2014/2015 Summer Series Race 2 and 2014 Cup Regatta story

First up is a note about the next Classic Summer Series Race scheduled for Nov 16 designated Race 2. This race will be conducted with two significant changes.

This race will start at 10:00am. It will be a massed start with the Lipton Cup Regatta Cruising division.

This means different course options. The Classic Summer Series Sailing Instructions for this race will be issued mid-week and reflect these changes. The handicaps allocated for this race will be those allocated for the previously postponed race that was to be conducted for us by RMYS.

These changes have come about to allow Classics Summer Series entrants to also enter the Lipton Regatta and race under handicaps assigned by the Lipton Cup Handicapper.

A link to Lipton Cup notice of race is listed below for those Classic skippers wanting additional information. Another two days of Classic racing Lipton Cup is the go here although the full on the previous weeks Cup Regatta racing takes some beating. http://www.liptoncupregatta.com/get_file.cgi?id=3265392

Use the link below for a look at the boats that will be starting with the Summer Series Race 2. The actual start will be handled by the HBYC start team. https://www.topyachtsoftware.com/db/aus/entrants_display.php?SeriesID=2565&Task=ShowSeriesEntrants&EventID=389

For those of us who follow Marine artists, attached is a flyer from the Maritime History Association of Victoria about an opportunity to meet up with Oswald Brett at a Williamstown Seaworks function on Nov 14.

The June 2012 CYAA Magazine carried an article contributed by Bruce Stannard on the marine artist Oswald Brett. A copy is on our web site at

https://www.classic-yacht.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/6724-CYAA-May-2012-4.0_LORES_REF.pdf

image003One other piece of news is that our Member Geoff Martin who sails Zephyr with Anne and Karen Batson is also a ships modeller. This news was discovered why the Association attended a Maritime History Association of Victoria and Shop modellers of Victoria function. This is a not very good copy of his work , an 1815 UK Revenue cutter. Geoff’s current task is to carve a model of the Queen Victoria figure head that will be attached to the model of the Barque HMCSS Victoria. A Golden Orb in an outstretched left hand and a clutched sceptre in the right hand. Victoria’s Colonial Navy became the basis of the Royal Australian Navy.

2014 Cup Regatta

unnamedWith our recent Cup Regatta, Frances on her first return to racing for some years provided the fleet with a sailing exhibition to be awarded the Stradbroke II and Col Bandy Trophies for the best performance overall. The winners of the five races conducted were Bob Munro’s Tandanya, with Joe Tuck and the boys on Loama, Richard Macrae with his ClaireLoama, once again for the fourth race. The final Race, a pursuit, had Col Anderson’s Acrospire III providing the fleet a grand stand view of what Classic Yacht racing is all about.

unnamed2Our weather disrupted Guineas Cup racing between Boambillee and Mercedes III of the Classics and Gemfish and C97 Couta Boat Association and the Dave Allen organised Inter Association Challenge could complete one race only before the weather conditions close the series down.

After the abandonment of Fridays racing the fleet

unnamed3proceeded to Docklands to prepare for the Friday’s Cup Regatta welcome function at the Water Front Bars Black Sail room. A well patronised affair where Mark Chews Montage poster of people and classic yachts was auctioned off under the spirited bidding worked up by Jeff Richardson of C97.

unnamed4The next day after distribution of the water based victuals kindly provided by Andy Doolan who’s preparing Tina of Melbourne for the 70th Sydney to Hobart race, the fleet headed down the river to take on the heavy weather of Port Phillip.

Deteriorating conditions were also the story for the first day of Cup Regatta racing. All was reasonably well till the westerly front came through. Jeff Richardson reported 41 knots across the deck of C97. The Tums showed what they can do in heavy unnamed5weather. Fair Winds worked her all New Zealand crew hard to keep her on track when the front came through.  Frances on her first race outing stood up to this front with no problems and took line honours. With all the hard going Race 1 corrected times were still close.

Another Saturday race was started after some signal and radio confusion. This was abandoned as the weather closed in.

Sunday racing saw a first for the Cup Regatta with three races conducted over a 6 hour interval. Heavy going for crews and boats were the reports. Top level Classic Yacht Regatta racing was again seen in all races. Elapsed time comparisons between the first two and last race indicated how hard a full day of round the sticks Classic Yacht racing was on crews. Watching Classic and Sports boats with their 5 races on the same course in heavy conditions was a spectacle.

The final day of the Cup Regatta racing finished up with their pursuit race that had Acrospire III lead the fleet home with Pastime II and Mercedes III following. The presentation BBQ was another gourmet and epicures delight thanks to Karen Batson and her team.

unnamed6Some faire tunes from the pipes of David Mackenzie started off the presentation of the Cup Regatta trophies.

After announcing the winners of each race who received the Aus Sailmakers vouchers  placing for each race a cheer went up when Frances was announced as the best overall performance of the Cup Regatta. A further cheer went up after the skipper of Frances gave his thanks.

The handicappers award for the Doyle sails best improver on handicap went Richard Macrae’s  Claire.

Our visitors from New Zealand worked hard on their decision on which Cup Regatta entrant would best represent the Association internationally. They decided on Helen Lovett’s Oenone was the Classic Yacht to be awarded the Cookie Restaurant award.

Bud Alden took out the Trans Tasman trophy for his sailing and sewing performance on Mercedes III took the trophy.

Jeff Richardson exhibited his master of auctioneer’s talent to work up a heavy bidding war for the sailing bags handmade by Bud Alden of New Zealand. Bud worked flat out to finish these Classic Sailing bags for the Cup Regatta.

The Cup Regatta was finished up with our music providers of the BBQ “The Long and Short of it” sending our New Zealand visitors home with their studio version of PoKaraKara Ana and the Maori Farewell.

The 2014 Cup Regatta has gone. Welcome to the 2015 Cup Regatta.

There’s a substantial amount of Video images covering the Regatta. This will be collated into a single video when time’s available.

Sorry for the delay with the publishing the Cup Regatta story. Your handicapper been tied up generating sailing incident reports for the RYCV and dealing with Race 5 result problems.

Regards to all

Peter Costolloe
CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

Oswald Brett flyer

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