With the cream of the world’s sailors arriving in Sydney this month for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds and the Global Challenge stop-over, the best of the city’s women sailors will also be turning heads at the annual Marinassess Women’s Short Course Regatta later this month.
The women’s regatta will be sailed over the weekend of 26 and 27 February – in amongst the action of the final day of the Rolex Farr 40 Pre-Worlds on Saturday 26 and the restart of the Global Challenge on Sunday 27 – when ten teams of three of four women each will be attracting their own on-water crowds with fast and furious fleet racing.
The annual regatta, which began in 1996, has again been extended to two days to include a day of training and familiarisation on the Elliott 6 metre sports boats for all crews on the Saturday with fleet racing on the Sunday on Sydney Harbour.
“The CYCA is expecting another strong challenge for the Overall trophy from women sailors of all ages,” says Jenni Bonnitcha, the Club’s Youth Sailing Academy manager/coach.
Won last year by the Pittwater-based team of Nicky Souter, Stacey Jackson, Nina Curtis and Amy Lee, the regatta is an opportunity for women sailors to participate in a fun but competitive environment. This year champion match racer Katie Spithill and her team will start as regatta favourites.
CYCA Immediate Past Commodore and Marinassess managing director John Messenger says: “We have supported this event since its inception because we believe it is very important to foster the competitive nature of women in sailing.
“The Marinassess Regatta has attracted some big names in Australian sailing over the years while providing an opportunity for female sailors to come together in an open event,” he added.
This event is open to 10 teams with three or four female crewmembers (weight limit applies) on each and will be run as fleet racing with a selection of Olympic triangle and windward/leeward courses. Each team member shall helm a maximum of two of the six races scheduled.
The Notice of Race and Application for Entry is available under ‘Youth’.
