and pre-prepping food for boats and yachts a breeze. Back in the early 1980s, the CYCA Associates published “Sea Fare – a collection of Recipes and Hints for the Offshore Racing or Cruising Sailor”. The book was “Put together by ‘Yachties’ for ‘Yachties'” and it was a great success.

The original cookbook – Sea Fare

The edition featured recipes from CYCA members including Knocker White, Peter Rysdyk, David Kellett, Jenny May, Kristine Fuller and Jill Robinson. The book was also edited by Jill Robinson. Some of the recipes sounded utterly delicious, while others such as ‘Rigger’s Mortise’ and ‘Emu Stew’ still leave us scratching our heads.

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•

… E M O C L E W

TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

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PARTNERS OF THE CYCA WEDNESDAY TWILIGHT SERIES 71

Meet our Crew

The CYCA Marketing and Communications team This issue, we profile the Marketing and Communications team, responsible for managing and creating content for the various Club communications (Offshore, Onshore, newsletters, brochures, Annual Reports, websites and social media pages), display screens and signage, photography, video and live streaming and overseeing broadcast arrangements, sponsorship and partnerships. ASHLEY DART Digital Content Creator Freshly across the Pacific from the States, Ashley has recently started with CYCA in the new role of Digital Content Creator. A photographer and filmmaker, Ashley studied Arts at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Studies, investigating The Cultural and Political Effects of Visual Storytelling. After graduation, Ashley freelanced full time in the photo, film, and sailing industries. She has worked on major motion picture sets, including James Gray’s Armageddon Time and William Oldroyd’s Eileen. Her images have been featured across the States at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Maven Art House, the Atlantic Gallery, and more. Combining her love for sailing and image making, Ashley’s clients include the Intercollegiate Sailing Association, the US i420 Team, Larchmont Yacht Club, and the 420 World Championships in Alicante. Most recently, her work was published in Sailing World Magazine. As an artist, Ashley seeks to explore the relationship between people and the earth. An avid sailor and diver, the ocean is her greatest source of inspiration. Ashley first learned how to sail as a child at Chatham Yacht Club on Cape Cod. Having grown up sailing dinghies, Ashley is keen to expand her keelboat and offshore experience while in Australia and is thrilled to be involved in the famous Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. In her free time, Ashley enjoys hiking, travelling, and surfing.

DAVID HISLOP Marketing and Communications Manager David has been at the CYCA now for three years, having taken over the reins of the Communications team after the onset of the pandemic in 2020. Previously, he had managed advertising for Twentieth Century Fox and Columbia Pictures/Tristar Films, run Australia’s leading entertainment advertising agency, launched Aston Martin into Australia and overseen business development at Global Television - a sports crew and facilities provider for television networks and streaming services in Australia and for international broadcasters at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He has also worked for Sensis and Telstra on key corporate accounts and digital strategy. Over the years he has studied Film and Television, Literature, Philosophy, Law, Management, Marketing and Digital Communications. David has been a Member of the CYCA since 2012 when he first tried his hand at offshore racing, having sailed on keelboats on Sydney Harbour since the early 90s. He has been a team member on Brindabella, Maserati V070, PlayStation 4, Smuggler and Jessica Rabbit, and has been on many delivery and corporate sailing crews including Perpetual Loyal and InfoTrack. Happiest when on or around the water, he loves to ‘muck around on boats’, regularly surfs and sometimes thinks he can play a bit of golf. He is a self-confessed cinephile with a broad love of theatre, arts, dining and travel. Loves a chat.

CYCA Associates Past President Reflections Gail Lewis-Bearman – Life Member. President (1999-2005).

2001, 1st Sheila Patrick Trophy Presentation. Emily presenting our Trophy, Gail to the right.

2003, “Boomerang” at the “Parade of Sail”. Commodore John Messenger, Gail in centre.

