Competitors rescue J24 sailors from wild Harbour

by Peter Campbell on 6 Oct 2007 Crews on J24 class yachts this afternoon rescued two sailors knocked overboard from another J24 Jaybird after a collision and dismasting in wild conditions on Sydney Harbour.

A wild westerly wind, gusting 40 to 45 knots decimated the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Middle Harbour Yacht Club fleets as it hit harbour racing boats midway through their Saturday pointscore races.

The J24s had been competing in a combined clubs mini regatta, along with Yngling keelboats, but the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club race officer abandoned racing after the first heat and ordered the fleet to head for home.

MHYC sailing manager John Hurley said he had only sketchy details of the incident with the J24, but the two crewmembers were fine after their ordeal.

'I understand that Jaybird, owned by Oloff and Marc Tromp, was involved in a collision with a powerboat and was dismasted as the yacht was heading back to Middle Harbour,' he said. 'I assume the two crew members were knocked overboard in the incident, but were quickly rescued by the crews of other J24s also returning to the club.

'NSW Maritime is investigating the incident,' Hurley added.

Many yachts were caught with full sails up when the wind swung unexpectedly from the south-east to the south-west, with the sudden gust coming in from the west shortly after 2.00pm.

Police and ambulance groups were called when three vintage 18 foott skiffs capsised, with one sailor requiring medial attention after being hit by the boom.

There were no other dismastings, but were several yachts suffered sail and rigging damage, including broken boom and spinnaker poles. One Dragon ended up in Mosman Bay and an Yngling in Shell Cove, both having to be towed back to the Squadron.

After the initial onslaught of the westerly, the breeze remained between 25 and 30 knots for the rest of the day, finally swinging back to the south.

'It was a day for survival sailing, with the wind reaching 45 knots,' commented RSYS veteran yachtsman Robert Albert who steered his 20-year-old Beneteau 305 Norn to victory in Division 3, a sentiment echoed by Steve Sweeney, skipper of Hornblower, the only boat to complete the course in Division 4.

'We normally sail with a crew of six but today we were down to a crew of four old codgers who have been sailing together for 20 years,' Albert said, adding: 'But we hoisted a No 2 headsail and put two reefs in the main before the start.'

Hornblower was similarly short of crew – just three (old codgers) sailing the Bonbridge 27 today to finish the race with just a mainsail up as five other starters retired in the heavy weather.

(The photo of Hornblower above, includes the one old salt who was not on the boat today, the white haired old codger steering the boat- owner Peter Campbell)

Even in Division 1, only two boats finished, with Charles Curran’s 60-footer Sydney taking line and handicap honours.

Only 15 boats finished the Squadron’s mixed handicap and Etchells divisions while at Middle Harbour, there were also only 16 finishers from handicap divisions. Of the 22 Etchells that started the race, only seven finished.