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Blogs (Keelboat Racing News)
Published Date
Dec 16, 2024
Despite a belting in the final stages of the Hillarys to Fremantle ocean race last week, hardy skippers and crews turned out for another in a 17-knot sea breeze that saw most resorting to reefed mainsails and partially furled headies for the last race before the festive season hiatus. Spinnakers were conspicuously absent.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Dec 10, 2024
The Hillarys to Fremantle and return ocean races are two of the premier events in the keelboat racing calendar for HYC and the promise of excellent sailing and social events drew 18 boats and crews to the start line on Saturday 7th December.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Dec 02, 2024
Sailed for the first time in December 2017 on the anniversary of the passing of former Commodore Chris Grant, the memorial race has become a feature for those who knew and appreciated a much-loved Commodore and those who have embraced the tradition of wearing Hawaiian shirts on the day of the race. The tradition of crews wearing colourful Hawaiian shirts arose when Chris visited Hawaii and returned with shirts for his crew of Pandora.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Nov 25, 2024
After a promising strong easterly sent yachts north to Mullaloo for races 3 and 4 of the NCS, once underway, the breeze petered out, frustrating skippers who couldn’t finish within the time limit.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Nov 18, 2024
Eighteen HYC keelboats took on the challenge of a brisk southerly breeze that varied from 15 to 22 knots and shifted wildly at times from ESE to SSW in the third consistency race of the summer season. For the unwary, there was potential chaos with round-ups, spinnakers flapping, and near-misses when gusts hit.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Nov 12, 2024
The start of the second consistency race of the eight race series for HYC keelboats on Sunday was delayed by 45 minutes to allow the sea breeze to fill in, and it was worth the wait with exhilarating sailing on the shortened course D.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Nov 06, 2024
Somewhat protected behind the reefs and in the sun-drenched aquamarine waters off Mullaloo beach, the first races of the new season’s North Coast Series for yachts from HYC and ORSSC were held in a strong southerly breeze of 15 knots. The consistent breeze provided ideal conditions for two laps of the windward/leeward course set by the start management team on the Club boat Alibi and support team in the RIB, thank you.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Oct 29, 2024
After three weeks of rather benign weather conditions the long-awaited summer pattern of the Fremantle Doctor coming to the rescue of sailors with a healthy sea breeze returned in time for the first ocean race of the season: the Marmion Reef Race.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Oct 29, 2024
Amongst the largest number of HYC boats competing in an offshore race in recent memory, Ian Holder’s Whiting 32 ‘Bad Habits’ and Marks Pitt’s Beneteau First 35 ‘Mulberry’ achieved excellent performances in the recent Ocean Racing WA (ORWA) Siska Series Coventry Reef Race going 1st and 2nd place Division 2 PHF and 2nd and 3rd place Division 2 IRC respectively.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Oct 16, 2024
Following a very successful Opening Day and running of the Commodore’s Cup, the spirit of the HYC keelboat fraternity was further lifted when two yachts made their debut in the first consistency race of the summer season. Bruce Storer with Red Cloud 11, a Beneteau 393 cruiser and Hugh de Vries with Donetes, a Bavaria 41 ft cruiser, swelled the race fleet for the day to 20, and with a potential 12 regular yachts to recommence racing, the future looks bright for keelboat racing.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Oct 09, 2024
A kaleidoscope of displays, fun activities, speeches and the official opening for the 2024/25 season of Hillarys Yacht Club by patron Caitlin Collins MLA, Member for Hillarys, was the ideal prelude to a colourful parade of paddlers, dinghies, yachts and power boats prior to the main event: the Commodore’s Cup.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Oct 02, 2024
Former HYC Commodore Neil Harrison’s Beneteau Oceanis 41.1 ‘Bellabreeza’ overcame a poor start to their title defence to fight back and finish mid-fleet at the recent Race Week at Hamilton Island, Queensland. Although based in Queensland, ‘BellaBreeza’ was HYC-registered and competed flying the HYC burgee.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Sep 17, 2024
HYC has maintained a strong and successful presence in offshore racing with four boats, Martin Eyer’s C&C 115 ‘Circa’, Mark Taylor’s Viking 30 Helga, Marks Pitt’s Beneteau First 35 ‘Mulberry’, and Roric Smith’s Pogo 12.5 Surfer Rosa competing in last weekend’s opening race of the new Ocean Racing WA (ORWA) Siska Series with both Surfer Rosa and Mulberry returning successful results in their respective divisions.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Aug 26, 2024
A week of storm fronts with the accompanying heavy rain and strong winds finally abated sufficiently on Sunday morning August 25th for the final race of the Keelboat Winter Series at HYC.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Aug 15, 2024
A deluge when a front passed through during the night wasn’t enough to dampen the enthusiasm of keelboat crews contesting the fifth race of the HYC winter series on Sunday, August 11. A 12 to 15-knot westerly provided ideal sailing conditions, although challenging when choosing to fly a spinnaker.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Aug 13, 2024
Overcoming a poor start, Mark Pitt’s Beneteau First 35 ‘Mulberry’ powered home in the final legs of last Saturday’s final race of the Fremantle Sailing Club’s (FSC) winter offshore Valmadre Series.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Jul 22, 2024
A strong westerly of 20 plus knots gusting at one stage to over 25 knots whipped up a sea and swell for the fourth winter race sailed in the waters between Sorrento and North Beach for thirteen hardy keelboat crews of HYC.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Jul 09, 2024
The strongest high pressure system in recent memory held up the arrival of the weekend’s cold front, giving race management some curly decision making on Sunday for Race 3 of the HYC winter series.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Jun 24, 2024
Opening Day is months away but for the first winter race the return of the big boys to division one was a breath of fresh air and breathed new life into keelboat racing at HYC on Sunday June 23.
Jo Tonna
Published Date
Jun 11, 2024
Mark Pitt's Beneteau First 35 'Mulberry' defence of their PHF title is off to a strong start with a 2nd in Div 1 PHF and 4th in Div 1 IRC in Saturday's opening race of the Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) Valmadre Cup Winter Series 2024.
Jo Tonna
