2016 Sail Port Stephens
Kites are flying for the annual sailing soiree on the NSW North CoastWith the local marinas thronging, drinks on ice and Hawaiian shirts at the ready, the scene is set for the biggest ever number of entries to participate in the annual Sail Port Stephens regatta from tomorrow and through to Sunday (April 11-17).
In a taste of what’s to come, around 35 yachts completed the Newcastle-Port Stephens feeder race on Sunday April 10 in perfect autumn conditions.
Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (NCYC) perfectly timed the start in Stockton Bite with a six-knot sou-westerly which gradually clocked to the east and settled at around eight knots.
The Lake Macquarie 36-footer Toy Story (Tom Woods) picked the shift to perfection and took line honours off Port Stephens Heads by 500 metres from the Farr 400 Ignition, just half a boat length ahead of the TP52 Frantic.
Toy Story claimed third on PHS, behind 2Xcess (Mark Scharfenberg, South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club) and Scots Wha Hae (Simon Macks NCYC). IRC spoils went to NCYC entrant Schouten Passage with Rob Howard skippering, and ORCi to Black Sheep (Derek Sheppard CYCA) who also claimed third on IRC.
Starting tomorrow (Monday April 11), a fleet of 51 yachts will enjoy a leisurely sail in the Commodores Cup cruising series, among them a mix of Jeanneau, Beneteau, Bavaria and Hanse production cruising yachts with recreational sailors.
From Wednesday, the Junior Off-the-Beach One-Sail series starts for at least 16 boats with sailors aged under-18, broadening the regatta’s renowned appeal for families. Late entries ares still being accepted. Prizes include the chance to sail on Wild Oats X.
Jewel in the crown for Sail Port Stephen is the NSW IRC Championship, which has attracted an all-star fleet of 27 yachts – led by five TP52s. The Super 11 division is also using the event as its inaugural State title regatta. Racing starts Friday.
More than 50 registrations have also been received from Performance Racing and Performance Cruising entries vying for the Port Stephens trophy. Also sailing over the weekend are high-quality fleets of sports boats and MC-38s.
Light to moderate southerlies are expected to prevail for the early stages of this 9th annual Sail Port Stephens regatta, weakening midweek into easterlies and turning to nor’easters from Friday.
The social calendar includes a welcome party at the Anchorage resort and a Boardshorts and Bowtie beach ball at Salamander Bay.
This year’s series sees the debut of a Broughton Island passage race, taking yachts out to the pristine island 9km off the Port Stephens heads. Also new, Sail Port Stephens has linked with the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) to raise vital funds for brain cancer research, honouring regatta mentor Roger Hickman who succumbed recently to a brain tumour.
The HMRI Cup will be presented for the Broughton Island Passage Race and proceeds from the ‘End-of-Season Sailebration’ evening at Broughtons at the Bay function centre will be donated to HMRI. More at www.sailportstephens.com.au/.
Photo credit: Second pic by Saltwater Images.
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