Vale Phil Clinton

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Phil Clinton, a long standing and valued senior member of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club community. Phil's deep commitment to sailing and his extensive contributions to the club for more than five decades have left an enduring legacy.

Phil Clinton's association with MHYC began almost 60 years ago, and throughout this time, he has held numerous roles that have significantly shaped the club's culture and its operations. From 2010 to 2015, Phil served as the Vice Commodore of Racing. During his tenure, he chaired the Sailing Committee and was instrumental in implementing several key initiatives from the Sailing Strategy Plan. These initiatives included the "Meet and Greet" nights, which simplified connections between skippers needing crew and members eager to sail, and the MHYC Mentoring Program, which brought experienced sailors on board to help crews and skippers enhance their skills.

Phil's involvement with MHYC extended beyond his term as Vice Commodore. He was an important member of the Race Management Team, frequently seen on the water as part of the starters and volunteer teams. His roles as a Club Judge, Safety Auditor, and PHS Handicapper demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that races were conducted safely and fairly. For over a decade, Phil also served as the Crew Board Manager during Thursday Night Twilight Sailing, where he helped new crew members find boats and boat owners find crew.

Phil's passion for sailing was deeply rooted in his family's maritime heritage. His grandfather was a ship's captain, and his father, Andrew Clinton, was a distinguished sailor and former Vice Commodore of MHYC. Phil's own sailing career included participating in six Sydney Hobart Yacht Races and numerous offshore races. Among his many club racing achievements, he particularly cherished the memory of finishing 10^th from 119 starters in the 1982 Sydney Hobart Race on the famed 50-footer Casablanca.

After retiring from offshore racing, Phil continued to sail competitively with various crews, including on the Farr 30 2Excess and the Kernan 44 Swish. He later sailed with Bob Cox on 9 Dragons, enjoying the camaraderie and competitive spirit of yacht racing.

Phil's contributions to MHYC were not limited to his sailing expertise. After completing his term as Vice Commodore, he joined the Board of MHYC, where he represented the Board at Sailing Committees and supported volunteers and senior members. His efforts to adopt a welcoming and supportive environment at the club were deeply appreciated by all who knew him.

Phil Clinton was more than just a dedicated sailor; he was a cornerstone of the MHYC community. His kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the club's values have left an indelible mark. The friendships he forged and the initiatives he championed will continue to benefit MHYC for years to come. In Julie Hodder’s own words “I will miss him a lot. He was true gentleman”. Words that will be echoed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Phil and his family have been integral members of MHYC for many years. We extend our deepest condolences to them during this difficult time.

Phil's dedication will forever be remembered at MHYC. Fair winds Phil you have been an inspiration.

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Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series concluded

The Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series concluded on July 27 in a virtual glass out.  Two races were completed before the Race Committee had to call a halt to racing with not a breath of breeze.

Congratulations to Winter Series winners Contentious (Brian Lees) for Division 2 and Innamincka (John Crawford) in Division 3 on ORC.  Artemis (Tracy Richardson) claimed the Division 2 PHS win.

To view the race and series results - click here

Photos by Paula Beaumont

Read more: Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series concluded

Opportunity for Australian Sailors - 16th China Cup International Regatta

The 16th China Cup International Regatta is held in the first week of November and is open to all international sailors. It is professionally run and is essentially the equivalent of HIRW in Asia. The event has been attended by many famous figures in the Australian sailing community.

Held in Daya Bay, which is very easy to get to, about 60 km northeast of Hong Kong. The conditions and scenery are very similar to Whitsundays sailing. It is a spectacular venue with several developed marinas and accommodation options in close proximity, ranging from twin-share Airbnb to six-star luxury resorts.

Registration fees are as low as USD $422 per boat and $85 per person for early bird entries before mid-August. Divisions will include IRC and PHS, Beneteau 40.7, TP52, Far East 28R, J/80, and Bavaria Cruiser 37.

China has recently announced visa-free entry for Australian tourists for up to 15 days. English-speaking university student volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors. There has never been a better opportunity to experience the famous hospitality of mainland China and meet other sailing enthusiasts from the region.
 

View the utube video of last years event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8mAhjGzDEc

For more information and assistance contact:

Paul Bradley
m:  (+61) 0420924728
e:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read more: Opportunity for Australian Sailors - 16th China Cup International Regatta

MHYC Women’s Regatta Rescheduled

Middle Harbour Yacht Club has announced the postponement of the MHYC Women’s Regatta which was scheduled for August 3 this year.

The club was looking forward to introducing a new format in 2024 since re-establishing its fleet of Melges 20 training boats.

“Our aim was to change to a series of short races with a round robin and final series in lightweight sportsboats,” said Sailing Committee Member Katie O’Mara.

“Provided one-design equipment will enable a more diverse group of women to participate and the short course racing format will be more exciting and engaging.”

“Unfortunately, we could not complete the refurbishment of the boats in time for this season but are excited to have locked in two regatta dates for 2024-2025.”

“The MHYC Women’s Melges 20 Regatta will be held on Sunday the 3^rd of November and the MHYC Womens Regatta for mixed keelboats and one-design classes is scheduled for Saturday the 10^th of May,” said O’Mara.

MHYC has an active group of women sailors who participate in every aspect of the sport and club life. The club’s program includes a Women’s Twilight Helm Series and MHYC members have performed well in the Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series.

To keep up to date with the MHYC Women’s Regattas, visit https://mhyc.com.au/sailing/regattas-championships/mhyc-womens-regatta

Subscribe to MHYC’s Women’s Newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/4f284c83fd5a/mhyc-womens-sailing-mc

If you would like to know more about how to get involved in sailing at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, contact Catherine, KJ or David in the Sailing Office via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone direct 02 8969 3103.

