Tricky First Day for MC38 Act 6 at MHYC

It was day with everything - light to fresh breezes shifting unpredictably to the north and west with sunshine and rain.  Plenty of challenges for competitors and the race management team on day one of the MC38 Act 6 being sailed on The Sound on September 17.

After four races, Shaun Lane & Quentin Stewart's Lazy Dog has a tie-break advantage over Steven Proud's Swish courtesy of two race wins.  Christian Beck's Infotrack Go is third.  

Three races are scheduled for Sunday to conclude the last of the MC38 Acts ahead of the Australian Championships being hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in November.

To view the results - click here 

Photos by Marg Fraser-Martin

Read more: Tricky First Day for MC38 Act 6 at MHYC

Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series underway

Race 1 of the Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series was run by MHYC on Sunday 25 September on a beautiful sunny afternoon with a light southerly turning easterly as the day progressed. Congratulations to Jenny Danks and the crew of Bluetack for their Division 1 win. Georgia Express (Katie O’Mara) was third in Division 1. For the full results – click here

Thanks to Marg Fraser-Martin for some great action photos….

Read more: Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series underway

Focus on Women's Sailing in October

MHYC is creating a focus for women in sailing during October as part of the World Sailing global Steering the Course Women's Sailing Festival.

MHYC Women in Sailing Social - Wednesday October 5 at 7pm

Join us to celebrate MHYC women in sailing. This event is open to everyone and will be a great way to kick-off the sailing season with a social event recognising some of the great sailors we have an MHYC.  Hear from Tracey Richardson and the female crew of Artemis who were this year's Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta (AWKR) champions as well as the 2021-22 Sydney Harbour Women's Keelboat regatta winners. They will share their stories and practical tips that have helped them put together a fun and competitive team.  The ticket price includes a drink on arrival and canapes.  Please join us for a fun and social night!  Book Now

MHYC Women's Try Sailing Day - Sunday October 9 at 10am

Come and try sailing at MHYC.  Commencing at 10am, this event is open to everyone and free!  The day will include a welcome and briefing, a relaxed 90-minute harbour sail on a MHYC members' keelboat and a sausage sizzle back at the club. Please join us for a fun and social day and find out how you can enjoy this wonderful sport and recreation.  Book Now

MHYC Women's Twilight Series - Thursday October 13 at 6pm

The club’s popular Thursday Twilight Series includes twenty four races this year, six of which make up the Women’s Twilight Pointscore. Four divisions of yachts, from family cruisers to purebred racing machines, share the joy of racing on our spectacular harbour.  Perhaps the best part of the day is returning to the lively social atmosphere of MHYC as the sun goes down to enjoy a meal, wine and good friends.  The first of the 2022-2023 Women’s Twilight Races get underway at 6pm on October 13.  To enter a yacht – click here.  If you are a crew looking for a yacht – email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

To download the 2022-2023 MHYC Women's Sailing Poster - click here

Read more: Focus on Women's Sailing in October

Entry opens for Nautilus Marine Insurance 2022 Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship

Entry for the Nautilus Marine Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC) is open and, along with the Notice of Race, can be found online at the official site, with some competitors already preparing to rekindle old rivalries when Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s (MHYC) 45^th running of the annual event is held on 26 and 27 November.

Bob Cox from the host club brought home the bacon in Division 1 last year with his DK46, Nine Dragons. However, Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger, which took second place on countback from the Mark Griffith skippered DK46, LCE Old School Racing, finished just one point in arears.

This year, Cox will be working on the backfoot. “I have some new people on board, so we’re pretty much rebuilding the crew. We’re doing some fun Wednesday racing to train them up and we’ll do some offshore races. We are preparing though,” he states.

“We’re looking forward to racing against the two other DK46’s, Khaleesi and LCE Old School Racing. Also Bushranger and the dark horse Mercury; it’s a quick Farr 40. And we always expect good racing from Toy Box 2,” Cox ended.

Nine Dragons will be up against it. Khaleesi has performed well since being acquired by Sandy Farquharson and MHYC Commodore, Rob Aldis. They won Division 1 of MHYC’s 2021 Sydney Harbour Regatta and the CYCA’s SOPS. Aldis also headed north with Kayimai in August, so will come to the event in decent shape.

LCE Old School is no slouch. In 2021, she placed third on countback in the 2021 SSORC, finished 15^th overall in the Rolex Sydney Hobart and third overall in April’s Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race to win Division 2.

A big danger is Bushranger, Hatton, from Pittwater, honed his skills at the Australian Yachting Championships in August. His Mat 1245 came away third against a classy field that included Olympic gold medallist Malcolm Page and America’s Cup winner, Joey Newton.

