Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) welcomes Pantaenius Australia aboard as long term naming rights sponsor for the Pittwater Regatta, with continued support from Sydney Marine Brokerage for the NSW ORC Championship, held in tandem with the Regatta – and there is a new addition to the event too.

Jamie MacPhail, Managing Director, Pantaenius Australia commented, “It’s an honor to be part of this longstanding tradition and to celebrate the passion and spirit of the sailing community. We look forward to contributing to the event’s success and cheering on all the participants. See you on the water!”

Entry is open online where the Notice of Race can also be found for the annual Pittwater Regatta and ORC NSW Championship, to take place from 7-9 February. New to the event is the Australian Sports Boat Championship, to also be held over three days.

On Saturday, 8 February, the two-day Pittwater Regatta kicks off with the stunning 5 Heads Challenge Race. The 20 nautical mile race weaves through Pittwater and Broken Bay at the entrance to the Hawkesbury River. The course is designed to keep sailors on their toes and those who handle the difficult transitions between land and open water best, win the day.

Post racing, crews will be treated to fun, games and live music onshore throughout the regatta. It is a lot of fun.

RPAYC Commodore, Rob McClelland, enthusiastically says: "Perfect Pittwater, so if you haven't experienced the Perfect Pittwater Regatta, this is your chance. And avoid the New Year rush, get your entries in before Christmas!”

Inaugurated back in 1888, the Pittwater Regatta has gone through an assortment of changes to race formats, classes etc., but remains a popular summertime fixture on the Alfreds’ calendar. It is shaping up to be a real humdinger already.

“Yes, I’m definitely back,” stated Michael Ritchie, a proponent of the Super 40 class in Australia and last year’s Division 1 winner with his Ritchie 38, Revolver.

“I’m pretty excited about the interest so far; Lightning (Grant Pocklington’s Bakewell-White 40), Condor (Ross Hennessy’s Ker 40+), Victoire (Darryl Hodgkinson’s Carkeek 40+), Botany Access (Justin Brownbill’s MC38), Little Nico (Adrian Walters’ Rob Shaw 11 Metre), Vento (Campbell Letchford’s Farr 400) and Bushranger (Gerry Hatton’s M.A.T. 1220) and us. All are fast Supers 40s,” he says.

“We’ll give it a red-hot go, but it’ll be hard work for us in such a hot division,” he says of the event that doubles as Act 1 of the Super 40 Series.

“I’m hoping some of the Lake Macquarie boats will enter too. We get to race them at Sail Port Stephens. It’s a great fleet, so I’m hoping they’ll come down and visit us. On the back such success with the 40s at Hamilton Island Race Week, we’re trying to keep the momentum going, because there’s so any great bowsprit boats around.”

Grant Pocklington, winner of Division 2 last year with his Sydney 39 Cruiser Racer, Hussy, is a convert to the Super 40s. His recent buy is Anarchy (now called Lightning), a Bakewell-White 40 that came with a cupboard full of trophies. This leaves Division 2 open for others.

Division 3’s reigning champion, Chris Hornsby (Pick Pocket) says, “Yes, we’ll certainly sail the regatta again. It’s an open regatta and therefore all-comers are there, so it means good competition. We’ve got a Pocket Rocket 22 that’s usually sailed by five of us and we like the courses.”

The NSW ORC Championship returns in 2025. It will be held over three days when crews are put through their places in a mixture of an offshore passage race, offshore windward/leewards and inshore racing and the best all-rounders will be crowned.

David Ross won Division 1 last year with Kukukerchu, his Cape 31. “We will be there to defend,” Ross verified.

“It’s a great event. The Club is hospitable and the regatta is well organised. There’s a big mix of boats, the wind was up on two of the three days and we had a good variety of offshore and inshore races,” said Ross, whose boat goes like a rocket ship downwind.
“Hopefully, Sam Haynes’ new Cape 31 will arrive in time,” he added.

Division 2 winner in 2024 was Queenslander, Garry Holt, who is hard to beat around any race track on the east coast of Australia. Rivals can consider themselves on notice, as Holt is ready to return with his Corby 36.

“We’re definitely coming back,” Holt confirmed. “We just took 80 kilos out of the boat and won Sail Paradise and the St Helena Cup in Brisbane. I’ve changed the name of the boat to Let’s Get It On Filabé – it’s a new Swiss skincare product that I’m involved with,” he said.

Holt continued, “It’s a great regatta and the hospitality and friendliness of the Club are so good and the racing is too. We had all sorts of different conditions last year and racing inside and outside of Pittwater, which makes it interesting.”

To enter the Pantaenius Pittwater Regatta and view the NoR and all other information, please visit: www.pittwaterregatta.au

By Di Pearson/RPAYC media.