Easter Colouring Competition

Get your Pencils and Crayons ready!

Middle Harbour Yacht Club's Easter Holiday Colouring Competition is in full swing.

WE HAVE 2 CATEGORIES: Tackers - Tackers 1, Tackers 2 and any MHYC children and siblings ages 10 and below. Win a Tackers pack containing: Tackers branded Carry bag, Spandex top, Cap and Drink bottle.

Fleet - Tackers 3, Opti Green, Opti Race, and Opti Open Fleet. Win your very own MHYC’s Race Fleet bib.

TO ENTER: Download colouring sheet here

Take a photo of your completed colouring sheet and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before midday on Friday 24th April 2020 for a chance to win remember to let us know what category you are entering in.

The winning entries will be posted to MHYC Junior & Youth Discover Sailing Facebook page and announced on at 4 pm on Friday 24th April.

Read more: Easter Colouring Competition

COVID-19 Update - April 23, 2020

To all our valued Members,

On behalf of the Board and Flags, I send you greetings. We hope you are coping with the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic and that you and your families are safe and well.

I’m sure you are abreast of the latest developments, however, I want to update you on our strategy at the club coming into May. Our best information is that the lockdown will continue in its current form with no defined period end, however, we are starting to see discussions and media about these current laws being gradually lifted. In this regard, we remain on our current footing and are planning for a September 5th opening of the sailing season in line with Government regulations at the time.

If constrictions ease before that time we have been discussing with Australian Sailing and the Commodores of other clubs starting up organised events in a coordinated manner and in line with Government regulations. This is unfolding daily and we will continue to monitor the situation.

The rules about using boats has been unclear and we have posted this week yet another advice from Australian Sailing and have sent this out to all members. We the Commodores have asked Australian Sailing to seek further clarification. We ask you to read the advice this week and comply.         

On a positive note, we are aiming to open the Sandbar Cafe from next Wednesday 29th April for takeaway service observing social distancing, to support those of you currently using the Marina. We are already holding virtual racing and I’m informed of the great enjoyment of all.

Australian Sailing will be holding a National Virtual Sailing Competition for all clubs so we will look to selecting a representative to that end.

As already stated we are hopeful to hold a great celebration on September 5th to open the season, we will theme it Thankyou Day, subject to social gathering rules we are hoping to invite the frontline services in our community. The Membership team are well underway with the planning. With the help of the MHYC Foundation we are initiating work on a facelift at the front of the club. It is hoped this is the beginning of a long road of rejuvenation. I commend the Foundation to you and ask all those who can, to dig deep and help the Foundation develop facilities and youth sailing. Finally, if the view continues to open up with regard to Covid-19, and with the continued support of our members, we are well placed financially to weather the storm.

We would not be here in such good shape without the diligence of the Board, Flags, our volunteers and particularly our loyal and hardworking staff ably lead by our interim GM Bruce Aitken. To you our valued members, our community is a strong one, please stay the course and be safe. If you are experiencing trouble or difficulties reach out to us and we will endeavour to help. We will continue to update you as changes come to hand.

Yours in Sailing
Peter Lewis (Commodore)

Read more: COVID-19 Update - April 23, 2020

Centreboard Race Series 2019/2020 Season

The 2019/2020 Season Centreboard Race Series has sadly come to end but what a great summer for youth sailing participation at MHYC!

We have seen some fantastic racing across three separate classes in a range of conditions! With COVID-19 putting a pause on any end of seasons awards or presentations we wanted to wrap up the season and look back at the progress that has been made.

This year saw some extreme weather resulting in two abandoned race days, along with one race day lost to COVID-19, meant we completed a total of 12 out of 21 scheduled races. All races went smoothly with thanks to the host of Parent volunteers and the Race Management of MHYC Sailing Manager David Staley. We could not have done it without the support of our volunteers, so they have our upmost gratitude! If you are interested in getting involved, please keep an eye out for information about learning the skills to become a race management volunteer.

Now let’s look back at how the season unfolded…

20th October 2019

The first round of the 2019-2020 MHYC Centreboard Club Championship was sunny and mild with a moderate and consistent south-easterly – a perfect way to start racing for the new season.

