Race 11, Summer Series Heat 3

Race report

Tangles wins the Xmas handicap

A 12-15 knot nor’easter had settled in by the time of the race start when Scot (David Paget) led the fleet away in the last race before the big summer break. Earlier, there was almost no breeze at all as the skiffs were rigged for the day. But as has been the case on several occasions now a northerly breeze had started to build, and the No.1 course was therefore selected by the starter.

Second away was Tangalooma (Neville Turbit), alone as it turned out when The Mistake (Jerry Tickner) failed to greet the starter on the time she shared with Tangles. (The Mistake was late by almost 25 minutes. Enough said!).

Australia IV (Rear Commodore Terry Stewart) and Aberdare (Michael “Flipper” Carter) followed Alruth (Scott Spackman) away, leaving Yendys (Barry “Bazza” Watson) to bide her time before being last away.

The near end of the ebb tide meant that the tough sea state in previous nor’easters was absent, although, at least initially, the western shore offered smoother water as it always does. But it was important to keep a close eye on the breeze, as what looked like a traditional nor-easter started to go left so that a port tack out into the middle of the course soon paid big dividends in the form of big lifts up to the top mark.

Alruth had a major gear malfunction abreast of Chowder Bay on the first leg of the course when a broken mainsheet is reported to have terminated their day and resulted in an early run back to the Squaddie.

Scot and Tangles had done well to the Beashel Buoy and had maintained their lead over Aberdare and A4 as the skiffs headed downwind to Shark Island. This turned out to be anything other than an easy run due to an increase in the breeze and a very square run that left some boats having to sail dangerously by the lee to get around Steele Point. Yendys had made good ground against the fleet up to the mark and a quick set saw her cutting into the lead of the boats ahead. All thoughts of a ringtail on Yendys were soon dismissed due to the instability on the very square run.

Around Shark Island, many of the leading skiffs opted for the safer option of a granny, rather than a gybe. Yendys, however, stormed into the mark and having actually completed the gybe, had major kicker problems resulting in a skied pole and an ungraceful capsize, the second in three weeks!

So, at the Shark Island rounding mark Scot led by 2 minutes from Tangles with Aberdare a further 6 minutes behind. Yendys (seconds later, enjoying a refreshing swim for the crew) had been timed at only a minute and a half behind A4 and was looking very threatening.

Down around the bottom mark and on the work up to the new Chowder Bay North rounding mark, positions were largely unchanged. Scot and Tangles rounded close together followed by Aberdare and A4 a further 3 and 4 minutes back.

In the drag race back around Shark Island and to the finish, Tangles showed a bit of cunning to round inside Scot and to finish a mere 20 seconds ahead of Scot, with Aberdare fast finishing to be less than a minute and a half in arrears and in third place. A4 was 4th and The Mistake, as a result of her tardy start, was a long way behind and last to finish.

Congratulations to Neville Turbit and the Tangalooma crew. And thanks to the volunteers as always and especially to the rescuers of the drowned Yendys for the visit to Lady Martin’s Beach before being towed home. As Bazza says … “why wouldn’t you want to sail H18s when you can also have a swim on a hot day and visit some of Sydney’s more exclusive harbour beaches as well”. (As an aside, once back at the Squaddie, there was some upside for Yendys. She was found to have serious structural issues which explained a couple of loud cracking noises during previous races when the boat was being driven hard. It will be a rush to sort this out before Yendys has to defend the title in the first heat of the Aussies on 17 January).

A great day ended with drinks on a busy deck, interrupted by getting all of the boats away and making room for Myra Too, off her trailer and now back in the shed ready for her next adventures. And, as always, a well-attended table of knowledge soon formed up in the Club to celebrate Xmas and summer in Sydney.

So, what are you doing in the New Year?

Myra Too and crew training jobs on offer

The New Year let-down can be a bit of a empty space for some. The Sydney-Hobart Race will have been won. The New Year’s Eve hangovers will have abated too. There’s the cricket of course, but with the Ashes done and dusted in Adelaide, the SCG final test match has lost some of its allure. So, why not spend some time at the Squaddie helping with the restoration of Myra Too and then, on the 10th January enjoying and helping out with the crew training. This initiative, led by Selwyn Black and the Sailing Committee, will see at least a couple of skiffs in the water as we show new recruits some of the joys and skills of skiff sailing. We might also find time to relax in our harbourside gem with a cleansing ale or two once the work is done!

Keep your email on and watch your social media for details.

MERRY XMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL SAILORS, VOLNTEERS AND SQUADDIE MEMBERS FROM YOUR DIRECTORS, SAILING COMMITTEE AND STAFF

Myra Too working group

Myra is back, but in need of TLC

Billy Barnett, OAM, Champion 18-footer skipper, designer and boat builder, designed and built the original Myra in 1950. In 2012, with funding by John “Woody” Winning and the Australian Open Skiff Trust (AOST), Bob McLeod, Billy’s former apprentice, was commissioned to build the Myra Too.

After a few seasons out of use, Myra Too is back in the park and in need of some TLC.

Over the holiday period and through to the end of the racing season, the Squaddie will be working on bringing Myra back to her racing trim and back to the fleet where she will again be a serious competitor. It will be a wonderful opportunity for sailors and volunteers to participate in the work under the supervision of our expert members with trade and professional skills. If you can manage a sander, hold a paint brush, or help lay out and clean sails and rigging, then please join in. We shall be adopting Bob Killick’s work ethic that always meant that a bit of hard work would be followed by a lot of camaraderie, usually involving a cold drink or two in the afternoon sun. Details of the work program will be circulated shortly, so stay tuned. And for the more serious sailors, the Squaddie and the trustees of the AOST will be selecting a skipper and crew to race Myra Too in 2026. Interested?

The printed report, with its photographs, is on the page for Race Report 20 December 2025 in the news archive.