Mercury, owned by Mark Tinworth and Mark Waterhouse is the former Estate Master, which was adapted for IRC racing in 2018. She won the IRC National Championship in 2020 and placed third in the RPAYC’s Pittwater Regatta in February.

Owned by a past MHYC Commodore, Ian Box, Toy Box 2 scored a top three race finish at the Australian Yachting Championships, racing alongside Bushranger. Box and his playfully named boat are regulars on the inshore and offshore scene.

Jack Stening and Colin Gunn’s Sydney 36, Stormaway from the host club, does a lot of racing in Sydney. “It’s a tough division,” admits Stenning, whose boat has ended up second in Division 2 since 2016. “We’re always the bridesmaid – our goal is to win it this time,” he says emphatically.

“We always have serious competition from Foreign Affair in different events. Last year they won the SSORC - we were second - again. Sometimes they beat us, sometimes we beat them. We like the SSORC because you get a mix of offshore and sprints. Offshore starts add to the challenge and we love how fair and how close the racing is.

“We’re looking forward to it because we have a good crew and that makes a huge difference.

The races are run well too. We get clear and concise instructions. Denis Thompson (the PRO) is very good.

Stormaway’s crew will need to be at their best, with Matt Wilkinson confirming he and wife Lisa will be on the start line with Foreign Affair, their Farr 30.

“We’re intending to race. I’ve being doing the SSORC for many years on different boats. It’s a good event and we all come out of hibernation for the first big regatta for summer,” he declared.

“All the crew love it and we hope to do well. It’s always really well organised – David (Staley, MHYC Sailing Manager) does a great job. And the courses are always well run.”

As to competition, Wilkinson says, “We love racing against Stormaway. Jack and Colin are good sailors and mates. We assume Wailea and Philosopher to compete too. They are always good.”

Wailea is Neil Padden’s Beneteau 40.7 which finished fourth last year, while Philosopher is Peter Sorensen’s Sydney 38. ‘Sorro’ is rarely off the podium in the variety of events he does.

Organisers plan a passage race to Lion Island (in a northerly) or Cape Baily (in a southerly) starting from 9.55 hours on the Saturday. The race will be included in the CYCA Ocean Pointscore (OPS). Three windward/leeward races will round out the weekend on Sunday.

There is also an option to run another passage race for the TP52s or move the whole course inshore should the weather dictate. Denis Thompson has again been appointed PRO, with the  CYCA providing race management.

Middle Harbour Yacht Club is pleased to announce that from September 2022, Nautilus Marine Insurance is a major sponsor of the Club, its main event partner for the Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship and for the Sydney Harbour Regatta in March 2023. Nautilus Marine Insurance continues direct support of the sailing community with the announcement of this sponsorship.

For those whose preference is inshore racing, the Seven Islands Race takes the fleet on a Sydney Harbour course and is run in tandem with the SSORC. It stretches competitors, but also offers a scenic route. With a pursuit-style start from the Club, the race sends competitors around famous Sydney Harbour islands. First home to the MHYC finish line wins the race.

All information, including Notice of Race and entry: www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au 

Di Pearson/MHYC media

Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiddleHarbourYachtClub

Read more: Entry opens for Nautilus Marine Insurance 2022 Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship

Pacific Rigging Wednesday Racing

Racing in the Pacific Rigging Wednesday Non-Spinnaker Series 1 is underway with Race 2 held today (September 14) in a 10 knot easterly under sunny skies.

Gunther Schmidtlindner's Austmark was the first Division 1 boat home ahead of Little Nico (Adrian Walters) and Bluetack (Brent Lawson).  In Division 2, it was Todd Trenear's Equinox from Onya (Charles Caskey) and Stormaway (Jack Stening & Colin Gunn).

To view the latest results - click here

Read more: Pacific Rigging Wednesday Racing

GO GO Beck out-sails family while Lazy Dog edges out Swish

A third place to Christian Beck and his Infotrack GO team is as good as the MC38’s Act 6 overall victory given he beat two family members, the grinning skipper reckons.

“I’m very happy with that result,” Beck said back at the host Middle Harbour Yacht Club. “Not only did we come third, we also beat my son Indy helming Infotrack and my wife Rachel helming Law Connect. I don’t really care about beating any else!

“It’s the first time I’ve steered the whole series. Conditions were awesome, a bit fluky but that was challenging and fun. A special mention to Tony Mutter on tactics and Alex Gough for his input over a great weekend,” Beck added.

Yet another countback decided the final weekend series winner for the class’ 2022 season. This time it was retiring Australian class president Shaun Lane and his Lazy Dog co-owner, Quentin Stewart. Lazy Dog and Steven Proud’s Swish duelled relentlessly – the pair wrapping up Saturday and Sunday’s pointscores tied at the top of the scoresheet. Lazy Dog’s three race wins from seven versus Swish’s two made the difference.

