Yachts that have won the Gascoigne Cup, one of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s oldest and most prestigious trophies, in many ways represent the development of Australian yacht racing over the past 122 years.
Winners have ranged from gaff-rigged cutters in the 1850s through to metre boats in the early and mid1900s, then to ocean racing boats in the late 1900s and early 2000s.
The honour roll of winners of the Gascoigne Cup now includes the world’s most popular range of production yachts, Beneteau of France.
Last Saturday, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia member David Beaks added the Gascoigne Cup to an impressive list of results achieved so far in the 2007-2008 ocean racing season with his Beneteau 44.7 Mr Beak’s Ribs.
Sailed offshore almost every year since 1885, the Gascoigne Cup is awarded to the yacht with the lowest corrected time based on PHS handicaps. IRC results are also declared as part of the short ocean point score run by the combined clubs.
The Gascoigne Cup was sailed offshore on Saturday in a south-easterly breeze and lumpy sea, starting at 18-20 knots but easing during the afternoon to 12 knots, with Mr Beak’s Ribs winning from RSYS member Julian Farren-Price’s Cookson 12 About Time after a close duel throughout the 20 nautical mile course. Brilliant (Howard and Susan Piggott) from the CYCA, placed third in PHS results.
Under IRC handicaps, the results were reversed with About Time winning from Mr Beak’s Ribs and another CYCA boat, Bob Steel’s TP52 Quest, which also recorded fastest time.
“Ian Short as tactician was brilliant, picking the right shifts and the correct sail changes necessary as the wind eased away during the afternoon,” a delighted David Beaks said after the race.
“We again had a great race against About Time and in the last 2 races of the CYCA Short Ocean Point Score, we have each had a first and a second. (After three races of the SOPS, Squadron member Julian Farren-Price in his Cookson 12 About Time, leads both IRC & PHS point scores. Mr Beak's Ribs, because of a non discard place in race 1 is currantly 4th in both IRC & PHS.
“We are also lying second in the CYCA’s Blue Water Point Score after the Audi Gold Coast, Bird Island and Flinders Island races in our preparation for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race,” Beak added.
The Squadron’s Offshore Division 3 pointscore race within the Gascoigne Cup saw King Billy (Phil & Elesa Bennett) scored a 4 second PHS corrected time win from Soundtrack (Tim & Adrian Cox) with a further 42 seconds to Zephyr (James Connell & Alex Brandon). Zephyr won the IRC category from Soundtrack and King Billy.
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