Sir James Hardy's vintage win on Sydney Harbour

Article by Peter Campbell

A biennial event for gaff-rigged yachts 'that raise a spar' and classic Bermudan-rigged yachts, Sydney Amateur Sailing Club's 2006 Gaffers Day attracted a fleet of 55 boats sailing on a sunny autumn day in a 12-15 knot nor'easter.

Wearing a reefer jacket and peaked cap, Sir James was an example of sartorial elegance afloat at the helm of Nerida, a 45-foot gaff cutter built for his late father Tom Hardy before World War II.

The former America's Cup, Admiral's Cup, Olympic and World Champion yachtsman steered Nerida with great skill to win Gaff Rigged Division One, overtaking the fleet to get the gun from Reverie, Nigel Beryln's gaff cutter and the original Ranger, built 75 years ago, with Ian MacDiarmid at the helm for owner Bill Gale.

Crews of many boats 'dressed ship' for the occasion as they assembled in the morning to 'splice the mainbrace' at the 'Amateurs' old clubhouse in Mosman Bay.

While Nerida, the Sydney Hobart Race Overall winner in 1950, is now close to 70 years old, there were many older boats in the fleet, including the beautifully restored 27-foot yawl Killala, built in the late 1890s, and Redpa, a 31-foot gaffer built in 1911. Both raced in Tasmania in the early part of the 20th century.

America's Cup winning tactician Hugh Treharne skippered Killala into fifth place in Gaff Riggers Division Two, unable to make up time on the front-markers in the handicap start race. First place went to Pagan, a double-ender that was sailed from Canada to Australia before World War II and is now owned by James Dean.

Second and third were two of the smallest gaff-riggers in the fleet, the 17-foot Nanygai, skippered by Mark Pearse, and Beatitude, a 12-footer gunter rigged dinghy sailed by Ian Richie and one crew.

Another Sydney Hobart Race winner of the early years, Nigel Stoke's 61-footer Fidelis (line honours in 1966) won Bermudan Division One from Ian Kortlang's classic International 7-Metre class sloop Antara, third place going to Lolita (Nick Cassim), the winner of last Sunday's Great Veterans Race for Sydney Hobart competitors built before 1970.

"It was a wonderful day to go sailing with such superbly restored and maintained yachts of yesterday, a great course with a bit of running, reaching and beating to windward," commented well known Melbourne yachtsman Col Anderson who flew up especially to sail on Antara.

Bermudan Division Two went to the converted International 5.5 Metre class yacht Ballerina, skippered by David Lister, winning from Lahara, a 33-footer Muir sloop, and Anonyma II, Tony Curtis' 36-footer.