Cup Regatta 2022.2
Tumlare YVONNE racing 2 weeks after relaunch
The Classic Yacht Association had a smaller turn-out than normal. classic yachts are getting ready for the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival in February 2023.
There’s a small window for lifting out wooden boats for maintenance before Christmas and the hot weather. The Rhodes FAIR WINDS and the S&S BOAMBILLEE were on the hard. Some owners are on post Covid holiday enjoying Autumn travel in the N hemisphere. Appropriately the captain of our big Fife cutter SAYONARA is in Japan. That released their skipper Dave Allen to the Tumlarens. Forecasts for strong winds and bad weather plus the deluge of foul flood water, filled with logs and dogs, makes classic owners cautious. Let’s not spend Summer in the repair yard.
Hall of Fame
Last weekend kicked off on Friday evening at the Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club with Life Membership given to three of the CYAA’s earliest participants. Doug Shields was acknowledged for guiding the rebuild of WAITANGI and SAYONARA, as well as his crucial work in setting the platform for what is now the CYAA. Col Anderson was also deeply involved in the WAITANGI and SAYONARA projects and went on to restore the Charlie Peel designed ACROSPIRE III. Martin Ryan has been the custodian of the legendary MERCEDES III for over 30 years and led the expansion of the Association into Sydney where a strong relationship is now developing, as well as consolidating the regattas shared with CYANZ.
Mark Chew spoke about Col, noting his sailing, sailmaking and policing experiences as well as crewing on the Admirals Cup winning team boat POLICE CAR in 1979. When this writer was new to classics 15 years ago, Col made effort to know my name and greet me when passing - that speaks volumes. Damian Purcell spoke of Doug’s ‘rock-steady’ work with the CYAA and skills to steer RYCV ‘off the rocks’ as club Commodore. Peter Bowie gave a wonderful pictorial history of competitive sailing with Martin since they were Frankston Boyz.
Doug, Col and Martin collect their awards. Picture Roger Dundas
Weekend Weather
BOM forecast was accurate. Saturday was heavy layered cloud, sun patches with a straight westerly building from 12 knots to rain squalls delivering 28 knots. The light produced terrific pictures for the photographers chasing the fleet. Sunday was a test of light weather skills. The race director set a drifting spinnaker start before the shifting northerly filled in. A bit of luck was mixed with local knowledge and sailing skills. Monday’s pursuit race was unfortunately abandoned with gales forecast.
The top end of the course near Port Melbourne means tricky twisting shifts off the beach and apartment infill but flat water. The southern end exposed beyond Altona produced difficult rolling slop for the downhill legs. Thrown in on both days on the western side of the course was a huge tidal outflow from the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers with recent rain and floods.
Weekend Winners
As DINGO’s skipper commented, the overall winner was Port Phillip’s Tumlaren fleet. The big boats went off in their own division separating the one-design Tumlarens in Division 2. These boats from the 1930’s were a feature of the weekend. Seven entered and six turned out. Two other boats ZEA and ZEST are race ready and VAHINE will finish her restoration in early 2023. ZARA is also being restored. That will make eleven Tums …not bad numbers from the original St Kilda fleet of fourteen.
Generational connections and crew quality for the Regatta was testament to the enduring quality of this 8m keelboat. In Saturday’s tough blustery conditions the high aspect Tumlaren rig can be hard hauled without reefing. To keep the boat driving required a super flat main with draft moved forward and top twist to dump the squalls. To test everyones set-up, Sunday’s light start required a loose full rig.
Green
Peter and Maggie Bannerman have recently taken over this boat with one short season under their belt. For continuity, the sale was negotiated with the experienced crew, Matthew ‘steak knives’ Herbert thrown in. Congratulations go to ZEPHYR #318 for sailing consistently over four races to take out the Col Bandy and Concourse prizes.
Blue
George Low and Sarah Milledge sailed two-up on SNOW GOOSE #309. They made excellent starting positions in both Saturday races and showed boat speed staying with the fleet upwind. They lost ground on the downhill legs by wisely choosing not to set a spinnaker. Unfortunately their gooseneck failed after Race 2 leaving them ashore for Sunday. In true Tum style the blue crew turned up early at RYCV to see everyone off.
Red
The famous red AVIAN #96 struggled to settle and de-power their rig on Saturday. That delivered spectacular photos of a very clean bottom. By Sunday she was in her rhythm with another Tum tragic Matt Solly joining the crew. They crossed the finish line in Race 3 within a few seconds of DINGO followed by SIROCCO. Thats a one-design start and finish.
Yellow
Jim Hutchinson worked his handicap on DINGO #200 to perfection. Yellow secured the top ‘dingo pup’ crew of Janet Dean and Monica Jones from RMYS to win the Tony Blake Perpetual trophy for best combined performance over season and Regatta 2022.
SAYONARA & RAWHITI on Port Phillip 1907. Painting by Tony Blake donated to the CYAA as Perpetual Trophy for the season and Cup Regatta
Black
Black boat had Ben Solly on foredeck and Gerry Cantwell mainsheet. Ben is a master tactician, growing up with dinghies at Black Rock and Tumlaren at St Kilda. His father purchased DONDU #200 and renamed her DINGO. Gerry is usually sailing his carbon Marten 49 CARRERA S from Sandringham. SIROCCO’s boat speed was good but a stiff handicap and tacking errors into the tide and wind holes proved fatal. PHS overall series result tells a different story?
Teal
The syndicate worked to get YVONNE #97 launched, registered and tuned for the regatta. Their purpose was to make a good showing and attract different crews to this famous boat. A top crew was wrangled. Dave Allen, normally helming SAYONARA or RP62 NO LIMIT, was skipper. With no tiller extension, Dave used rope-n-foot technique to brilliant effect. Supervising shipwright Ferdi Darley sat midships to enjoy the watertight result and watch the fleet, mostly made up of his work. Kath Solly on foredeck is an expert Tum sailor and daughter of Doug Jenkin who sailed on Tums in the 1970’s before owning YEOMAN and ETTTRICK. With that pedigree the untested YVONNE was given a stiff handicap that proved about right. She took line honours in three of the four Tum races.
Huon taking up means Sika coming out
Tumlaren Fleet
DIVISION 1 & 3
AKALA
BARANNE
JEDDA
MARTINI
MERCEDES III
SCIMITAR
TANDANYA
Regatta Results Here
Photos by Elizabeth O'Dea Mark Chew and Alex McKinnon for Sail World.