Category Archives: News & Events

Invitation from NZ (Posted 5.12.12)

Dear fellow Classic Yachties

The CYA of NZ warmly welcome you to join us for our Classic Challenge Series and/or our Classic Yacht Regatta in Auckland next year.

The Classic Challenge Series takes in Auckland’s Anniversary Weekend – the race up to Mahurangi on Friday 25 Jan, the Mahurangi Regatta on Sat 26 and a race back to Auckland on Sunday 27 in time to compete in Auckland’s iconic Anniversary Day Regatta on Monday 28 Jan.

The Southern Trust Classic Yacht Regatta takes place from 7 Feb with the Briefing and welcome dinner at the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, followed by three fabulous days of racing on the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.

All details will be on our website shortly:  www.classicyacht.org.nz

Heaps of camaraderie, telling of tall tales, great sailing and loads of fun……..!

Attached is a flyer covering these events but please dont hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.

To register your interest, specially if you’d like to crew  – please contact Cameron on (041) 8 569 491

Look forward to seeing you in 2013 !!

Best regards

Joyce Talbot

Classic Yacht Racing
p: +64 9 836 4747   f:  +64 9 836 4015   m: +64 21 818 448
e: racing@classicyacht.org.nz

Challenge Series 2012-2013

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2012 Classic Cup Regatta Reflections (Posted 14.11.12)

Dear Skippers and Crews of the 2012 Cup Regatta and Members of the Classic Yacht Association

After completing another successful and enjoyable Classic Cup Regatta the time has finally arrived put down on paper a “Regatta Reflection”.

Two important reflections.

First up is to acknowledge the time and effort from all the skippers and crews of the Regatta entrants. There’s nothing better for the organisers of the event than to see a full start line for the first race and better still for the last race. The Classic fleet count and people number that showed up for the Monday race was a Regatta highlight.

Second reflection is to say what would our Regatta be without our great Classic Yacht Association mates from across the Tasman. No soul. This Regatta, 15 CYANZ souls put in their time and effort to sail with us. The prime mover for the Regatta inception and it being sustained is our Trans Tasman Classic Yacht Association relationship. The effort shown by Trans Tasman visitors to be at our Regatta was noted by all participating members of our Association.

Many Other Regatta reflections.

Our modification to the Guineas Cup format was a hit. 3 short racers that allowed the Skippers and crews of the 4 nominated yachts to try not repeat mistakes made in the previous race while creating new mistakes. The crews from “Mercedes III” and “Pastime II” from the Classics managed to squeak a win over “C97” and “Ella” from the Couta’s. Jeff Richardson skipper from “C97”, who made a very early morning dash up from Sorrento on Friday with his great mate, Simon Hadlow” who flew in from West Australia for the Regatta, says “We’ll be back”.

The Guineas Cup, a must have Cup Regatta lead in.

Our Cup Regatta kicked off with the Friday night Cocktail Reception and later dinner where a catch up between ourselves and out NZ Classic Yacht visitors was a highlight.

So on to the Regatta.

I guess we can’t have it our way all the time wind wise but we must do better in the wind department.

Although the first race on Saturday was a slow affair, it was the scene of a Regatta first. As a way to acknowledge the 70th year of the H28 Classic Yacht design by Hereshoff, the Association invited the Victorian H28 Association to sail with our Classic fleets first race. In the H28 fleet we had a piece of Australian Yachting history with us, “Shamrock” a prime H28 competitor was built and sailed by “Jock Sturrock”

“Pastime II” a consistent placer in our yearly over the line battles put the other back markers to the rack with another fleet beating light wind performance to take the line while “Oenone” skippered by Helen Lovett took out corrected time honors and showed how to beat the handicapper. Sailing better than last year is the word.

With the Couta Boat division, “C97” helmed by Jeff Richardson took line honors while the Doug Beazley’s restored Netboat “Jean” helmed by John Raff took out the corrected time honors. Watching Phil Edwards given John the “Phil look” is not a pretty sight.

In the H28 invitational division “Ellen Lewis” the Walker H28 took out line honors while Rod Fuller with “Shamrock” took out the corrected time honors and Invitational trophy.

