Classic Yacht Association of Australia

2016 Cup Regatta October 28 - November 1

CYAA Cup Regatta 2016 is alive and well and living in Melbourne.

“For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”

While these unforgettable words from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s exquisite poem “The Brook” are used in many a failed attempt to lecture or pontificate a treatise at us yachting types about life and its inevitability. Its impact on the handicapper had a similar fate, failure. For your handicapper, these words, of Tennyson have been pounding away at that feckless and febrile brain of his over the last weeks, they kept saying, get this done, get that done, good night Irene, the 2016 Cup Regatta’s on its way, think of your responsibilities to life. Stuff Tennyson and double stuff those teachers who thrashed Tennyson’s words into that ten year old handicapper’s brain during that golden era of life in Australia, the early 50’s. What do they know? Fortunately, for the handicapper, the calendar and it’s inevitably that runs in parallel with Tennyson’s words, lit a timely penny bunger under the handicapper. It was not a fizzer. Here’s the result.

Race 1 Entries and Handicaps The Race 1 entry and allocated handicaps details are attached.

Windward II a 2016 Cup Regatta entrant. Looking and performing very well. 2015 Cup Regatta

Race 1 and 2 Pre-Race briefing.

Close to 9:00am each morning a short pre race briefing will take place on the after-deck of the RYCV. Paper copies of the course maps and descriptions will be available at this briefing. On site car parking at RYCV will be limited on Saturday. The RYCV is also conducting their Palliser Trophy. A race to Mornington with a 9:00am start. The RYCV caterers will have breakfasts and take away rolls available on Saturday. Taking of action photo’s during rcing is encouraged. We will be submitting race report press releases to the Sail World news site. Some good action pics would be good. We can down load to the lap tops in the Cup Regatta Race control room.

The Handicappers Trophy Some requirements for starters While not the first time the process to determine the winner of this trophy will be used across the 4 mass start races of the 2016 Cup Regatta. While the technology is available it not with us this Cup Regatta. Instead of technology human intelligence will be the go. To be considered for this substantial trophy, Which is a free antifoul including labour and slipping, all put up by Ferdi Darley and the RYCV, each starter will be required to submit a log of their mark rounding times at the end of the days racing. This can be done by paper, SMS or email to the handicapper. Email and phone number will be supplied at the briefing

Guineas and Inter Association Challenge This part of the 2016 Cup Regatta kicks off on the water at 3:00pm today. There will be a three race match race challenge for the Bud Nalder Sail Gear bag between Mercedes III and Kingurra. Already off water tactics are the word here. The RYCV Elliotts will again be set up for some team match racing. Late news has indicated our NSW team cannot make the start time. We’re looking for 3 volunteers to take up the challenge tomorrow afternoon. Those who figure their up to the 3x 20 minute match races in a sail training dinghy contact the handicapper by SMS.

2016 Cup Regatta Cocktail Function 6.30 pm tonight Oct 28 The signature social event of the 2016Cup Regatta. Commodore’s of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Michael McLean and the Royal Victorian Motor Yacht Club, Chris Ackerman will be honored guests. Representatives of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, Janet Dean and the Hobsons Bay Yacht Club, Allicia Rae will also be honored guests to acknowledge their support of our Classic Yacht racing. Our MC this evening will be Doug Shields, one of the CYAA Founders. Col Anderson the other founding member of the CYAA will also be an honored guest. Other honored guests of our Cocktail function will be the sponsors of the 2016 Regatta. At this time the CYAA a wish to acknowledge the generous donation to support the 2016 Cup Regatta from Craig Brown( Cyan) of McIdowie Partners, Architects.

During the evening an auction of “Made by Tait” and Mark Chew sponsor “Montage Of Classic Yachting on Port Phillip” will be conducted by David McKenzie. The Cocktail function is a catered event with a cash bar and will run from 6:30pm to 9:30 am. On site car parking is not available. Access is via main gate pedestrian access.

Tony Blake Perpetual Trophy. This prized oil painting by commissioned New Zealand Marine artist and CYANZ member Tony Blake will be on a fully framed display for the first time. Framed Rich colour prints of the trophy will be awarded to the winner of the trophy. The Classic yacht with the best performance throughout the year and the 2016 Cup Regatta will be awarded the trophy print. Double points will be awarded to all competing yachts in the 2016 Cup Regatta.

Presentation BBQ, Monday Our traditional Presentation BBQ kicks off after the finish of the Monday Pursuit race. The numbers booking in for the BBQ are still increasing as the pre-race story is being prepared. At leats 65n was the last count. David McKenzie is the go to person to book in. The BBQ is a semi catered for event so if intending to be in it, make up your mind pronto.

