- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The CYCA Trophy Series is a two-race series contested over a single weekend, and forms a part of the resurrected Southern Cross Cup 2103, along with the Port Hacking – Bird Island Race and the big one, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Race 1 of the CYCA Trophy on Saturday began in ideal conditions for exciting racing, with a 15-20 knot south-easterly wind giving the yachts a fast run up the harbour to Sydney Heads.
At the front of the fleet, the Supermaxi Wild Oats XI was shown a clean pair of heels by the much smaller Volvo 70 Giacomo, owned and skippered by New Zealander Jim Delegat, although “Wild Oats XI” was under a reefed mainsail.
However as the yachts exited the harbour and the wind came onto the nose, Wild Oats XI showed her superior upwind speed and took the lead.
Still, this run up the harbour showed that, given the right conditions some of the round the world yachts such as the Volvo 70s and the Clipper 70s, may give some of the Supermaxis a run for their money come Boxing Day.
Further back in the fleet, the real race for handicap honours was under way with Midnight Rambler, Patrice and Nine Dragons all showing good speed with Ed Psaltis’ Ker 40 Midnight Rambler taking the honours in the first race.
Race 2 on Sunday was raced in completely different conditions to Race 1, with light flukey winds of 3-6 knots. It is in these conditions that the real sailing and seamanship come to the fore.
Once again it was Ed Psaltis on Midnight Rambler that seemed to pick all the right gusts and wind shifts to take the honours and the overall Series win from Patrice, both yachts showing that given the right conditions, they will be contenders for the big one on Boxing Day.