Festival of Sails – Entries closing

by Royal Geelong Yacht Club on 6 Jan 2017 A reminder that the standard price entry period for this year’s Festival of Sails regatta closes midnight this Sunday 8th January.

Please confirm your entry now to make sure we can deliver your allocated Bow Stickers and backstay flags for your boats allocated division.

Keelboats:
We have confirmed a number of high profile interstate and local Grand Prix yachts including Celestial, M3, Secret Mens Business, Primitive Cool and Terra Firma, combined with a mix of smaller Sydney to Hobart competitors that will include Philosopher, Aikin Hames-Sharley, Shining Sea, and the little boat that could, Komatsu Azzuro.

Super 11 Australian Championship:
The 11 entries are mostly Victorian entries, except for GerritVeenemans showing off his new Fareast 28 from Queensland. Local RGYC legend Cam Rae has geared up his super competitive Poco Loco and hopes to continue with his form following from a win at the Lipton Cup at Royals. The rest of the asymmetrical30 footers have shown form in the past, with Rohan Veal’s Mc31s now having exactly 1 year to have tuned their boats up this time around, after rigging up on the way to the start line last year.

Sportsboats:
Evergreen Croweater Julian Newton brings his Thompson8 Game On back for another year, against the local eight metre Kiss, and a handful of the supercharged Shaw650s, Black Betty and Pornstar. Festival of Sails journalist Lisa Ratcliff will be reporting on family members as her husband and son have entered their Viper640 Heat for the first time, to give on water reporting a new perspective.

S80s:
The S80 class keeps returning in great numbers with 11 entered. A great number given they will be hosting their Victorian Championships the week prior. With last year’s champion and state title holder, Luke Reinihrstill to enter, has he left the title open? There will be plenty of opportunity for Royal Geelong’s Peter Stephens and Kim Clarke. The team from the Northern Territory, led by Peter Bracken, has taken advantage of some boats not being able to sail, and chartered Recycled Reputation out of Hobbos. Good luck to the team.

Off the Beach:
The OTB program at the Festival has come and gone over the years, but with the expanded regatta format, this gives the opportunity to take the usual Cadet sprint series, and make it a cracker. At least 50 entrants are expected with the Cadets vying for the WL Curtiss trophy. The OKDinghies will be using the regatta to hold their State titles and are expecting a good turnout as well. The new foiling Waszp will be present, and looking to showcase this fledgling one design class. The Hansa association will also be testing the waters of Corio Bay, prior to RGYC hosting the 2017 Asia Pacific Championships to 80+ competitors come April.

OTB activities kick off on Wednesday 25th with a ‘come try’ day being hosted by multiple associations including the Waszp, 420s, Areo, RS, Optis, Cadets and Fevas.

Racing kicks off on Australia day, with a morning ‘Invitation Passage’ race around the Bay and back. The racing proper then kicks off in the afternoon with three races back to back, with the same on Friday.

Southern Ocean Multihull Regatta and Festival of sails:
Multihull boats can choose to compete for points in the SOMR, the Festival, or both! Racing kicks off with around the bay racing on Tuesday 17th, with a lay day on Friday 20th prior to the passage race from Williamstown. Smaller boats do not have to commit to completing the passage race as this is not a pointscore race for the SOMR regatta.