Classic Yacht Regatta returns to Melbourne's Port Phillip

by Peter Costolloe on 23 Oct 2016 For the ninth consecutive year the must do Classic Yacht racing event in Australia is once again all set to hit Port Phillip. The CYAA interstate members along with members from both the Classic Yacht Association of New Zealand and the British Classic Yacht Club have sent “We’ll be there” signals. The skippers and crews, who know what it what it takes to turn keep these classic yachts of ours in their full racing trim of yesterday’s glory, are all set to go.

Sayonara the feature classic yacht of the 2016 Cup Regatta

Once again, the sight of the 2016 Cup Regatta will be champion ocean racing craft from long ago once again racing hard against the Australia’s most important Classic Yacht, Sayonara the 1898 Fife Linear Rater and Cup Regatta feature classic yacht. Fresh with her new standing rigging, Sayonara will be in tight shape and ready to on take her challengers. The Sayonara syndicate put out a special call of thanks to the Ferdy Darley team and to Dave Allen who successfully completed, in short order, the task that has put Sayonara on the 2016 Cup Regatta start line.

The Cup Regatta challengers

Frances, the International eight meter with her heavy hitting crew will be one of these. Mercedes III and Boambillee from Admirals Cup and Southern Cross team fame are ready for the some hard duelling battles with Sayonara. Kingurra, the Peter Joubert Black Swan and one of the toughest classics in the country, will be right in there to keep everyone honest. The half tonner Martini, always a consistent challenger will be out for corrected time honours. Defending her 2015 Cup Regatta honour will be Warringa. After being extracted from the mud of Metung, the J J Savage family and ex Jimmy Watson yacht, is all tricked up to show she is not only a pretty face.

The Sylphs of Port Phillip aka Tumlarens

While all these mighty and heavy hitting classic’s will be stirring stuff for the spectator fleet the elegant and sleek sylphs of Port Phillip otherwise known as the Tumlaren fleet will bring an extra load of glamor the 2016 Cup Regatta. With the largest Tumlaren fleet in the world racing the CYAA Cup Regatta is now a closely watch international classic yacht racing event. This Cup Regatta the Tumlaren fleet is celebrating the success of their efforts to bring the highly celebrated Tumlare Yvonne back to Port Phillip.

Invitational and social events

The 2016 Cup Regatta will be hosted by the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. Kick off invitational events on Friday will see Classic Yacht Match racing for the Bud Nalder Hand Stitched Sail Gear Bag and Inter Association Challenge racing with Sail Training dinghies taking place. After a knock about BBQ, three races each of twenty minutes will put these teams to the test. To finish off the day the CYAA will be conducting their meet and greet cocktail function. This venue for this event will be the Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club in Williamstown.

2016 Cup Regatta Trophies

This year will see three Cup Regatta Perpetual trophies on the table. For the Cup Regatta we’ll have the Col Bandy Trophy and the Stradbroke II Trophy and for the best performing classic yacht during the Cup Regatta plus the regular Winter and Summer racing we have the Tony Blake Perpetual Trophy. Double regatta points feature in the scoring for this trophy. The Trophy is an oil painting by commissioned Marine Artist, tony Blake, that features Sayonara and Rawhiti competing in a 1907 Sayonara Cup event.

Uira Trophy for Tumlarens

To recognise the Cup Regatta Tumlaren fleet, the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron Uira trophy, will be a feature of the last race of the Cup Regatta race program. Along with Sayonara. the 1894 New Zealand built Uira was the most celebrated yacht on Port Phillip of the late 1890’s. The Uira is under restoration by a CYAA member.

Sponsor support

All the Cup Regatta trophies will be accompanied by special prizes. Winners of the Col Bandy and Tony Blake trophies will receive an invite to dine at Karen Batson’s restaurants, Cookie and Magic Mountain. Our Concours d’Elegance prize of the magnificent floating boat hook , once again provided by Tim Phillips and his Wooden Boat Shop. Judges for this event will be our CYANZ visitors.

For each race, the corrected time and elapsed time winner will receive recognition from the Wilderness Wear sponsor.

From the racing aspect the boat deemed to be the most consistent starter for each mass start race will receive a recognition prize from Col Anderson of Doyle sails.

To make life interesting a feature piece of Outdoor Furniture from Made by Tait will be on offer during the Monday presentation BBQ.

The Classic Yacht Regatta handicapper prize

Another first at the 2016 Cup Regatta. In recognition of the differing weather based performance capabilities of the Classic fleet, The CYAA (Vic) handicapper has developed a special handicapper prize. This prize is provided by Ferdy Darley shipwrights and the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. As well as a permanent trophy the winner will received eight litres of anti foul plus 10 hours of labour with a no charge slipping at RYCV. The trophy is based on section timing and handicap re-adjustment based on the corrected elapsed time between each set of course rounding marks for each of the four mass start races.

As the saying goes “From small things big things grow” this trophy is no different. First go round a log of the mark rounding times from each starter will be required. Who’s knows what’s next but this is the time for a yacht tracker operator to show case their product. Other handicapper ideas are in the wind that will give each entrant, whether or not they start, an opportunity to compete for a prize.

Presentation BBQ Monday

After completion of the Pursuit start race the traditional BBQ and trophy presentation kicks in. Signalling the beginning of the prizes will be a skirl of the pipes by David McKenzie bringing the tunes of the Skye song that Classic Yacht skippers constantly call (speed bonny boat like a bird on the wing) and Pokara kara ana to re-affirm the strong bond of friendship between the CYAA and CYANZ.