The 2022 CYCA Winter Women’s Series champions were crowned after an eventful third and final race on Sunday 17 July.

A series-high fleet of 42 boats took on Race 3 in 13-17 knots of breeze (NNW) and under a sunny sky on Sydney Harbour.

Non-Spinnaker Division 1

Race 3 placegetters:

1. Wilde Rush (Catriona Glassock)
2. Last Tango (Beth Morley)
3. It Happens (Kathy Veel)

Catriona Glassock steered Wilde Rush (CYCA Commodore Arthur Lane’s Beneteau Oceanis 51.1) to victory in Non-Spinnaker Division 1.

Just 35 seconds separated second-placed Last Tango (Beth Morley) and third-placed It Happens (Kathy Veel).

The two points collected by It Happens secured the series win for Kathy and the crew on David Chesters and Craig Young’s Payne 38.

She finished level on 10 points with Mary and Jason King’s Farr 40 SOLyMAR (skippered by Mary), which had finished second in Races 1 and 2.

Rosie Burgess steered Past Commodore Paul Billingham and Pete McGee’s Bakewell White Z39 Wild West to third place overall.

Place	Boat	Skipper	Points
1.	It Happens	Kathy Veel	10
2.	SOLyMAR	Mary King	10
3.	Wild West	Rosie Burgess	15

Non-Spinnaker Division 2

Race 3 placegetters:

1. Farrst Company (Karen Garnett)
2. First Light (Jackie Sapir)
3. Valkyrie by Corunna Station (Sue-Marie Olsen)

Karen Garnett was at the helm as Farrst Company (Russell Dixon and Andrew van Heyst’s Farr 1020) won Non-Spinnaker Division 2 in Race 3.

CYCA Director Jackie Sapir steered CYCA Treasurer David Jacobs and Roy Melick’s Dehler 41DS First Light to second place, while Sue-Marie Olsen guided Gerard Kesby’s Northshore 369 Valkyrie by Corunna Station to third place in a tight battle with Maestro (John Fraser’s Beneteau First 30 skippered by Clare Fraser).

A sixth-place finish for Trim (Lauren Walsh skippering Shaaron Walsh’s Northshore 369) was just enough to secure the overall series win. Trim finished level on nine points with Valkyrie, winning on countback thanks to a win in Race 2 and fourth-place in Race 1.

Maestro secured third place overall.

Place	Boat	Skipper	Points
1.	Trim	Lauren Walsh	9
2.	Valkyrie by Corunna Station	Sue-Marie Olsen	9
3.	Maestro	Clare Fraser	14

Spinnaker Division 1

Race 3 placegetters:

1. Ciao Bella (Amber French)
2. Bliss (Judy Bergman)
3. Mondo (Lisa Callaghan)

After finishing 10th in Race 1, Ciao Bella (Karl Onslow’s Hanse 505, steered by Amber French) claimed a second consecutive win to take out Spinnaker Division 1.

This was the tightest pointscore of the series, with Indi (Immediate Past Commodore Noel Cornish’s Farr 40, skippered by Danielle Kennedy) and Blink (Mark Gorbatov and Mark Siebert’s Beneteau First 40, skippered by Ashleigh Larkin), just a point behind Ciao Bella.

In Race 3, Bliss (Judy Bergman at the helm of Eric Frank’s Beneteau Oceanis 46.1) was second ahead of Mondo (Lisa Callaghan), with Blink’s fourth-place finish in the race ensuring she beat Thirlmere (Steph Lyons) to third place overall.

Place	Boat	Skipper	Points
1.	Ciao Bella	Amber French	12
2.	Indi	Danielle Kennedy	13
3.	Blink	Ashleigh Larkin	13

Spinnaker Division 2

Race 3 placegetters:

1. Zara (Therese Seargent)
2. Pacatack (Katrine Maelke)
3. Reve (Judell Johnston)

There was a thrilling finish to Spinnaker Division 2 in Race 3, as Zara (Therese Seargent at the helm of John Griffin’s Luders 47ft Ketch) pipped Pacatack (Pacific Sailing School’s J/24, skippered by Katrine Maelke) to the line by just 10 seconds.

Judell Johnston steered CYCA Director Kevin Whelan’s Beneteau 45F5 Reve to third place, holding off Wild Oats (Brett Eagle, Gordon Smith and Mark Skjellerup’s Farr 43 IOR, skippered by Marike Koppenol).

That fourth-place finish for Wild Oats saw her surge to the top of the overall pointscore, as previous series leader Speedwell (Colin Geeves’ Beneteau 34.7, skippered by Melissa Geeves) finished second overall.

Scarlett Sun (Robert Skol’s Jeanneau Sunfast 3300, skippered by Grainne Saunders) was a further two points back to complete the pointscore podium.

Place	Boat	Skipper	Points
1.	Wild Oats	Marike Koppenol	12
2.	Speedwell	Melissa Geeves	13
3.	Scarlett Sun	Grainne Saunders	15