Ten Optimists, three Club 420s and a 29er were on the water for three races commencing at 2pm.  Ben Crafoord took the lead in the Division 3 Optimist fleet with a 4-1-1 scoreline, only ahead of Jakob Marks on tie-break and with Miles Greenwood in 3rd.

Thank you to the parents and coaches who assisted with race management and safety.

3rd November 2019

Centreboard Racing Round 2 - races 4, 5 & 6.

Some interesting racing conditions for the 15 strong Optis, 420’s and 29er’s which saw only one race completed before the RO Dion abandoned the remaining races. Well done to all competitors and volunteers for getting out there and competing.

17th November 2019

A moderate to fresh and shifty south-easterly provided some challenges for the Optimist and 29er fleets, the final session of MHYC Centreboard Club Championship before Christmas.  There were some fast downhill rides on the Balmoral racetrack, but there was quite a bit of swimming and bailing going on too.

Jake Barnabas claimed two wins in the 29er, with Archie Cropley taking the final race.  In the Optimists, Zara Marks was first home in race 7 and Sebastian Wegner claimed the race 8 win.  After 9 scheduled races, Jake Barnabas currently leads the 29er point score and Zara Marks is on top in the Optimists. Many thanks to Mark McLeay, Matt Marks and Michael Giffney for race management.

9th February 2020

With a gale forecast and lots of rain, the Centreboard Club Championship Racing has been abandoned.

23rd February 2020

After the races in early February were abandoned due to the severe weather, the MHYC Centreboard Club Championship series continued today. 

Three races were completed for the Optimist and 29er divisions and two for the 420s.  The breeze was a gentle North Easterly of 8 knots building to 12 knots during the afternoon. 

15th March 2020

A great day of moderate to fresh breezes for the centreboard club championship series today. Three more races completed for Optimist, 420 and 29er. Thanks to everyone who helped out.

5th April 2020

Abandoned due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Check out some of the highlights from the season

Race Series Results – click here          Overall Race Results - click here           For more information about Centreboard Racing at MHYC - click here

Read more: Centreboard Race Series 2019/2020 Season

NSW Maritime COVID-19 Update and Reminder

Dear Members,

The following message has been sent to the club from Australian Sailing, please adhere to current Public Health rules for sailing.

Good morning Club Commodores, General Managers and Sailing Manager;

Over the last couple days I have had notification from NSW Maritime and NSW police that there have been ‘groups or gatherings’ of sailors have been observed by officials around the state, some of which have been linked back to sailing clubs and are prohibited under current public health orders. One club has been issued an official warning over the weekend for a group of nine sailors taking part in ‘non-official’ racing. I have been made aware of groups of yachts on a day cruise together, as well as other groups of dinghies in gatherings on the water. With fines able to be issued up to $11,000 for individuals and $55,000 for corporations this is an areas we don’t want our sport or clubs having attention brought to ourselves.

I been asked that you remind your members that from 31 March 2020, NSW Government Public Health Orders have been updated requiring people to stay at home unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’. View or download the Public Health Order. In addition, the NSW Public Health Order directs that a person must not participate in a gathering in a public place of more than 2 persons, which includes multiple boats for instance unless they are from the same household.

As from the Maritime Covid-19 Page:

Unless you have an essential need to be out - stay home. 

A ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home to use your boat could be to:

• exercise (e.g. kayaking/sailing/paddling/fishing etc);
• get to and from work, where the work cannot reasonably be performed from home;
• get groceries; and
• provide assistance, care or support to an immediate member of the person’s family

Socialising or cruising on the water is not a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home. And to remember, social distancing and social gathering rules apply at all times – including marinas, boat ramps and on your boat.

Whilst we would all love to be on the water at the moment, the more we can comply with the above, the quicker we will see clubs and activities back in action and hope that a reminder to members will prevent clubs or their members being fined under prohibited activities in the current circumstances.

