Sail Port Stephens’ penultimate day threw up another mixed bag for the 150-boat fleet contesting various divisions and class titles at the 12th annual sailing regatta over the perfect opening weekend of the NSW school holidays. From the Salamander Bay course for the sports boats and VXs past the Nelson Bay breakwater where Performance Cruising…
The mass invasion of Jeanneau yachts has been one of the highlights of Sail Port Stephens, especially in the Bannisters Port Stephens Commodores Cup where they represented almost 20 per cent of the 100-strong fleet. While they competed with the main divisions, there was always a race within a race as the Jeanneau Trophy Series…
The opening day of the Pantaenius Yacht Insurance Port Stephens Trophy challenged crews and on-water officials in equal amounts, long delays to the start of racing and a drawn-out single race against dramatic skies offshore for the Garmin NSW IRC Championship and Super 12 fleets. The sports boats, VX Ones and Performance Racing division 2…
Port Stephens is preparing to host the best of Australia’s eastern seaboard keelboat racing this weekend when a record 150 crews, racing trailable sports boats to the latest generation TP52, aim to make their mark on the Pantaenius Yacht Insurance Port Stephens Trophy series. The Bannisters Port Stephens Commodores Cup contested Monday to Wednesday opened…
The first half of Sail Port Stephens closed out in the most breeze of the three-day series, puffy southerly winds up to 22 knots on the bay causing spinnakers to flog and some crews to scramble as boats tipped and rounded up in the gusts. Within each of the five divisions making up the Bannisters…
Day two of the Bannisters Port Stephens Commodore’s Cup had an all-sorts flavour – beating sun, sudden heavy rain, bullets of 20 plus knots on the start line to barely any wind, lightning, a rainbow and dark clouds to the south as a southerly change loomed. The second of the three-race series wrapped up before…
A record Bannisters Port Stephens Commodore’s Cup fleet of 100 boats opened their three-day series in light winds on a stunning autumn day at Sail Port Stephens 2019. It was summer revisited for the offshore course that began off the Nelson Bay breakwater at lunchtime and weaved around the islands at the entrance to Port…
It’s 22 nautical miles from Newcastle Harbour to the Port Stephens heads, and today there was a catch – as in, no breeze at the start of the annual Sail Port Stephens feeder race. So instead of the postcard getaway on the harbour, race organisers from the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club had the 43-strong fleet…
As Sail Port Stephens 2019 comes under starters orders, a mammoth 248 entries have been received across classes ranging from sports boats to TP52s – even before counting the junior one-sail and 16-foot skiff fleets that will register on their race day. Allowing for cross-overs for the different series being contested during the week-long regatta,…
Sail Port Stephens 2019 has welcomed aboard Bannisters Port Stephens as a new sponsor for its entrée event, the Commodores Cup, starting April 8. The three passage races that constitute the Commodores Cup take competitors on a scenic loop around postcard-perfect islands and bays, offering a uniquely chilled vibe for an eclectic mix of old…