2015 Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta - Record jubilee fleet

by Lisa Ratcliff on 2 Jun 2015 2015 Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta - A record 26 crews sailing for four states and the Northern Territory will meet at Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and on Port Phillip this coming June long weekend to test their racing flair and commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta.

Saturday’s long range forecast shows light WSW winds ahead of a tempo change on Sunday June 7, 2015, up to 20 knots of WNW breeze and a top of just 15 degrees on the bay.

Given the regatta was borne after a pair of Aussie go-getters competed in a New Zealand women’s championship then put the idea of a national series on the table, a major bonus to the starting line-up is Melinda Henshaw’s Kiwi entry.

“The idea to be part of this year’s AWKR came to us when seven Australian women came across to sail in the NZ nationals in March this year and bravely took on the Kiwis in the MRX class,” said Henshaw. “Our crew of Helen Buchanan, Fiona Ryder, Elizabeth Campbell and Rebecca Dunn is a brand new team and we relish the challenge of learning to sail the S80 we are borrowing, and giving the Aussies a run for their money!”

AWKR pioneer Gai Clough was inspired to create the first all-women regatta after she and Kerry Goudge crossed the Tasman Sea to contest an international women’s keelboat title. Clough went on to be voted the first female commodore of a royal Australian yacht club – the RMYS. Her contribution to women’s sailing and in particular the AWKR will be acknowledged when Gai presents the Aurora trophy to the EHC handicap winners at the final awards ceremony on Monday June 8 at the host club.

Gai’s legacy also carries on through daughter Sarah, a regular AWKR skipper. She’s helming an SB20 called Back of the Bus Boys for the silver jubilee edition this coming Queen’s Birthday weekend.

Winging it out of the far west is a team called #SailingSistas, skippered by Mandy McEvoy and helmed by Kirstin Norris, a Royal Australian Navy engineer and talented ISAF ranked match racer who grew up in Perth sailing Pelicans, 420s and Lasers.

South Australia and the Northern Territory teams are joining New South Wales and the dominant Victorian bill.

AWKR committee chair and competing skipper Jody Lukeman says, “I can't believe it's here already. We are looking forward to celebrating some special guests and achievements over the last 25 years and hope all competitors past, present and future can join us off-water to celebrate the event’s jubilee.

“We set a tall order target for the 25th regatta and while we came close to having all states and territories represented, it is a broad and impressive fleet and every entry over 21 set a new record,” Lukeman added. “The committee and race management team have worked hard to put what promises to be a terrific event together and we are looking forward to welcoming competitors to the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron at our first official function this Friday evening.”

Two races are scheduled to start daily at 1000hrs on Port Phillip to the west of the St Kilda breakwater and east of the shipping channel over three days, June 6-8, 2015. The long distance course may extend as far as Brighton. Technical delegate Lou Hutton and RO Tony Lukeman are in charge of the race management.

AWKR caters for women of all skill levels and offers serious competitive sailing as well as the opportunity for novices to get a taste of the sport. The event continues to thrive based on the extraordinary generosity of an assortment of owners from around the bay who lend their boats to crews directly and to regatta organisers to match up with boat-less teams.

The field for the silver anniversary stretches from SB20 sports boats to one design S80s, Adams 10s and J24s right up to a 38-foot Bavaria Match called Mrs Overnewton skippered by Helen Willmer from South Australia.

Major sponsors of this year’s winter series include Helly Hansen, Club Marine, IBG insurance and Logie-Smith Lanyon Lawyers and the charity partner is the Think Pink Foundation.

Series Entries

Australian Womens Keelboat Regatta 2015 [AMS,IRC,EHC]

BOAT NAME	SAIL NO	SKIPPER	FROM	DESIGN	STATE
ASSAILANT	H1152	Celia Dymond	HBYC	S80	Vic
BACK OF THE BUS BOYS	3382	Sarah Clough	SYC	SB20	VIC
BLUE VOLVO	R148	S Smith P Butcher	RYCV	Bluebird	VIC
DRY WHITE	SM401	Rosie Colahan	SYC	Beneteau First 40	VIC
DUCKMOBILE	R362	Alexandra Doran	RYCV	X-Yacht 362 Sport	VIC
ELLIPSE	S369	Gretchen Mohan	RMYS	Northshore 369	Vic
HOW BIZARRE 1	S13X	Nicole Butcher	RMYS	Whiting 36	NSW
HYPERACTIVE	AUS5246	Kirsty Harris	SYC	J24	VIC
IMAGINER	SM1104	Ruth Lawrence	SYC	S80	NSW
JENSMINC	H141	Giuliana Fuscaldo	HBYC	S80	VIC
JETHRO	M311	Kellie Knowles	MYC	Van Der Stadt 24	VIC
JUNGLE JUICE	S292	Dee Mason	RMYS	Adams 10	VIC
LE CASCADEUR	H108	Leo Eeckman	HBYC	Southern Ocean 31	Vic
MOOD INDIGO	S8000	Sabina Rosser	RMYS	S80	VIC
MORE NOISE	SM3131	Stephanie Strong	SYC	Archambault A31	VIC
MRS OVERNEWTON	S47	Helen Willmer	RMYS	Bavaria Match 38	sa
NAVAHO SQUAWS	B5848	Jenni Maclean	BYS	Farr 1020	VIC
OUTLAW	H7	Fiona McManus	HBYC	S80	NT
PHANTOM	S196	Deb Parker	RMYS	Eliott 9.6	VIC
RECYCLED REPUTATION	H10	Melinda Henshaw	HBYC	S80	VIC
ROCK N ROLL	S411	Mandy McEvoy	RMYS	S80	WA
SALAMANDER III	S191	Monica Jones	RMYS	Adams 10	VIC
SUNSHINE	S18	Anni Browning	RMYS	Adams 10.6	NSW
TIGRIS	AUS61	Alison Binks	RMYS	Flying Tiger 10	VIC
UP 'N GO	R182	Britta Baade	RYCV	S80	VIC
XIT STRATEGY	S149	Madonna Derks	RMYS	Masrm 920	Vic