Race Report 14 November 2026
Aberdare takes Heat 6 as the easterly turns nasty late
Heat 6, Spring Series. Saturday 14 November 2026.
This is an interim report, written by Yendys’s crew from the club’s finish sheet, the harbour log and Barley Stewart’s photographs. The club’s own report, The Ringtale, will take its place when it arrives.
Saturday looked like a gift. Blue sky, an easterly of 11 or 12 knots at Fort Denison, and the No. 2 Easterly course for the first time since Mark Foy Day: Kurraba Point to Shark Island and back, twice. Seven boats came to the line for the last heat of the Spring Series. Top Weight did not compete.
The Mistake (Jerry Tickner) and Tangalooma (Neville Turbit) were away first at 2.15pm on 15 minutes, with Myra Too (Warren Miller) and Scot (David Paget) on 10, Aberdare (Michael Carter) on 9 and Australia IV (Terry Stewart) on 8. Yendys, with Michael Van Stom at the helm, watched the lot of them go and left off scratch at 2.30pm.
For the first lap it was the sort of day the handicapper dreams about. The breeze sat in the east and barely moved, so the back markers had to earn every boat length. Aberdare and The Mistake were close enough at one stage for the photographer to get both in one frame, Aberdare’s black and white spinnaker already set.
Then the afternoon changed its mind. About 3.20pm the wind at Fort Denison eased to 6 knots and the sky went grey. Twenty minutes later it was back from the north-east at 17 knots, gusting 23. An easterly day finished under a dark sky with a lot more wind in it.
Scot found the worst of it. On the second lap, behind Shark Island, a rogue gust put her into a broach. Over she went, and her crew went for a swim. The rescue boats went to them, and Scot was scraped off the island and towed in to Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, the Edwards. Myra Too also had her afternoon cut short: she retired after a crew member was injured.
Up front, Aberdare was not waiting for anyone. Michael Carter brought her across at 3.53.53, nearly two minutes clear of Australia IV, to win on handicap for the second time in three starts. Tangalooma held on for third, her best result of the series, keeping Yendys behind her by 67 seconds.
Yendys had the fastest time round the course, 1 hour 29 minutes 25 seconds, and was first on scratch, but four boats in a pursuit race is a lot to pass and she ran out of harbour. The Mistake came home fifth, eight minutes later.
That closes the Spring Series with Yendys and Australia IV level on 23 points, Yendys ahead on the countback with a heat win, and Aberdare two points behind after missing a heat.
Thanks to the race officials, to the rescue boat crews, who had a real job to do this week, and to Barley Stewart for the photographs.
The Summer Series starts next Saturday, 21 November. Aberdare and Australia IV both start on 7 minutes.
Wind: Port Authority of NSW (Fort Denison), ten minute means from the club’s harbour log.
The results are on this site’s page for Race 6, Spring Series heat 6.