Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race: First in best dressed!
by Di Pearson / RPAYC media 11 Feb 02:53 GMT
27 March 2026
Wind Cheetah was the first multihull entry - Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race © RPAYC Media
A dozen owners were quick off the mark when entries opened for the 40th Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race, the annual 226 nautical mile classic, starting at 1pm on 27 March and hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC).
Darren Drew from NSW was among the early birds and is bringing his multihull, Wind Cheetah to the line again. A boat with multi personalities, Drew calls it "my chameleon".
A regular competitor on the eastern seaboard - and more so since retiring, Drew explains his Arber 38 catamaran thus: "It has big deep daggerboards, carbon sails and a high aspect ratio rig, which gives it great upwind performance in anything over 12 knots. With the wind in the right direction - and the right strength - it could be up the front. But it's not so good in light air.
"It's a cruiser/racer. It's about keeping my wife happy. It's got the cruising requirements while also being able to race at a reasonable level. Most importantly, it has to fit into a berth at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club!
On the flip side of what sounds like a super quick racing multi, but isn't, Drew has left his Top Gun speed machine days behind him with Wind Cheetah. "We cruise to Lizard Island and race at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island. When we go racing offshore, we put the lamb roast in the oven.
"Everyone has their own bed, there's a nice loungeroom, a watermaker, soda stream and three options for coffee making!"
Speaking of beds, Drew says two of the five crew are female - Alice Parker and Juliet Costanzo. "They're happy to have their own bed and a private toilet and a hot shower!
Chris Flannigan and Martin Beamish are his other crew.
It's a top notch crew. Parker has navigated boats like URM Group to many wins and second overall in the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart. In December, she navigated Palm Beach XI (former Wild Oats XI) in the race and continues with the program when the canting 100 footer heads overseas to compete this year.
Costanzo grew up sailing small boats and in her fourth Sydney Hobart last year, multi-tasking by helming, navigating calling tactics and trimming on Richard Hudson's Pretty Woman, which with Hudsons usual youth component, is also entered for the Pittwater Coffs race again this year.
Hudson, who placed second overall and won ORC overall last year, has paved the way for some of offshore racing's rising stars, Costanzo and Parker just two of them.
Back on Wind Cheetah, Drew says the Pittwater Coffs "is a fun race. It's an overnighter and a bit more. It's great racing against a good competitive fleet, even racing against the monohulls. You get a bit of everything boat wise in the race."
Drew is keen to see other multihulls in the race to Coffs and says, "Stephen (Barton) said he's coming (with J'Ouvert, a Pescott Whitehaven 11.7) and I hope a few others come and join in. They'll enjoy it."
No sooner had Drew uttered those words, when Stuart Malouf entered Coconuts, his Stealth 12.2, which will keep Wind Cheetah honest.
On the monohull scene, Adrian Keily has entered Mako from Newcastle. With other team members from Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Mako will first contest RPAYC's new interclub challenge at the Pittwater Regatta in mid-February before turning his mind to the Club's coastal classic.
"We have a core crew of four or five doing both events, so five or six different crew are doing the Coffs. Most have sailed a fair bit on the boat, so we'll be OK," Keily said.
Keily did the race for the first time back in the early eighties with his dad on a Currawong 30. "I reckon it's a great race. I did what I think was the second Pittwater Coffs on Legend with my dad. I did my first Hobart on that boat too. Dad was the one who got me into sailing.
"I've done the Coffs at least half a dozen times. Being in Newcastle, it's a nice easy one for us to do. It's a good distance too and not too far to bring the boat to Sydney or do the race," Keily said.
Mako also uses the Pittwater Coffs to offer those keen to start offshore racing the opportunity to make start.
"We like to have some on our crew people who want to get into offshore racing. They can learn about doing night watches, compass steering etc. We have Archer Hough, a 17 year-old out of our Youth Academy, coming along this time. He's doing his HSC this year and playing rugby and loves sailing. He has a bit on, but he'll be good."
Keily says the plan is to take the boat back to Newcastle for repairs and a tidy up after the Pittwater Regatta, before returning to Sydney for the Coffs race.
"We did the Hobart in December, so want the boat prepared for the Coffs. We'll do some round the buoys sailing at home for practice before we come back to Sydney," the Novocastrian ended.
Second over the finish line last year, Geoff Hill's Antipodes from Hong Kong, along with Mark Ayto's lovely S&S 34 Western Morning, are making a welcome return, both have contested the 80th Sydney Hobart in December.
Antipodes, having raced throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia, can claim an extraordinary million sea miles with Hill. Boat and owner created the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race record in 2023 after taking line honours (that record fell to Lucky last year), then backed up to finished third overall in that race last October.
Western Morning is back for a second race, the 2025 Pittwater Coffs being her first major race since Ayto's purchase of her last year.
The Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race is open to monohulls and multihulls in IRC, ORC, OMR and Short Handed categories. Entries close at 1700 hours 14 March 2025. Entries may be received after that time and will attract a late entry fee.
To enter, view NoR and all information, go to: www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au