Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd - For the Obsessed

Swell start to Sail Port Stephens windward-leeward series

by Sail Port Stephens Media 27 Apr 02:33 BST 26-28 April 2024
Noclecks at 2024 Sail Port Stephens Act II - Windward/Leeward © Promocean Media

Rock fishermen were being advised to stay indoors but the sea conditions off Port Stephens made for an action-packed opener to the Anchorage Marina Windward-Leeward Series, part 2 of the 2024 Sail Port Stephens Regatta Series comprising the NSW IRC Yachting Championships, Pallas Capital Gold Cup Act 3 and Rob Hampshire Trophy.

A crewman from the TP52 Celestial hit the drink and was collected by a media boat, the JPK 10.8 Saltwater Wine hit the stern of the Bull 9000 Bullwinkle, and there were plenty more war stories in the wake of the Anzac Day break.

Southerly swells of around 2.5m, with sets rising to 4m, gave the fleet plenty of surfing opportunities off Hawks Nest beach, the wind gradually swinging from south-west to south better align with the rollers. As it built to around 18 knots, a challenging chop was created.

In the TP52s, Marcus Blackmore’s new Hooligan was fast from the outset, winning all three races on scratch and claiming the second two on IRC. The ever-consistent Matador finished 1 point adrift, with four races still to come, after overcoming some hurdles greater than the swells.

“We were fast but created some problems for ourselves and also broke a winch,” owner/skipper David Doherty said. “So we lost a fair bit of time but the crew did a great job, we fought back, and it got us into an okay position.

“It was really choppy, with big shifts, but we can pretty well change our modes now to meet the conditions. And we certainly had some things go our way tactically.”

Matador took three firsts in the class-based TPR handicap system to lead Craig Neil’s Quest and Gordon Ketelby’s Zen, currently tied on 9 points.

In Division 2, conditions were ideal for Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood, the lightweight Botin Fast 40 flying downwind under its big asymmetric kite. Among the crew are three international sailors flown in for the NSW title, and they helped guide the CYCA yacht to three consecutive wins.

Another powerful entry, the Mylius 50 Daguet 2 from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, also appreciated the stronger winds after competing in last week’s lighter Sail Port Stephens Passage Series. The Italian-designed boat only recently landed from St Tropez for its new owners, and this is its first windward-leeward event.

“After the Commodores Cup last week this was another step up for us, but having more wind today was probably good for us. We’re learning how to sail the boat and getting better each day,” tactician Sean Kirkjian said.

“In the first race the wind went big-time left, but you could see that as the clouds were 30 degrees different to the wind angle on the race track. It kept going left, which made it easier for the smaller boats in that race. The other two races had a bit more breeze, so it became more interesting.”

Joel Skelton’s Farr 30 Noclecks, though dwarfed by some of the seas, sailed well to currently reside in third place, ahead of the Queensland entry Let’s Get it On (Garry Holt). Daguet 2 leads on ORC from Let’s Get it On and the Beneteau 40.7 Wailea.

Today’s Race 4 will comprise an offshore Passage Race, however the breeze is predicted to drop to around 5 knots at the 11.30am start time.

Website

Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council, Pantaenius Australia and subsidiary sponsors.

Related Articles

Revised dates & format for Sail Port Stephens 2023
The iconic Commodores Cup series is being extended to five days Sail Port Stephens (SPS) is revamping its event schedule and revising dates for racing in April and May 2023, having outgrown the previous week-long format that remained largely unchanged since its inception in 2008. Posted on 30 Sep 2022
Sail Port Stephens overall
Spectacular week of racing comes to fading finish As so often happens in yacht racing, the story is denied a fitting finish due to a lack of wind when it's needed most. And it was certainly the case at Sail Port Stephens today, with a predicted 10-knot sou'easter failing to materialise. Posted on 10 Apr 2022
Sail Port Stephens Day 6
Change as good as a holiday on Sailebration Saturday The best laid schemes of mice, men and race committees often go awry, especially in the fluid environment of yacht racing, and Day 6 of Sail Port Stephens 2022 was one of those days. Posted on 9 Apr 2022
Sail Port Stephens Day 5
Pantaenius Sail Port Stephens Trophy Series off to a bright and breezy start Pessimists were predicting showers and light winds but the optimists and opportunists seized the day as the Pantaenius Sail Port Stephens Trophy Series and NSW Yachting Championships got off to a mostly bright and breezy start. Posted on 8 Apr 2022
Sail Port Stephens Day 3
Commodores Cup finale is yacht racing at its best Queensland has Surfers Paradise, NSW has Sailors Paradise. It's located just outside the headlands of Port Stephens, where a cluster of Hawaiian-style islands from the set of Jurassic Park create an idyllic racecourse for yachts Posted on 6 Apr 2022
Sail Port Stephens Day 2
Postcard conditions as paradise finds some breeze They say history never repeats but a 'lightening' breeze can certainly strike twice, as 120 yachts competing in Sail Port Stephens' Commodores Cup Race 2 discovered today. Posted on 5 Apr 2022
Sail Port Stephens Day 1
Off to gentle start and bunched finish Rarely has there been a parting as sweet as watching 120 yachts slide down a sparkling Port Stephens under spinnaker in Race 1 of the 2022 Bannisters Port Stephens Commodores Cup. Posted on 4 Apr 2022
2018 Sail Port Stephens day 7
Huey has the final say After six days of sublime sunshine and sailing, a wild westerly has put paid to any further racing across all divisions, leaving overnight results standing. Posted on 15 Apr 2018
2018 Sail Port Stephens day 6
Super Saturday of Sail Port Stephens 2018 was as good as it gets If you like your sailing fast and flat, with uninhabited islands and surfing beaches added for good measure, then Super Saturday of Sail Port Stephens 2018 was as good as it gets. Posted on 14 Apr 2018
NSW IRC Championship day 1
Patrice toasts champagne conditions at Sail Port Stephens Fittingly for a fleet boasting Wild Oats X for the first time, the NSW IRC Championships at Sail Port Stephens enjoyed champagne sailing conditions on the offshore race course for three windward-leeward races on day one. Posted on 13 Apr 2018