Forecast WSW breeze arrives on time
42 South uses her two rudders to advantage and under perfect ontrol downwind. Filepro to leeward.
Bellerive Yacht Club race officer Grant Sutton again showed ‘nerves of steel’ in setting today’s course for day two of the BYC/Hobart Jaguar Land Rover Winter Series on the River Derwent.
Sutton disregarded the light northerly katabatic breeze and positioned the course for the predicted west-south-westerly breeze, with the windward mark off Nutgrove Beach.
A few minutes before the start of Division 1, the breeze dutifully filled in from the WSW, gradually increasing to around 12-15 knots before slowing fading away towards the finish.
“Division 2 is enjoying extremely competitive racing in this Winter Series, with the starts hard fought,” BYC sailing manager Peter Watson commented after today’s race. “Saga and Rousabout where both over the line prematurely.”
Watson said that although it was a relatively light wind race, some boats still managed “to have their moments of drama…particularly with crews pushing their yachts to the limit running downwind under big spinnakers.”
Hard-fought start for Division 2, with Rousabout and Saga over the line early.
Division 1 saw an outright win for Mike and Michelle Denney’s Wild West, taking corrected time honours from Ian Stewart’s Tas Paints and Black Magic, skippered by BYC Commodore Graham Mansfield.
Less than a minute separated the first three boat on handicap in Division 2 with Mark Ballard’s 42 South scoring an outright victory. 42 South’s twin rudders were used to advantage, giving her perfect control downwind.
Wildfire (Ian Ettershank) placed second, Footloose (Stewart Geeves) third.
Black Magic on a close reach under her famous rainbow rocket spinnaker.
Hydrotherapy (Jim Thorpe) again took fastest time in Division 3 but placed fourth on corrected time, with Moonshadow (Anthony Ellis) taking handicap honours from Off-Piste (Paul Einoder) by just 13 seconds. Third went to Southern Cross (Wayne Pitt).
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Watson
24 June 2018
Chilly start to BYC Winter Series
Hobart’s winter yacht racing started today, in classic end-of-autumn/early winter weather – fog on the hills around the city, a wind chill factor of close to zero or below, and a shifty northerly breezes on the River Derwent.
Well rugged up for the weather, the hardy crews of 24 boats took to the river for a morning of close racing in Bellerive Yacht’s Club’s first race for its Hobart Jaguar Land Rover Winter Series.
“Derwent River at the beginning of winter…racing in 6 - 17 knots with 4 to 11 degrees.... eeek!” commented Michelle Denney, co-owner of Wild West with husband Michael.
BYC was first away with winter racing, the Derwent Sailing Squadron and the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania running their winter pennants in consecutive Sunday mornings.
“The ‘Bridgewater Jerry’ was in full flight with the wind chill temperature close to zero degrees of below and the shifty northerly breeze of 8-15 knots made the upwind and downwind tactics critical,” reported BYC sailing manager Peter Watson.
“The ever-present down river current made the centre of the river problematic for setting a good course. Race officer Grant Sutton made the correct call in shortening Divisions 2 and 3 as not to exceed the 12 noon race time limit.
“We had an excellent fleet of 24 boats from all three main clubs.”
Wild West from the Derwent Sailing Squadron and TasPaints, skippered by retiring BYC vice-commodore Ian Stewart, had a close duel for line honours in Division 1, with the Mumm 36 finally overtaking Wild West to get the gun by 21 seconds.
TasPaints also took first place on corrected time from B&G Advantage (Jeff Cordell) and Commodore Graham Mansfield’s Black Magic. Wild West, top rating boat in the fleet, placed fifth.
In Division 2, Richie Upton’s Twist took fastest time, but was relegated to fourth in handicap results by Rousabout (Derek Inglis), Saga (Chris Sheehan) and Trouble (Mark Millhouse).
In Division 3, Paul Johnstone’s Skeme finished seventh in fleet but first on handicap, winning from Paul Einoder’s Off-Piste and Jim Thorpe’s Hydrotherapy which took fastest time in an impressive showing.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Watson
27 May 2018
BYC winners at Combined Clubs Prize Night
Bellerive Yacht Club Vice Commodore Ian Stewart headed a line-up of members who collected trophies at Saturday evening’s Tasmania Combined Clubs Prize Night Dinner held at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.