Read more: MHYC Women’s Regatta Rescheduled

Combined Clubs Prizegiving

The 2023-2024 Sydney Harbour Combined Clubs Series attracted 59 boats for the seven races and MHYC boats dominant performances were rewarded at the prizegiving hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron last Friday 14 June. 

Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) was first in Division 1 on ORC and IRC and second on PHS.  Wailea (Neil Padden) finished on top of Division 2 on ORC and PHS, while Stormaway (Jack Stening & Colin Gunn) took the series win on IRC.  Innamincka (John Crawford) and Waterborne Again (Marc Tromp) finished first and second respectively on both the ORC and PHS series scores. Not only was Marg Fraser-Martin on the water for most of the racing but was at RSYS to capture the prizegiving moments too.  Thankyou Marg!

To view the Combined Clubs Inshore Series Results – click here

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Sailability Middle Harbour - Volunteers Wanted

Hello all MHYC members.  Sailability Middle Harbour is on a recruitment drive for more volunteers. 

We had a fabulous sail two Sundays ago and a pod of dolphins added to the fun!

We are sailing on the second and last Sundays of each month.  If you are interested to see what we do please call by anytime between 9 and 11.30.   If after observing how we operate you think this activity is for you we’d be delighted to welcome you as part of our volunteer team!  Below is further information about Sailability Middle Harbour.

Who are we?  
Sailability Middle Harbour (SMH) is one of the 25 NSW programs of Sailability NSW. As such, we aim to fulfill Sailability NSW’s mission which is to “facilitate participation in sailing and boat usage at social, recreational and competitive levels for people with disabilities regardless of age and level of disability.”  Our SMH sailors have physical and/or intellectual disabilities and the age range is 8 to 65 years old.  

We have teenagers and adults of all ages volunteering. Some of our volunteers are skippers.  Other volunteers operate the safety boat or distribute and clean life jackets and slings or crane those that need it into the boats.   Many volunteers do a bit of everything and of course there is always time for a coffee! 

What do we do?
We take the sailors out on Hansa 303 boats which are two-person dinghies and steered with a joystick. The ballasted centreboard provides stability and reefable sails makes sailing very safe in most conditions. 

When do we sail? 
We sail every second Sunday of the month and every last Sunday of the month.  We begin rigging the boats at 8.00 am for a 9.00 am start and finish about 12.30.  Some volunteers stay for the whole time and others donate just a couple of hours.  We are a very flexible and friendly group and you do not need to commit to every sail. We all just turn up when we can.  You can choose to be part of the deck crew or skipper or do a bit of both.  

Interested?  
You can contact Sally O’Neill on 0411 886 539 or just turn up on a Sunday and have a look at what we do.  You will find us on the hard stand at MHYC.  

More information about Middle Harbour Sailability can be found on our website.

Read more: Sailability Middle Harbour - Volunteers Wanted

Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series Underway

The Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series kicked off on Saturday with competitors battling the light and shifty breezes. Race were progressively shortened as the wind evaporated – four legs for race one, three legs for race two and just up and back for the final race. Across the three races, Wailea (Neil Padden) and Innamincka (John Crawford) claimed the ORC and PHS overall win in their respective divisions 2 & 3. Artemis (Tracy Richardson) was the best Adams 10 on One-Design, while Contentious (Brian Lees) claimed the PHS win. Thanks to Marg Fraser-Martin for the photos. Results are at https://app.sailsys.com.au/.../208/results/series/2541/races

Read more: Sydney Harbour Sprints Winter Series Underway

MHYC Senior Member's Luncheon

It was another great day for the Senior’s Lucheon where members who have been with us for more than 20 years get together once again. The club was just buzzing.

50+ years Members                                                                                                20+ year Members

This year our guest speaker was Patrick Delaney, the Foxtel Group CEO as well as a Board member at MHYC. He is also not a bad sailor having won a National Adam’s 10 championship in 2016 and the Club Adam’s 20 championship 3 times with his beloved Powderhulk. He currently sails with boat partner Brent Lawson on their Farr40- BLUETACK.

Patrick talked about his involvement in turning around Foxtel and compared it with the recent transformation of our club.

As usual we presented badges to members who had crossed over each of the membership milestones.

Looking forward to an even bigger year next year. I managed to capture a few new members for the organising committee and we are even looking at changing the name of this exclusive group!

Story and Photos by Julie Hodder

Photo: 50 Year Plus members

Mike McEvoy, Gary Gietz, Frank Banks, Michael Green, Glen Attersall, Paul Wotherspoon, Richard Hurley, Keith Le Compte (50 years this year), John Needham, Peter Sorensen and Lloyd Bennett.  

                                                                            The Last Members                                                            

Read more: MHYC Senior Member's Luncheon

Sydney Harbour Sprints Finale

The final round of the Sydney Harbour Sprints Spring Series was sailed on The Sound on Saturday, with the Super 30 fleet from Sydney Amateur Sailing Club joining in to boost Division 2. A light to moderate south-easterly persisted throughout the afternoon, enabling the full daily program of three races and the series of none races to be completed. While Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) and Innamincka (John Crawford) made a clean sweep in Divisions 1 and 3, Small Gains (Don Colantonio), Very Tasty (Al Chase) and Mr Mojo (George Kompolthy) each took a Division 2 race win.

At the conclusion of the nine race Spring Series, Toy Box 2 claimed the Division 1 win from Bluetack (Brent Lawson) and Nine Dragons (Bob Cox). In Division 2, Neil Padden’s Wailea finished ahead of Sirius (Garth Riley) and Artemis (Tracy Richardson). Brett Churcher’s Plan B snatched a single point victory in Division 3 from Innamincka (John Crawford) with Waterborne Again (Oloff Tromp) third. View the race and series results - click here

Read more: Sydney Harbour Sprints Finale