The morning began under cloudy skies with occasional drizzle, and notably, there was no wind. Competitors prepared their boats, embracing the festive spirit by adorning themselves and their vessels with decorations. Vin featured flashing lights on the boom, and a Santa Claus figure, with carols playing from Black Swan led the way, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.
Warwick provided a brief overview of the day’s proceedings and before the races began, all participants paused for a moment of silence, honouring the victims of the recent tragedy in Bondi. Bruce and Pam, once again serving as race officers, ensured the event ran smoothly, with Bruce giving an extensive briefing before the boats entered the water.
The start of the race was delayed due to the lack of wind. Once underway, competitors experienced a slow drift around the course. The usual 20-minute time limit per race was set aside, and only one race was completed, lasting one hour and nine minutes before the first boat finished. Woody, crewed by Denis and Nola, was the first to reach the top mark, followed by David and his daughter Juliette in Alex Martin, then Eli D with Jonathan and Skye. Eli D’s achievement was particularly notable, as she had crossed the start line last – to give other competitors a false sense of security.
Warwick and Ken in Helen Hendry initially rounded the mark in third place but touched it, requiring her to re-round. This mishap dropped them from third to last place.
After a lengthy drift around the course, Woody finished first, followed by Rob and Clare in Dolly Wallace, Eli D, Alex Martin, John and Jess Pens in Black Swan, Michael and Ros in Ralph Newman, and then Helen Hendry. The tinsel wind indicators on Vin’s boom proved more of a hindrance than a help so Jackie and Jenny withdrew from the race and did not finish – but did manage to execute their 360-degree penalty turn first.
Despite the lack of wind, a great day was enjoyed by all who participated and a key part of the success of the day was the professional management of the race by Bruce, and Pam Davis. Support was provided by John W, Vince, Joe and Guy on Charlies Chariot with Cecelia taking some great photos.
Following the race, everyone gathered on the dock to enjoy a barbecue and sandwiches provided by Nola. Many thanks to Guy for cleaning the BBQ and Cecelia for cooking the sausages. Presentations were made to the winners of the sailing, and the extensive commitment in decorating Black Swan was rewarded with the inaugural festively dressed award. John P’s aim was always to be on the winner’s dais in some manner, and he succeeded. Despite the challenging sailing conditions, all competitors appeared to enjoy the day and contributed to a successful regatta.