Stewart sailed his Mumm 36 TasPaints to victory in its division of the Combined Clubs summer pennant series for 2017-2018.
He also collected trophies on behalf of fellow Mumm 36 owner Jeff Cordell who won two divisions with B&G Advantage as well as runner-up in another.
Other BYC members who were overall prize winners as division placegetters were Mark Ballard (42 South), Frank Chatterton (Kamehameha), Chris Sheehan (Saga), the Syndicate-owned Titch, and Tim Gadsby (Filepro).
Commodores Steve Chau (DSS), Graham Mansfield (BYC) and Tracy Matthews (RYCT) each presented the trophies to the prize-winners.
Speaking on behalf of all competitors, veteran RYCT yachtsman Don Calvert gave a ringing endorsement of the format for Combined Clubs racing last summer.
More than 70 skippers, their crews and family members attended the prizegiving dinner with RYCT Commodore Tracy Matthews.
“Fantastic long day races out into Storm Bay (for Division 1) and great afternoon river races,” Calvert said. “I trust the Interclub committee will come up with a similar format for next summer.”
Words & photos: Peter Campbell
6 April 2018
Short-Handed Sailing in Autumn Airs
Come autumn and many keen Hobart yacht owners don’t have the problem of finding full crews to help them race on the Derwent.
It’s now all about two-handed racing with just two sailors on board (in some divisions three) as against summer racing crews of between three and ten crew, depending on the size of the boat.
The Combined Clubs Two-Handed Long Race Series ended on Sunday, unfortunately restricted to two races because of bad weather on the first scheduled sailing day.
The series attracted 17 entrants, and although only nine boats contested Sunday’s race they nevertheless provided a colourful spinnaker start in a light northerly off Bellerive Yacht Club’s Victoria Esplanade starting box.
Both divisions went down the eastern shore to a mark off Tranmere, returning to finish off Victoria Esplanade.
Luckily for the fleet a light NE breeze developed along the eastern shore for the return leg with no wind in the middle of the River Derwent.
BYC member Mark Ballard’s 42 South won the Division 1 AMS category of the final race while Planet X (Jory Linscott) won PHS.
Overall, Off-Piste, Paul Einoder’s Beneteau Oceanis 34 Off-Piste won Division 1 AMS with a 1-3 score on a countback from Whistler (David Aplin) which had two seconds, third place going to 42 South.
The PHS overall trophy went to Whistler from 42 South and Planet X.
Off-Piste’s racing record is certainly versatile: first overall in the 2015 Launceston to Hobart Race, first in AMS in the 2018 Bruny Island Race and now first in AMS in the Combined Clubs Two-Handed Long Race Series.
In Division 2, Graham Hall’s Serenity took out the series with place on Sunday following a win in race one. Second overall went to Sunday’s winner, Whoop De Doo (Thomas Macdonald).
Next Sunday, 15 April, will see the start of the Derwent Sailing Squadron’s popular Autumn Two-Handed Series, also known as ‘Gilbert’s Two-Handed Series’ in honour of club stalwart and life member Gilbert Leitch who introduced this concept of yacht racing on the river.
The DSS Autumn Two-Handed Series comprises five races through to 13 May with the individual clubs’ Winter Series starting with Bellerive Yacht Club on 27 May.
Early entries for the DSS Autumn Two-Handed Series range from the SB20 Mind Games to the Sydney Hobart racer Oskana.
Over the winter, BYC, Derwent Sailing Squadron and the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania will conduct their Winter Series, sailing on alternative Sunday mornings.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Watson
9 April 2018
A cruise in very good company!!
March 1 to March 9, 2018
Photo: South West Cape
Recently two boats on the BYC register – Brambletye (Huon 36 - John Mills, Ian Douglas and Ed Glover and Teos (Beneteau Oceanis 36i – Steve “Davo” Davidson and his wife Trina) cruised in company to Port Davey on Tasmania’s rugged south west coast. For John and Ed off Brambletye it was a return visit with John last there some 22 years ago and for Ed it was 40 + years. Davo had been there three times before but this was the first time in his own boat. Ian and Trina were first timers!
