Fortune favours the Beneteaus!
by Flagstaff Marine/John Curnow 12 May 23:51 PDT
Pretty in yellow. Bombolo screams past Barrenjoey Head © John Curnow
If there is no wind, open a beer. It always brings the breeze on ©John Curnow
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Ahead of the annual Beneteau Pittwater Regatta by Flagstaff Marine the weather had not been all that grand. So, peaks of sun migrating to distinct patches, and the occasional zephyr turning into a waft, then on to a calm, if slightly vague, breeze as the morning’s Champagne breakfast and briefing was conducted were more than fortune. They were a bit of a Godsend. Thank you, Huey…
It was light, and it was challenging. Eyes were out of the boat all the time to spot where the Sou’easter might next pop up, and how you could best use it, should you be able to get there in the first place. If the jam-packed start lines were anything, they were a harbinger for just how close the whole affair was going to be all day.
It was meant to continue clocking more East as the day went on, but Sou’east it remained. Alas, there were no frowns, for anytime you can get an entire fleet of different vintages and sizes all the way down Pittwater (aka Shiftwater), around Lion Island in the centre of Broken Bay, and back up to the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s (RPAYC) Committee Boat adjacent Scotland Island is not just a good thing, it is somewhat of a miracle.
Flagstaff Marine’s Director, Graham Raspass, commented on the 22nd running of this memorable and well attended annual event, “I think it’s fair to say it was a great day on the water for all the Beneteau owners and crew. It is always a fun race, with a mixture of the fickle winds of Pittwater before you pass through the heads and enjoy some open water sailing up and round Lion Island and back.”
“As always, we had a huge array of Beneteaus attending, and many, very close, races within the race occurring. Of particular note were the two First 36s, one of which was having its first outing for the new owner. The two Oceanis 38.1s duked it out all the way, and one of them, Currawong, would win the Non-Spinnaker Division, so must have been spurred on by the other.”
“There were several 40 to 50-foot Beneteaus partaking in the Spinnaker Division, where all enjoyed a tremendous sail, including a number of sail changes and manoeuvres along the way. However, it would be a First 345, Kama III, that sought of flew under the radar a bit to scoop the prized trophy later on at the evening’s presentation dinner.”
David Boekemann from the Oceanis 46.1, Bombolo, said, “I must have done at least twenty of the Beneteau Pittwater Regattas, and about the same number of the Beneteau Cups held on Sydney Harbour. The yellow spinnaker is great for this kind of weather, and hopefully not too many people will see all the strips from the tear repairs. North Sails have done a really good job of keeping this kite together for us.”
In that time, Boekemann would have had at least four Beneteaus, so just what is it about the brand that keeps him so interested? “I think it's a very good support group. It's a great company, and they build excellent boats. For the 20-odd years I've been associated with them, I've never had any issues that they haven't been able to fix quickly, and in a really friendly manner. The boats are also very competitive, which is good, because I enjoy racing the boat rather than just cruising. So Beneteaus are very comfortable, and offer a brilliant all-round package.”
Bombolo’s crew definitely worked hard on the day, but had to settle for second place in the Spinnaker Division, with the largest vessel of the day, Matt Doyle’s Sense 50, La Troisieme Mi-Temps (The Third Half) placing third.
As mentioned, it would be David Cunningham’s First 345, Kama III, that would collect the silverware for this division, winning by six and a half minutes on corrected time during the two and a quarter hour race. “They were certainly pretty tricky conditions,” said Cunningham. “I think we did well because we just concentrate on sail trimming and angles to whole time, thereby getting the best flow over the sails.”
“What worked for some boats at one end of the fleet didn't necessarily work for other boats at the other end. So you just had to be really observant about the conditions around you, and the boats around, or near to you. Naturally, the crew are very happy. We had a few experienced hands, and a couple of new crewmembers too. It's always encouraging for the new ones in particular if they do well early stage of their career. It keeps them enthused and coming back for more.”
“I have had the boat for 15 years now, and we placed during our first Beneteau Pittwater Regatta back in the day, so hopefully we can continue to do well. It is a really fun regatta, and it puts you against a different bunch of boats than what you might be racing against on a week-by-week basis. Anything that's a bit new and a bit novel is always good for getting you out there and having a go.”
Uwe Roehm’s Oceanis 38.1, Currawong, won the Non-Spinnaker Division by about five minutes over Mike Franklin’s, Masala, with Horizon 3, another Oceanis 38.1 owned and sailed by Raspass, in third place. It was very evident that Roehm had had a ball driving and racing the boat on the day. He has owned Currawong for about five years and this is the Maiden win. “It is just fantastic. It's all about the crew, and just enjoying the time together on the water in a fantastic boat, with smiles everywhere.”
The enthusiastic Beneteau owner reflected on it all by saying, “I've been sailing for over 20 years, but never really thought about one particular brand or another. The attraction to Beneteau was definitely the ‘race-cruising’ aspect. Not only can you race them, you can also go for a cruise, where you have a fantastic time out with friends, family and colleagues just enjoying Sydney Harbour. She goes well, and she loves the wind, which I love too.”
Roehm added, “There are a lot of people who would love to sail, and I always say, ‘Just come and do it.’ Once they’re on the boat that really get the feeling of it, enjoy themselves immensely, and get a buzz from being in the outdoors with friends. It’s a team sport with a nice little party afterwards, (or is that during?)”
Raspass closed by adding, “The fun is not limited to the on-water activities. During the presentation dinner held at RPAYC there are always a number of lucky door, and Skipper prizes we award. These are provided by our very generous sponsors, to whom we are in debt for their continued support. The prizes, gifts and vouchers for services are always keenly sought after, and always receive a raucous round of applause when presented.”
“All in all, it was another example of Beneteau owners living the dream.”
The next Beneteau Cup will be on Sydney Harbour in late October, 2025, so do keep a weather eye out for that announcement.