Wet we got, wind not so much, as Race 1 of the Commodores Cup Passage series kicked off Sail Port Stephens for its 17th year, with the five divisions enjoying an action-packed race instead of retiring to the local cafes and pubs.
The call to sail was greeted with cheers, and the Pub-to-Pub course took the fleet on a run to Shoal Bay, then westwards on a long beat to Salamander Bay, around Middle Island off Soldiers Point and back to the finish.
Fortune favoured those who drew spinnakers, however there were round-ups aplenty as the wind averaged 15 knots but gusted to 30 as rain squalls came through. Any cobwebs were soon washed away.
The Ker 40 Mk3 Condor showed its black stern to the entire fleet, clearing out to win line-honours in 1hr39m, six minutes ahead of the well-sailed Mylius 50 Daguet. Gerry Hatton’s Mat 1220 Bushranger was third across in 1hr48m.
With the Commodores Cup judged on PHS, the Beneteau First 47.7 Popeye took first place after enjoying the working and power reaching conditions. Second was the Beneteau First 50 51st Project, a local yacht owned by Julian Bell.
In Division 2, the evergreen Farr 44 Sea Hawk used its long waterline to advantage, winning on PHS and taking the line just six seconds ahead of Organised Chaos, a Nelson Marek 1D35. Minor placings went to Andiamo, the beautiful Grand Soleil 40, and Schouten Passage.
Beneteau also took the honours in Division 3 and 4, with the Sense 50 La Troisieme Mi-Temps eclipsing the Jeanneau Sunfast 320 Ataraxia and Hanse 400 Kookaburra, and Oceanis 37 Scuffy triumphing in the Div 4 category over Ca Va (Sun Odyssey 440) and Escape (Oceanis 41.1).
Five non-spinnaker entries hit the line, with In the Mood failing to finish and three others sitting the day out. Elysium, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 was the overall winner from Namadgi 3 and Antipodes.
Take a closer look at the RPAYC fleet results written by Robert McClelland, Commodore –
RPAYC Yachts – Race 1 ORC Results Summary (31 March 2025)
Race 1 under ORC Club handicap provided a tactical challenge for all competitors, with RPAYC yachts well represented across Division 1 and Division 2. In a fleet boasting some of the most competitive IRC/ORC performers on the east coast, the Alfreds’ teams sailed fast.
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Division 1 – Yellow Start
Ross Hennessy’s Condor (Kerr 40 Mk3) led the charge for RPAYC, delivering a commanding performance to take 1st place on ORC corrected time. With an elapsed time of just 1:39:25 and the highest rating in the fleet, Condor proved why she’s one of the quickest boats on the course, stopping the clock with a corrected time of 2:18:03.
Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger (Mat 1220) backed that up with a solid effort, securing 3rd place, just behind Seeking Alpha, with a corrected time of 2:19:39 – highlighting the boat’s consistency and competitiveness across varying conditions.
Further down the leaderboard, Peter Byford’s Daguet 2 (Mylius 50) placed 7th, showing good pace for a larger cruiser-racer in the mixed fleet, while Stephen Jurd’s Banter (Beneteau First 45) took 8th, and Ray Hudson’s XS Moment (XP44) finished in 10th.
Campbell Letchford’s Vento did not start, but we’re looking forward to seeing her out in the coming races.
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Division 2 – Dark Blue Start
In Division 2, Peter Farrugia’s Bullwinkle (Bull 9000) delivered a tidy performance, finishing 3rd on ORC corrected time with 2:20:56, just behind Andiamo from CYCA.
Jenny Danks’ King Tide (Sydney 36) finished in 5th, demonstrating her team’s consistency and commitment across both PHS and ORC formats. Sean Gartner’s Seremisa (Dehler 38SQ) crossed in 6th, continuing the solid representation from RPAYC in this division.
Robert Alpe’s Gunner Goodwin was recorded as RET (retired), but we know that sometimes that’s racing – and there’s still a full regatta to go.
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RPAYC Yachts Shine in Race 1 of the PHS Regatta – March 31, 2025
Division 1: Yellow Start – Strong Showing by the Big Boats
It was a standout performance by Craig Douglas on Popeye (Beneteau First 47.7), who claimed 1st place on PHS, beating a high-calibre fleet with a corrected time of 2:08:21. Not far behind, Stephen Jurd’s Banter (Beneteau First 45) secured 4th place, just edging into the top tier of results with a corrected time of 2:11:15.
Ross Hennessy’s Condor (Kerr 40 Mk3), always fast on the water, shared equal 5th, finishing just seconds apart from Journey after corrected time, a tight result in a competitive field. Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger (Mat 1220) followed closely behind in 7th, another consistent effort from this seasoned crew.
Further down the order, Peter Byford’s Daguet 2 and Ray Hudson’s XS Moment finished 8th and 11th respectively, while Campbell Letchford’s Vento did not compete in this race.
Division 2: Dark Blue Start – Midfleet Mix for Alfreds
The top RPAYC result in Division 2 came from Sean Gartner on Seremisa (Dehler 38sq), who took 6th place, just behind the pack with a corrected time of 2:12:43. Jenny Danks on King Tide put in a solid effort for 8th, and Peter Farrugia on Bullwinkle was close behind in 10th.
Division 3: Pink Start – Big Fleet, Big Effort
It was a race of fine margins in Division 3. Matt Doyle’s La Troisieme Mi-Temps (Beneteau Sense 50) claimed 1st place, delivering a textbook handicap win with a corrected time of 1:56:32.
Also flying the Alfreds’ burgee, Bob McClung’s Serendipity (Northshore 38) placed 15th, while Adrian Williams on Kelsea Blue came in 14th, and Cameron Holt on CaVa finished 10th with a strong corrected time of 2:05:41. These results in a very closely bunched division show the tightness of the competition.
Division 4: Green Start – Smart Sailing in Cruising Class
In the most relaxed but equally competitive cruising class, Alan Reece’s Vittoria (S&S 42) finished in 10th, with a tidy corrected time of 2:01:19. Stephen Phillips on Big Blue came in 14th, while David Cunningham’s Kama III crossed in 15th. A big fleet with tight corrected times meant small differences had a big impact.
More showers are predicted for Race 2 but a mid-strength southerly will provide good conditions on the inshore course, predominantly sailing triangles in Salamander Bay.