Read more: NSW Maritime COVID-19 Update and Reminder

Celebrating Thursday Twilights at Middle Harbour

After 22 of the 25 races scheduled for the 2019-2020 season, the Thursday Twilight Non-Spinnaker Pursuit Series has been cut short by Covid-19.  While we look forward to the restrictions being lifted and resuming Twilight Sailing again in October, here is an overview of a Twilight Season that provided a lot of fun over the past six months……….

Entry numbers were very strong this year, with the fleet peaking at 45 boats on January 30.

The weather was generally kind this season.  Racing in the Post-Christmas Series was abandoned on February 13 and March 5 due to strong and gusty winds, but every race was completed in the Pre-Christmas Series.

Sydney Beach Homes came on board this year as sponsor of our Twilight Theme Nights.  It was wonderful to see so many of the crews getting into the spirit of the occasion with some outstanding outfits.  Following on from a great Christmas Twilight on December 19, we had an Australia Day theme on January 23 and Valentines theme on February 13. 

Here are a few photos of the fun…

The theme nights certainly boosted the numbers enjoying a meal at the club after racing, but every Thursday Twilight provides an enjoyable social atmosphere.

SailPass was introduced in September to enable all crews to comply with the World Sailing eligibility rules and ensure all participants had personal accident insurance cover.  While there were a few teething problems with the new procedures and it took a little while for regular Twilighters to get accustomed to the online registration, most people found it was very easy to register with their smart phone or PC.  Overall, including the Charity Regattas, MHYC had almost 1,200 SailPass registrations for the season with about half being Twilight participants.

Twilight Pre-Christmas Series

Walter Carpenter’s Dovell 50 Samarkand scored two wins in the first three races of the new season, setting the pace for the Division 1 fleet.  With no other wins but consistently low scores throughout the series, Samarkand claimed the Pre-Christmas title with 38 points, just beating Tempo (Michael Smith) on 39.  Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) was third on 43 points.

Eliza, David West’s nimble Barrett 10, kept the scores low in the early part of the Division 2 series to build a buffer and finish on top with 36 points, six ahead of Equinox (Todd Trenear).  Both Equinox and Gusto (Angus Grinham) finished on equal points, but Equinox took second place on a tie-break.

Richard Royle and Gil Burton’s Jeanneau 36 St Elmo’s Flyer claimed the Division 3 Pre-Christmas title without scoring a single win.  Consistent sailing delivered 35 points at the end of 11 races, with St Elmo’s Flyer finishing ahead of Bula (David Lavings) on 38 points and Freedom (Stephen Smith) on 43.

Thiseldo, Kevin Bloor’s Adams 8, notched up four race wins in the middle of the series to finish eight points ahead of Single Malt (Peter Gilliland) on 27 at the conclusion of the Division 4 series.  Chowringhee (Harry Brigden) finished in third on 28 points.

For Twilight Pre-Christmas Results – click here

Twilight Post-Christmas Series

Division 1 was closely contested after the Christmas break, with Andrew Hurt’s Sydney 36 Onya claiming the series win by one point from Wailea (Neil Padden).  With a single win in Race 4, Wailea was on the right side of an equal points tie-break with The Gambler (Stewart McGeady) who finished third.

Garth Riley’s Sirius and Geoff Charters’ No Friends were neck and neck throughout the Division 2 races, with neither scoring a race win.  At the conclusion of the series, Sirius claimed the win on a tie-break from No Friends, with Rumba (Kerry Burke, Rob Carr & Stephanie Cook) in third just one point behind.

Wirrajurnd, the Sydney 32 of Gerry O’Connor and Murray Smith, was the clear winner in Division 3 after 11 races.  White Pointer (Keith LeCompte) finished in second place – eight points astern of Wirrajurnd and one point ahead of French Connection (Neil Simpson).

Peter Gilliland’s J/24 Single Malt included two bullets in a nett score of 18 points, two ahead of Cutting Loose (Tim Kaill) in the Division 4 post-Christmas pointscore.  Thiseldo (Kevin Bloor) finished third on 21 points.

Twilight Post-Christmas Results – click here

Twilight Overall Series

Consistency is all-important in the Annual Pointscore which combines the Pre and Post-Christmas results.  The final scores were extremely close in most divisions and only one of the divisional winners in the Pre and Post series claimed the overall title.

