A bit of Zen and two hands work magic at Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship
Andrea Francolini photo
Gordon Ketelbey’s Zen and Mistral, sailed two-handed by Rupert Henry and Greg O’Shea, were the beneficiaries of wins on Day 1 of Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s (MHYC) 2023 Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC), sailed offshore today.
Ketelbey’s TP52 won Division 1 from classmate, First Light (Peter White) and Bob Cox’s DK46, Nine Dragons. Cox always manages to find his way to the podium, come rain, hail or shine.
“Racing was pretty close,” Ketelbey admitted, but he was pleased with the crew’s handywork in a breeze that averaged around 15 knots. “It wasn’t too windy, a bit lumpy, but pleasant sailing,” the MHYC yachtsman said.
It was not all straightforward, however: “We parked up at the Heads, Virago (Robert Kelly’s RP52 one-off) got ahead of us and First Light caught up with us. We caught them well before Lion Island though. Coming home was a straight downhill run and we kept them behind us,” Ketelbey said of the race to Lion Island and return.
Zen has recently profited from a makeover, although not all has gone according to plan: “We’ve got a new keel configuration and we thought we had a new rig, but there was a problem. We expect the new one from Spain after Christmas now,” he said.
Sailing Mistral two-handed in Division 2, Rupert Henry and Greg O’Shea won overall. Jack Stening and Colin Gunn’s Sydney 36, Stormaway claimed second place and Neil Padden’s Beneteau 40.7, Wailea, was third. The latter two were sailed fully crewed and there were other two-handers in the division, making the race more interesting.
“It was a good warm up for the Cabbage Tree Island Race next Friday night,” said Henry, who with O’Shea won that race overall in 2022, ahead of winning the Two-Handed division in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, a title they will also defend come Boxing Day.
“It was wet but not as windy as the forecast. There was quite an eastern swell running, which was fine on starboard, but on port tack it was quite awful. The further north we got, the lighter it got. We hugged the shore a bit, then went offshore, which was a loss,” Henry conceded.
“We did a couple of short tacks to the laid mark, which was exactly where it was supposed to be, so that was good. Then we had a nice run back. We did a couple of gybes and it was a nice 16 knots coming through the Heads to the finish.”
Racing concludes tomorrow, when MHYC plans to run two short offshore windward/leeward races, each one starting and finishing on Sydney Harbour.
The Seven Islands Race, Division 1, was won by the MC38 InfoTrack. She was last to start, but first to finish, in the pursuit-style race.
“We got the chocolates,” a pleased Mitch White said from the yacht. Second was David Ross’ Cape 31, Kukukerchu, followed by Michael Ritchie’s Ritchie 38, Revolver.
White described conditions on the Harbour course thus: “It was grey, slightly wet, but a pleasurable sail. When you’re racing, you don’t notice the rain.
“It’s an active race though, because you’ve got plenty of obstacles to get around,” he said, referring to the various islands and narrow waterway on the other side of the Harbour Bridge. “And the wind was up and down like a yoyo.”
On their win, White commented: “We were actually lucky. We do a bit of racing up past the bridge with corporate sailing, so we know what to expect. We got past second place at Middle Head, thanks to Indy Beck’s great trimming.”
When they started, InfoTrack’s crew could not see any of their divisional compadres in front of them, “but all the hard work was done in the river,” said White, of the area north-west of the Harbour Bridge, which is tricky to sail in at the best of times.
Division 2 went to John Crawford’s always well-sailed J24, Innamincka. Second was Bryan Moore’s Shibumi, with Jeremy Clarke’s Kai Rani in third. The race is held alongside the SSORC and attracts a wide variety of boats. It starts and finishes at MHYC and its name suggests, is on a course around famous Sydney Harbour islands.
For full results and all information, please visit: www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au
Di Pearson / MHYC media
SSORC and Seven Islands Race photos by Andrea Francolini
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Inclusive Classes Regatta – Update November 2023
An Inclusive Classes Regatta will be conducted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club from March 29 to April 1 (Easter weekend) 2024. Online entry is now open and the Notice of Race has just been updated with a change that affects sailors with intellectual impairment.
New Classification Opportunity for Athletes with Intellectual Impairment
In response to feedback from competitors at the inaugural Para Sailing International Championships for Athletes with Intellectual Impairment at Southport Yacht Club last November, Australian Sailing have approved a simplified method of para classifications for this athlete group.
