The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing woodenboats
in Australia, New Zealand & The South Pacific.

REGATTAS Mark Chew REGATTAS Mark Chew

Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta 2025

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.

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BOAT SEARCH Mark Chew BOAT SEARCH Mark Chew

Finding Glenshiel

"My father in law, Hugh Garnham (now in his late 80s) built a 26ft Huon pine yacht, called GLENSHIEL in the late 1950s, to do the Sydney-Hobart. He was in his early twenties when he built it at his parents’ house, which happened to be on the foreshore of the Derwent."

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REGATTAS Mark Chew REGATTAS Mark Chew

2023 Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta

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

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RACING Mark Chew RACING Mark Chew

Rushed Research

Our EDM goes out at 7am every Friday to 4000 readers. By 8am we had over a dozen emails and comments, rightly pulling us up on our shoddy research!

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RACING Mark Chew RACING Mark Chew

Timber to Hobart- The Annual Audit

Entries closed this week for the 78th Rolex Sydney to Hobart. As we did last year, let’s have a quick scan of the timber vessels that are making the trip south. As far as I can tell there are only four genuinely timber boats… unless I’ve missed something.

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ENVIRONMENT Mark Chew ENVIRONMENT Mark Chew

The Weather Guru

I’ve worked with the best sailors in the world. Pretty much all of them have an absolute feeling and instinct about the wind and the nature of the wind they’re sailing in. But if you scratch the surface, they know bugger-all. And if you could put a bit of science into it, they could learn a lot more. 

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RACING Mark Chew RACING Mark Chew

To Hobart aboard KIALOA II

What followed was some exciting downwind sailing. With wind speeds of up to 45 knots from behind, simple manoeuvres became all 18 hands on deck and up to 45 minutes of planning and execution just to safely gybe the 45-ton bucking bronco.

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RESTORATION Mark Chew RESTORATION Mark Chew

Eddy Vinks and the epic restoration of BOONGOWN

I think to myself, isn't it great that we have people in the world, passionate master craftsmen like my good mate Eddy, who put all their love into a project such as Boongown, until it just seeps from every surface and inspires the admiration of everyone who sees it or is lucky enough to climb aboard.

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RESTORATION Mark Chew RESTORATION Mark Chew

EOS-Goddess of the dawn

On January 16th, 1980 the barometer dropped 4 points and things got hairy.
 Their single sideband radio would receive Radio Moscow in English but all they could receive from Australia was snatches of cricket commentary no weather forecasts.

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Mark Chew Mark Chew

the 1946 Sydney Hobart Start by A.D.Blake

What is almost as impressive as the aesthetic, is the historical accuracy of the paintings…”The start was off Rose Bay between Clark and Shark Islands. Rose Bay beach is in the background.”

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RACING Charlie Salter RACING Charlie Salter

Are We Racing?

The Sydney to Hobart over 628nm has been sailed annually since 1945. The race was Covid cancelled in 2020 and there is a real possibility of no race in 2021. While waiting for a decision, SWS speculates about State based “on water matters” and possible alternatives.

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