Our second race on Saturday was delayed by our RYCV Race Director, David LeRoy, to allow the wind to build up and put a bone in the Classic Fleets teeth.

With consistent lee gun’el down, Col Anderson helming “Acrospire III” and the Dave Allen helming “Sayonara” put on another display of Classic Yacht racing as it was in the Golden years of Classic yacht racing. This was what our Trans Tasman people came over for. Port Phillip at its best. Col Anderson prevailed over Martin Ryan of “Mercedes III” for line honors while the Sylph for the bottom of the Bay, “Oenone” once again took out the correct time honors. A corrected time battle was had between Sayonara and Caraid to be 2nd and 3rd. A spread of 2.5 minutes corrected time between places 2  to 10 in this race showed mistakes on the course could not be made.

“C97” stormed home to take the Couta Boat division line honors while Richard McRae sailed “Claire” to her best to take out corrected time honors. The Couta Division battles were closely watched.

Under sunny sky and with ideal wind, our fleet turned out again for the 2 Sunday races. First up race saw “Acrospire III” lead the fleet home once again with “Avian”, our champion Bill Gash Red Tumlare from the 40’s,50’s and 60’s and now helmed by Roger Dundas with tactical assistance by Pip Todd took a close line honors win from Cameron Durrough’s “Bungoona” and Jean-Pierre Marquet (JP) and Richard Blake on our most recent addition to the Classic Fleet “Faylene” from Sandringham YC. Once again corrected times across the fleet were tight, 4.5 minutes. Any sailing errors were punished.

Jeff Richardson again stormed home to take line honors, for the Couta Boat division with “C97” while the Joe Tuck and boys on “Loama” took out well sailed corrected time 1st.

Last race of the day almost resulted in a line and corrected time honors for “Pastime II” in the classic division. She was done by less than a minute by “Acrospire III” for line honors. Peter and Scott McDonald on “Pastime II” put in the  best individual race sailing performance of the Regatta in this race. Once again “Mercedes III” featured well for her 2nd  on corrected while J P on “Faylene” took our 3rd on corrected by 0.01of a minute over “Oenone”. Again with 4 minutes corrected time between the first 8, sailing mistakes were punished

With the Couta Boats race 4, the handicap formula was slowly kicking with “C97” taking out the line honors by an wide margin and a 2nd on corrected. Joe Tuck and the boys on “Loama” after another hard sail took out the corrected time honors. Hard sailing all round in this division.

For our last race of the Regatta, an all over the place light wind pursuit starting from Royals Marina, allowed the Tumlare’s, “Zephyr” helmed by Anne Batson and assisted by Karen Batson and “Avian” with Roger Dundas to give the Regatta fleet a light weather tactical sailing lesson. With a 1st and 2nd respectively they showed the Classic Regatta Fleet how sailing, the Tumlare’s way, was done yesterday.

To complete the Regatta series, John Raff and his team on “Jean” came home in the Couta division with a 1st on line and corrected time with Jeff Richardsons back marker. “C97” taking out a fast catching 2nd place. As we know every boat has it’s day and today “Jean” had her’s.

So that wrapped up the sailing side of our 2012 Cup Regatta.

One aspect of our Regatta Racing that all saw, was the support provided for our mandatory on water rescue capability.

To Mal Botterrill who did all the on water driving and to John Khoury who stepped up when needed with 25 ft RIB and it’s 150 horses at the back, the Association and the Regatta are in debt for their support.

Without any doubt the support for the Regatta and throughout the year by the RYCV and particularly it’s Race Director, David LeRoy, would by the most critical factor that makes our Classic Yacht racing successful and so well attended. The Association and the Regatta acknowledges this support.

Our Regatta finished up with the now traditional BBQ and dulcet tones and tunes provided to us by the Patsy Toop and David Baird of the “Long and Short”

Before our Regatta Trophy awarding program we were reminded by the pipes of David McKenzie what Classic Yachting was all about with the Scottish Melody “The Skye Song” with those great words “Speed bonny boat like a bird on the wing”

For the Classic Yacht of the series, the Trophy named the “Col Bandy Trophy” after our great and sadly late promoter of Classic Yachting in Australia.  Congratulations and well sailed comments and loud cheers went to the “Sylph for Mornington” and the lady from Greek Mythology “Oenone”.  A well sailed performance throughout the series.

