Final preparations underway for the 2023 Banjo's Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta
by Jane Austin 19 Feb 21:47 GMT
24-26 February 2023
Colour action and fun in the Banjos Shoreline Crown Series © Jane Austin
As the sun sets on the 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival, final preparations are in full swing for one of Tasmania's largest and most successful summer sailing regattas, the 2023 Banjo's Shoreline Crown Series Bellerive Regatta.
The event, hosted by the Bellerive Yacht Club, in partnership with the Bellerive Regatta Association Inc, will run from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th of February and is expected to draw close to 100 entries across a variety of classes.
This is the Club's 19th Crown Series Regatta and is one of the most popular events on the Tasmanian sailing calendar, with the emphasis on fun and participation accompanied by a comprehensive program of shore-based entertainment.
The event boasts a diverse racing program. The keel boat division is divided into Racing Groups which will compete in mostly windward/leeward or triangular courses while Performance Cruising (spinnaker and non-spinnaker) groups, and trailable and sports boats yachts will compete in around-the-harbour courses. A healthy and competitive contingent of off-the-beach competitors is also expected.
This year's regatta will also incorporate the SB20 State Championship which is expected to be keenly contested with current Australian champions and defending state title holders, Ares Racing Team, skippered by Will Sargent, with Eirini Marios, Ed Reid and Scott Broadby the team to beat.
The regatta program begins with a twilight race starting at 5:30pm on Friday evening for all keelboat classes except for the SB20 and Dragon classes. On Saturday and Sunday, the first warning signal for keelboats is at 11am, while the OTB racing starts at 1pm both days.
Expect some top class sailing in Performance Cruising from AdvantEDGE, an Inglis 47 skippered by Andrew Jones from the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club, Cromarty Magellan, a Knoop 39 skippered by BYC member Richard Grant, and Brent McKay's Bakewell-White Z39, Jazz Player. Each boat had strong results in the 50th anniversary of the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race sailed in December 2022 and will be looking to take home bragging rights after a weekend of close sailing.
Chris Sheehan's Melges 32, Assagai will be hoping for some consistent stiff breezes to maximise her sailing angles, while Commodore Jeff Cordell and Bellerive Yacht Club stalwart Ian Stewart will be putting their Mumm 36s B&G Advantage and Joint Custody on the line in the unofficial Mumm 36 'world championship'.
Spectators are encouraged to watch the weekend's sailing from the shores of the River Derwent and are warmly invited to mingle with the sailors at the Bellerive Yacht Club following sailing and be entertained by Maggie Bowman, Good Fellas, Cracker, Sambo and Jimmi over the weekend.
The closing date for keelboat entries is Tuesday 21 February and for OTB classes, entries close on Wednesday 22 February 2023. To enter visit here