While most of us were trying to escape the cold, the wind and snow, RBYC sailors of all ages were active over the long weekend. The inaugural 2025 King’s Cup Regatta for the Optimist class was held at RBYC in wintery conditions, but the 40 enthusiastic young sailors remained undeterred. Organised by Craig Cobbin and Julian Smith from the Sailing Office, along with Paul & Jennifer Pascoe, and Brendon Jukes with the help of many other parents and volunteers the event was a resounding success. During a very busy three days, regatta patron John Bertrand hosted a screening of The Untold Story about Australia II’s 1983 America’s Cup win and generously answered questions and signed autographs while the young sailors enjoyed a pizza lunch courtesy of Crust Pizza in Brighton. Other highlights included a K2 Health fitness session with Krystal Weir, a rules talk by International Race Officer Paul Pascoe, and simulator sessions with John Mooney. On the water, in tight and spirited racing, William Rose and Rachel Benoy claimed the boys’ and girls’ Open Fleet titles respectively over eight races, while Edward Jukes and Bibi Stigter won the boys’ and girls’ divisions in the Intermediate Fleet across ten races. Congratulations to all involved and to the sponsors of the event Crust Pizza Brighton, KS Health, North Sails, OziOpti and Bayside City Council. Judging by the quality of the competitors and with strong support from the Club and Brendan and the Opti parent group, junior sailing at RBYC has a bright future.
On Saturday, five yachts lined up for the annual RBYC Alan Robinson Trophy race to Queenscliff in a brisk 25 knot northerly. Conditions were perfect for an exhilarating 20-mile sprint to the West Channel Pile Light. Congratulations to Andy Holmes sailing Serendipity, who claimed both Line Honours and PHS victory, finishing in less than two and a half hours, with speeds reaching 9.5 knots. All 5 boats finished with 40 mins of each other. Following the race, the fleet continued down to QCYC, where crews gathered for a well-earned evening of celebrations. The strong breeze, fast pace, and competitive spirit made for a memorable day on the water and a fitting tribute to the event.
Over the weekend, the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta was held at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS), attracting 25 boats representing every Australian state and territory except Western Australia and the ACT. Over six races, crews competed in a variety of conditions and courses. RBYC was proudly represented by Serious Yahoo, skippered by Katie Holroyd, and Cyan Moon, skippered by Katrina Hartman. Serious Yahoo achieved an outstanding result in the highly competitive fleet, finishing second overall in the AMS division. The regatta highlighted the strength and depth of women’s sailing in Australia and celebrated the continued growth of female participation in the sport—something our Club is proud to support and promote.
The sensible RBYC members escaped the chill and headed north on Highway One to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron for the VXOne Winter Nationals. Sailing 13 races, Mimi II (Lucas Couper), Willpower (Dan Gorton), and XII (Brett Bowden) raced 13 races over the weekend as part of the 23 boat fleet. Their dedication and commitment to both the VXOne class and RBYC are to be commended—an impressive effort from all involved especially given the regatta location.
Wishing you fair winds and following seas and remember no bananas at sea.
Peter Demura
Commodore
Links to results for the weekend racing;
Kings Cup Optimist Kings Cup Regatta
Alan Robinson Trophy Alan Robinson Trophy 2025
AWKR Race Results for Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron
See also AWKR Facebook for some great photos
VX One Winter Nationals Overall Pointscore Standings – SailSys
See also RQYS Facebook for some terrific footage