Big summer season

Buoyed by the highly successful return to yacht racing on Hobart’s River Derwent this winter, the Combined Clubs Committee has set a challenging program for the 2020–21 summer racing season.

Written by Peter Campbell

20 August 2020

The program comprises an expanded ten-race Summer Pennant Series, four major keelboat regattas, four long overnight offshore races, including a two-handed series, and a women’s keelboat regatta.

Chairman of the Combined Clubs Committee, Richard Bevan, Vice-Commodore of The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, said yesterday the program was based on feedback from a survey of yacht owners.

The traditional Saturday Summer Pennant series will comprise five long race days with morning starts and five afternoon harbour race days.

Pre-Christmas pennant racing will start on Saturday 10 October 2020 and continue through to Saturday 5 December 2020.

Post-Christmas racing has been brought forward three weeks to start on Saturday 9 January 2021, running through to Saturday 27 March 2021.

Wild West (pink kite) will not be racing on the Derwent this summer. She’s been bought by the CYCA Commodore.

Drew Latham’s Whistler is a likely Launceston to Hobart race entries. (Photo Colleen Darcey)

Two significant additions to the summer program include a Tasmanian Women’s Keelboat Regatta on 24 April 2021 and the reinstatement of a Two-Handed Long Race Series over the four races.

The Combined Club Offshore Perpetual Trophy will be awarded on the combined scores of the Derwent Sailing Squadron’s Pipe Opener Night Race, the Bellerive Yacht Club Overnight Race, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s Maria Island Race and the Bruny Island Race.

Keelboat regattas over the summer will be the Combined Clubs Short Course Series (IRC, AMS and PHS) on 17-18 October 2020, the Tasmanian Yachting Championships (DSS) on 28-29 November 2020, the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta (BYC) on 12, 13 and 14 February 2021 and the Tasmanian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (Combined Clubs) on 24 April 2021.

Twilight racing is scheduled to start at BYC on Wednesday 7 October 2020 and the combined DSS and RYCT twilights, which include the SB20 Summer Pennant on Thursday 8 October.

ryct.org.au

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