Sail Port Stephens starts today

The annual Sail Port Stephens regatta starts today (Monday April 13) with  more than 100 entries signed up for the week-long sailing regatta.

Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson says the majority of Commodore’s Cup races will be run on Nelson Bay: "Mostly we’ll be inshore; I’d like to do at least one day out around the islands… maybe on Wednesday. It will depend on the weather and swell across the bar."

Tuesday looks light with an easterly pattern and Wednesday things are set to freshen to a very pleasant 12-15 knot nor’easter wind.

John Egger, owner/skipper of first time Sail Port Stephens entry Eggsilante, a Jeanneau 31, is a big fan of the islands race: "There’s nothing like it unless you head to Hamilton Island," he said. 

"It will be my first time at Port Stephens as an owner; we’d have to be one of the smallest in the fleet at 31 feet. The smaller boats struggle on the longer legs and if it’s really light we may not finish a couple of races due to the time limit. The plan is to have a lot of fun," Egger promises.

Eggsilante’s crew is able to enjoy both halves of Sail Port Stephens starting with the Commodore’s Cup Cruising schedule Monday to Wednesday April 15 followed by a layday and then into the second half, the Performance Cruising program Friday 17 – Sunday 19, one of the Port Stephens Trophy events.

Coming in for the NSW IRC Championship starting on the Friday is Shane Kearns’ S&S34 Quikpoint Azzurro, hoping to be the "surprise packet of IRC division 2", if the 21 starters end up split across two divisions.

"We expect to finish last over the line but we should beat a lot of better boats on handicap. Windward/leeward short course racing will be a new experience; the boat is really set up for offshore," Kearns said.

The Port Stephens Trophy encompasses the NSW IRC Championship, the feeder into this year’s national series at Hamilton Island as part of Audi Race Week. Two of three current IRC class champions, Roger Hickman’s Wild Rose (class C) and Bob Cox’s Nine Dragons (class B) are on the starter’s list for the state title.

Onshore Port Stephens will be filled with sailors and holidaymakers soaking up the festival atmosphere over the second week of NSW school holidays.
d’Albora Marina has organised live music at Nelson Bay from 11.00am to 2.00pm on Tuesday and 12.00 to 3.00pm on Thursday, Saturday and the regatta’s closing day, Sunday April 19.

Budding under 18 sailors take their turn at some competition time on Wednesday and Thursday thanks to a new Junior One Sail series. Numbers are building strongly for the inaugural two-day youth regatta, supported by local business Port Stephens Strata.

Pantaenius’ major sponsorship continues for the second year and Sail Port Stephens is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.