Record Catalina fleet in 167th Australia Day Regatta

by Peter Campbell on 29 Jan 2003 A record fleet of Catalina yachts headed the 167th Australia Day Regatta sailed on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day, 26 January 2003.

The 14 Catalina cruiser/racers, although differing in size, produced some excellent close racing, with the Catalina 470, Barrenjoey Light, owned by
Les Grujic and Richard Hamilton from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, taking line honours.

On corrected time two Catalina 320s placed first and second, Sensai, skippered by Andrew Dally from Middle Harbour Yacht Club wining from Mio Deo, skippered by Michael Cole from Vaucluse Yacht Club. Third place went to Graham Burdis' Surprise, also from MHYC.

This was the 13th year that owners of Catalina yachts have supported the regatta, as have the Australian agents, Catalina Yachts at The Spit,
Mosman.

Among other wellknown yachtsmen who raced their Catalinas on Australia Day were Judge Colin Davidson (Cabrillo), John Hancox (Magnificat), Maurice Gilet (Isis) and Jack Christoffersen (Breezly).

Sydney turned on ideal sailing conditions for the 167th Australia Day Regatta, with a north-easterly seabreeze freshening from 10 to 15 knots
during the afternoon.

Division 1 of the 167th Australia Day Regatta went to a yacht with a wellknown name in Australian maritime history, Dick Smidlin's Northshore
369, Trim, named after Matthew Flinder's cat, which accompanied him on his many voyages of exploration.

The Classic Division saw the famous ocean racer of the 1960s and 1970s, Caprice of Huon, skippered by David Champtaloup, take line honours with
first place on corrected time going to the classic sloop, Antara, skippered by Ian Kortlang.

Whilst a fleet of more than 80 yachts raced in the main keelboat regatta on the Harbour, a further 40 ocean racing yachts competed in the Australia Day
offshore race to Botany Bay and return. Many of the fleet had recently contested the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

George Snow's maxi yacht Brindabella led home the fleet in the Botany Bay Race, the race finishing off the Sydney Opera House, but on corrected times
Terry Mullens' Farr 49, Fitness First Sting dominated results for what was also the Cruising Yacht Club's Short Ocean Pointscore Race.

Fitness First Sting won all three handicap categories in Division 1 - IMS, IRC and PHS. True North (Howard and Susan Piggott) won IMS Division 2 while AFR Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas) took out IRC Division 2 with PHS Division 2 going to Heavy Duty (C.Babbidge and M.Harding).

Chris Bowling's Hick 30, Redrock Communications won Division 3 in all three handicap categories.

Hundreds more dinghies, skiffs, trailerable yachts and catamarans contested Australia Day regattas on other waterways in NSW, ranging from Lake
Macquarie in the north to Lake Illawarra in the south and Chipping Norton Lakes in the west.

Full results of the 167th Australia Day Regatta on Sydney Harbour are available on the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron website - www.rsys.com.au while
full results of the CYCA's Short Ocean Pointscore and Ocean Pointscore Race to Botany Bay and return are available on the CYCA website - www.cyca.com.au