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?

The Blue Peter comes down… a minute to go… the Div One boats are jostling for the final run to the line…. It’s all about max. boat speed at the gun… winding these things up takes minutes not seconds… Five 40+ footers all get it right… as the gun goes 60 tonnes of timber elegance come up onto the breeze on starboard tack, waterlines fizzing, gunnels just yards apart.

The Classic Yacht Association of Australia, held its first ever race on 11th October 1997. Twenty Four years later, this Sunday around 20 boats will start race one of the 2021/2022 CYAA Summer Series.

Peter writes, “The CYAA has named the passage race as The Topsy D Race to recognise the contribution to the history of yachting on Port Phillip by the 21 foot restricted class and in particular the Digby Family with their three boats.”