After some unexpected issues for the crew of Brambletye, both vessels were underway bound for Dover at 1100 hrs. At 1505 and abeam of Huon Island the decision was made to continue on to Southport where Brambletye dropped anchor in the Deep Hole at 1730 with Teos not far behind. There is a saying which should be adhered to when cruising in Tasmanian waters to “go while the going is good!” and after listening to a favourable forecast on the radio sched a decision was made to leave at 0445 the next morning for Port Davey. It is a distance of some 70 odd nautical miles so we expected to be there in about 12 hours.
We managed to pick the weather well and even though a decent swell of 3 to 4 metres was experienced at times the wind never blew much harder than 10 knots, primarily from the south west. We had some wonderful wildlife for company – albatross whose grace never ceases to amaze; seals, dolphins etc. There is a funny thing as you travel along the south coast. It seems to take forever to reach that cape or Island in the distance but once passed they seem to disappear fairly quickly!!
Around SW Cape and with the East Pyramids marking the entrance to Port Davey in view, our journey was nearly over! A word of warning for those travelling this stretch of coast, keep a good lookout for craypots!
It was a beautiful south west afternoon when we dropped anchor in Schooner Cove at 1645, exactly 12 hours after leaving Southport. Switched off the engine and the quiet is amazing. A cold beer is the order of the day. Davo and Trina arrived about an hour later.
Photo: Ed Glover, "Davo", Ian Douglas, John Mills - Happy Hour!
We spent the next 6 days cruising the Bathurst Channel and Bathurst Harbour area. Clayton’s Corner where Clyde and Win Clayton lived for many years. Up the Melaleuca Inlet by dinghy to visit the site of Deny King’s tin mine and the recently opened museum. The airstrip, originally hand built by Deny, had a number of planes arriving and leaving during the course of our stay. Day trippers, bushwalkers and those wishing to enjoy a few days in the SW wilderness without walking for 6 or 7 days or getting seasick! Casilda Cove, a beautiful anchorage and a great base from which to climb Balmoral Hill – which we did! Had a look around Bathurst Harbour and even found Ed’s Cove!
Photo: Teos and Brambletye in Casilda Cove
Photo: Bathurst Channel taken from Bamoral Hill
We kept a fairly close eye on the weather during our stay via the radio scheds. There are a couple of black spots in the area where it is not possible to receive or send VHF transmissions, Schooner Cove being one of them.
The weather looked great for the return voyage on March 8 so the decision was made. Spent the night prior to departure in Spain Bay. We were disappointed we weren’t able to visit Bond Bay and the Davey River area but unfortunately both time and weather were against us. Maybe next time!
Up anchor at 0600 with Recherche being the destination. We were advised by the crew of Teos they had some battery issues. Thankfully they were able to start their engine but use of other electrics was very limited. They followed us out and we stayed close by just in case. A strength of cruising in company.
The south coast proved to be no shorter on the return journey! SW Cape, De Witt Island and about another 22 nautical miles to SE Cape. We passed at least 9 boats heading west for Port Davey. It was a magic day. Light SW breeze, rolled out headsail, 2 – 3 m swell. Once again we had managed to pick it!
Dropped anchor at Cockle Creek, Recherche Bay at 1555. Teos arrived at 1610 and advised they had managed to sort out their battery issues on the way! All on board “Teos” for a “happy hour” and a debrief of our respective coastal passages. A wonderful hour – or two – spent in great company.
The next morning the respective crews bid their farewells. Brambletye was bound for Hobart and Teos was heading off to Cygnet for a few more days away.
It was a beautiful day and the crew of Brambletye enjoyed a nice sail home. There were a few issues caused by picking up some kelp near Acteon Island but for the most part we enjoyed a NE breeze and rolled the headsail out at Gordon, arriving back at the BYC at 1635.
