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.

More than 10 years later, the term Frequency Illusion was coined by Stanford linguist Arnold Zwicky. Essentially, the Frequency Illusion is a perception that something you’ve been thinking about, or recently learned, all of a sudden seems much more frequent in your environment than it was before.

While not a boating story, it’s boating related in so many ways; Surrounded by Australia’s most recognisable sailing ground, emblematic of the canvas of wind powered craft and designed by people with maritime history running through their veins.

The Notice of Race has now been published for this years Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta.

It began when George Holmes ordered a boat to be built by one of Sydney’s finest boat builders, Joe Donnelly, which first raced at the Balmain Regatta in 1898.  

“I have sailed in this club since it was formed and for twenty years have never taken a start.  I am not a one-day champion, have always been a champion, and consider I should always be on scratch.  Whilst I am boat sailing, if I can’t win without a start it is time for me to turn the game up.” 

Turns out you can teach an old Regatta new tricks. For the very first time, The Balmain Regatta includes a Work Boat Convoy.

After two years of planning thirteen Couta Boats travelled from Melbourne along with two crews from Perth for the 2022 Sydney Harbour Gaffers Regatta.

The success of Foy’s plan was instant and has maintained its relevance to 18ft Skiff racing over the following 130 years with spectator ferries still following the Australian 18 Footers League’s ‘modern boat’ racing each Sunday during each Australian summer season.

“I have always been a bit eccentric and done my own thing. My mother thought it would ruin my skin and make me unladylike, which it did, and I wasn’t encouraged. So that for me was a great challenge, I did it in spite of everybody.” From teaching sailing during WW2, to commissioning her own boats and founding a magazine - Sheila’s story remains an inspiration.

Wally Ward designed a well-known series of yachts in Sydney over a period of 30 years from 1937 to 1965. His first yacht JANAWAY paved the way with her perfect hull balance and unmatched performance for her size.

Barnett was determined to regain his Australian title and his design of Myra Too created a boat exceptionally suited to Sydney Harbour conditions and, along with a powerful Marconi-rigged big sail, had good, all round speed in any conditions.

With the 100th Australian 18 footers Championship scheduled to be sailed on Sydney Harbour from February 5 to 13, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on its history and acknowledge the contributions of designers, builders and competitors from NSW, Queensland and Western Australia since the first event at Perth in 1912

This day was different. There was a current tsunami warning

as a result of the enormous volcanic explosion and eruption in Tonga.

People were advised to keep clear of the shoreline and be aware that

there could be strong currents and unexpected eddies.

TUP is on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels. As just over half of their 36 yachts were folkies, they are in many ways H & J’s “signature” boats, and they were probably responsible for the largest number of the class in Australia

Len Heffernan was a champion 18ft skiff skipper, designer and boat builder of the 1950s and 60s, who changed the style of the Sydney 18 footers in the early 1960s, but never gets the recognition that he deserves.

“But sailing is a pursuit most fascinating, varied, and exciting, in which women can become absolutely proficient, requiring no particular muscular effort or physical strength, only quickness of judgment, and a knowledge, which can be acquired by practice and the opportunity. So any woman wishing to shine in a delightful little world of her own would do well to emulate Miss Pritchard.”

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Launch of VANITY, the 24ft Ranger Class Gaffer, that has set the standard for the class over the last two decades.

Jorn Utzon, the Danish architect of the Sydney Opera House grew up in a world of boats. Sailing, living and working near the water was a three generational activity for the Utzon family.

For almost 150 years, excluding the odd war and pandemic, SASC has held races every Saturday in summer. January 9, 2021 was no exception. Here are some fantastic photos of the fleet in action, captured by Andrea Francolini.