2023 State Champion SIROCCO waiting for Race 3 start. Photo Ian Johnson

The Tumlaren State Championship ran annually from 1937 to 1997. It was reinstated as a biennial event in 2017 and sailed at Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron last weekend. AVIAN, DINGO, ETTRICK, SIROCCO, SNOW GOOSE, YVONNE and ZEA entered the 3 race series. After hardstand preparation in March, ZEPHYR was an unfortunate late scratching.

Melbourne’s fleet of this classic Knud Reimers 28ft yacht is growing every year as boats are restored. 2022 saw the relaunch of YVONNE from F J Darley Traditional Shipwright’s shed in Williamstown. This year VAHINE (prev. Saga) will be back in the water after a complete refurb by Darley’s.

Tumlaren racing was prominent at the top of Port Phillip Bay for 60 years. St Kilda had some fifteen boats racing every Saturday. YVONNE skippered by Selim Nurminen, won the State title 17 times. The class always had devotees but the fleet slowly depleted in the 1990’s as keen sailors were attracted to newer designs. Over the last 20 years the boats have been rescued and patiently restored. Soon there will be some ten yachts regularly sailing with the classic fleet.

the Ballroom buffet

To start the regatta, crews and supporters of the Classic Yacht Association were invited to a superb dinner at George and Sarah Low’s home in St Kilda. The ballroom buffet has become a generous tradition of the championship Friday evening. Roger Dundas of AVIAN spoke of signals received from international Tumlaren owners in Canada, England and New Zealand ….. and taught us to say TUUM’LARE like Vikings. Skippers were faced with usual party dilemmas like a third red or early to bed. A hustling bookie (our SWS Editor) was taking bets on the weekend races and unlike jockey’s rules, skippers were betting on themselves. Most money came for the favourite ETTRICK at 4’s with SIROCCO at 7-2. A few side bets were laid on YVONNE and SNOW GOOSE.

Saturday morning greeted April fools with a St Kilda rainbow and forecast of lifting winds and seas. The long pier walk gives time to talk tactics while dodging busy rods landing seasonal snapper. Two races in 20 knot SSW winds and heavy Port Phillip rolls were in prospect. Only when the boats sailed around the protection of the St Kilda rock wall did we realise we were in-for-it.

ETTRICK prepping for Race 1 on Saturday. Photo Dave Brodziak

From black sirocco

Race 1. Lumpy swell made it tricky laying out sailing angles and the start line in pre-race sailing. After an ‘all clear’ start the first beat to windward allowed everyone to compare boat speed. From SIROCCO it looked like ETTRICK was well setup with her new sails and YVONNE was easily lifting to a good position. Starting on starboard we were all keen to flop over to the making leg to B mark. Maintaining boat speed required constant sail trimming and deft helming to work through the rolling slop. With gusts to 25 knots, downwind boat handling of a classic yacht in a following sea, is a choice between preservation and glory. Tumlaren have a reputation for dealing with tough conditions, so boats that hoisted spinnakers and managed the gybe surged and surfed away. Close one design racing was a feature. SIROCCO crossed the line just 26 seconds aead of ETTRICK with only 29 seconds separating 3rd and 6th on elapsed time.

Race 2. Race radio confusion with two boats well away from the start line and chatter of abandoning race had the fleet on edge. The classics were on their limit of wind speed. After a good first race YVONNE chose to retire as did ZEA. The Gippsland Lake sailors were cold and wet. The race director was determined and set a short triangle course that produced close results. With similar placings to Race 1, only 30 seconds separated 2nd and 4th on elapsed.

Race 3. Sunday was a sunny autumn morning with no wind. The forecast suggested a 7-10 knot SW would come through at 11am. Light winds and a strong current offered a very different test. After a short delay we were away at 10.40. YVONNE helmed by Carol Frecheville with shipwright husband Jim crewing, skipped away early and was never headed. All other boats made a good start on a sprung reach to the short turning E mark. SIROCCO ran their kite but went ‘prawn-trawling’ at the drop. A bow-down stall lost two places. From having to just hold position, keep out of trouble and cover ETTRICK, suddenly SIROCCO was chasing.

We knew we had uphill speed to make up lost ground. The crew stayed calm and softened the trim. We had worked her above and through ETTRICK by windward C mark. ETTRICK cleverly ran a port kite from the mark before gybing to allow them to hot-up back to D mark off Middle Park beach. Gordon has been studying Nurminen’s notes. Downwind ETTRICK went ahead of SIROCCO. We needed to stay clear ahead of a fast-moving SNOW GOOSE. 3rd place behind YVONNE and ETTRICK would secure the championship.