Australian Sailing Provisional AWII Classification is a sport-based classification using the same framework as other para sailors and is being introduced ahead of the NSW Para Sailing Championships. It will then apply for the 2024 Australian Para Sailing Championships at Sail Melbourne in December.
Sailors with intellectual impairment, including those who are not currently included on the Virtus Master List or a Registered Special Olympics Athlete, can apply for AWII classification by emailing their contact details to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and then undertaking a phone or online interview with the Australian Sailing Consultant Psychologist. There is no cost to AWII classification and it is not a requirement to be entered in any event, although it is important to start the application well in advance of any relevant regatta.
This process has been developed with a view to having it incorporated within the World Sailing Rules of Para Classification. It would not have been possible without the support of International Para Classifiers Sarah Ross and Stephen Wilson and Australian Sailing Consultant Psychologist Darren Eger.
About the Inclusive Classes Regatta
MHYC’s Inclusive Classes Regatta program includes arrival, training and classification on the Friday followed by three races each day on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It is planned to hold an Inclusive Sailing Forum on the Sunday evening.
Para Classification for athletes with physical impairments will be available at the venue on Friday 29 March. You can register for classification by emailing a request and providing contact details to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Racing will be on Middle Harbour in the vicinity of Balmoral. Invited classes are Hansa 303 (one person & two person), Hansa Liberty & International 2.4mR.
The regatta will comprise the 2.4mR NSW Championship and Hansa Class NSW Championships for 2024. In addition, the regatta will be the inaugural NSW Para Sailing Championships. Results of eligible para sailors will be extracted from the open fleet results.
A limited number of Hansa charter boats will be available for competitors travelling from interstate or outside the Sydney Metro area. To register your interest for a charter boat, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the earliest opportunity.
All regatta information will be published on the event webpage.
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Cruising Division October Guest Speaker Lee Condell
Thinking about doing the Sydney to Hobart two-handed or taking up short-handed racing? If it’s a yes, then this talk is a must see!
Lee competed last year in the Two-Handed Sydney to Hobart and raced in the blue water series with CYCA.
He will talk about:
- Setting your boat up for short-handed racing,
- Race preparation for short-handed racing,
- Managing tiredness,
- How to handle manoeuvres,
- Finding a suitable partner etc.
Come along to hear from Lee firsthand and get your questions answered.
Monday October 16th in the MHYC Harbour View Room
6:30pm BYO BBQ - 7:30pm Guest Speaker Lee Condell
Read more: Cruising Division October Guest Speaker Lee Condell
Weekend Inshore Racing
It was a busy weekend on 21 & 22 October with an Inshore Race on the Saturday and the Waitangi Cup Interstate Challenge sailed over both days.
Inshore Series
The Inshore Annual Pointscore race was held in conjunction with the Sydney Harbour Combined Clubs Inshore Series run by Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club. On IRC in the combined clubs fleet, Toy Box 2 (Ian Box) and Stormaway (Jack Stening & Colin Gunn) took the IRC win in their respective Divisions 1 & 2. On ORC, Stormaway claimed another win and Toy Box 2 a second. On PHS, both boats placed 4th in their divisions. Unsurprisingly, Toy Box 2 and Stormaway made a clean sweep of IRC, ORC and PHS in Divisions 1 & 2 in the MHYC Series. Brett Churcher’s Plan B took the Division 3 honours on PHS.
For the MHYC Inshore Annual Pointscore Results – click here
For the Sydney Harbour Combine Clubs Inshore Series Results - click here
Waitangi Cup
Congratulations to Team NSW from Middle Harbour Yacht Club, winners of the 2023 Adams 10 Waitangi Cup.
After four races sailed in fresh to strong conditions on Saturday and the final two races today in moderate breezes, the NSW team of skippers Garth Riley, Brian Lees and Tracy Richardson finished ahead of the Victorian team by 8 points.
A draw was made for each of the six boats provided by MHYC members but one of the boats was unable to start due to unforeseen rigging problems. Three VIC boats then sailed against two NSW boats, with the results of the worst placed VIC boat discarded. NSW had a narrow advantage overnight but when Garth Riley and Brian Lees placed 1-2 in the first race today there was no question about the result.
At the prizegiving at MHYC afterwards, organiser Geoff Charters thanked the Victorian teams skippered by Monica Jones, Andrew Clark and William Sheers, the MHYC Race Management Team led by RO Steve Tucker and Marg Fraser-Martin for recording the event with her camera.