It was a fantastic trip and there are a number of other boats on the BYC register who have ventured to Port Davey this summer. The trip can be a little daunting, but with planning, preparation and keeping an eye on the weather it is possible! BYC member Mick Sheehan once took Skua around. A vessel some older members of the club may remember!
Cheers
Ed Glover
Countbacks decide Short Course Champions
Countbacks of placings throughout the series were needed to decide the Division 1 winners of the Combined Clubs Short Course Championships which ended on the River Derwent today.
The results gave Bellerive Yacht Club member Jeff Cordell an overall series win with his Mumm 36 B&G Advantage under IRC scoring and close second places under AMS and PHS.
Derwent Sailing Squadron’s Shaun Tiedemann won the AMS category and finished second overall in IRC, third in IRC with his Sydney 36cr Philosopher.
Division 1 PHS pennant winner was Rad, a Radford 12.5, skippered by Brent McKay from Kettering Yacht Club.
The only clear overall winner was Ben Latham’s J24, T42 Another Toy which won Division 2 PHS by one point from Trouble (Mark Millhouse).
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s race officer Biddy Badenach ran three short windward/leeward races on the third race day for the championship, sailed in a very light north-westerly wind throughout the afternoon.
The short course championship, totalling 10 races, was introduced this season specifically for skippers and crews who enjoy the cut and thrust of windward/leeward racing as against longer river races, also introduced successfully this season.
With each race about 40 to 50 minutes long, only seconds separated the leading boats in yesterday’s three races, with the PHS category seeing three different winners on the day, Rad, Mem (Paul Boutchard) and X&Y (Toby Richardson).
B&G Advantage and her crew had an outstanding day of competition, winning all three races under both IRC and AMS scoring.
While the wins clinched the Division 1 IRC category on a countback for B&G Advantage it was not quite sufficient to also win AMS from Philosopher.
In the IRC category, out of eight races to count, each yacht had four wins, three seconds and a third, with the final result decided on yesterday’s wins by B&G Advantage.
Under AMS scoring, B&G Advantage had three wins on corrected time yesterday, Philosopher two seconds and a third, but five wins on the previous two days of competition gave the Sydney 36cr the overall victory on a countback.
Philosopher’s overall AMS win completed a fine summer for Tiedemann, his son Sam as the boat’s helmsman and a youthful crew which included winning its division of the 2018 Australian Yachting Championships in Melbourne in January.
In Division 1 PHS, Rad came from third in standings going into the final race day two win the series on a countback from B&G Advantage and Philosopher.
Yesterday, Rad had a 1-5-3 result, B&G Advantage 4-2-2, to finish on 24 points each, with the countback favouring the Kettering Yacht Club boat with two wins against none by B&G Advantage.
Only three boats sailed the final day in Division 2 with Trouble (Mark Millhouse) winning all three, but still falling one point short of overtakingT42 Another Toy (Mark Latham) for the series. Alibi II (Rod Williams) placed third overall.
Words & photos: Peter Campbell
24 March 2018
River Derwent Pennant winners for 2017-18 summer season
Hobart’s senior racing yachtsman Don Calvert today added yet another summer pennant (two, in fact) to his remarkable career with his 33-year-old Castro 40, Intrigue.
Calvert and his long-time crew sailed Intrigue almost perfectly in the perfect sailing conditions on the River Derwent for the final race of the Combined Clubs summer pennant series, winning both the AMS and IRC rating categories of Group 1.
Other pennant winners decided yesterday were, under PHS scoring were: Tas Paints (Ian Stewart) in Group 1; Juana (Jock Young) in Group 2; Young Lion (Steve Chau) in Group 3 and Kindred Spirit (Peter Alcock) in Group 4.
Under AMS scoring the other pennant winners are: Wings Three (Peter Haros) in Group 2 and Young Lion (Steve Chau) in Group 3, thus giving two summer pennants to both Intrigue and Young Lion.
Sailing conditions were perfect to wind up the summer pennant, 12-18 knots, with some stronger gusts up to 29 knots on a warm (29 degrees) and sunny autumn afternoon.
