23rd September 2008
By Peter Campbell
Several hundred members, their families, friends and crew, afloat and ashore, celebrated the 147th Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Opening Day on a brilliant Sydney Spring day last Sunday.
Commodore Bill Wood and fellow Flag Officers took the salute near the Squadron’s historic flag pole as 38 colourfully dressed vessels participated in the Parade of Sail, led by the Sydney Heritage Fleet’s stately schooner Boomerang, under the command of Michael York.
Photo by Doug Sturrock
Commodore Wood was joined by Commodores and Flag Officers from other Sydney yacht clubs and fellow Squadron members, their children and friends who chose to enjoy the celebrations on the sloping green lawns running from Carabella to the waters edge.
Following the Parade of Sail, the yachts contested a short race around nearby waters before rafting up alongside the Squadron marina to join in the celebrations ashore.
The prize for the Best Dressed Boat went to Tamara, Neville Wittey’s double gaff rigged, bridge deck motor sailor built in Brisbane in 1945.
Best Dressed Crew prize went to Committee member Bruce Gould’s famous yawl Margaret Rintoul, a Phillip Rhodes-designed yawl, which took line honours in the 1950 and 1951 Sydney Hobart Races, breaking the race record in 1951. She is also famous as the first boat to roll in the Sydney Hobart, with the unusual distinction of being towed to port by an English submarine.
Another Sydney Hobart line honours winner, Nigel Stoke’s Fidelis (1966) was adjudged the Best Dress Boat and Crew, while Graeme Hespe and his crew of Norske received a special prize for the Best Crew Act – as the Squadron cannon fired amid loud noise and smoke, they all ‘fell down dead” on the deck.
Among other wellknown vessels on the Squadron registrar to join in the Parade of Sail were Nerida, the Sydney Hobart handicap winner in 1950, skippered on Sunday by David Hardy, the Beneteau First 36.7 Jackie Clare, owned by newly elected Yachting NSW Senior Vice President Geoff Davidson and his wife, Debbie (they had a win on Saturday, too) and the much-sailed Hood/Halvorsen Kerstin II, skippered by Ken Chase and crewed by two other Squadron members, Ken Chase and John Goldie.
Two of the Squadron’s Life Members were in the Parade of Sail, Rex Harrison skippering the classic Halvorsen 40 motor cruiser Nabila and John Maclurcan with his Illingworth and Primrose-designed 34-foot centre cockpit sloop Morag Bheag, which has been on the RSYS register since her launch on 2 May, 1969.
Close Window »
|
