Fresh faces abound at Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta

by Lisa Ratcliff on 15 Nov 2012 The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is encouraging first-time sailors to participate in the upcoming Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta off Barrenjoey Headland on the second of January. The sailing event has so far drawn eight first time entrants and is expecting more sailors coming on race day.

Among the first time yachts will be Jack Goluzd’s Nelson Marek OD 35, Bling. Goluzd has a heavy race program over the Christmas period, firstly as a crewman on Syd Fischer’s leased 100-foot supermaxi Ragamuffin - Loyal for the Rolex Sydney Hobart and immediately afterwards as skipper of his own boat heading in the opposite direction, from Pittwater to Coffs Harbour.

All things going well, Ragamuffin - Loyal should reach Hobart on 29 December giving Goluzd a couple of days to enjoy the festivities and return to Sydney to prepare the 35-footer for its first major offshore race, a 226 nautical miler.

Bling was due to compete in this year’s Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta but was delayed in Florida, USA, for three months until the shipping company found transport to complete the boat’s long delivery which began in the UK.

This Nelson Marek is the same design as Garry Holder’s The Real Thing, which found PHS success in the 2011 Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta. Goluzd’s is the turbo charged version with a prodder, square top main and asymmetric kites. Weighing in at just three tonnes, it’s a good reaching and running boat, now minus the gold paint after Goluzd de-blinged the waterline stripe, a 'painstaking process' he remembers.

'We’ve done some winter racing and twilights. It’s taken us a while to get to know the boat but we know it has potential,' said the 30 time Sydney Hobart veteran.

As well as his son Christopher and his son’s partner, Sarah Lee, Goluzd is looking for a variety of talent and a mixture of young and old crew to join him for his fourth Coffs event. Previously he’s finished second twice on handicap on Sledgehammer and placed second over-the-line on Quest in the 2011 Coffs race.

For those thinking about entering the Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta, there’s less than two days to submit your entry via the online entry system for a chance to win free entry for the 2013 regatta. To qualify, entries have to be in by 5pm AEST tomorrow, Friday 16 November. One lucky name will be drawn from the barrel this Saturday, 17 November, and the first name drawn will have their entry fee for next January’s race and regatta waived.

All those entered to date will automatically enter the draw.

The 2013 Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta Notice of Race is available from the event website.

Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta online entry here. Entries close Friday 7 December after which date a late entry fee may be incurred. For race enquiries and documentation please contact the RPAYC Sailing Office on (02) 9998 3771 or yachting@rpayc.com.au