A combination of brilliant autumn sunshine and light north-easterly winds provided a spectacular backdrop for the opening day of Week 3 of Sail Port Stephens, comprising the Super Series for large racer/cruiser monohulls and an enthusiastic contingent of multihulls.
The Oatley family’s evergreen Reichel Pugh 66 Wild Oats X led the Super Racer Cruiser Division from the start off the Nelson Bay break wall out through the entrance to the Bay and to Cabbage Tree Island. The course traced a figure eight around Little and Boondelbah Islands, before a long spinnaker run back to the finish in Nelson Bay.
With the breeze fluctuating between four to 10 knots, Phillip Neil’s Hoek TC78 Drumfire – undoubtedly the most stylish boat – found itself outpaced by its smaller, lighter rivals. Wild Oats X secured the double: first on the line and on PHS. Rob Aldis’ Mylius 50 Daguet 2 sailed consistently well to slot into second on PHS, with David Gotze’s immaculate Lyons Cawse 60 Triton rounding out the podium.
Wild Oats X skipper Phil Harmer noted that the conditions favoured the optimised race boats: “It was a really nice course. There were plenty of manoeuvres but the light winds made it pretty hard for everyone.”
He added, “It’s a bit of new era for us. Things are changing and it’s the start of something big I think.”
The mini-maxi with a strong pedigree in Australian yachting is approaching two decades of a distinguished racing career, but Harmer states they are far from done. “It’s due for a few upgrades which should come on line over the next 12 months and that’s pretty exciting for the whole team.”
In a notable debut, the Cat Division ensued with the hoisting and unfurling of their sails for the first time at Sail Port Stephens. This Division showcased a diverse range of multihulls, from a Lagoon 450 to a quartet of Seawind cats and four performance Corsair trimarans.
The light-displacement tris thrived in the conditions, with Michael Meehan and his crew aboard Multihull Central Starship, a Corsair 760R, taking PHS honours and finishing second over the line, behind Three Sum, a larger Corsair 880 Sport.
Meehan recounted, “Normally they (Three Sum) clear off, so it was a fantastic day.” He reflected on the Corsairs’ all-round sailing ability, especially in breezy conditions: “In 20 knots we can do 12 knots upwind, downwind we can get to 17 or 18 [knots]. They are very forgiving. I like the 760; I can manage it, we can sail with a full rig in up to 20-25 knots.”
Meehan and every sailor at Sail Port Stephens – including those aboard 90+ dinghies participating in the first day of the off-the-beach Bay Series – are looking forward to another outing on Saturday with forecast stronger north-easterly winds reaching 15 knots.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council, Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance and subsidiary sponsors.
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