Division 1

• 1^st Tempo (Michael Smith) 69pts
• 2^nd Samarkand (Walter Carpenter) 71pts
• 3^rd Onya (Andrew Hurt) 71pts

Division 2

• 1^st  No Friends (Geoff Charters) 64pts
• 2^nd Gusto (Angus Grinham) 67pts
• 3^rd Sirius (Garth Riley) 69pts

Division 3

• 1^st Freedom (Stephen Smith) 66pts
• 2^nd French Connection (Neil Simpson) 67pts
• 3^rd St Elmo's Flyer (Richard Royle & Gil Burton) 73pts

Division 4

• 1^st Thiseldo (Kevin Bloor)
• 2^nd Single Malt (Peter Gilliland)
• 3^rd Cutting Loose (Tim Kaill)

Twilight Annual Results – click here

Women’s Twilight Series

Five of the six scheduled races were completed for the Women's Helm Twilight Pointscore with a variety of wind strengths.

Liz Charles steered Kayimai to the Division 1 win, finishing on 7 points ahead of Pauline Henderson at the helm of Tempo (8 points) and Onya (9 points) with Mel Godfrey at the wheel.

Tracey Richardson took three race wins on the Adams 10 No Friends to claim Division 2 with 5 points from Deborah Dalziel on Shibumi (8 points) and Samantha Gallagher helming Galan (10 points).

Nicky Bethwaite took White Pointer to a one point victory in Division 3 with three boats on equal points close behind.  The tie-break came down to the result of the last race with Gillian Ruckreigel claiming a win to secure second overall on Moonshadow V.  Amanda Hicks’ Peach-Teats Velocity held on to third place while Jackie Morgan and French Connection dropped off the podium.

There were only two boats in the Division 4 series won by Catherine Rofe on the J/24 Kaotic from Kelly Nunn-Clarke at the helm of Nashira.

Women's Helm Twilight Results – click here

MHYC’s Annual Prizegiving, originally scheduled to be held on May 16, has been postponed until the social distancing restrictions have been lifted.  Until we have the opportunity to come together and celebrate the achievements of all our sailors, congratulations to all the series winners and placegetters.

Read more: Celebrating Thursday Twilights at Middle Harbour

Celebrating MHYC’s Season of Ocean Racing

Sydney’s Ocean Racing Program for the season of 2019-2020 came to an early conclusion on March 21.  The final race of the CYCA Short Ocean Pointscore, due to be conducted by MHYC in conjunction with Race 5 of its own Ocean Series, was abandoned when NSW Government Social Distancing Regulations were introduced to counter the COVID-19 Pandemic.

MHYC Ocean Series

With four of the six scheduled races completed when the MHYC Ocean Series was declared, the results were incredibly tight in Division 1 - but there was one stand-out in Division 2.

Jack Stening and Colin Gunn’s Sydney 36 Stormaway finished the series clear on top in Division 2, with a four-point lead on IRC and 3 points on PHS.  The minor placings were identical on both handicap pointscores, with Wailea (Neil Padden) second and Rumba (Kerry Burke, Rob Carr & Stephanie Cook) third on IRC & PHS.

It was a different situation in Division 1 however, with tie-breaks deciding the winner in both the IRC & PHS pointscores.

Ian Box’s Xp44 Toy Box 2 and Bob Cox’s DK46 Nine Dragons had both claimed a single race win on IRC during the series but finished on equal points.  Two second places handed the IRC win to Toy Box 2 and Rob Aldis’ Azuree 46 Kayimai was third. 

In the PHS pointscore, it was another tie-break.  Toy Box 2 and Kayimai ended up on equal points and, while Toy Box 2 was more consistent, three race wins secured the top of the series table for Aldis and Kayimai.  Nine Dragons finished third on PHS.

For all the MHYC Ocean Series Results – click here

CYCA Short Ocean Pointscore Series

MHYC was again strongly represented in the CYCA’s SOPS.  Organised by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the Short Ocean Pointscore is effectively Sydney’s Interclub Ocean Racing series with Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Middle Harbour Yacht Club sharing the race management responsibilities equally with CYCA.

