Centenary Pittwater Regatta opening

by Peter Campbell on 21 Apr 2007 The two-day Centenary Pittwater Regatta has opened on a glorious autumn day, warm and sunny with a light easterly breeze for the Inshore and Offshore yacht divisions and for the Historical Skiffs in their re-enactment of the skiff race around Lion Island that created the enthusiasm for the inaugural Pittwater Regatta in 1907.

Whilst the Inshore Series and the Historical Skiffs got under way on time in a gentle breeze within Pittwater, the Offshore races for IRC/PHS, Sydney 38s and Etchells was delayed for over an hour and a half because of lack of breeze on the Palm Beach Circle.

The double, Line honours and a handicap win in the Spinnaker Division of the Inshore Series went to Hugh Treharne, the America’s Cup winning tactician of Australia II and former 18-foot skiff world champion, at the helm of Gwen, a converted Soling.

Converted, in that the boat carries a massive full-roached mainsail, a long bowsprit and a huge asymmetric spinnaker, ideal for light breeze on the close reaching course from Stokes Point, around Lion Island and back to the finish off the Royal Motor Yacht Club (Broken Bay) at Newport.

Treharne was first to hoist a spinnaker as the fleet headed across Broken Bay to lead around Lion Island, but in the long leg back down Pittwater Gwen was almost overtaken by Dark & Stormy, Jim King and Bruce Staples Murray 40, the margin at the finish being just 23 seconds.

Third to finish was Tempnet, Penny McConaghy’s 11 Metre One Design, which almost overtook Gwen by sailing close under the ramparts of Lion Island. However, Dark & Stormy came through to overtake Tempnet on the tight reach back down Pittwater.


Eight Historical Skiffs, replicas of some of the famous 18-footers that raced in Sydney between the two World Wars, had the best breeze for their 14:00 start, with locally built Yendys getting the jump at the start and leading the fleet on the course around Lion Island.

Skippered by her builder, Ian Perdriau and with a crew of nine, including a ‘baler boy’, Yendys quickly opened up a handy lead as she headed down Pittwater towards Lion Island.

Offshore, racing did not get under until 13:05 f or the Sydney 38s with the IRC/PHS division being further delayed by a general recall.

The first race saw an IRC win for the Bull 9000 Raging Bull, skippered by Mark Griffith from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club from Richard Hudson’s IRC 45 Pretty Woman, third going to the West Australian entrant This Way Up, John Moore’s recently acquired Sydney 36.

The PHS division first race went to Ozad, Peter Gale’s 11-Metre One Design from Martin Cross’ champion Sydney 32 If, helmed by Steve Brajkovich, with third place going to famous maxi yacht builder John McConaghy in his cruiser/racer Second Time Around.

The Sydney 38s’ first race saw a remarkably close finish, with Steve Kulmar, at the helm of Shining Star, finishing just four seconds ahead of Easy Tiger (Chris Way) with another three seconds to Steve Proud’s Swish.

Another crew member of that winning crew of Australia II, Rob Brown, sailed Geronimo to a hard-fought win in the International Etchells, ahead of Nick Garland’s Odyssey and Second Wind (J.Rose).

Three boats, Geronimo in the Etchells, Raging Bull in IRC and Ozad in PHS, each scored double wins,

Mark Griffith’s Bull 900 Raging Bull scored two convincing wins under IRC ratings, both times beating Richard Hudson’s IRC 45 Pretty Woman on corrected time, with the Sydney 36 This Way Up, skippered by West Australian John Moore, placing 3rd in race one and Bill Ebsary’s Beneteau 44.7 Le Billet 3rd in race two.

Raging Bull is on 2 points, Pretty Women 4, Le Billet 7 and This Way Up 8 points.

In the PHS division, the International 11 Metre Ozad, skippered by Peter Gale, also had two excellent corrected time wins, beating the champion Sydney 32 If, skippered by Steve Brajkovich, in race one, and Second Time Round, skippered by internationally renowned maxi yacht builder John McConaghy in Race two.

After two races, Ozad is on 2 points, Second Time Around 5, If on 6 and The Real Time (G.Holder) on 7 points.

Champion Etchells skipper, America’s Cup winning crewman aboard Australia II and former world 18-footer champion Rob Brown faced some keen competition in both races for the Etchells, but heads the series with Geronimo on 2 points from Odyssey (Nick Garland) on 5 points and Second Wind (J Rose) on 7 points.

The Sydney 38s produced some tight racing, with only nine seconds between the first three in race one, with Steve Kulmar’s Shining Sea getting the gun by six seconds in race one from Easy Tiger (Chris Way) and three seconds to Swish (Steve Proud).

In the second race, Geoff Bonus’ Calibre improved on her race one 4th to score a 43 second win from Shining Sea, which beat Swish by 36 seconds.

Inshore, another America’s Cup legend, Australia II tactician Hugh Treharne sailed his converted Soling Gwen to a narrow 23 seconds line honours victory in the Spinnaker Division and also took handicap honours by 1 minute 52 seconds in the race around Lion Island.

Lady skippers filled the minor placings on corrected time, second to Dragon Lady (Robyn Hyde), third to Tempnet (Penny McConaghy).

Winner of the Non Spinnaker Division was Justus Veeneklaas’ Tenacity from Mick Morris in Carlad and third to Ruff (Tim Stranack).

The Historical Skiffs created considerable interest as the eight replicas of 18-footers that raced between the two World War went powering up Pittwater in a race around Lion Island to re-enact the skiff race in 1906 that was the genesis of the inaugural Pittwater Regatta in 1907.

Locally built Yendys, skippered by builder Ian Perdriau broke the start and led the fleet around Lion Island, but was declared OCS by the BYRA race officials.

'As he crossed the line a good boat length before we fired the gun, Ian called out ‘we don’t do recalls’ – but we do,' recalled BYRA Commodore Henry Zylmans after the race.

Officialy, first place went to The Scot, skippered by former ocean racing yachtsman and Sydney Hobart winner John Eyles, just 10 seconds ahead of Australia IV, with prominent Historical Skiffs supporter John Winning on the helm. Third went to Aberdare (Rob Tearne), fourth to Alruth (Jemery Sharpe) followed by Topweight (Ted Tierney), Mistake (Phil Haskard) and Australia (Grant Roleson).