For more information about the event, results and photos, visit the event webpage.
Thanks to Marg Fraser-Martin for all the action photos across the weekend.
Inshore Annual Pointscore
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2023 Adams 10 Waitangi Cup
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Change of Date - Keelboat Safety Forum & MOB Practical session.
Led by National Safety Equipment Auditor and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, Phil Darling, the Keelboat Safety Forum via Zoom videoconference on Wednesday 11 October at 7pm covers MHYC’s risk management framework, harbour hazards, dealing with groundings, vessel and crew preparation, and MOB retrieval along with an open forum to discuss participants areas of interest.
To join the Zoom Meeting...
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86144634299?pwd=YXc2NDBtK3hpZy8xMEJMODBOd29rZz09
The MOB Practical session has also been postponed until 10am Sunday 29 October.
We hope you can join for both these sessions.
Read more: Change of Date - Keelboat Safety Forum & MOB Practical session.
MHYC Team claims the 2023 Waitangi Cup
Congratulations to Team NSW from Middle Harbour Yacht Club, winners of the 2023 Adams 10 Waitangi Cup.
After four races sailed in fresh to strong conditions on Saturday and the final two races today in moderate breezes, the NSW team of skippers Garth Riley, Brian Lees and Tracy Richardson finished ahead of the Victorian team by 8 points.
A draw was made for each of the six boats provided by MHYC members but one of the boats was unable to start due to unforeseen rigging problems. Three VIC boats then sailed against two NSW boats, with the results of the worst placed VIC boat discarded. NSW had a narrow advantage overnight but when Garth Riley and Brian Lees placed 1-2 in the first race today there was no question about the result.
At the prizegiving at MHYC afterwards, organiser Geoff Charters thanked the Victorian teams skippered by Monica Jones, Andrew Clark and William Sheers, the MHYC Race Management Team led by RO Steve Tucker and Marg Fraser-Martin for recording the event with her camera.
For more information about the event, results and photos, visit the event webpage.
Photos by Marg Fraser-Martin
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Inclusive Classes Regatta at Easter
Photos by Andrea Francolini and Beau Outteridge
An Inclusive Classes Regatta will be conducted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club from March 29 to April 1 (Easter weekend) 2024. The Notice of Race has now been published and online entry is open.
The regatta program includes arrival and training on the Friday followed by three races each day on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Sailing will be on Middle Harbour in the vicinity of Balmoral. Invited classes are Hansa 303 (one person & two person), Hansa Liberty & International 2.4mR.
The regatta will also comprise the 2.4mR NSW Championship and Hansa Class NSW Championships for 2024. In addition, the it will be the inaugural NSW Para Sailing Championships. Results of eligible para sailors will be extracted from the open fleet results.
A limited number of Hansa charter boats will be available for competitors travelling from interstate or outside the Sydney Metro area. To register your interest for a charter boat, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the earliest opportunity.
All regatta information is on the Regatta Webpage.
Entries take shape for Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship
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Entries in Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s (MHYC) 2023 Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC), are taking shape, so far attracting past winners, regulars and new contenders.
Taking place from 25-26 November, the SSORC, now in its 46th year, is a lead-in to other major offshore events each year.
Reigning champion in Premier Class Division 1, Bob Cox returns with his DK46, Nine Dragons. He says, “We’re looking forward to defending our title, but there are no guarantees, as we know we’ll face strong competition.”
Cox is again enthusiastically looking forward to challenging fellow MHYC member, Ian Box and his XP44, Toybox 2, along with Gerry Hatton’s latest Bushranger, a Mat 1245 from RPAYC.
“Toybox has markedly improved its performance since Ian gave the boat a significant upgrade. Gerry had teething problems with the new Bushranger, but they have it sorted and will be a real force at this event. We envisage great racing with her and don’t expect to pace them downwind. Our sistership, Khaleesi (owned by MHYC commodore, Rob Aldis), will be another contender.”
Cox concedes there are others in the division that will give him a run for his money. Among them are Michael Smith’s Tempo and Jambo, a newcomer owned by Rob Carr.
Tempo, a Kernan 44, finished third overall to win Division 1 in July’s Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, so is set to give Division 1 a red-hot crack.
Carr is a keen supporter of MHYC events and is best known as the previous co-owner of Mortgage Choice Rumba. This time, he and wife Stephanie Cook bring the former CheckMate, a Summit King 40, to the start line.
