Box and Suggit strike first blows in NSW ORC Championship at Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta
February 7, 2025
Day 1 of the NSW ORC Championship, supported by Sydney Marine Brokerage at the Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta could not have been better, a perfect summer day when the wind gods smiled down on the fleet, flattering them with a building ideal nor’ easter that Toybox 2 and Georgia Lee took full advantage of.
Organised by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC), the Championship comes under the banner of the Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta and today the two division sailed a passage race. Division 1’s course was 27 nautical miles and Division 2 sailed 23nms.
Ian Box’s XP44Toybox 2 won Division 1 from Mercury, a modified Farr 40 (Mark Tinworth/Mark Waterhouse/Josh Paulson and the ID 35, Organised Chaos (Garry Gudmunson).
Box said it was a good day to win, “Because you get 1.5 points for today and tomorrow reverts back to single points.”
The Middle Harbour Yacht Club yachtsman said of Toybox 2’s race, “We didn’t have particularly good start, but tacked off early to get a good lane and went off to the left and worked that side with the lead boats, including Bushranger and Pretty Woman.
“Some, including Bushranger, didn’t go around the right mark. We checked and went to the right mark with Pretty Woman, so that handed us a big advantage. We were feeling pretty good. We managed to sail on the heels of Pretty Woman from there,” Box said.
Box said the first half of the work was in 12-15 knots, getting up to 17-18 downwind and on the reach it hit 21 knots. “On the final run in we were in 20-23 knots.”
Michael Fountain who skippers Bushranger for his father-in-law, Gerry Hatton, admitted, “We went round the wrong mark – we went round the Division 2 mark that happened to be the same colour as Division 1 mark. We checked with our navigator, Clare Costanzo and she said the distance wasn’t right, but we rounded it anyway, thinking it had drifted.
“We’ve done massive modifications to the boat. We’ve changed from a fin keel to a T keel and took a thousand kilos out of the boat. It still goes upwind really well and we still have positive stability. Off the breeze today our top speed was 18.5 knots.
“It’s the first time we’ve done so well with the boat. Gerry re-invested to make it right. He didn’t get angry after buying a new boat that wasn’t doing that well, he said ‘fix it’.
“Gerry won the 88-year-old division. I’m proud of him. He was on deck all day and did his job. We had a great day – apart from our mistake,” Fountain said.
Division 2 went to Craig Suggit’s Hick 35, Georgia Lee (Royal Motor Yacht Club). Peter Farrugia’s Bull 9000, Bullwinkle, was second and Dave Davies’ BH36, Local Hero was third.
“Today was amazing,” Suggit commented. “The start was perfect and sailing in 20 knots was too. We put the big A2 up and ended up reaching low between two ships coming along the foreshore. It was a fun day - lots of pressure and a two-sail reach coming back. We had a good race with Bullwinkle, Local Hero and Veloce.
“What a wonderful way to start the regatta – it was a beautiful day,” Suggit ended.
Tomorrow, the fleet will be tested on offshore windward/leewards.
Like Oxygen cranks up early in Australian Sports Boat Championship
Andrew York and the Like Oxygen (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) crew made the best of a perfect north easterly sea breeze on Day 1 of the Australian Sports Boat Championship, winning two out of three windward/leeward races.
Adding a second in Race 3 handed York a handy three point lead over Malcolm Dean’s Black Betty (South Lake Macquarie Amateur Sailing Club) and a further six points over Charles Baker’s beautifully named No Dough (Trailer Sailing Club Queensland). The rest are closely piled up behind No Dough.
York’s opening line was: “I’m at the very welcoming Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club,” explaining, ''the Club is welcoming and helpful to visitors. They go out of their way.”
On the conditions, the Sydney sailor said it was mainly 15-16 knots, with 18 knots thrown in for Race 3.
“We’re happy with the boat. We’ve got good speed and height. Black Betty sails very well in a breeze. They sailed well and won the third race. We have a battle on our hands as I knew we would.”
Like Oxygen is named for the band, Sweet’s song, ‘Love is Like Oxygen’. “Sailing is like Oxygen and I love it,” York explained.
Like Oxygen won the opener by little more than a minute from Andrew Wiklund’s Crank (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron). Third was Black Betty, a further 13 seconds back.
Like Oxygen flying. Photo: RPAYC
York and Wiklund’s boats went to-to-toe again in Race 2, York scoring a 20 second win and Black Betty trailing by a further 10 seconds in a tight race.
Race 3 was payback time for Malcolm Dean. He scored a 34 second win over Like Oxygen. Third went to No Dough, a further 14 seconds adrift. Crank fell from the top three after retiring from the race.
“It’s looking like a 12-13 knot sou’-easter for the 5 Heads Race tomorrow,” York said. “It’s quite a decent race length wise. It’s traditional for the Sports Boats to have a long race. It looks like pumping again on the final day for three more windward/leewards.”
The three-day Championship, being held at the regatta for the first time, began racing at 11.30am on an inshore course.
Following racing, crews kicked back, enjoying the daily presentation, post-race dinner at Halyards Bistro and live music with Emma Salisbury from 5pm.
Racing continues tomorrow, when the Pittwater Cup series also commences with the well-named 5 Heads Challenge, a scenic and tricky 20nm race threading through Pittwater and Broken Bay.
For full results and all information, please go to: www.pittwaterregatta.au
By Di Pearson
New champions crowned at Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta
Sunday February 9 2025
New champions were crowned in NSW ORC, Australian Sports Boat and the Sydney 38 One-Design NSW Championships on the final day of the Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta this evening, while prizes were awarded to winners in the Super 40s, Pittwater Cup Series and Grand Soleil Yachts Cup.
