“It was when she neatly sailed off her anchor the first morning of the racing, completed her first race and dropped her anchor under-sail again that the trouble began. A complaint was put to the race committee that all these manoeuvres could not possibly be carried out on a boat this size with a crew of three, safely! This, despite the fact that all the manoeuvres had gone without a hitch. The committee did not say who had complained , but it obviously upset Hugh and his young crew. Might be why I found myself learning Coral’s ropes as the fourth crew member the very next day. “

“We gybed at Bembridge and pushed hard as we didn’t know what we would face at Ventnor and St Catherine’s.  We debated whether to go high and hope for breeze under the cliffs or to take the rum line.  In the end, we stayed inshore and it paid off.  There was less breeze, but we wriggled through before the big wind hole came in.”

In no other sport has there been such a diversity of approaches to the fundamental requirement that we should compete under conditions that offer everyone a fair chance of winning. Yet in no other sport have these various attempts so convincingly failed to satisfy the participants

The proposition that a measurement-based regime would encourage owners to better maintain or upgrade their yachts is illogical. Any classic yacht that races regularly will already be adequately maintained. Upgrades would add to a handicap, which is hardly encouraging. Inevitably, this would soon lead to the rise of an optimisation scramble lead by the professional "rating whisperers" who have become such a blight on IRC racing.

Walking around below decks and seeing the names on the bunks and the pots in the galley and the nav station where Mike Quilter sat for days on end, makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

The AWBF has just released a recording of the panel discussion between a gang of Derwent Class sailors and SWS’s co-editor Sal Balharrie at the recent festival. It’s not your standard symposium fare!

The outcome of both day one races saw the long time champion, YVONNE, continue her progress through the record books of the Tumlaren Victoria State Titles. With around 30 Sydney-Hobarts, an America’s Cup Campaign and a Whitbread Race between them, the helm (Dave Allen) and main sheet hand (Aaron Cole) were always going to be hard to beat!

Victorian Tumlaren State Championships, 2025. Day One.

During the race a boat’s location must be determined by traditional star, sun, planet or moon sights. Navigators of boats competing using celestial navigation must at a minimum maintain, and have ready for inspection in Bermuda, the paper-based plotting sheets for the entire race which demonstrate the method of obtaining the vessel’s position at any time during the race. All fixes resulting from Lines of Position shall have recorded the GMT, altitude, azimuth and intercept of the body or bodies of each LOP. Any Local Apparent Noon fixes shall have GMT and altitude data recorded and available for inspection.

While this was going on Barry, who was navigator, said that ‘he was not feeling too well and would go and have a lie down’. When we did get sailing again Alan called down to Barry to give us a course but received no reply. Steve Kingsland went below, to discover that Barry had died during the half hour it had taken us to get sailing.

While no pre-WW2 yachts are entered, there are many examples of yacht genres from the second half of the 20th century, that have helped the Fastnet become the world’s largest offshore yacht race. 

This class is only permitted to carry the smallest model of electric autopilot, and it is not adequate when the boats are being pushed hard downwind.  This was a deliberate decision by Don McIntyre, race founder, to keep the boats simple and affordable

Derwent Class World Champs. The winds are light but the banter, high. A ‘D’ sails up to the transom of the start boat. Is it a sign on? Nuh. ‘Have you got any Panadol?’  Almost 100 years after the first ‘D’, IMP, rolled out of Percy Coverdale’s yard at Battery Point, did anyone imagine the boats would still be racing in 2025?

So what better way to learn a little of the history and philosophy of this seminal craft than to chat with the legendary Peter Shipway, who sailed aboard her in every one of the early races and is involved with the program to this very day.

Michael writes with same restrained intensity that I imagine he sails with. He oozes authority and I hang on every word! His track record in the race is extraordinary, and the boat was showing remarkable pace before being forced to withdraw in 2024. But most of all you have to admire his vision in seeing the potential for success in a 120 year old double ender.

The Classic Yacht Association's annual Patio Bay Race saw tricky conditions after the start with a breeze yet to fill in. Forecast to come from the north it never arose, and instead filled in from the west giving those with running kites a chance to stretch their legs. Some great sights off Awawaroa with RAWHITI and ARIKI having a ding dong battle.

It is, of course, inevitable that the conduct of offshore racing will adopt new communications technology. But by dispensing with the radio relay vessel and the traditional position reporting system the Sydney-Hobart will lose an important component of the sense of community and comradeship that has helped make the event unique.

Superb weather on the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Opening Day - and Roger Mills was at the start to record the Classic Yachts racing. They sailed a short harbour course for the season opener, in fresh south westerly winds and sunshine.

The racing fleet did however get a boost this week with commitment from Tim Phillip’s to bring and race the magnificent STORM BAY. This is a rare occurrence for this legendary fishing boat. As a near sistership to Percy Coverdale’s WINSTON CHURCHILL, she will not only be a stunning addition to the fleet but also provide a living narrative on the interwoven fabric of fishing and racing boat design, from this part of the world.

In an age where technology and €20m can send a solo sailor around the world in 40 days, a fleet of courageous mini sailors is about to show it can be done for less that €50,000 over many days! Sixteen men and two women from 11 countries will navigate 28,000 miles solo around the world in identical, cramped, plywood mini yachts, pushing the limits of what many believe to be possible.