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. ‘Bad Habits’ win was achieved competing in their first offshore race this season, while ‘Mulberry’ is maintaining their excellent form with a 1st and 2nd place Division 2 PHF and 2nd and 3rd place Division 2 IRC in the opening two races of the new season.

Named after the Coventry Reef turning mark, this Fremantle Sailing Club (FSC) hosted 48 nm race sees competitors racing southwest from Fremantle, beyond Garden Island out to the notorious Coventry Reef, before returning north to Fremantle via Champion Rock. The race normally consists of an increasingly challenging upwind beat south to ‘the rock’ before raising spinnakers for an exciting sleigh ride home in growing seas. However, weather conditions on the day consisted of light northwest-west winds providing more amiable broad reach south under spinnaker, followed by a moderate two-sail beam reach return.

Representative of the growing interest in offshore racing at HYC, five HYC boats were amongst the 21 competing in the second race of the new offshore racing season. Roric Smith’s Pogo 12.5 ‘Surfer Rosa’ competed in Division 1 and returned an admirable 4th place in Division 1 PHF. The four HYC boats competing in Division 2 included ‘Bad Habits’, Martin Eyer’s C&C 115 ‘Circa’, Mark Taylor’s Viking 30 ‘Helga’, and ‘Mulberry’, with ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Mulberry’ returning very successful results. These results see ‘Mulberry’ currently leading Division 2 PHF and sitting second in Division 2 IRC in the FSC Success Cup after two races.

A notable issue for both race officials and competitors was the updated locations for the virtual rounding mark near Champion Rock, causing more than a third of the competing 21 boats having to retire after acknowledging they didn’t sail the proper course of the day.

Ray Murphy


Ian Holder (Bad Habits) being presented their 1st in Div 2 PHF and Mark Pitt (Mulberry) being presented 2nd in Div 2 PHF from the race sponsor Geoff Bishop of UK Sailmakers. Images courtesy of FSC.


Photos credit: Bernie Kaaks