We had three perfect sailing days for the fleet of 36 Sydney Hobart veterans during the Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta. The event celebrated the Halvorsen Century, paying tribute to the Halvorsen family’s immense contributions to ocean racing and boating since their arrival in Australia from Norway via South Africa in February 1925. One of the Regatta highlights was the Pond display of two classic Halvorsen cruisers and Sydney Hobart winners Solveig (line honours 1953 and overall 1954) and Anitra V (overall 1957). Both yachts were sailed to their wins by brothers Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen.

The Regatta courses took participants to Manly for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday races. Each day, with a lot of east in the breeze and big tides, decisions taken on which side of the harbour to work shaped the results and helped a lot of others decide what they will do next time.

Pictures Day 1

The IOR division is for boats with a launch date prior to 1991 and had 12 starters. The winner was King Billy, a 11.5m John King design, close to perfectly sailed by Philip Bennett with a 2^nd in the Friday Invitation race followed by 1^st on Saturday and Sunday. Brett Avery’s Bacardi wih 31 Sydney Hobarts to date and going south again in 2024 was in 2^nd and Joel Barnett’s Huon Chief was 3^rd.

An entry in the three Classics divisions requires a launch date prior to 1976. In Division 1, 1^st was Simon Kurts’ three time Sydney Hobart winner Love & War followed in 2^nd by the perfectly proportioned S&S 42 Vittoria sailed by Alan Reece. 3^rd place went to the magnificent Wraith of Odin, a 17.4m Rhodes design from RQYS and sailed by Keith Glover.

Pictures day 2

Classics Division 2 was won by 98 year old Gordon Ingate, in Jasnar, the boat he first raced to Hobart in 1950 with his 19 year-old wife to be. Gordon will be sailing again in the 2025 SHCYR. In 2^nd place was the well sailed Mr Christian, a Swanson 36 skippered by David Salter. Philip Brown’s Anitra V was in 3^rd.

The non-spinnaker Classics Division 3 was won by the Alan Payne designed Boongown, beautifully restored and sailed by Eddy Vinks from the Bayview Yacht Racing Association. In 2^nd was the Boden designed Archina, an entrant in the first Sydney to Hobart and skippered in this Regatta by Bill Ferris. In 3^rd was the 1947 Sydney Hobart entrant the 8 Metre Josephine, skippered by Peter McCorquodale..

The next CYCA classic yacht event is the 10 May 2025 Great Veterans Race.

Written by David Champtaloup

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