Bellerive Yacht Club wound up the nine-race series setting the fleet tough windward legs plus fast spinnaker reaching and running legs, with some spectacular downwind dashes in the gusts.
“The start off BYC 2 was in a 12-18 knot NNW breeze with a challenging beat to the top mark off Rosny Point,” BYC sailing manager Peter Watson said, in reviewing the final race.
“However there were holes appearing in the breeze as the sea-breeze attempted to make its presence felt . As the Group 1 boats turned at the mark off Sandy Bay the wind had dropped to a gentle 5 knots.
“However ‘Mother Nature’ was not going to ruin the day and on the next up wind leg the gradient Northerly breeze again freshened and stayed in for the rest of the race, with some exhilarating rides down wind,” added Watson, who again provided the great photos of today’s racing.
Don Calvert and Intrigue, which represented Australia at the Admiral’s Cup in 1985, won the AMS category race yesterday by just 11 seconds from Shaun Tiedemann’s Philosopher to finish the series on a net 16 point.
Second overall went to Jeff Cordell’s Mumm 36 B&G Advantage on 21 points, third to Madness (Gavin Adamson), also a Mumm 36, on 36 points. Tas Paints placed fourth.
Intrigue won IRC pennant with a net 25 points from Tas Paints on 27 points with the veteran yacht Doctor Who (Rod Jackman) taking third place on a countback from B&G Advantage.
A second place in Group 1 PHS gave Bellerive Yacht Club vice-commodore Ian Stewart a nine point winning margin from fellow BYC boats Filepro (Tim Gadsby) and B&G Advantage (Jeff Cordell).
Derwent Sailing Squadron Commodore Steve Chau sailed his Young 88 Young Lion to a double victory in Group, winning both the AMS and PHS categories.
Young Lion won AMS from another Young 88, Saga (Chris Sheehan) and Silicon Ship (Gordon Clark and David Wyatt) and PHS from Kamehameha (Frank Chatterton) and Serica (Charles Peacock).
In Group 2, the classic 8-metre yacht Juana (Jock Young) won the PHS pennant from Twitch (syndicate) and 42 South (Mark Ballard) while AMS went to Wings Three (Peter Haros) from 42 South and Illusion (David Brett).
After being level on points going into the final race, Peter Alcock’s Kindred Spirit managed to gain a close fourth while rival Wayatih (Allan Morgan) placed fourth.
The overall result was first place to Kindred Spiritby just 2.5 points from Wayitih, with Free n Easy (Rob Jones) third overall.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Watson
17 March 2018
Great day for spinnakers on the River Derwent
What more could a Hobart sailor ask for on an early autumn day – a spinnaker run down and back up a sparkling River Derwent in mostly 10 knots of breeze, 25 degrees of temperature and a clear blue sky.
That was how the crews of 47 yachts would have enjoyed yesterday’s Combined Clubs long race, the penultimate summer pennant event of the 2017-2018 racing season.
The breeze could have been stronger, firstly from the nor’nor’west and then a sou’easterly sea breeze for the run home, and there was a windless ‘hole’ in Bull Bay.
Race official Mick Hocking described conditions ‘like glass’ before the sea breeze kicked in to replace the dying northerly.
Looking ashore to Bruny Island, crews could have seen the ruins of James Kelly’s whaling station of the early 1800s.
Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania race officer ‘Biddy’ Badenach sent the Group A fleet down to Bull Bay on the northern end of Bruny Island, a distance of 25 nautical miles.
With the likelihood of a fading breeze, Badenach kept the other groups within the river, rounding marks at Pigeon Holes and Blackman’s Bay, a course of 19 nautical miles.
Mike Pritchard’s Cookson 50, Oskana took line honours in Group 1, but only by one minute and 40 seconds from Scott Sharp’s Melges 32, Crusader with The Fork in the Road (Gary Smith) a further one minute and 53 seconds astern.
On corrected times, Crusader won Group 1 PHS category from The Fork in Road and War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) but Don Calvert outsailed them all in the AMS and IRC, setting up his Castro 40 Intrigue for yet another summer pennant victory on the Derwent.
