Cruising the harbour
The Australian Sailing and Cruising Club (ASCC) will hold its annual Mardi Gras Regatta this Saturday, February 20.
The club hires six-metre long Elliott dinghies and holds a series of short match races, pitting three-person crews against each other in a test of skill and tactics.
“It’s like Twenty-20 cricket for yachties — a fast and furious spectacle,” ASCC spokeswoman Claire Rowlands said.
“The regatta is a way for all members and like-minded sailors to compete. It’s also a bit from an exhibitioin event for Mardi Gras and a bit different to our normal boating events.”
Held at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the regatta lets everyone compete on an equal footing and is always keenly contested, with some crews travelling from interstate to participate.
“People who don’t own a boat can hire one and pit their wits against the skipper, who normally gives them orders,” Rowlands told Sydney Star Observer.
“It’s also a way for skippers to be crew for a day, or to rely on their skills and cunning in one-design boats against their rivals where normally different boat designs and handicaps can be used to explain performance.”
Spectators can stand on the foreshore at Rushcutters Bay or watch from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. If you have a boat, viewers can watch as long as they stay well clear of the course. An awards ceremony will follow at the Taxi Club from 7pm.
info: The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is located at New Beach Rd, Darling Point. Entry is $150 per person or $450 per boat. For more details and to register visit www.ascc.org.au or call 0408 659 020.
