One Circular Quay Australian Maxi Championship & SOLAS Big Boat Challenge Preview
by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 4 Dec 2024 22:29 PST
6-10 December 2024
Big Boat Challenge © Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
This Friday, ten of Australia's finest Maxi and Mini Maxi racing yachts will battle it out in the One Circular Quay (OCQ) Australian Maxi Championship, culminating in the thrilling SOLAS Big Boat Challenge.
Over four days of spectacular racing, the fleet will vie for the coveted title of 2024 One Circular Quay Australian Maxi Champion.
The action kicks off on Friday 6 December at 1900hrs with the Cabbage Tree Island Race, the penultimate race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore. This 172-nautical-mile offshore challenge takes the fleet to Cabbage Tree, just north of Port Stephens and back to Sydney Harbour. As on of the CYCA's most popular blue water races, it's a crucial test for competitors, offering a valuable chance to prepare crews to race at night, ahead of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race later in the month.
Following the offshore race, the fleet will shift gears for two days of intense passage racing off Sydney's coastline.
The regatta concludes with the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 10 December, with racing kicking off at 1230hrs. A highlight of the Sydney sailing calendar, it is one of the most spectacular days of racing on the Harbour, second only to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Boxing Day start.
This epic Championship draws crowds of spectators, delivering thrilling close-quarters racing and dramatic match racing scenarios. For the past two years, the Australian Maxi Championship crown has gone to URM Group, who were also the runner-up in the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
In the lead-up to the Championship, URM Group's owner Anthony Johnston shared: "We've won this great event two years in a row and we are eager to defend our Championship. The competition is always strong but our boat is well prepared, the crew is ready and we are excited for the racing ahead. The match racing in the Harbour in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge is a highlight of the season and we are looking forward to some good competition."
As the final major showdown before the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the OCQ Australian Maxi Championship (incorporating the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge), offers teams the ultimate platform to prove their readiness while showcasing their talent to take on the best of the best in the Hobart.
This year's fleet features many familiar faces, with many past competitors returning to the regatta, though some yachts have undergone modifications or a change of ownership.
The 2024 OCQ Australian Maxi Championship and SOLAS Big Boat Challenge fleet includes:
Alive
After finishing second behind URM Group in both the Australian Maxi Championship and SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, the 2023 RSHYR winner, Alive is back for another shot at the Championship. A consistently competitive contender, Alive shows no signs of slowing down and her crew remains top tier. Will they be able to trump the competition this year?
Celestial V70
CYCA Commodore, Sam Haynes, has entered Willow, a Volvo Open 70, renaming her Celestial V70, in deference to the name of his previous yachts. With the Commodore in the skipper role, the rest of the crew, made up of the Celestial TP52 squad, is led by Robert Greenhalgh and Jack Macartney.
LawConnect
Christian Beck's 100-footer designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian is back for more high-speed action. While Beck might have lost his underdog status after winning Line Honours in last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart, the team is ready to take on the competition. With a few new sails in the wardrobe, which are up to 15% lighter than the previous ones, the team are in it to win it. LawConnect achieved stellar results in last year's Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship and SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, winning IRC in the Maxi Division.
Master Lock Comanche
Originally scheduled to leave Australia in early 2024, following the end of her time with the Winning family, co-skippers Matt Allen AM and James Mayo made the decisive call to keep the yacht in Australian waters. Widely regarded as the fastest racing 100-footer in the world, Master Lock Comanche, is set for another run in OCQ Australian Maxi Championship and the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, before wrapping the season up with the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, aiming to reclaim the prestigious Line Honours title.
Moneypenny
Recently sold by Sean Langman, Moneypenny will compete in the OCQ Australian Maxi Championship and SOLAS Big Boat Challenge before heading to Western Australia under new owner Rob Appleyard, the 2022-23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore champion, is a seriously competitive boat with the right crew.
No Limit
David Gotze's RP62 No Limit is an all-round boat, closely resembling the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Loki. The yacht competes all year round, in major regattas. In his program are the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, OCQ Australian Maxi Championship, his program includes the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, where No Limit secured third place in the Mini Maxi Division last year. After modifications this winter, which included a new water ballast system and hydraulic winches, the team will be fighting to improve on their 2023 result.
URM Group
Anthony and David Johnston's URM Group returns as a strong contender for the OCQ Australian Maxi Championship, the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge and the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Taking both crowns on IRC during the Australian Maxi Championship last year, the team will be back to defend their titles.
Whisper
Owned by CYCA Director David Griffith, Whisper is a JV62 that he heavily campaigns in Australian waters. No stranger to the ACSBWPS and the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the crew knows Sydney Harbour unlike many others. After retiring last year in the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge due to runner-block failure, the team are poised to bring the show their worth throughout the regatta.
Wild Oats X
Wild Oats X is joining the already impressive fleet. Being the sistership to Alive, the two yachts will be closely matched. Skippered Mark Richards, joined by other familiar faces like Andy Green, Paul Westlake and Tim Wiseman, the crew is ready to stamp their mark on this year's championship. Over the winter, the yacht has undergone some modifications to its daggerboard and built out its sail wardrobe.
Wild Thing 100
Grant Wharington and Adrian Seiffert's Wild Thing 100 made its debut as a 100 footer in last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, having been delivered straight from the Gold Coast to Sydney with a few finishing touches still being added on the way. Formerly an 80-footer, she retains her old rig. The 2024 running will be her first OCQ Australian Maxi Championship as a 100 foot yacht.