The BYS Women’s Sportsboat Regatta was held on 19 – 20 November at BYS.
It was a fantastic event with 9 teams entered across Victorian and NSW clubs, and with an all-female competitor line up there were many remarkable sailors involved of all ages and experience and created not only a great competition but a dynamic event. The regatta was set up in a round-robin style with generous donations of boats from other members of BYS so there could be 6 teams racing per session. Unfortunately, due to weather restrictions, the series could not be completed but each team showed great skill and sportsmanship and created a very eager atmosphere at the end for next year’s regatta amongst all the sailors.
The other fantastic aspect of the event was the regatta dinner held in the Southern Waters room at BYS. The dinner included a generous cocktail on arrival in partnership with our major sponsors Bass & Flinders Distillery and Fever-Tree and delicious food from our very own BYS kitchen. The highlight of the dinner was an interview panel MC’d by Jenni Maclean including Olympian Karyn Gojnich, Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club Commodore Lee Renfree and BYS’s AS Squad member Laura Harding. This was an intriguing Q and A allowing the guests to find out more and relate to some similar experienced of sailing for pleasure and racing as well as get to know the competition better. Furthermore, the raffle to raise money for our beloved SheSails was a success thanks to our thoughtful supporters who created some fabulous prizes.
Thank you to Archies, Kollab, Bass & Flinders Distillery, Fever-Tree, Gordon Studio Glassblowers Red Hill and SheSails for supporting the event.
Our amazing volunteers put in a stella effort both on and off the water. Thank you to Regatta Manager Felicia Brown, CRO Andrew ‘Doc’ Little, Sally Derham, Anthony Landgren, Martin Kudnig, John Plumridge, Alister Danks, Matthew O’Brien, Sean O’Brien, Ian Cooper, David Brown, Jonathan Harding, Casey Bates, Hayden Harding, Ethan O’Brien, Tim Dorning, Hayden Brown, Matt Dorning, Ed Warner, Andrew Lawson, Peter Southwell, Jane Grimshaw, Julie Grimshaw, Lucy Harding, Chris Wilson, Richard Backwell, Wayne Bates and the BYS staff.
Overall all the women competing loved the inaugural event and everyone is looking forward to the next Women’s Sportsboat Regatta at BYS.
Daisy Laing
BYS Member and J70 youth program representative.
Photo credit: Brad McKenzie
Day One
Sailing Journeys Regatta Dinner
Day Two
BYS WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SUPPORTERS
