First interstate entry for Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Regatta 2012

by Damian Devine on 18 Oct 2011 Sydney 38 ’Audacious’ representing the Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Victoria is the first interstate entry received for the Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Regatta 2012, hosted by The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

With the Sydney 38 Association holding their Australian Championships out of the RPAYC over the Australia Day weekend in late January 2012, it made sense for the Victorian owner Greg Clinnick and his crew to enter the regatta to give them an opportunity to stretch their legs in sailing North and get some serious racing in before the Nationals.

Several interstate Sydney 38s as well as a strong contingent of the Sydney based One Design fleet are expected to arrive at the host club, the RPAYC before the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race start, to compete in both regattas.

We caught up with the owner of ‘Audacious’, Greg Clinnick, who commented, 'the thought of heading north this Christmas was very appealing to the crew after four consecutive Hobart campaigns. A number of us have competed in the Coffs race before and we have always had a great time both on and off the water. So when the 38 Association decided to hold the Nationals in Pittwater, it was a no brainer to put the two regattas together.'

'The Sydney 38s has always been a popular class of keel boat for both offshore and regatta racing. With Jessica Watson racing a Sydney 38 ‘Another Challenge’ in the Sydney to Hobart this year and basing her training out of the RPAYC, the class is getting plenty of notice and there are growing fleets in both Victoria and South Australia. There are a number of Sydney 38s expected to enter the Pittwater to Coffs regatta and this will allow a One Design class race to be run as a race within the race.'

'We’re looking forward to both the challenge of racing north and a good time in Coffs Harbour for the regatta,' added Clinnick.

The Cat 2 Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race commences on the 2 January 2012 with the regatta continuing in Coffs Harbour with another four races over two days on 5 and 6 January, open to Cat 4 yachts.

The Pittwater & Coffs Harbour Regatta 2012 Notice of Race and online entry is available on the event website at www.pittwatertocoffs.com.au

Entries close on Friday 2 December.

For race enquiries please contact the RPAYC Sailing Office on (02) 9998 3771 or yachting(at)rpayc.com.au.