What I really like is the inclusion of an IOR Division that is open to any yacht that has a launch date after 1975 and prior to 1991 and has competed in a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. This brings new purpose to a whole style of racer that has been left floundering in the wake of rule changes over the last three decades.

And we had to find the “right” people. They had to have experience of competitive yacht racing, but also an appreciation for timber craft, and above all an understanding that the wellbeing of the crews and craft must be placed well ahead of a desire to win. And without wanting to sound boastful…. we nailed it!

“Eet’s the end of summer,” said the taxi driver, en route from the airport to Barcelona, partly because he’d just learned to say it on Duolingo, but mostly because of the heavy rain and great bolts of fork lightning in the sky above the Catalonian capital.

How do you quantify the feeling of six 40 plus ft craft, meters apart, with a combined age of 400 years, storming close-hauled through the Port Phillip chop towards a start line?

Imagine This. You are standing amongst some of Australia’ most important wooden vessels, smelling the huon pine, admiring the gracious curves and soaking up the history. You have a glass of Tahbilk Ambassador Shiraz 2020 in one hand and a bespoke snag from Lygon Street’s greatest butcher in the other.

Joe paid his dues at the malthouse. Like all new employees he would sweep the floors, feed the hoppers, operate the revolving screens, filled, sewed up, and carried the four and a half bushel bags. Only 4 years into training in 1892, at just 23 years old, Joe had to step up and take the reins of the business.

After being revitalised in 2023, The Cup Regatta, organised by the Classic Yacht Association of Australia, is now looking to expand its reach, with a goal of having 50+ boats racing on the waters of Port Phillip on the first weekend of November.

“…Of all the many anachronisms at the modern Olympics, sailing is perhaps the most conspicuous of all: a continuing sop to super-rich men who founded the Games and still just really love yachts, basically inaccessible to most of the countries in the world, even the ones with a viable coastline.”

Having sailed hard in the big winds in the early part of the week and then dominating in the light breeze in the second half of the regatta, it was the Metre yachts that triumphed overall

The line-up was exceptional with the presence of legendary sailors. The races were intense, with difficult weather conditions for everyone. We are very lucky to have an extraordinary team of volunteers at the club, nothing would be possible without them!

At the start line for Saturday's first race there were twenty Gaff or similarly rigged yachts. They ranged from a fifty plus year old 10ft timber gaff rigged skiff replica MERLE, with a crew of three and a healthy spread of sail, to a recently impeccably refurbished Couta Boat CRYSTAL.  

I think its sometimes ok to just wallow in the sheer majesty of massive, elite, eye-wateringly expensive, restored Classic Yachts.

The Bahamian wooden racing sloops begin to arrive. Sloops from distant islands are transported as deck cargo on inter island barges; sloops from closer islands arrive under tow. Along with the sloops come their accessories — extra booms, masts, sails, and lead ingots used for ballast so the sailors can tweak their boats during the regatta as wind conditions change.

There’s lots of advertising, and a terrible design! But it’s good to be aware of the scale of what can be achieved given the right environment in the world of Classic Yacht Regattas.

The Noosa Gaff Rig Regatta boats can be constructed of traditional or modern materials. This year we are expecting over 20 traditional Gaff rigged yachts of all shapes and sizes sailing on the beautiful Noosa river, which will created spectacular events to watch!

The maritime gods smiled upon us, with lots of sunshine and winds tailor-made for the wooden boat vessels. A gentle breeze fluttering between 10 -12 knots filled the sails throughout the weekend.

The annual Mahurangi Regatta is back to its former glory after a few years of setbacks. Enjoy the imagery here!

At days end my retreat is a cool wine bar overlooking the fleet. Young cosmopolitans mixed with grandmothers and priests, not a sailor in sight, endless delicious anti-pasta free with the excellent local wine. I have realised that pretty well every boat here except ours is professionally crewed. A youthful full-of-it-ness camaraderie characterises their beery off-duty hours.

With constant evolving sailing technology and boat designs, it is becoming increasingly more important to remind ourselves of the heritage of yacht racing. A nod to the enduring legacy of classic yachts and their pivotal role in shaping the RSHYR has given rise to a dedicated two-day regatta

Whether you are custodian of a much loved family dinghy, have just finished building your first kayak, are restoring a traditional Tassie cray boat, or are mad for sailing among other timber boats, this is your weekend to head down to the beautiful D'Entrecasteaux Channel on, or with, your wooden boat.