What are your Early Reflections leading to your Presidency?

prior to 1975. The start boat was the 1903 heritage schooner Boomerang. Our canon launched the parade, the Commodore took the salute, a RAN Chaplain performed the Blessing of the Fleet and skippers and their crews later met for lunch and the presentation of the Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion Award, acknowledging the best dressed yacht and crew.

I smile today when reflecting upon my first Associates Committee meeting in 1984, which I vividly recall. I entered a room full of women, some of them I recognised but hadn’t formally met. Present were several founding members, wives of Past Commodores, Flag Officers, other Directors, and prominent yacht owners. To say I was overwhelmed is a real under-statement. Fortunately, my misgivings were short lived, everyone was very welcoming, and I survived! In those days it was traditional for the Commodore’s wife to hold the position of President, something initiated at the inaugural meeting in 1963.

In 2000, a new Members’ drive focused on younger members. Over the next five years my committee organised special theme nights for them such as Rock ‘n Roll, ABBA Revival, Murder by Design, Halloween Night and a Salsa night. These were fun times, and everyone got into the spirit by dressing up according to the theme.

That night heralded the start of my 21 wonderful years on the Associates Committee. Later as President, I would reflect on the objectives set by these early women, objectives which still stand today, although traditions may have changed and there is now a mix of sailing and non-sailing committee members.

In November 2001, our Committee revived a lost tradition of organising and hosting the Melbourne Cup Luncheon. We were involved in all aspects of the day, from the food and wine menus, to table decorations, door prizes, sweeps, mega raffles, celebrity guests and fashion awards. This became an annual must-do event, which was always over-booked.

What were some annual events during your time as President:

What were some Key Events during your time as President?

Each July we held the Parade of Sail and Blessing of the Fleet, a spectacular display of colour and flags attracting classic yachts built or designed

In 2001, we designed and donated the perpetual Sheila Patrick Memorial Trophy and individual medallions, in recognition of women who have

“2004 Parade of Sail “with Commodore Nick Cassim aboard his classic Sydney-Hobart yacht “Lolita”, built in 1946.

participated in ten Sydney to Hobart Races. That year, Sheila’s daughter Emily Mackintosh joined me in presenting the trophy to the first five achievers and the following year in 2002, I presented it to an additional three women.

What did you take away from your time as President? The camaraderie we shared was something I will always value and I am blessed to have formed some very special and long-lasting friendships.

In September 2003, the Associates Committee celebrated its 40th Anniversary, (1963-2003). I had the pleasure of hosting a special reunion luncheon, welcoming past and present members including three of our founding members, Margaret Psaltis our first President, Jeannette York, and Ruth Hill. In 2004, we purchased two defibrillators to be used in the event of a cardiac emergency. These little machines have already been used successfully for the purpose they were donated.

Murder by Design” – Everyone had a character to play!

Life Member, Founding Member and six-time Associates President, Jeannette York, joins me in presenting awards.

Our memorial trophy, hand made by Hardy Brothers Sydney is seen alongside the 2001 Melbourne Cup Trophy.

Celebrating with the Associates 60th Anniversary of the Associates A beautiful Spring day greeted guests on the 23 September 2023 for the 60th Anniversary of the CYCA Associates Committee. Held in the Freya Room, the special social afternoon commemorated six decades of passion and camaraderie between the women of the Associates. It was exactly 60 years to the month this September since the CYCA Associates Committee first met originally called The Ladies Auxiliary and consisting of members wives who would organise and run, social functions for the Club members and their families. After an appropriate amount of sugary cakes and champagne, the microphone was passed around the room to hear from several Associates and from some family members of the inaugural President Margaret Psaltis including Will, Rebecca, Hatt and Amy. Pam Fagence said she was very happy with the event. “The food and drinks were fabulous. Everyone loved the high tea, and we are very grateful to the club for hosting us,” she said.

