Its official - Sara Bruce, Cooper Bellingham & Tash Bryant will represent Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club - RPAYC for the SailGP Inspire Racing Program in Sydney. 

The global championship returns to Sydney Harbour on February 28-29. Tickets are available at SailGP.com/Sydney. For further information on SailGP Inspire and to sign-up to future programs, visit SailGP.com/Inspire.

The 9th annual Club Marine Pittwater Sail Expo will be held over the weekend of 21st & 22nd March 2020. The Club Marine Pittwater Sail Expo has matured into an occasion to showcase the Club and a large range of marine products and services. It’s become familiar to both the sailing public and the broader community.

The 2019 Expo directly generated a significant number of new memberships to RPAYC (30 full and general members).  It also alerted a wide group of potential candidates to the sailing and boating opportunities available to members of the RPAYC. 
The Club would like to ask for your participation as a volunteer for the event to reinforce the RPAYC “personality” to visitors. We have a number of volunteer positions available on the roster on both Saturday and Sunday however we are particularly interested to hear from members who may wish to volunteer on Sunday.

If you are able to assist, please email Liz Rear Commodore Membership email:rc.membership@rpayc.com.au and include your day preference i.e. Sat/Sat (or both), whether the morning or afternoon suits you.  

Two handed sailing has a strong pedigree and a big following in the northern hemisphere but with the notable exception of the Melbourne Osaka Race it hasn’t attracted sustained mainstream interest here.

Short-handed sailing represents a huge physical and mental challenge. You get virtually zero sleep and have to physically push the boat while balancing learning to work together as a team. All of which makes it complicated, but also extremely rewarding and it must be said, fun.

If any of that sounds interesting, as opposed to a nightmare, then there’s some good news as this year there is a big and some would argue long overdue expansion of short handed events on the sailing calendar.

The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is offering a short handed division in the Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race getting underway on Friday 3 April and in the Cat 1 Moonen Yachts Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2021. A few months later the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia will include a two handed division in the Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast Race 2020 as a qualifier for the 2020 Rolex Sydney Hobart, which will for the first time include a short handed division.

RPAYC Tuesday 11 February, 6.30pm. Halayrds Bistro also open for dinner.

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                        4 February, 2020

The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) in Sydney and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) in Auckland take great pleasure in announcing Moonen Yachts as the naming rights sponsor of the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2021.   

Moonen Yachts is a Netherlands-based builder of luxury superyachts recently acquired by Australian owners, Matthew and Louise Baxter.

Welcoming the company as naming rights sponsor of the 1250 nautical mile race, Robert McClelland, chairman of the RPAYC race organising committee said: “We are thrilled to be entering this partnership with Moonen Yachts. Their commitment to producing global voyaging vessels of the highest standard adds to the prestige and is a good fit for this new yacht race.”

Commenting on their sponsorship, Matthew Baxter noted: “It’s our goal to present Moonen Yachts to the world, to a larger audience. And of course, with Sydney Harbour in our backyard and our connection to New Zealand, we’re proud to bring the brand to the South Pacific.”

The Baxters first connected to the brand when they spotted a Moonen yacht in Pittwater, where the RPAYC is also based: “We were curious because she stood out. It was love at first sight,” Louise Baxter commented.

“The brand is impeccable, no question, and the team is very talented,” added Matthew. “They’re all very passionate about what they are building.”

Matthew and Louise Baxterlive in Sydney and are no strangers to yachting. “I started sailing when I was eight,” said Matthew, who heads AM Group, a global group of manufacturing companies he founded in 1972 – the same year the couple bought Barbarian, a Sparkman & Stephens design, which they still own. The pair subsequently purchased a Finnish Swan 60.

“We sailed all over the Pacific in that boat. I circumnavigated New Zealand and I’ve sailed to Noumea with Louise five times,” he said.  

We had 11 RPAYC Laser sailors attend the NSW Laser Metros held at Double Bay Sailing Club. There were 3 Laser 4.7’s, 3 Radials and 5 Standards out of a fleet of 98 boats. 
 
Saturday we saw a strong 25+ knot NorEaster and a very choppy Sydney Harbour and we sailed three very tough races in very strong conditions. Races were held near Double Bay between Clarke Island and Shark Island. There was plenty of harbour traffic and plenty of hoots from the Manly Ferries. Also there were plenty of sore bodies on Saturday night.Three races were completed, with Olivia Williams ending the day with a 3,3,1. 
 
Sunday had a light southerly arrive and the first race was held in front of Double Bay in a light and very shifty breeze. Bayley got off to a handy lead in the 4.7’s only to be outdone by a shift and gust from nowhere to have the other competitors catch up and pass. The RO moved the course into Rose Bay for the final two races where the wind was a little more consistent and a bit stronger. Highlight of the day was Dave being first to the top mark in the Standards in race 6, in front of his coach Brett Beyer.
 
Top result in the 4.7’s was Olivia third overall and first female with Bayley receiving the encouragement award for 5^th overall and second female. Pru was 8^th in the small but very competitive 4.7 fleet.
Top result in the Radials was Liam with a 26^th, but Lauren and Kerrie were not far behind with 31 and 32 respectively. The radial fleet is by far the most competitive with 50 boats entered.
In the Standards, Stuart came 6^th overall, Steve 16^th overall, Dave 23^rd and Bruce 28^th  from a fleet of 37 boats. Chris was forced to retire after a suspected knee injury from Saturday’s racing.

Thanks to Double Bay Sailing Club for running another great event for us Laser sailors.
 
Full results can be found here

Report - Thanks to David Taylor & Steve Bryant