Media Release
Pittwater, NSW – 14 March 2026
Competitors at the 2026 Pittwater Off-the-Beach (OTB) Regatta were greeted with picturesque but frustratingly light winds on Day One, delaying the start of racing on Pittwater.
Sailors and race officials assembled early in anticipation of the opening races of the regatta, however a calm Pittwater and only intermittent signs of breeze forced the race committee to hold competitors ashore while awaiting more favourable wind conditions.
With temperatures in the mid-20°C range and mostly cloudy skies across the Northern Beaches, the day provided comfortable conditions on shore but little pressure across the water. The light to zero breeze across Pittwater made it impossible to set a fair course for the fleet during the morning session.
Racing eventually got underway at 2:00pm, 2hrs after the scheduled start, for most fleets as a light 6–8 knots breeze finally filled in across Pittwater.
In the small pond, the Optimist classes run by Bayview Yacht Racing Association (BYRA) provided competitors with a valuable opportunity to tune up ahead of the Optimist State Championships next weekend, hosted by RPAYC.
Avalon Sailing Club (ACS) had the challenge of managing two championships on their course area. The MJ Nationals (Part 2) and the Spiral Travellers Series, along with the ILA and AERO classes, raced on a course area in the “big pond” north of Scotland Island. After a number of AP signals during the morning, all classes were eventually sent away racing in steady conditions, completing two races for the day.
On the Waszp NSW Championship course, located north of Longnose Point, conditions proved more challenging. Racing for the WASZPs, 29ers, 420s and Multihulls struggled in the patchy breeze, with only one race completed for the WASZPs and two races for the remaining classes.
As the afternoon progressed, however, the breeze once again began to fade, with the light conditions across Pittwater producing a frustrating end to the opening day of the regatta.
The Pittwater OTB Regatta has attracted a strong fleet of off-the-beach classes from across New South Wales and interstate, with competitors making the most of the limited breeze to get racing underway.
Racing will continue over the coming days, with sailors and race officials hoping for stronger and more consistent conditions across Pittwater.