“Speakers reiterated the spirit of camaraderie, friendship, and the importance of working together and helping each other to bring a social element to the club and to help with fund raising events,” Pam Messenger said. Since its inception through fundraising initiatives the Associates Committee has been fortunate enough to provide the club numerous trophies including the Sheila Patrick Memorial Trophy for women who have participated in 10 Sydney Hobart Races. The Monica Geddes Cup traditionally competed for the opening event of the summer season. In recognition of another former president of the Associates. Most recently the Margaret Psaltis Trophy presented to the winning skipper of Race 2 of the Women’s Winter Series Pointscore. It was great day for everyone to talk about their connection to the club, to reflect on what the committee has achieved over the years and to see old friends and see some new faces.

“We had a very good turnout, of about forty-five guests and the speakers ranged from young, – the granddaughter of Margaret Psaltis, Harriet Psaltis, to not so young, Joyce Warne, who is 93 and a half, as well as past presidents Kendi Kellett, Janey Treleavan, Gail Lewis Bearman and Pam Messenger plus new member to the committee Eleanore Lorentzon.

2023 Annual Volunteers’ BBQ Many of the CYCA’s dedicated and passionate volunteers were celebrated at the Club’s annual BBQ on Saturday 9 September. Volunteers enjoyed a delicious lunch in the Freya Room, as Commodore Arthur Lane thanked those who make CYCA events possible, both on and off the water. It was a great chance for volunteers to mingle and share stories. Our warmest thanks to you all for your ongoing contributions. There are many volunteering opportunities at the CYCA, particularly ahead of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Visit the volunteering page to find out more or email volunteers@cyca.com.au.

CYCA Club Social Lunch The CYCA Club Social Lunch returned for September as Members gathered to share a meal, drink and laughs on a lovely day at the Club.

Cathryn Dixon, Marianne Alexander and Pamela Emerson. And of course it would not be lunch without John (Shero) Sheridan in attendance.

Organised by the Associates Committee, the regular Lunch provides Members a chance to catch up and meet new friends.

John and I also took along a guest, Stella Shen. It was the first time at the CYCA for Stella and she really enjoyed the ambience of the club and her meal of barramundi. For some it was their first time trying the new caterer’s menu. I had the eggplant parmigiana – delicious and a wonderfully healthy twist on parmigiana. I will definitely be having it again.”

Margaret Keelty, a Member of the Associates Committee reflects on a great day: ”It was a perfect day for the September Club Lunch held on Tuesday 19th which was enjoyed by about twenty Members and their guests. Greta Archbold attended and generously donated 2 copies of her latest book, “Love and Wonder” which were won by Matt Clark and Reece Noldart. Other winners were Annie Aiken, the CYCA Calico Bag and Mike Fletcher the bottle of wine.

The next Club Lunch and last for the year will be held on Tuesday 21st November. All Members and their guests are welcome to attend this relaxing social event. Add it to your calendar and book now.

It was great to see Reece and Annie, both of whom volunteer for the Rolex Information desk, back at the club. Jane Stranger, another well known Club Member and volunteer, was accompanied by guests Chrissie Bach and Marie Jines. There were also many of the regular attendees including Fancis Miller-Karlsen and her guest Liz Starling, who had just returned from their trip to the Kimberleys. Others included Pat and Chris Iacono, Roz and John Cameron, Rosie Fairbain,

CYCA Market Day has returned The Associates Committee Market Day was held on Sunday 8 October and It was a very festive atmosphere down at the Club with hundreds of Members and guests catching up on a beautiful Spring day and milling around the many stalls whilst enjoying offerings from the Breakfast Club’s sausage sizzle and The Boathouse CYCA’s coffee stand. Afterwards, the Clubhouse offered live music and the perfect spot to enjoy a relaxing weekend afternoon. The annual event is always a great opportunity to pick up a bargain for your wardrobe, boat or home as well as for our sailing community to recycle and repurpose any unwanted items. As organisers Pam Messenger and Margaret Keelty noted, “… your unwanted trash today could be someone else’s treasure tomorrow”. This year, Members with local businesses were also encouraged to join and there were many stalls selling new items, including sculptures from the Club’s trophy designer John Woulfe, photographic prints, a Musto clearance sale on

2022 CYCA and RSH merchandise, Black Salt clothing, Nautibags, hats and scarves, sunglasses, jewellery, candles and homewares. The Market Day raised valuable funds for the Club through food and beverage sales as well as the YSA raffle.

