The three-day NSW ORC Championship will kick-start the 2026 Pantaenius Australia Pittwater Regatta, to be held from 13 to 15 February, so get ready for some new divisions escalating the stakes at this popular summer event.
The three-day ORC Championship, which enjoys the support of Sydney Marine Brokerage, is shaping up to be a humdinger. Past and reigning champions are taking on all comers and ongoing interclub rivalry thrown in for good measure when Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) hoists the start flag for Race 1.
Among the RPAYC locals are those who have podiumed before: Last year’s Division 1 winner, Garry Gudmunson’s Organised Chaos, along with Simon Grosser’s Young at Heart – a past winner. Joining the fray is Mark Griffiths’ LCE Old School Racing, fresh from Divisional third in the Rolex Sydney Hobart where Griffith sailed her as Team Whitewave with a mainly Chinese crew.
The raiders are led by reigning Division 2 champion, David Davies and his BH36, Local Hero. Davies will be joined by Kukukerchu, the Cape 31 David Ross sailed to Division 1 victory in 2024. Missing out last year, Ross returns with renewed vigour in an effort to claim the crown again. Both boats are from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
Raider, Craig Suggitt from Royal Motor Yacht Club, returns after placing second to Local Hero last year. He has high hopes for his Hick 35, Georgia Lee, this time around.
“Last year we were bridesmaids. We’re yet to crack the win, but we’re hoping this year is our year. We’ve got a very good a good team and the boat is good inshore and offshore. We’re looking forward to sparring with Local Hero and Toybox 2 (Ian Box’s XP44),” Suggitt says.
Suggitt enjoys the courses as much as the competition: “We like the fact there are windward/leewards sailed offshore and we get to race against competitive boats from Middle Harbour Yacht Club and elsewhere. It’s a good series overall and it’s well run.”
The ORC Championship opens with an offshore passage race on the Friday and continues with two inshore races on Saturday and ends with Sunday’s windward/leeward races on the offshore Palm Beach Circle.
The Pittwater Cup has so far netted 40 entries, inclusive of those entered for the new Performance 40 division. An interclub competition, with three similar boats per club, it has caught the eye of new blood and the competition is predicted to be hotter than ever.
Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club has pulled the best from its arsenal and is headed south with clear intentions. Paul O’Rourke’s IOR Farr 40 Aurora, Adrian Kiely’s Sydney 40, Mako, Michael Trask’s Sydney 38 Challenge, James Macken’s Sydney 36 Cruiser/Racer This Way Up and The Culprit syndicate’s DK43 She’s the Culprit are ready to tackle the rest.
RPAYC has fired back with Peter Byford and David Hudson’s champion Sydney 38, Conspracy, Salvatore Ridulfo’s IMX-40 Xcalibur, Sean Gartner’s Dehler 38sq Seremisa, Ian Kindrid’s Farr 40 Harlequin, Scott Robertson’s Beneteau First 45 Banter and Ian Quarrie’s Beneteau First 40 Ascalon.
Other clubs are waiting in the wings, yet to announce their teams for the Cup that will put competitors through a combination of passage, windward/leeward inshore and offshore races, guaranteed to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Individuals entered for the Cup are also ready to roll. Russell Waddy owns a Beneteau 40, Allsail Leeward. His reasons for entering the Regatta again are many.
“It’s local for a start, so it’s convenient. I really love the 5 Heads Race: it’s a fabulous race. You get so many different conditions going into Broken Bay and around the back. Boats can show their different strengths in the different conditions.
“It’s the main attraction for us, but it’s a good package all round. It’s also great fun after racing – we are based there this year, so we’ll stay around for the party,” says Waddy from Church Point.
“We came second to Kookaburra last year, so we’d love to push them back to second this year,” he ended.
Ten have already signed on for the Super 40s division and there are some new players. David Hobbs with Quantock and two others who have updated boats in recent times: Ed Cox with his Ker 40, Minerva and Peter Higgins with Black Sparrow, a Carkeek 46.
Hobbs is looking forward to his first foray into the ‘Supers’ with his Elliott 13. “This is the first time we are racing in the Super 40s.
“The class is a bit of a mental game and we’re keen to sail against the asymmetric boats. We race against most of these boats in other events and sometimes we’re competitive. It depends on the day. It’s a really good fleet so we are looking forward to it,” Hobbs says of racing in the hot fleet.
Higgins says their presence at the regatta “Will be touch and go. We are waiting for a special part to be machined for the rigging…”
Entry to the Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta close at 1700 hours on 2 February. Late entries may be accepted at an additional fee.
To enter and view the Notice of Race plus all other information, please visit: www.pittwaterregatta.au
By Di Pearson/RPAYC media
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