Intrigue won AMS from the two Mumm 36s, B&G Advantage (Jeff Cordell) and Madness (Gavin Adamson) and IRC from War Games and Madness.
With one Combined Clubs summer pennant race to sail, Intrigue now heads both AMS and IRC rating categories with Ian Stewart’s TasPaints retaining a narrow lead in PHS.
In Group 2, Peter Haros’ Northshore 38, Wings Three, won line, AMS and PHS honours, winning AMS from 42 South (Henry Finnis), PHS from Pirate’s Pride (Peter Masterton) and the syndicate-owned Twitch.
Group 3 also saw a double win for Andrew Wise’s Madman’s Woodyard, taking AMS from Silicon Ship (Gordon Clark and David Wyatt) and PHS also from Silicon Ship, third going to Footloose (Stewart Geeves).
Steve Chau’s Young 88, Young Lion retains the overall pointscore handicap leads in Group 3, finishing fourth yesterday.
In Group 4, first home was Neville Georgeson’s Hornet, but on corrected time Wayatih (Allan Morgan) placed first from Cool Change (Chris Bobbi) and Ingenue (Nigel Johnston).
Wayatih’s win places it just half a point behind Peter Alcock’s Kindred Spirit going into the final Combined Clubs summer pennant race on Saturday, 17 March.
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Campbell and Michelle Denney
4 February 2018
Saga wins Regatta’s historic Lipton Cup
Bellerive Yacht Club member Chris Sheehan today sailed his Young 88 Saga to victory in the Royal Hobart Regatta’s historic sailing trophy, the Lipton Cup.
The Cup is decided on the best corrected time under PHS scoring by yachts in all four divisions of the Combined Clubs summer pennant series.
Multiple, but unsuccessful America’s Cup challenger Sir Thomas Lipton presented the cup for competition between yachts on the River Derwent in 1912. Initially it was given to the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania who late dedicated it to the Royal Hobart Yacht Club.
The support of the Combined Clubs in recent years has brought yachting back into the Royal Hobart Regatta, now 180 years old, with the fleet today sailing past the regatta grounds to round a mark just south of the Tasman Bridge.
To decide the Lipton Cup, all divisions today sailed the same course around river marks on a day when the wind fluctuated from 0 to 18 knots in strength and from WNW to SW (and in between) during the afternoon.
Saga won line and handicap honours in Group 3 with a PHS corrected time of one hour 14 minutes and 42 seconds, just 16 seconds lower than Group 4 winner Innovator (Ian Smith and Dean Aberley).
In Combined Club pennant results, Saga won Group 3 PHS from Silicon Ship (Gordon Clark and David Wyatt), third place going to Madman’s Woodyard (Andrew Wise).
Saga also won the AMS category of Group 3, beating Steve Chau’s Young Lion and Rumbeat (Justin Barr).
Fastest boat in the entire fleet was Toby Richardson’s X&Y which also took first place in Group 1 PHS from the Farr 40 Wired (Sam Boyes) and War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith).
Under AMS scoring, Jeff Cordell’s B&G Advantage, took first place in Group 1 from Philosopher (Shaun Tiedeman) and Tas Paints (Ian Stewart).
Fronting up on the race course again after competing in the Bruny Island circumnavigation race on Saturday, Philosopher won the Group 1 IRC category, as the Sydney 36cr did in the Bruny race. B&G Advantage placed second, War Games third.
The flukey winds caught out several Group 1 boats with Filepro finishing 11th in fleet, Wild West 12th and Madness 13th across the line in the 13 boat fleet.
The syndicate-owned Twitch had an outright PHS win in Group 2, taking the honours by just 50 seconds on corrected time from Illusion (David Brett), the two crossing the line 55 seconds apart. Illusion won Group 3 AMS from 42 South (Mark Ballard).
Group 4 saw another outright win for Innovator (Ian Smith and Dean Aberley), second place on PHS scoring going to Spinner (Peter Limb) and Wayatih (Allan Morgan).
Words: Peter Campbell
Photos: Peter Watson & Peter Campbell
12 February 2018