The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) fleet delivered a series of strong performances at the 2026 Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, raced in demanding conditions with winds gusting close to 30 knots across Sydney Harbour. The final day also produced dramatic scenes, with several knockdowns and crews briefly in the water, though all sailors were safely recovered. With 13 boats competing across five classes, the Club featured prominently in the final results.
RPAYC’s Ker 40 Condor, owned by Ross Hennessy, delivered another impressive result. While narrowly missing the Super 40 overall title on countback to the Tasmanian GP42 Ambition, Condor secured first place in Open Division 1, the division incorporating the Super 40 fleet, continuing the yacht’s reputation as one of the Harbour’s most competitive boats.
In Open Division 2, David Hamilton’s Farr 40 Seeking Alpha delivered an excellent regatta, finishing second overall behind the DK46 Nine Dragons after a very competitive series that saw only a handful of points separating the leading boats.
RPAYC yachts also featured prominently in Performance Spinnaker Division 1, filling two of the top three positions. Banter (Scott Robertson) claimed first place overall, sailing a consistent series across the Harbour Passage races, while Daguet 2 (Rob Aldis) finished third overall to give the club another podium finish.
Another excellent result came from Organised Chaos (Garry Gudmunson), which topped the ORC standings in the Performance fleet.
In the Sydney 38 One-Design NSW Championship, Conspiracy (Peter/Byford and David Hudson) successfully defended its state title. The team dominated the series with five race wins and a second place, finishing ten points ahead of their closest challenger.
The VX-One fleet delivered some of the regatta’s most dramatic racing and close competition. RPAYC entries were again prominent, with VeXatious (Jervis Tilly) finishing second overall, tied on points with the winner after leading the fleet earlier in the regatta. No Excuses (Juliet Costanzo) secured third place
There was also drama involving Rapture (Dave Hyde), which was knocked down under spinnaker with the crew thrown overboard and separated from the yacht. Quick action from nearby support boats saw the crew recovered safely and returned to the boat.
Other RPAYC yachts competing across the fleets included Bullwinkle 400, and XS Moment, adding to the club’s strong representation in the regatta.
Thanks also to Rear Commodore Yacht Racing, Peter Farrugia, who competed with Bullwinkle 400 and helped lead the strong RPAYC presence across the Harbour over the weekend, and to the RPAYC volunteers led by Steve Merrington, whose support on race management contributed to the smooth running of the event.
Congratulations to all the RPAYC skippers and crews who represented the Club so well throughout the regatta.
The 21st Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club with support from clubs including RPAYC, again delivered competitive racing across a wide range of fleets. For RPAYC sailors, the event produced multiple podium finishes and a championship title, highlighting the club’s strong presence in one of Sydney Harbour’s premier keelboat regattas.
Results:
Open Class 2026
IRC 2nd – Div 1 – Condor – Ross Hennessy / ORC 1st
IRC 5th – Div 1 – Bullwinkle 400 – Peter Farrugia / ORC 4th
IRC 2nd – Div 2 – Seeking Aplha – David Hamilton / ORC 1st
IRC 8th – Div 2 – XS Moment – Ray Hudson / ORC 7th
Performance Class (Spinnaker) 2026
PHS 1st – Div 1 – Banter – Scott Robinson & Steve Jard / ORC 5th
PHS 3rd – Div 1 – Daguet 2 – Rob Aldis / ORC 4th
PHS 5th – Div 1 – Organised Chaos – Garry Gudmunson / ORC 1st
Super 40
EHC 2nd – Condor – Ross Hennessy / ORC 1st
EHC 4th – Bullwinkle – Pete Farrugia / ORC 4th
Sydney 38 NSW Championship 2026
Class 1st- Conspiracy – David Hudson & Peter Byford / PHS 3rd
VX-One One Design Class 2026
Class 2nd – VeXatious – Jervis Tilly
Class 3rd – No Excuses – Juliet Costanzo
Class 4th – Rapture – Dave Hyde