NSW ORC Championship supported by Sydney Marine Brokerage
Three offshore windward/leewards today and having led Division 1 into the day, Garry Gudmunson’s Organised Chaos kept the momentum and two wins and third guaranteed 12.5 point victory over Toybox 2 (Ian Box) and the NSW champion title.
Ian Box fought hard to stay at the top of the standings, as Gerry Hatton’s Bushranger bounced back to claim third, 1.5 points adrift. Who knows how different it might have been if not for Bushranger’s oops in Race 1 when a wrong mark rounding cost her dearly.
“Our first race was a light 5-8 knot sou’ easter. We got to the top mark behind the two DKs – from there we just had to hang on. The second, the breeze increased to 12 knots and we hung on so they couldn’t sail away from us,” Gudmunson said.
“I’m very excited and happy to be new champion I’ve had boat eight months now. It’s a great little boat. Rule 1 is to sail with mates and have fun. I want to thank the sponsors and the Club; I know all the work that goes into a regatta.”
After winning both yesterday’s Division 2 races, Dave Davies (Local Hero) also kept his eye on the prize and posting a pair of seconds and a win today did the trick, making Davies and crew NSW champions. Georgia Lee (Craig Suggit) placed second, seven points adrift of Local Hero, while Peter Farrugia’s Bullwinkle started and finished in third place.
Dave Davies: “It was definitely in our Achilles heel zone the first race today; 6-7 knots and very shifty all day. But the breeze picked up to 12-13 knots and that’s our happy place. Georgia Lee was a worry and certainly Bullwinkle in the lighter air. The crew is very happy and I’m proud of them.”
Australian Sports Boat Championship goes to Like Oxygen
A first for the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club hosted Pittwater Regatta was the Australian Sports Boat Championship and today’s final three races were inshore windward/leewards.
Andrew York’s Like Oxygen (NSW) is the new Australian champion, but it didn’t all go York’s way. Scoring three wins and a second place yesterday, it was good to have points in the bank. Today he scored 4-3-4, dropping a fourth to win by two points from Malcolm Dean’s Black Betty, which kept the winner honest throughout. Stuart Innes’ Tickety Boo was third.
“Very shifty,” York said. “The first race we opened up a huge lead to the top mark, then got run down. We had a terrible start in second and in the third race we got a reasonable start, but the little boats were bringing down pressure the whole time and we crossed one second behind the first boat to finish.
“The boat’s going really well though and the crew did a great job,” said York, the first to win the Championship three times and the only one to win it in self-designed boats. First REO Speedwagon and now Like Oxygen, which was fastest boat on the course yesterday – beating all the Super 40s times to boot.
Sydney 38 NSW Championship won by Conspiracy
Challenge was the first boat to beat Conspiracy for this Championship – last season - but the boat was sold and the new owner could not make it. Conspiracy, owned by David Hudson and Peter Byford, winner of innumerable National and NSW Championships, came to the fore again, but not without stiff opposition, including newer players.
This time, Conspiracy’s crew came back with renewed vigour and five bullets from six races was the result. The new champions won by 10 points to Stephen Teudt and Lisa Callaghan’s Mondo. Gusto, owned by Colin Gunn and Jack Stening from Middle Harbour placed third.
Gunn and Stening long owned a Sydney 36, but this is their early foray into extremely competitive Sydney 38 one-design racing. Heading to the last race, they were on equal points with Mondo, but Mondo prevailed by two points.
Hudson commented, ”We obviously had a good day. What you can’t see, is we had two lousy starts – Race 4 and Race 5 – this one we were over the start early. In Race 6 we had a conservative start and fought our way back. A lesson to everybody - when everyone stays calm and focusses on boat speed it can be done!
“Peter and I thank the whole crew in supporting us – we’re both over 70.” Hudson, always one to encourage the rest, added, “Obviously we are delighted to be first, but from an Association point of view, it’s wonderful to see all these new people doing so well. They all can see for themselves that they had good legs, so it’s all about consistency now.”
Colour from the regatta. Photo: Andrea Francolini/RPAYC.
Super 40s to Condor
Ross Hennessy sailed Condor, a Ker 40 MK3, to a win of over three minutes in Race 1 and a further win, a fourth and a second, sealed the deal.
from Grant Pocklington’s Anarchy in the Super 40’s opener. Andrew Walters/David Hamilton’s Little Nico was pipped to second place by two seconds!
“We’ve had a great weekend of racing in a very competitive fleet,” Hennessy said. “You can see in the results that only seconds made or lost a race. I love racing on Pittwater, so it’s really special to have such close racing at our home club. I bought Condor during Covid, so we’ve not had a lot of opportunity yet to be pushed like this.
“Our success is thanks to my fabulous crew. They’re mostly Corinthian crew who sail with me weekly for twilights, with four women on board. We were also grateful to have Shane Guanaria on board testing some new sails. They seemed to have lived up to expectations!”
Post regatta celebrations were a real knees up affair, as they always are. Crews enjoyed the Modus Pop-Up Can Bar, final presentation and live music from Brite Boy, as the sun set on another fabulous Pittwater Regatta.
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club thanks all competitors for making the annual regatta the success it is. The Club also thanks key sponsors, Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance and Sydney Marine Brokers. Thanks also to Middle Harbour Yacht Club and Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay for their assistance in running this three-day event.
For full results and all information, please go to: www.pittwaterregatta.au
By Di Pearson
Extra large versus extra small. Photo: Andrea Francolini/RPAYC.