UP ANCHOR They are heavy and hurt when dropped on your foot, so having your anchor secured at the bow is the easiest option. Phil Ross walks the marina and discusses various options. Just by including the word ‘anchor’ in the title I know this may enrage, delight, and/or frustrate many yacht owners. The subject of anchors/ anchoring, along with all its associated procedures and products, can be one of the most tightly-held opinions by cruising yacht people. But here I go. Unashamedly, I am taking a less combative topic in regards to anchors: the various ways you can store them safely on the bow.

Standard production yacht offset bow roller set up on Aquanimity.

Once again a walk around the marina of the CYC opens up some variations that are interesting and useful when setting up your own yacht. Firstly, there are two obvious methods for holding an anchor on a yacht: • bow roller • hawse pipe

A more elaborate system of anchor davit on Viking with an added bow protection strip.

The bow roller is the most common method, involving a heavy metal frame protruding from the stem encasing a roller to guide the anchor chain or rope (from now on called the rode) over the bow of the yacht. When raised, the anchor is then secured to the bow roller frame by the tightness of the rode and, hopefully, with added failsafe measures, such as: a pin through the bow roller frame and through the anchor; and/or with an extra strong lanyard of some type: chain, wire or rope.

The addition of the catshead on Interlude makes sure this anchor never goes near the hull.

The X-yacht, Xcapade, likes a nice clean foredeck by hiding everything from sight.

A hawse pipe is a hole in the bow of the yacht that allows the anchor chain or rope to pass through. The anchor is then secured to the hawse pipe with a shackle. On ships or large yachts this is the big hole you see on the hull at the bow with the anchor pulled tight against the hull. Not usually seen on cruising yachts.

I managed to take a quick photo of Viking as it manoeuvred out of its pen for the Wednesday twilight race. It looks an overly complicated set up but it appears to basically do the same thing in protecting the anchor tip from hitting the bow.

None of the yachts I saw on the marina kept the anchor on the deck; all were on some sort of bow roller or nowhere to be seen. Latest iterations of production yachts take advantage of including a bowsprit to enhance the flying of a Code Zero. This has led to some interesting design ideas to allow the anchor to remain in place ready to launch. Either the anchor is in the middle of a split bowsprit or it is separate and alongside the bowsprit, usually offset to the port side.

The bow of Viking also highlights the other method of bow protection in the form of a strip of stainless running down the prow. This can be used to decorative advantage, a la the figurehead style of adornment such as can be seen on the bow of the Clansman on Arm B. There was one little blue boat that had gone the extra step by adding an extra step to the bow with a foot long platform bowsprit glassed on and the bow roller tacked onto that. It was, however, a little disconcerting to see the anchor-holding string broken and flapping in the breeze.

The offset solution can be a good compromise. For some old-timers it may seem odd to set an anchor off centre but, when you think about it, it makes no difference to the ability to hold anchor. With the bow roller offset, the anchor sits safely away from damaging the prow; it is also set back from sticking out forward of the yacht as a potential battering ram head. If your yacht does not have a bow roller but does have a bowsprit, this is an easy retrofit option to allow easy cruising days ahead. The photo of Aquanimity shows this set up well. The Jeanneau No Doubt also shows what it looks like without the anchor, you can easily see the through-hole in the bow roller frame to incorporate a holding bolt as an extra safety stand-by. But what if your yacht already has the bow roller set up on the bow centreline? The older yacht Interlude had engineered an interesting solution to ensure the tip of its anchor does not go near the yacht’s bow. Commonly called a catshead, it is a fairly simple tube of stainless steel held in place to push the anchor tip away from doing any damage.

Who says your bow protection can’t make a statement?

Nice little self-made addition here to keep the anchor swinging free, but string is clearly not a good enough failsafe.