“We had a real ding-dong with Swish, and Christian is sailing pretty tight,” Lane said. “The top three boats all had one shocker on Sunday. We were lucky to finish where we did given our fifth in the final race when the drop line got tangled and we couldn’t get the kite out, and had to cut the line.

“Both days were very fluky with the wind all over the place. Westerly fronts came through on Saturday bringing some decent squirts, one crew reckon they saw 27 knots. On Sunday the breeze was swinging between southwest and north northwest, down to 3 knots then suddenly gusting to 18,” Lane added.

Full results               

MHYC race officer Steve Tucker and his savvy team ran another terrific regatta, the one-design class’ final act prior to the MC38 Australian Championship in November. There is talk that the nationals, to be hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron over three days, November 2- 4, could bring 10 MCs to the starting gates.

The class thanks Shaun Lane for his four-year presidency and welcomes Christian Beck as the new supreme commander.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MC38Class
Insta: @mc38aus
Website: https://mc38racing.com/ 

By Lisa Ratcliff
Australian MC38 Association media

Read more: GO GO Beck out-sails family while Lazy Dog edges out Swish

MHYC Members in Magnetic Island

Townsville Yacht Club hosted the Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week from 1-7 September with some spectacular racing in breezy conditions. 

Commodore Rob Aldis and Peter Sorensen OAM enjoyed the week's racing with notable results. Other MHYC boats also competing was Craig Douglas on Popeye,

Chris Lee with Farr n Away and Rob Reynolds on a Far East 28 .

Spinnaker Class IRC Division 1: 2^nd Popeye Craig Douglas
Spinnaker Class IRC Division 1: 3rd Advanced Philosophy Peter Sorensen

Spinnaker Class EHC Division 1: 3^rd Kayimai Rob Aldis

Spinnaker Class EHC Division 3: 3^rd Fareast 28 Rob Reynolds

Non Spinnaker Class   : Farr n Away Chris Lee

See the full results

For the latest stories and pictures check out their facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/MIRW2022/

photos curtesy Andrea Francolini

Read more: MHYC Members in Magnetic Island

MHYC Racing on September 17

MHYC crews had their work cut out with variable conditions providing lots of challenges on September 17.  Gusty winds, sometimes light and sometimes fresh, shifted between west and north.  Sunshine was interspersed with rain.  

The boats in the Inshore Spring Pointscore for IRC, ORC, PHS and Adams 10 shared a start line with the MC38 fleet contesting their Act 6 and sailed a course circling The Sound and finishing at the club.  Neil Padden's Wailea took the IRC, ORC & PHS honours in Division 12 (combined divisions 1 & 2) while John Crawford's Innamincka won on ORC and Dean Dransfield's Escape claimed PHS in Division 3.  Kim Darling's Lumine Lunae was best of the Adams 10s.

A number of MHYC crew competed in the CYCA Short Offshore Pointscore race yesterday and dealth with similar conditions to the inshore fleets.  Sandy Farquharson helmed Khaleesi to an IRC win in Division 1 and Jack Stening & Colin Gunn reclaimed the Rubber Kellaway Plate for Division 2 on IRC in Stormaway.  Andy Forbes' Georgia Express was third.

To view the Inshore Divisional Race Results - click here

To view the Inshore Division 12 Race Results - click here

To view the Short Offshore Pointscore Race Results - click here

Inshore Race photos by Marg Fraser-Martin

Read more: MHYC Racing on September 17

Breezy Open Day for the MHYC Sail Past

Middle Harbour Yacht Club kicked off its 2022-2023 season on Saturday with a champagne breakfast followed by speeches from CEO Mark Maybury, Local Member of  NSW Parliament Felicity Wilson and Club Captain Bryan Moore, who awarded Jack Stening his 50^th anniversary badge.  Jack is a dedicated member, volunteering much of his time supporting the marina committee and raising money for many projects around the club including the new race committee boat, Jack Stening, names in his honour. His Sydney 36, Stormaway is often on the podium in the many series they compete in. Ms Wilson and the Mark both spoke of the importance of volunteers to the club and community.

The official party then moved to the marina to acknowledge club yachts and powerboats participating in the annual Sail Past.  Unfortunately, the freshening breeze meant that the Commodore's Front Up Cup pursuit race was abandoned, but a great social afternoon was had at the club with many crews dressed up in this year’s Black and White theme. Stormaway was the popular winner of the inaugural Matt Pyne trophy for the best dressed boat.

Many thanks to Marg Fraser-Martin for the many photos, more of which can be viewed here.

Read more: Breezy Open Day for the MHYC Sail Past