In Division 1, Ian Short’s TP52 Bush Paul Group from CYCA had notched up two race wins and a four-point buffer to claim the series, but the next three spots went to Middle Harbour boats.  Ian Box and Toy Box 2 were second on 16 points, Bob Cox’s Nine Dragons third on 21 points and Rob Aldis’ Kayimai just off the podium with 22 points.  Samarkand (Walter Carpenter) and Dreki Sunnan (Ken Holmes) finished the series seventh and ninth respectively.

Another CYCA yacht took the Division 2 win.  Sean Rahilly & Justin Pelly’s Crosshaven claimed a three-point win from last year’s winners, MHYC’s Jack Stening and Colin Gunn in Stormaway.  Bryan Moore and Shibumi finished sixth.

For all the CYCA SOPS Results – click here

Sydney Harbour Regatta Offshore Divisions

After six offshore races over two days for the Open Division during the Sydney Harbour Regatta, Bob Cox and Nine Dragons took out a commanding eight-point win in the nine-boat division.   Gordon Ketelbey’s TP52 Zen was fourth, Kayimai sixth and Wailea eighth.

In the Sydney 38 Division, David Hudson and Peter Byford’s RPAYC entry Conspiracy claimed the win by a single point from MHYC’s Peter Sorensen and Advanced Philosophy.  Mike Logan’s Thirlmere was sixth.

For all the Sydney Harbour Regatta Results – click here

RPAYC Pittwater Regatta

Hosted by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in February each year, the Premier & Performance Series regularly attracts a number of MHYC boats to the Pittwater Regatta.  In the IRC competition, it was RPAYC’s Gerry Hatton and Bushranger who won the series from Bob Cox’s Nine Dragons.  Neil Padden and Wailea were fourth.  It was a different story on PHS handicap though, with Wailea first and Nine Dragons second.

For all the Pittwater Regatta Offshore Results – click here

75th Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Middle Harbour Yacht Club again provided one of the start lines on Boxing Day for the commencement of this iconic race while there were a large number of club members competing across a number of boats from MHYC and other clubs.  

Carl Crafoord and co-owner Tim Horkings excelled with Sail Exchange this year, placing 2nd in IRC Division 5 and taking the win in ORCI Division 3.  Other notable achievements included:

• Dreki Sunnan (Ken Holmes) 9th IRC Division 4 & 9th IRC Corinthian
• Flying Fish Arctos (George Martin) 5th PHS Division 2
• Galaxy III (Chris Canty) 6th PHS Division 2
• Highly Sprung (Mark Spring) 8th IRC Division 4 and 9th ORCi Division 3
• Maverick 49 (Quentin Stewart & Shaun Lane) 3rd IRC Division 2 & 10th ORCi Division 1
• TSA Management (Tony Levett) 11th IRC Division 5, 6th ORCi Division 4 & 4th Sydney 38
• Zen TP52 (Gordon Ketelbey) 6th IRC Division 1

For all the RSHYR results – click here

Sydney Short Ocean Championships

The SSORC in November is the first offshore regatta of the season each year and attracts entries from Sydney Harbour and Pittwater clubs.  A long passage race on the Saturday is followed by three windward-leeward offshore races on the Sunday.

In Division 1 IRC, Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger from RPAYC built a three-point lead from MHYC’s Nine Dragons (Bob Cox) to claim the win.  Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) was fourth, and Kayimai (Rob Aldis) fifth.  Another RPAYC yacht took the Division 2 IRC win this year. Kieran Mulcahy’s Soozal finished on top of the table ahead of Jack Stening and Colin Gunn’s Stormaway.  MHYC boats filled positions 4-8.

For all the SSORC Results – click here

While our season of ocean racing has been shortened somewhat due to COVID-19, all the major regattas were completed, MHYC again showed its commitment to this area of the sport and club members demonstrated their competitive abilities.

Fingers are now crossed that the Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island Regattas up north can proceed ahead of the 2020-2021 season getting underway in September.

Read more: Celebrating MHYC’s Season of Ocean Racing

COVID-19 restrictions for the boating sector

Attention all MHYC Boat Owners

Transport NSW have been working with key stakeholders to understand how                                                                                            the updated Government COVID-19 restrictions apply to the boating sector.

