The Classic Clock is slowly but surely ticking around to the start of the Classics 2014 Winter Series, 1st race May 4. Attached are two versions of the revised layout of the Series entry form.
We are also entering into the countdown for the Sandringham Centenary Regatta. The Regatta Notice of Race is also attached. Embedded is a link to the SYC Top Yacht entry form for the Regatta. https://www.topyachtsoftware.
Two entries at this time, Bungoona and Trim. As previously said, this is the best opportunity for our Classic skipper’s and crew’s from the northern part of Port Phillip to support our CYAA members at the Sandringham Yacht Club. The SYC have put out a special invite to the Classic Yacht Association to join in their now annual Centenary Regatta. Pre and post race tie up facilities are being offered by the SYC Yard staff to members provided they are informed about the yachts dimensions. Handicaps will be assigned by the SYC Race director with assistance from your CYAA Handicapper.
Some notes about the 2014 Geelong Wooden Boat Festival.
The 2014 Geelong Wooden Boat Festival is well done and dusted. The Geelong WBF team headed up by Stuart Dickson put together a well run show that continues to be the only Wooden Boat Festival that supports Classic Yacht racing. A draw card event for our Classic Yacht Association members in Melbourne. Congratulations to Bill Chittenden with “Cardinal Puff” taking out the Central Geelong sponsored Portarlington to Geelong passage race and the Four Winds Marine Corio Bay Classic Wooden Yacht Cup. Of particular note was the safe completion of a rugged early morning passage sail to Portarlington by the Classics to make the start. For our Tum fleet made up by, Snow Goose, Ettrick, Avian and Zephyr, it was another day’s sail. Great to see Helen Lovetts Oenone, designed by Linton Hope, tied up at Portarlington with Renene and Kent Bacon and his ever ready crew for her first race for some time and Rod Fullers H28 Shamrock. Another welcome set of Classic Yacht face’s was that of J P Marquet’s Faylene and Carl Defino’a Cutter Anitra with Marcus on the helm, all set to go. Too bad that 20 knot breeze suddenly dropped out. From Alwyn’s point of view Sunday was not good for the breeze either.
With the Concours d’Elegance trophy, the featured judges were Jill Knight of Cooee, the special guest of the 2014 Festival and Daniel Cayzer the Geelong shipwright. After analysing a range of entries that covered the definition of a Wooden Boat on Port Phillip and Corio Bay, Jim Woods with his ‘Windward II’ yacht was deemed as best looking and kept up yacht that represented both Wooden Boats and the Golden Era of Australia’s classic yacht racing from the 1920’s and 1930’s on the Corio and Port Phillip.
The best presented story of the Classic Yacht Association entries must go to Mike Shanahan, our RGYC based member from Torquay, with the documentation he prepared that told the story and history of his 1918 Cutter Lucienne. A great treat to read her story while standing on her.
Although only a short number of hours were available Festival was the place to raft up and meet up with other Classic members.
Other Classics that took part in the Festival were Sayonara, Trim, Boambillee and Martini. Ron Caddy our member from Mornington YC with Athena made the trip over by land to meet up and talk to the handicapper about navigation tools. Tim Phillips was committed elsewhere so no Storm Bay but Tim’s Wooden Boat Shop sponsored dinner certainly was a memorable event. An event where you can catch up with people to talk about the big picture. Classic Yachts and what it takes to keep the ethos running. Such was the case when your handicapper had the great pleasure to meet up with our member from Mornington YC, Milton Green with his Couta Boat Whisper and his brother Trevor, a CYAA member from Queensland with Nimmitabel. Their stories tell you the wealth of knowledge and experience we have in the Association. Milton could tell us about his times of taking a Couta boat to race in the Mediterranean Classic Yacht circuit. The Geelong Wooden Boat Festival is the occasion where Milton and his brothers come from all parts of Australia to meet up and take in the Festival.
One other feature of the Wooden Boat Festival was the 2014 Participation Plaques. These plaques were set up by our RGYC member Bill Chittenden and Four Winds Marine and donated to the Festival in the name of the Classic Yacht Association of Australia.
Reports of an excellent days sail for the return to Melbourne were received from Cameron Dorrough of Bungoona.
After being swamped by over 100 entries planning is underway for the 2016 Festival.
Some RYCV House keeping news.
Our CYAA President, Martin Ryan, has confirmed with the RYCV management that all RYCV Classic Yachts when competing in a Classic Yacht event will be awarded RYCV marina activity points. We will also have the CYAA (Vic) racing activity calendar included in the RYCV web page calendar.
Don’t look now but our 2014 Winter Series entrants will be mixing with similar situations. An image from 1933. Courtesy of Dave Wallace “Daff” from RYCV. The Knud Reimers Albatross, Bluejacket, with her new owner Doug Jenkin will be in this mix along with the new owner of Ettrick Gordon Tait.
A scanned image from a collection of yesteryear yacht racing kindly passed on to Dave by the Fitzgibbon family from their fathers, Alan, scrapbook. Skip Fitzgibbon races his Swarbrick S111 Wyvern with the RYCV. She is moored adjacent to Marie Louise III in the RYCV Marina. Your handicapper has done more than a few miles racing against Skip, brother Scott and dad Alan in Delta Lady over at the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club.
Regards to all and all the best for some tight racing for the SYC Centenary Regatta and the 2014 Classic Yacht Winter Series.
Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic) Handicapper
2014 CYAA Winter Series Entry Form (PDF)
2014 CYAA Winter Series Entry Form (docx)
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