“We purchased the boat out of Fremantle where she had performed successfully in offshore races in the past four or so years,” Carr said.
On renaming the boat Jambo, he explained, “It means ‘hello’ in Swahili. Stephanie and I upgraded to this 40 foot yacht. We’ve had four spinnaker races with it so far. We’ve had it for four months, but we spent time putting the boat together before racing it.
“We’re absolutely enjoying the boat. It’s a steep learning curve because it’s more of a racing boat than the other one. There’s much to learn, but we’re moving up pretty quickly,” Carr said.
“Jambo is a sistership to Soozal. It would be fun if Soozal entered. We could have great competition between us,” he said, adding, “This is my 22nd year racing with Middle Harbour Yacht Club. I’ve done all the Sydney Harbour Regattas and a heap of SSORCs and Seven Islands Races and will continue to do so with the new boat.”
Division 2 entries to-date include locals in Sebastian Hultin’s Farr 36, Georgia Express and Neil Padden’s Beneteau First 40.7, Wailea. Joining them is Matt Wilkinson’s Foreign Affair from the CYCA. Wilkinson and his Farr 30 took out the division in 2021 and has finished runner-up in the past. Also expected is Peter Farrugia’s Bull 9000, Bullwinkle, from RPAYC, which placed third in the division last year.
Featuring a combination of a passage race to Lion Island (in a northerly) or Cape Baily (in a southerly), the opening SSORC race is also an inclusion in the CYCA Ocean Pointscore (OPS). On Sunday, there will be two short offshore windward/leeward races with Sydney Harbour starts and finishes to complete the Championship.
Standard entries close on Friday 17 November at 2359 hrs with late entries accepted up till 2359 hours on Wednesday 22 November and are subject to a Late Entry Fee.
The Seven Islands Race will again be held alongside the SSORC and attracts a wide variety of designs whose crews prefer the cut and thrust of inshore round the buoys racing. This event starts and finishes at MHYC and rounds some of the most famous islands on Sydney Harbour.
For entry and Notice of Race, please go to: www.ssorc.mhyc.com.au
Di Pearson/MHYC media
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Read more: Entries take shape for Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship
Register Now for Onshore Sessions
Skippers & Crew Session - New Date
Due to expected low numbers, the Skippers & Crew Meet & Greet planned for 7pm September 21 has been postponed.
An online Skippers & Crew Session has now been scheduled for 7pm Wednesday 4 October.
To register - click here
Keelboat Safety Forum & MOB Practical Training - New Dates
Online Keelboat Safety Forum - Wednesday 11 October at 7pm
Led by National Safety Equipment Auditor and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, Phil Darling, the Zoom videoconference session on Wednesday 11 October at 7pm covers MHYC’s risk management framework, harbour hazards, dealing with groundings, vessel and crew preparation, and MOB retrieval along with an open forum to discuss participants areas of interest.
Sunday 29 October from 10am - MOB Practical Training Session
Following on from the MOB theoretical session of the Keelboat Safety Forum, this session provides the opportunity to use a MOB mannequin to practice MOB Retrieval techniques.
To register – click here
Best crew work pays dividends at Sydney Harbour Sprint Series
Although challenging due to changing conditions, competitors enjoyed a beautiful spring day for the first round of the Sydney Harbour Sprint Series (SHSS) 23/24, which commenced with three races starting from midday today on Sydney Harbour.
Ian Box leads Division 1 of the series by two points after sailing Toybox 2 to a pair of wins and a second place from Brent Lawson’s Farr 40, Bluetack. Regular rival, Bob Cox with Nine Dragons, a DK46, is a further two points away. Box’s XP44, the recipient of recent modifications, also leads ORC overall.
The fleet started in the middle of the Heads and sailed into a westerly. In the second race, the wind shutdown, ”then we got an easterly,” Box told. “The start of the third race was relocated to Dobroyd and took us to Cannae Point in a nor’ easter. We had everything. You had to be on your toes.”
Box continued, “It was close racing all day. We had three good starts and were quite competitive and fast downwind in all three races. We were able to hold the two Farr 40s downwind, which was pleasing, not to mention unusual. We could sail deeper and faster downwind. We’re very happy with the modifications to the boat.”
Describing the competition, the yachtsman said, “There was a lot of boat-on-boat action and that was great for crew work. Our crew were on top of things.
