Over the course of two thrilling days, the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by the Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC), showcased exceptional sailing across a diverse range of conditions. With 138 entrants, sailors navigated through moody and gusty Southerlies on the first day and enjoyed blue skies with a gentle NE breeze on the second.

Spanning 16 divisions, from One Design Classes to Super 50’s, each day brought its own set of challenges for the entire fleet.

On the opening day, despite the ominous skies and occasional rain showers, the competition at the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta 2024 remained fiercely exciting. With winds gusting up to 30 knots, Sydney Harbour tested the skills of all skippers and their crews. Predictably, there were mishaps – rounds-ups, Chinese gybes, and boats crossing start lines early. Nonetheless, the races unfolded with exhilarating intensity. Zen

In Race 1, reigning champion Jules Hall aboard Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth dominated the J/99 class, leaving others to battle for the remaining positions. Shine On-Team Callendina, skippered by Phil Herscovics, seized an advantage at the start of the Sydney 38 race, while Ian Box’s Toybox 2 displayed superior performance in Division 1 of the Open division. Meanwhile, Peter Farrugia’s Bullwinkle took an early lead in Division 2.

Crewing with Jules are members of his 2023 RSHYR team – Mark Murray, Nathan Gulliksen & Emma May – along with Tom Quick & Matt Wenke from his 2023 Nationals crew. At the end of day one Jules shared: “We’ve got eight J/99s on the start line for this year’s Nationals. Everyone has put in a huge effort over the last 12 months, so the standard is going to be red hot. And it looks like we are going to get every type of wind – it’s going to be a cracking test of boatspeed and crew work!”

As the second day dawned, a dramatic shift in weather welcomed participants to a sunny, hot day with a refreshing north-north/easterly wind. This change significantly impacted the outcomes of races, offering new opportunities and challenges to competitors.

Congratulations to all our participating members this weekend at the Sydney Harbour Regatta and to the CYCA boats that managed to secure podium places. Find the full results page here and all racing images provided by Andrea Francolini/MHYC here.

J/99 Australian Championship 2024

1st – Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth (Jules Hall) J/99

Performance Class (Spinnaker)

1st – Chainsaw (John Amos) Sydney 38

Performance Class (Non-Spinnaker)

1st – Wild West (Paul Billingham & Pete McGee) Bakewell White Z39

J/70s

3rd –Jedi (Miles McLennan) J/70

Etchells

2nd – First Tracks (Peter ‘Billy’ Merrington) Etchells

Super 40

2nd – Kukukerchu (David J Ross) Cape 31

Super 50

1st – Zen (Gordon Ketelbey) TP52

2nd – Quest (Craig Neal) TP52

3rd – First Light (Peter White) TP52