The consequences of sailing while the anchor is still at the bow can be expensive if not properly secured.

I found it interesting that many bow rollers had bolt holes for including an added holding mechanism on an anchor as a failsafe, but barely any yachts had them utilised. This may be due to the bow roller not being designed for the anchor being used and the holes in the anchor don’t match up. An important thing to note when buying an anchor.

Of course, on some yachts like Le Tiroflan, deploying a bow anchor is of secondary importance.

This raised the point that I did not see any other failsafe methods used with an anchor on a bow roller; such as a length of wire with a couple of latched hooks to keep the anchor on board in case the chain failed. Rope can work but it needs to be maintained and replaced. There are also a number of ways to hold an anchor on a yacht deck. These include: • chocks: metal or wooden blocks the anchor rests on and are secured by including holes for ties • holding pads: chocks that have been fashioned so the anchor sits within the pad making it harder to slip off

Good all round foredeck protection displayed on Eye Appeal.

• cleats: standard bow cleats used to secure the anchor, not recommended • windlass: a specific winch used to raise and lower the anchor including a brake that can hold the anchor chain tight. Ties used to hold the anchor on deck should be wire or maybe ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (such as Dyneema) to ensure there can be no shaking loose from the bounds. If holding your anchor on the deck, protection is important as rattling chains and heavy anchors can cause terrible damage. Eye Appeal used this necessity to its advantage by extending this protection from the chain on the foredeck to include protection from spinnaker poles, while also adding extra non-skid for the foredeck crew. It might be wise to add some form of chafe guard to the pulpit and lifelines as well. Secure the anchor (and rode if necessary) to the deck at as many points as possible. This will help to prevent the anchor chain or rope from slipping or chafing.

Much the same as the Beneteau, Aquanimity, but this time on Jeanneau, No Doubt, where you can easily see the protection the bowsprit provides, the extra hole for added security and the closeness of the hawse pipe to the chain locker.

It is interesting to note that even despite the best efforts to keep your yacht safe, a loosely contained anchor can do serious damage to your pride and joy.

OSLO CALLING This spring the Club is proud to welcome Helly Hansen as our official merchandise partner. Don’t miss the chance to wear the CYCA custom collection, available from the club’s boutique and e-commerce store from October. A globally respected brand Helly Hansen has been crafting legendary outdoor apparel since 1877.

A Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race collection will follow in November

and MEMBERS CAN

ENJOY A 20% DISCOUNT ON THE CYCA X HELLY HANSEN RANGE when purchasing from our boutiques.

Competitors can now customise official merchandise for the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with Helly Hansen. Apply your logo and boat name to a wide range of officially licensed products. All artwork must be approved by the Club.

1. CYCA White T-shirt $60 2. CYCA Destination T-shirt $60 3. CYCA Crew Midlayer Jacket in Navy $270 4. Grey fog Half zip pullover $110 5. Deep Fjord Crew Midlayer Jacket $270 6. CYCA White/Navy Cap $50 7. CYCA Crew Insulator Vest $250 8. Crew Insulator Jacket White $290 9. Striped crew Fleece jacket $210

For more information contact Gabrieal Giles gabriela.giles@ hellyhansen.com.au

Seabin Seabin

™ Delivering Nature ™ Delivering Nature Positive Impact Data Positive Impact Data

Impact Report: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Impact Report: Club of Australia Location: Cruising Yacht ClubCruising of Australia | 6 Yacht Units Location: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia | 6 Units

1.35 Billion litres1 1.35 Billion litres1ofofwater waterfiltered filtered 4,690kg2 - total capture 4,690kg2 - total captureofofmarine marinelitter litter

15% 15%

21% 21%

Other Other

Unidentified Unidentified SoftPlastics Plastics Soft

Top33 Top items items captured

55% 55% Microplastics

captured

100 100 Smarter Smarter Cities Cities by 2050 by 2050

1.35B 1.35B

REPORTING PERIOD | April 1st st2022 - March 31stst 2023 REPORTING PERIOD | April 1 2022 - March 31 2023