“The turnaround times between races was short too, with a separate finish line. It meant that if need be, you could start a new Division 1 race with Division 3 still doing the earlier race. It meant no sitting around waiting and waiting.”
In Division 2, Neil Padden’s Beneteau First 40.7, Wailea, claimed the spoils after scoring two wins and a second. Wailea leads Garth Riley’s Adams 10, Sirius, by one point. Padden also leads ORC overall in the division.
However, Padden was not aboard. “Niclas Westling skippered Wailea in my place. They did better without me than with me,” he said with a laugh from France.
Westling takes up the story: “We had a fantastic day, in particular our starts went well. We started Race 1 with a port start ahead of the fleet and managed to find the shifts, it was quite gusty too. We had good team work, although some of our spinnaker drops were a bit late, but we repaired that on the upwinds. We really enjoyed the day.”
Tracy Richardson’s Artemis leads the Adams 10 pointscore with a pair of wins and a second. The Adams 10s sailed in Division 2, but have a separate one-design pointscore as well.
Richardson commented, “We tend to pay attention to our class mates more than the rest of the fleet, but we did notice Wailea and Firecracker (Scott Lawson’s Fareast 28R) flying around the course.
“We had three very different races,” she shared. The first started with a westerly around 12-15 knots, then in the second it swung right around to nor-east, dropped out and we all got stuck in the middle of course. A few went left and others went right. We got lucky on the left. We dropped our jib and got our kite up and had great race to finish line. In the third race, the nor’ easter stayed in at a steady 12-15 steady knots. It was a typical summer nor’ easter.”
On the crew work, which is what this series embodies, Richardson commented, “The crew responded to the changes well. The starts with the Adams are always exciting – we messed up the last start though – we got stuck at the pin. We came back on port though, and had clear air, so managed to come out of it OK.
“We expected light breeze, so we were a bit short-handed, so we all had to sail really hard. The light crew helped though, as it was fairly light, but there was lots going on and the sprints were hectic. So much fun and exciting. So good to see five Adams 10s out. They were pretty evenly matched as usual and we had a beautiful day on the water,” Richardson ended.
Division 3 is cleanly lead by Oloff Tromp’s Waterborne Again. Six points separates the J24 from Brett Churcher’s Hanse 375, Plan B and Dean Dransfield’s Beneteau Oceanis 41, Escape.
This new series, being held over three weekends in spring and winter, was designed to provide stimulating short format racing. Races are capped at 60 minutes and highlight the best crew work in each division.
The SHSS is open to a wide variety of keelboats. Courses normally comprise two-lap windward/leewards with a gate and racing is run by an experienced race management team from Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
The next round of competition, Races 4, 5 and 6, will be held on Saturday 11 November, 2023.
Full results: www.mhyc.com.au/sailing/regattas-championships/sydney-harbour-sprint-series
By Di Pearson/MHYC media
Photos by Marg Fraser-Martin and MHYC
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Read more: Best crew work pays dividends at Sydney Harbour Sprint Series
Saturday Racing - 16 September 2023
It was a very warm day with light breezes for the first Combined Clubs Inshore Series race of the new season hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron which counted as Race 2 in the MHYC Inshore Series. The race start was delayed until the breeze settled in the north-east, although it remained shifty and below 10 knots throughout.
Within the Combined Clubs 41 boat fleet, Jack Stening and Colin Gunn’s Stormaway excelled in Division 2, taking the win on ORC and IRC. Brian Lees’ Contentious placed 2nd in Division 2 on ORC, as did Ian Box’s Toy Box 2 in Division 1 on IRC. Marc Tromp’s Waterborne Again claimed the Division 3 win on PHS.
In the MHYC Pointscore for Division 1, Toy Box 2 was first on ORC, IRC & PHS, Kukukerchu (David Ross) scored 2-2-3 and Khaleesi (Rob Aldis) 3-3-2. In Division 2, Stormaway also took the trifecta placing 1-1-1 on ORC, IRC and PHS. Contentious scored 2nd on ORC and 3rd on PHS, while Wailea (Niclas Westling) was 3rd on ORC, 2nd on IRC and 4th on PHS. Division 3 was scored on PHS only, with Waterborne Again the winner from Escape (Dean Dransfield) and Plan B (Brett Churcher).
MHYC Inshore Pointscore Results - click here
Combined Clubs Inshore Series Results - click here
Many thanks to RSYS for the race management and to Marg Fraser-Martin for the photos today.
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