For our Couta Boat division, again a consistently well and hard sailing performance by Joe Tuck and the boys, the Couta Boat division trophy went to “Loama”. To top this off, “Loama” was awarded the performance of the Series and the right to be engraved on the “Stradbroke II Trophy” . A trophy that is hung in the Classics Corner of the RYCV Trophy Wall.

Although announced first for timing reasons we’ll save the best to last here with the decision as to who was the visiting CYANZ member to take out the Trans Tasman Trophy. After much finger counting by our “Trans Tasman Trophy” stewards, Cameron Dorrough of CYAA and Iain Valentine of CYANZ , the announcement was. Robyn Pearce. Great cheers and well done’s accompanied the announcement.

So with the completion of the Regatta signalled by the a beautiful rendition of Pokarakara Ana by Patsy Toop and David Baird and the pennant lowering of the Classic Yacht Associations of Australia and New Zealand plus the Couta Boat Club from the RYCV Signal Mast, the Regatta came to a close.

Although these pennants for the two Associations were lowered, the signals from the Regatta Classic Fleet said:

“Long live the Regatta”

and

“To all who sailed “

“Three Cheers”

To all the people who skippered and crewed the Regatta entrants, a serious thank you for the individual time and effort that made this regatta one that is to be repeated.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe

CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

Pictures and Results available on the Cup Regatta Page

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2012 Cup Regatta Sailing Instructions, entries and allocated handicaps (Posted 31.10.12)

Dear Skippers of yachts entered in the CYAA 2012 Cup Regatta

Attached are the Sailing Instructions and the entries list with their assigned handicaps for Race 1 scheduled to start on Saturday Nov 3 at 1000hrs for Division 1, Classic Yachts.

Selection of the course for all races and the management of allocated handicaps during the Regatta will be provided for the Association by the RYCV Race Director, David LeRoy.

Many notable items to comment on. Just 3 here.

To recognise the importance of the 70th anniversary of Herreshoff H28 design, the Association has invited members of the Victorian H28 Association to participate in the first race of the 2012 Cup Regatta. A significant event for the H28’s and the Classic Yacht Association.

Our Pre-Regatta Guineas Cup Shoot out is all set for Friday afternoon. For the Association we have “Mercedes III” and “Pastime II” set to put C97 and Scoundrel from the Couta Boat Association, to the rack. Sayonara is all set and loaded with punters to observe shameful scenes on Hobsons Bay waters.

The support from Couta Boat Association members and in particular their president, Andrew Skinner, has been critical to make the Cup Regatta and the Guineas into a now notable sailing event on Port Phillip.

Looking over the list of Classic Cup Regatta entries a new yacht will be noted. “Faylene” an Arthur Robb 32 footer built in 1947, now racing out of Sandringham. She’s been looked after by Jean Pierre Marquet, a shipwright who runs an operation at SYC. Welcome to the Classics and the Regatta, JP.

One sad note is the inability of “Storm Bay” to make the Regatta. A call of sincerest apologies was received from Tim Phillips.  He’s needs to be up North to make the most of the November weather to make a dash across the Gulf of Carpentaria in “Murray Pass” the Cheviot 32, he’s bringing back from his WA Odyssey.

The large RIB with the 150 horse on the stern you will see providing our on water rescue capability, with Mal Botterill on the wheel, has been made available to the Association for the Regatta by John Khoury of Acrospire III. A serious contribution towards a successful Regatta.

On the social side booking for the Friday cocktail can still be made, $20, 55+ so far, and same for the a la cartè dinner at Royals after cocktails, 30+ at the moment.

So on with the Regatta. Take a good look over the SI’s.

Race hard and to the rules.

 

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe

CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

www.classic-yacht.asn.au/cup-regatta

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Classics Summer Series Race 2 Results and Points status (Posted 22.10.12)

Dear Skippers and Crews of the Classics 2012/2013 Summer Series

Attached are the results of Race 2 plus aggregated the Series and “Marie Louise III” Consistency points score. This race was the inaugural Anchorage Marina Classic Yacht Challenge.

