Following the resounding the success in the 75th Adelaide to Port Lincoln Race, the Reverie crew turned their attention to the 2025 Teakle Classic Lincoln Week Regatta. This year the regatta, run over four days, comprised of 5 windward/leeward races and a 30 mile Coastal Race into the Spencer Gulf and return. Winds were light and apart from a gust or two rarely exceeded 15 knots while the seas were flat. For those who have not had the pleasure of sailing at Port Lincoln, the regatta course on Boston Bay is a akin to the inner harbour at Geelong but only larger.
For the regatta Reverie’s usual crew, led by Alan Woodward, were joined Blake Anderson, the owner of Doyle Sails in Melbourne and Olympian Xu Lijia (Lily), the Women’s Radial Gold medallist in the 2012 London Olympics. I highly recommend you Google Lily and read her remarkable story. Lily and Blake fitted in well with the Reverie brand of sailing and apart from lowering the average age, their contribution was invaluable to Reverie’s success. Fun Fact – the total number of years the crew have sailed with Al totalled 584 years.
After three days racing, Reverie had three firsts in IRC in the windward/leewards (one by two seconds !) and a third in the coastal race. Going into the last day and allowing for a drop, Reverie was first 3 points clear of our main rivals, the Sydney 47 and local boat Fresh and Game On31 a Cape 31 from Adelaide.
The stage was set for an exciting final day’s racing. Throughout the regatta the wind was easing and for the final day the wind was at most 10 knots and shifting from 25 degrees though to a 100 degrees or more. These light conditions did not suit Reverie and we knew we had to hold our position if we were to have any chance of success. In the first race of the day we took a few gambles that did not pay off and finished 4th while our rivals Game On31 and Fresh finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. This narrowed our lead and going into the last race it was apparent that Game On31 had to win the last race to beat us.
Things did not go well for Reverie at the start of the last race with an OCS but fortunately with some clever sailing and tactical calls from Lily we managed to claw our way back through the fleet and finished third. This was just enough to secure victory in IRC over Game On31 on a count back. We knew it was going to be close but not that close! Overall Reverie finished with a 1st IRC and ORC, a 3rd AMS and well down the list in PHS.
Apart from the racing, the main reason people continually return to Port Lincoln is, in Al’s words, that it a regatta run by yachties for yachties without all the palaver associated with other regattas. Moreover, the hospitality of the Port Lincoln Yacht Club, organisers and town is warm and friendly and for those who are wondering, yes the Reverie crew did go down to Coffin Bay on the Sunday lay day for the traditional oyster lunch. No records were set (we missed you PJ) but we had an enjoyable lunch.
I have no hesitation in recommending this regatta to RBYC sailors.
Wishing you fair winds and following seas and remember no bananas at sea.
Commodore
Peter Demura
