Lipton Cup Regatta 2007
by Mike Sabey on 30 Aug 2007

Start of the 86th Lipton Cup 2006 Janet Watkins
In November for the second year, northern Port Phillip Bay is set to come alive with the annual Lipton Cup Regatta, which last year successfully established its self as the biggest three day regatta of its kind on the Bay.
To be staged from Friday 16 th to Sunday 18th November 2007 by the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, the Lipton Cup will be a high standard four race series, which be attractive to by many Victorian boats tackling this year’s Sydney-Hobart and Melbourne-Launceston-Hobart bluewater classics at Christmas.
Royals Commodore Michael Smith says, 'Last year this inaugural regatta saw 120 yachts race and we expected it to attract well over 150 craft this year. It will embrace Victoria’s top grand prix racers down to cruisers and even the beautiful classic wooden boats from the major keelboat clubs at the top of Port Phillip Bay.'
Short Races – Saturday 17 November
For Divisions A, B and C three short course races will be conducted on Saturday 18th, each designed to take around 75 minutes with a short interval between races:-
· Division A and B will compete around laid marks in the open waters on Port Philip, west of the main shipping channel.
· Division C will compete around laid marks in the open waters east of the main shipping channel.
· Racing for Division D and Division E will be conducted in northern Port Philip including Hobson’s Bay around fixed marks. Target race duration will be 75 minutes but only two races are scheduled. The start of Race 2 will be arranged to allow crews to enjoy lunch ashore.
Longer Race – Sunday 18 November
The longer distance races will start and finish in Northern Port Philip, racing around fixed marks with a range of courses designed to provide a target race of around 4 hours for all Divisions. Presentations will follow shortly afterwards on the lawns at RYCV.
The five leading Bay clubs to be involved include Sandringham, Royal Brighton, Royal Melbourne and Hobsons Bay together with RYCV who have jointly re scheduled their weekend sailing programmes to ensure their boats are on the start line.
The Racing component of the Regatta will be strongly supported by a Twilight Race and party on the Friday before the commencement of the week ends’ serious racing, a traditional after racing Saturday party and a 'destination sail' from Royal Brighton Yacht Club on Sunday for those who wish to participate in the presentation celebrations.
Lipton Cup trophy
The regatta’s major prize is the historic Lipton Cup, previously owned by and named after the legendry tea merchant Sir Thomas Lipton, who tried five times unsuccessfully in the early 1900s to regain the Americas Cup for England from the USA.
In Melbourne, the Lipton Cup was first presented in 1909 to a yacht called 'Helen' but it subsequently disappeared for nearly 90 years until the Williamstown Church family gifted it back to RYCV by deed in the mid 1990s.
The inaugural Lipton Regatta winner last year was Rob Hanna’s 46footer Shogun from Royal Geelong which took top honours in the IRC division A.
Notice of Race and the Regatta Guide is now available on Royal’s Lipton Cup website: www.liptoncupregatta.com
Sponsors: Melbourne City Lexus, Champagne Mumm, Nautilus Marine, NAB Bank, 3AW, Cadbury Schweppes and Musto
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