Must be brief but after a shaky start and a serious near miss, as the fleet went through the HBYC two handed start line, the race evolved into picking the right location to tack in the 3 windward beats.

“Bungoona”, under the helm of Cameron Dorrough, was finally given the wind conditions to let her underwater design profile work. She looked a picture, steaming, under a hard windward beat with lee gunnel down. Taking it to “Mercedes III” and “Pastime II”, by Joe Tuck and the boys on “Loama”, during the running start and the first windward beat was another standout feature of the race.

Being caught out by the end of race wind conditions, the final results don’t give credit to other performances, such as “Avian” and “Serifa”, till her gear problem. “Pastime II” almost knocked off “Mercedes III” for line honours. “Marie Louise III” again sailed to her optimum performance. The fluky wind at the finish didn’t help “Wanita” who , when close to the finish, had “Marie Louise III”. Another noted performance was that by “Jan”. Except for a stuffed up start, she took on the wind conditions to sail close to her optimum capabilities that would have put her mid fleet on corrected time.

After her recovery from a headsail sheet problem “Cyan” picked up big time. At one time she looked a danger to “Marie Louise III”, but for fluky winds. The same fluky wind story applied to both “Martini” and “Zephyr”.

Hard crew work on “Sayonara” paid off to keep her sailing higher than normal in the gusty conditions. We must look softly over her handicap.

The day was finished off with a great turn out by Association Skippers and Crews for the after race session over at the Anchorage Marine where Cameron Dorrough was presented with the winners plaque, by owner Scot O’Hare, to recognise the sail of the day by “Bungoona”. Congratulations to Cameron and his crew who bought “Bungoona” home. A great day for “Bungoona”. Some images of the trophy presentation to Cameron will be posted separately on the Web site

That’s it for the Summers Series till November 25.

Now for the Cup Regatta.

The entries officially close off next Wednesday. To those intending to join in, let’s know. We have 14 Kiwis coming over to race with us and big Tasmanian contingent coming up to take on the locals with Bob Barr’s “Caraid”. Carl Defina’s team from Sandringham has also prepared “Anitra” to challenge the fleet. An interstate team coming down from Sydney are all set to put “Sayonara” to the test.

With the Regatta welcome Cocktail function on Friday pm Nov 2, we can handle last minute show ups but it will play hell with the catering aspect. Let’s know your intentions sooner than later, especially if there are plans to stay on for the ala carte dinner. The Royals dining room has been reserved by the Association for the Friday Cocktail and Dinner. Name tags will be provided at the door for the complimentary cocktail reception bar service.

Sailing Instructions for the Regatta will be generated next week. They’ll be emailed to entrants and posted on our Cup Regatta web site page. First event, the Guineas on Friday pm, we will have “Mercedes III” and “Pastime II” defending the honour of the Association against the Couta Boat Association. Going by the Race 2 performance, the Couta people will need to sail well to knock off our team. Visitor tie up space will be provided by Royals. As a courtesy let me know your intentions as Royals yard people would like to know ahead of your showing up, to look after you.

That’s it for the moment

Oh! One last item. Your handicapper, who you all know and love, was persuaded to submit an entry into a writing competition. The subject was about an eleven year old at Luna Park. Stuffed if I know how, but the judges, when awarding the entry as the story of the competition, said that on first sighting me, they knew who wrote that story. If anyone is interested, I’ll have Scott McDonald put it on our Web site for a couple of days.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe

CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

 

Results & Series Scores


 

 

 

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Additional info re Anchorage Marina Classic Yacht Challenge Trophy (Posted 19.10.12)

One item not mentioned in the mail out for Race 2 were details of The Anchorage Marina trophy.

Met with Scott O’Hare this morning to obtain the following info.

In addition to having the winning yacht name inscribed on the Trophy a recognition plate for the winning yacht will be provided plus a dinner for two voucher at the Anchorage Marina restaurant will be presented.

The Anchorage people invite skippers to bring their yachts into the marina for a short duration tie up for an after race function where complimentary drinks and food will be provided.

The Anchorage Marina would like the trophy to a long term offer.

I’ve attached a copy of a promotion poster provided to The Anchorage. It’s a low bit rate copy of the image hence the quality is a bit dodgy.

 

Regards

Peter

 

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