Saturday fleet passing H mark. Photo Gordon Tait. Photos above Janet Wilkes

Tricky Sunday run to beach Mark D. Photo: Ian Johnson

From red avian

Saturday forecast not bad, seemed to be a bit fuller than expected but all well in the setup. Once around the breakwater the swell became more apparent and we would need to pay attention (….. as we always do).

Race 1. First start postponed to allow ZEA to get to the line after some minor delays and we misjudged the time calls thinking we had a minute to run. Catchup time. The course didn’t allow any tactical options so at the top mark we opted for the spinnaker and hunted down DINGO and SNOW GOOSE in an exhilarating run, peaking at 9.3 knots. In all the exhilaration we missed the call for shortened course and tacked west from D mark only to hear WILLIAM PETERSON’S horn and realised we should have been heading for the finish not setting for lap 2. DINGO and SNOW GOOSE made no such mistake.

Race 2. We nailed the start only to have a recall. Got away amongst the crowded line on the restart and followed SIROCCO and ETTRICK around the first mark. Once again had the spinnaker working to close on ETTRICK downhill and then at D mark chose to drive straight home without tacking. The rock wall beckoned but we had caught ETTRICK sufficient to think we might nudge her out but failed by 17 seconds.

Race 3. Autumn on Port Phillip. Wafts of wind and flat water. Reasonable start under shy kite but only fourth around the mark with YVONNE surging ahead in their familiar Gippsland ‘lake’ conditions. Once again followed the leader trying our best to overtake SNOW GOOSE but to no avail.

YVONNE is rounding D mark. Following boats sailing by-the-lee. Photo: Ian Johnson

YVONNE waiting for a Sunday start. SNOW GOOSE above. Photos Sarah Low

Silverware

The real results show in a healthy Tumlaren community and the return of YVONNE and ZEA to the fleet. Tumlaren regattas continue to attract quality inshore and offshore sailors. The Frecheville family, restored Tumlare TARNA at Paynesville and came up to sail YVONNE. DINGO has the very experienced ‘dingo pups’ Janet Dean and onboard rigger Janet Wilkes. Shipwright Dick Blake has joined ETTRICK as midshipman in the weekend office. SIROCCO enjoyed Etchell sailor Ben Solly on foredeck for Saturday, swapping with Gerry Cantwell on Sunday. Matt Solly committed to taking ZEA around the course on both days to build race confidence for the crew. The Solly brothers grew up sailing 12ft Cadet dinghies at St Kilda. Their father Albert rebuilt the 1933 21 footer DOLPHIN in the garage and sailed Tumlare DINGO.

Tumlaren skippers with T. L. Banks Trophy at RMYS. Photo Sarah Low

YVONNE comfortably won the third race and the Knud Reimers Perpetual Trophy. AVIAN won the beautiful half model James Frecheville Perpetual Trophy. ETTRICK took one design silver and the Doug Jenkin Consistency Trophy - very well noted by all as she was Doug’s Tum. SNOW GOOSE came through with PHS silver and the Bert Ferris Trophy for best performing crew. SIROCCO took out the T. L. Banks Trophy for one design, the Eric Haydon PHS and the CYAA Presidents prize.

Time Travel

Here’s some historical context to Melbourne’s Tumlaren Title. Many of the boats sailing in 2023 regatta were once State champions. So is it the skipper or the boat? Selim Nurminen helming Joe White’s YVONNE won 17 times through the 1950’s to the 1970’s. SNOW GOOSE sailed by George Low’s father and uncle won the title in 1951-’52. Len Digby from Williamstown renamed her YOEMAN and won the title three times in the early 1960’s. ZEA won twice between 1953-’55. AVIAN won in 1952-’53 then 19 times when helmed by Bill Gash between 1976 and 1997. DINGO won in 1986-’87. Nurminen reprised on YOEMAN in 1981-’82 for Doug Jenkin and with VAHINE in 1987-’88 aged 80. ETTRICK has won twice in 2017 and 2021. SIROCCO 2019 and 2023.

Appreciation

Another successful Tumlaren regatta owes much to George and Sarah Low for setting up the weekend at Friday’s dinner. CYAA’s Peter Costolloe and Janet Dean from RMYS provided superb race management. Colin Orchard Club Captain at HBYC, kept watch in all weather from the Cat7 safety boat WILLIAM PATTERSON driven by Greg Blackwood. Tony Hoppe @helmhog worked the race tower decisions with Peter C.

No insurance agent took a weekend call and the bookie declared it a ‘bad day’.