From 31 March 2020 NSW Government Public health directions have been updated requiring people to stay at home unless they have a ‘reasonable excuse’. However, as there is on land, there are exceptions that apply on water. If you go out social distancing rules always apply – at the boat ramp and on your boat.

You should only be on your boat alone, or with no more than one other person; or with family who ordinarily live in the same household as you.

A ‘reasonable excuse’ to use your boat could be to:

• exercise (e.g. kayaking/sailing/paddling etc);
• fish;
• get to and from work, where the work cannot reasonably be performed from home;
• get groceries; and
• provide assistance, care or support to an immediate member of the person’s family.

Unless you have an essential need to be out - stay ashore.

If you do need to go out, stick to your local waters, and do not gather with more than 2 people unless with members of the same household.

It is important to remember that the self-isolation rules apply at all times.

Packing up your boat for a road trip and a half day fishing expedition is also not in the spirit of the restrictions.

Skippers are always responsible, generally this is applied to safety equipment, keeping proper look out and proceeding at a safe speed.

For the latest information on coronavirus and current restrictions, members of the community are encouraged to check the NSW Government website (http://nsw.gov.au) for regular updates.

To view the official announcement - click here

Transport NSW Maritime Website - click here

Read more: COVID-19 restrictions for the boating sector

Rocky 2 dominating the MHYC e-Sailing

MHYC's Centreboard Club Champion in the Optimist, Will Wilkinson, has completed a clean sweep of MHYC’s initial three e-Sailing Series after his three point win in the Saturday Spinnaker races today followed wins in the Wednesday Spinnaker and Thursday Non-Spinnaker series.

Today’s racing was in the J70 Day Racer class, with nine competitors lining up for a practice race and four windward-leeward races in varying wind strengths at four venues.

Wilkinson claimed two race wins with Rocky 2 to finish ahead of Dane Kearney DK123456, two points ahead of Michael Malseed and Rum Run.  Adam Mowser’s Ads was relegated to fourth place in a tie-break.

The club is now seeking expressions of interest to participate in an ongoing weekly series at our regular race times.  Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to take part.

For today’s results and more information about e-Sailing at MHYC, go to https://mhyc.com.au/sailing/e-sailing

Read more: Rocky 2 dominating the MHYC e-Sailing

MHYC Race Series

To all MHYC Members, Yacht Owners and Crew

Because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 Virus, the Sailing Committee have reviewed the sailing calendar and the unlikely early resumption of competitive club sanctioned racing.

Current Series 

All current series (Ocean, Inshore, Sprints, Saturday Social, Wednesday Pursuit Series 3 and Thursday Twilight) are declared completed as of the last race conducted and the standings at that time are the results for the 2019-2020 series.  The series scores are as published and the winners will be celebrated, however the Annual Prizegiving will be postponed for several months at least.

Winter Series

Neither the Wednesday Series 4, Winter Sprints nor Winter Pursuit Series will commence as planned.  The Leading Edge Series in August may be abandoned or rescheduled.  Feature Events will not be conducted until further notice.

Watching Brief

Given the current forecasts that the impact of the Virus will peak in the next 60 - 75 days and then tail off, there might be an opportunity to resume club sanctioned sailing activities in July or August. To that end, we may attempt a short Winter Series in that timeframe if conditions allow.  At this stage we are planning to commence the Club’s 2020-2021 Season on Saturday 5^th September, as usual.

Social Sailing 

While the club cannot conduct any sailing events in these high-risk times, individuals may choose to sail recreationally.  Whilst not recommended, it is essential that anyone choosing to sail makes their own risk assessments, takes adequate safety precautions and adheres to social distancing protocols.

Sailing Office

For the time being, the Sailing Office will only be staffed on Tuesdays and Fridays, with David (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Catherine (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) mainly working from home.  Please use email as the preferred method of contact.

We wish everybody well during this crisis and look forward to resuming the MHYC Sailing Program at the earliest safe opportunity.

Geoff Charters

Vice-Commodore Racing

Read more: MHYC Race Series