Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta - Entries open

by Damian Devine & Lisa Ratcliff on 12 Jul 2013 The 33rd Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race and associated Pittwater and Coffs Harbour regatta, organised by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, has announced the release of the Notice of Race and invites applications for entry.

The five race regatta starts with the first ocean race of the New Year, the category two, 226nm Pittwater to Coffs Harbour ocean race on second January, 2014, followed by four category four races in Coffs Harbour over two consecutive days on fifth and sixth January. The five races shall count for the overall regatta score with no discards and points awarded for race one, shall be doubled in value.

There will be five entry categories including IRC, PHS, ORCi, Shorthanded and One Design Classes. All boats are eligible to enter the Australian PHS Championships, a five race series.

RPAYC Commodore Robert Curtis commented, 'The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club invites all past competitors and indeed newcomers to get a taste of some challenging and spectacular east coast racing in this warm water classic that’s entering its 33rd year.

Both the RPAYC and Coffs Harbour Yacht Club have put in a lot of hard work into setting up the regatta and we know it will be another great event for everybody. My crew and I are very much looking forward to the race and regatta this year and especially, the turning left aspect towards Coffs.'

Corey Yeung NSW State Manager of naming sponsor Club Marine added, 'Club Marine is proud to be associated with this iconic ocean racing event and yachtsmen and women competing in it. For us, it’s a great opportunity to be a part of the Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta and the Club’s Blue Water Series. Having witnessed the great camaraderie had by all in Coffs Harbour this year, we once again look forward to meeting all the competitors and seeing them out on the water and welcoming them when they arrive in Coffs Harbour in early January'.

This year’s Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs race offered up a new line honours winner in Bill Wild’s Queensland based Wedgetail, which finished with an elapsed course time of 19hrs 53mins 3secs, the third fastest for the time-honoured Bluewater race.

Wedgetail’s savvy crew duelled with Syd Fischer’s TP52 Ragamuffin for all of the 226 nautical mile sprint north, winning by a mere three minutes and 30 seconds, with the latter getting their own back with a clean handicap sweep – IRC, ORCi and PHS – just days after Fischer’s second over-the-line in the Rolex Sydney Hobart with his plus size stablemate, Ragamuffin Loyal.

The 2013 overall regatta winners were the Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s Philip Dash’s Beneteau First 40 Just a Dash in IRC, Peter Hewson’s Sydney 41 Storage King Wallop from the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club in PHS and Mark Tinworth and Mark Waterhouse’s Beneteau 44.7 Le Billet from the host Club, The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s in ORCi. Storage King Wallop was also crowned the 2013 Australian PHS Champion.

Competitors are invited to submit their entry online via the event website and the race will once again feature the Yellow Brick yacht tracking system to assist competitors, spectators, media and families onshore to follow the race with 15 minute updates.

Renowned as a fun, family event, there will also be plenty of onshore activity for families organised by the receiving club, Coffs Harbour Yacht Club.

The RPAYC is predicting a fleet of around 50 yachts will make the start line off Barrenjoey headland on Thursday second January 2014 at One pm, for the race dubbed the warm water classic.

Applications for entry close Friday sixth December 2013 at 1700hrs.

The 2014 Club Marine Pittwater and Coffs Harbour Regatta Notice of Race and online entry is available from the event website.