• • 301,3043 Estimated 301,3043 Estimatednumber numberofofplastic plasticitems items captured (all plastic items including captured (all plastic items includingmicroplastics) microplastics) • • 164,9584 Estimated 164,9584 Estimatednumber numberofofmicroplastics microplastics captured (including pellets, captured (including pellets,nurdles, nurdles, microfibres & foam <5mm) microfibres & foam <5mm)

#1 Sydney #1 Sydney

LITRESOF OFWATER WATERFILTERED, FILTERED, LITRES OR THE EQUIVALENT OR THE EQUIVALENT OFOF

540OLYMPIC OLYMPICSWIMMING SWIMMING POOLS 540 POOLS 55

301,304 301,304

PLASTIC PLASTICITEMS ITEMSCAPTURED, CAPTURED,

7 OR PER DAY OR1,181 1,181PLASTIC PLASTICITEMS ITEMS PER DAY 7

9% 9% Unidentified

Unidentified Hard Plastics Hard Plastics

Microplastics

Community Engagement Community Engagement Community5 Engagement Community 5 & Data Sessions: Engagement & Data Sessions:

Event Attendees5 Event Attendees Partnerships & 5 Conferences: Partnerships & Conferences:

2,850 25,752 2,850 25,752 Social Media Social Media Facebook & Instagram Linkedin 6

Facebook & Instagram 2,190,764

Linkedin 733,732

Reach

Impressions

Reach 2,190,764

Impressions 733,732

1 Total filtered water calculated using the recorded runtime percentage of each unit. 2 Estimated total capture of marine litter calculated using the daily average data derived from site specific data. ³ Estimates for plastic items captured are extrapolated using information from site specific data collections. 1 for microplastic items captured are extrapolated using information from site specific data collections. Total⁴ Estimates filtered water calculated using the recorded runtime percentage of each unit. ⁵Seabin event attendees duringlitter the calculated dates represented in daily the reporting 2 Estimated total capture of marine using the averageperiod. data derived from site specific data. ⁶Seabin social media reach and impressions duringusing the dates represented in thespecific reporting period. ³ Estimates for plastic items captured are extrapolated information from site data collections. 7 Plasticfor items captured per daycaptured is a sum ofare unitextrapolated averages, subject site specificfrom information such asdata unit collections. run times ⁴ Estimates microplastic items usingtoinformation site specific and captured plastics.

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Better Water Better Quality

Water Quality

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

Solar In July 2023, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia installed an additional 20kW of solar power on the rooftop of its John Messenger administration building. These panels are now helping power its facilities with clean, green energy. The Club gratefully received funding from the NSW Community Building Partnerships grants program to make this possible. The extension of the solar panels on the roof of the Club is part of the ‘Solar My Suburb’ initiative, a free Council program to help community organisations in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs navigate a path to solar success.

Moving to solar at CYCA has been great. Now is the perfect time to switch to renewable energy to help meet your organisation’s sustainability targets. CYCA Operations Manager Matt van Kretschmar

“The decision to install solar has been a really beneficial one at The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Darling Point,” said Matt van Kretschmar, Operations Manager. “Our sprawling facility includes a marina, clubhouse, work sheds, offices, on-site amenities, two car parks and an events and function space, and as you can imagine, all of these areas have their own power needs.” Annually, it’s estimated the solar electricity system installed at the Club will save 4% on the facility’s energy bill; the solar panels producing enough power equal to running four homes. The Club will reduce carbon emissions by 22 tonnes annually as a result of solar and save carbon equivalent to taking eight fossil fuel consuming cars off the road. Already many community organisations including bowling clubs, synagogues and Surf Life Saving Clubs in the Eastern Suburbs have installed solar as part of the program, with many more on their way.

LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE OR AT SOLARMYSUBURB.ORG.AU

Windward Passage: First all-Female crew on a Maxi

Windward Passage racing.