The annual BliSS female skippers regatta has always been something to look forward to with 20 boats entered for last Sunday’s racing. Unfortunately, the weather was unkind and the event was abandoned – however we’d like to acknowledge all the supporters; the sailors, boats owners and sponsors. Here is some of the history…
The Associates Cup Trophy was originally donated when women could only be Associate members of RBYC with the requirement there should be at least one female on board.
The trophy was not used for a number of years until women could become full members and in 2007 it was reintroduced with the requirement that the skipper must be a female member of RBYC.
In 2009, RBYC’s inaugural Brighton Ladies Skippers Series (BLISS) regatta was held. It was a two-day event with 3 back-to-back short-course races on Saturday and the short passage race for the Associates Cup on Sunday. The regatta proved very successful and continues to this day. In recent years, our BLISS Regatta has changed to a one-day format, held in late autumn.
Today, the five keelboat clubs at the top of Port Phillip Bay offer the Port Phillip Women’s Championship Series (PPWCS) each season, specifically Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, Sandringham Yacht Club, and Royal Brighton. As a result, strong connections and collaboration have been established among the women at all five clubs.
There have been strong supporters who have helped make the regatta such a success over the years.
- Yacht Racing Services Association (AMS) has supported BLiSS training events leading up to each regatta
- Pommery, providing a welcoming glass of champagne to competitors
- Gordon Syme from Yachtmaster Sailing School for providing course vouchers as prizes
- Krystal Weir from K2 Physiotherapy who has donated gift vouchers as prizes
- Mandy Jackson, independent Nutrimetics consultant who has supported the regatta for many years and has donated prizes across the divisions.
- RBYC for donating café vouchers as prizes
Thanks also to Race officer Lou Hutton, and our RBYC Race Management team and Sailing Office as well as all the volunteers who have given us their Sunday to run this regatta each year.
We look forward to BLiSS 2027.