The feeling of anticipation, it passes; tears and disappointment they pass, exaltation and exhilaration they pass, the aching muscles and bruises they certainly pass but two things that never pass are your memories, memories of a great regatta ,and friendship, those of the old friends you have caught up with once again as well as the new friends you have made. This is what the Cup Regatta is all about. No playing for sheep-stations here.

Craft of wildly disparate shapes and sizes, built for different purposes on both princely or miserly budgets, assemble on the start line, go hard for two or three hours, squeezing every 10th of knot out of there often unsuitable hull forms

Last week, the Classic Yacht Association of Australia learned that it had secured support from the Joe White Bequest to run the 19th Cup Regatta in 2025. This is the second year in a row that the event has benefitted from the Bequest and hopefully it’s just the start of a long and fruitful relationship.

If you have been reading SWS for a while you will have heard me express my opinion about how the Classic sailing world needs to shift its outlook from one of exclusivity (“you don’t qualify to sail with us”) to one the is inclusive at every opportunity. It shouldn’t be so much about what your boat is made of, but what your attitude is to the values of community, craft, tradition and adventure.

Organized by the Royal Barcelona Yacht Club (Real Club Náutico de Barcelona), the regatta welcomed historic yachts from over 10 countries and nearly 400 sailors, reaffirming its prestige and outstanding international appeal.

PS we don't have sail numbers as per the regatta sailing instructions because skiffs using characteristic unique symbols out date sail numbers. 

The regatta usually marks the close of the Caribbean sailing season in April, and is famous not only for its racing but also its social scene — think laid-back Caribbean vibes, live music, and sunset parties, all while being surrounded by living pieces of sailing history.

The forecast looks good and there should be no excuses for not turning up for a 'Celebration of Sail' of Classic Yachts. We are expecting some Coutas and Rangers from the Harbour to join the Pittwater Coutas for a Gaffers Division and I am hopeful that we could have a mixed Metre Boat division on the Saturday ( 5.5M, 6M & 8M )…….. plus other Bermudians!

In 2010, the club was dealt a blow when its club HQ and sometime trophy cabinet was destroyed in a covert operation by Parks Management. The stump was cleared away. Committee members spent some months meandering haplessly from pub to pub in search of a suitable venue for meetings.

The Regatta courses took participants to Manly for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday races. Each day, with a lot of east in the breeze and big tides, decisions taken on which side of the harbour to work shaped the results and helped a lot of others decide what they will do next time.

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!