CYA of New Zealand visitors Trans Tasman Trophy. The unknown Classic fleet form guide factor is the presence of CYANZ visitors. From previous Melbourne Cup result tragedies it been learnt by locals to never discount the Kiwi factor, particularly when the weather gets up. Tracking of our visitors will be well scrutineered to determine who takes home the Trans Tasman Trophy. Kiwi chief, Iain Valentine will be the Trans Tasman formula massager in chief for the 2016 Cup Regatta. Concours d’Elegance. In keeping with the Horse racing flavor of the Cup Regatta our CYANZ will be awarding the equivalent of the Melbourne Cup Wirths Whip, ie Tim Phillips Wooden Boat shop boat hook. Ten feet of unsinkable strength. The Kiwi in chief for this task has been taken up once again by Bruce Tantrum. The deep thought and thought analysis Bruce applies to this task is always a learned pleasure to listen to. CYANZ assistance the handicapper Invaluable assistance to the handicapper and to the RYCV Race Director David Leroy to determine how the 2016 Cup Regatta plays out will be Shirley-Ann McCrystal. With Shirley-Ann on board the RYCV Thorsen, everything that can go smoothly will go smoothly.

2016 Cup Regatta Trophy sponsors Karen Batson with her two Resturants Cookie and Magic Mountain has put up dinner vouchers. For the winner of the Col Bandy and Stradbroke II trophies for Best overall Classic Yacht of the Cup Regatta . Karen has also stumped up big time with assistance to Roger Dundas and his Tumlaren BBQ management team

Phil Endersbee of Wilderness Wear have put up items of their outdoor clothing apparel to line honors and corrected time winners of each race. As previously Tim Phillips of the Wooden Boat Shop has provided the nautical Wirth Whip of the Cup Regatta, The unsinkable 10 foot boat hook. It’s a brilliant and practical prize worthy of our Concours winner as selected by our CYANZ visitors

Form guide of the 2016 Cup Regatta field You’ll see a Classic Yacht fleet that screams absolute quality. There’s no point saying from the top we have so and so. The whole 2016 Cup Regatta fleet is from the top of the classic milk bottle. What we have is the entire era of Classic yacht racing, from Museum quality artefact’s of 1898 and the 1920’s through to the build date 1973, a living Montage one is entitled to say, The sight of this Classic Yacht Fleet, all going hard at it on the waters of Port Phillip will be a sight that the ghosts of generations before us will still say, this is living.

Ian McFarlane of Kingurra salutes the Cup Regatta Race director 2015 Cup Regatta

Under the banner of the 2016 Cup Regatta we’ll see Sayonara and Windward II dueling with the International 8 Metre Frances. In the middle will be the top ocean racers of the 60’s, Mercedes III and Boambillee working on out running the toughest Classic Yacht of them all, Kingurra. Phil Brown from the CYAA NSW will be doling bout lots of Sydney Amateur advice to the helm on Mercedes III In the middle of this we’ll see how our latest addition to the Classic Fleet goes. Astrud. While a first Classic race for Astrud it’s not so for her skipper Rob Pullin. Rob, still a full time

Diamond fanatic, was part of the Crew on Paul Blunts Couta boat Eva that took out the 2008 Cup Regatta.

The team that fixed up Astrud Pre re-launch at Greg Blunts shipyard. To the right Astrud at rest

Making their presence felt amongst the heavy hitting Classic’s will be the worlds largest active racing fleet of Tumlarens. Avian, Dingo, Snow Goose, Ettrick and Sirocco. Although watching them sail so gracefully, like Slyphs in a glade, all of them are fired up and tweaked up to the max to take on any Classic on Port Phillip in all weather conditions.

Tumlarens Dingo and Avian take on Port Phillip and win

The Classic beauty of the 2016 Cup Regatta fleet, Oenone, the rare and beautiful Linton Hope rater will be in the hunt for corrected time honors. No mistakes will be the word to the crew of heavies on board Oenone.

Oenone about to give Sayonara a Clasic Yacht racing lesson

On board Bob Munro’s recently preened Tandanya no mistakes will be the word as well, that handicapper has our number. No doubt these words will be echoed by Tim Boucaut to his crew as he helms his J J Savage designed Warringa into every possible winning position after each mark rounding.

Warringa all wrapped up in their 2015 Cup Regatta winning attitude

Our H28 Shamrock, the most distinguished Classic H28 on Port Phillip, under the helm of Rod Fuller, has been to the corrected time fore in many Classic races. The 2016 Cup Regatta will see Shamrock perform at full water line speed. Where she left off awhile back. A serious mixing with the fleet on corrected time is expected from Chris Havre’s Akuna. A technology breaking design from William Gardener. Akuna has been seen, unfortunately by the handicapper, to be performing as though a lead foot was on the gas pedal.

Akuna. Caught by the handicapper.

Race 1 the start This will be the most watched event of the 2016 Cup Regatta. 10:00am on Saturday we have 17 classics all set to go. This is it. This is where the CYAA show cases it’s fleet to the world of Classic Yacht Regatta Racing Regards to all Peter Costolloe CYAA (Vic) Handicapper

Snap shot of the 2015 Cup Regatta fleet as they prepare for the incoming wind bullets