2022 Petersville Regatta Wrap-up.
The Petersville Regatta is the premier keelboat event at BYS and is held every year from December 27-30. The regatta is open to BYS boats and visiting keelboats.
Numbers were down this year due to the 50th anniversary Melbourne to Hobart fleet of nearly fifty boats. The 2022 Petersville Regatta had 43 competing keelboats across 4 divisions of which 24 were visitors. Unfortunately, the dedicated Sports Boat Division was cancelled because of insufficient numbers, and we will be proactively working with this group to ensure they return in 2023.
Sailing kicked off on the evening of the Tuesday 27th December with a lovely twilight in moderate conditions sailed predominantly in front of BYS. The many coloured spinnakers would have been a great sight to those viewing from the shore. After the race there was live music on the deck and many hungry sailors enjoying the F & B offerings of Chef Simon and the kitchen crew.
The champagne sailing continued on Wednesday with a longer race that proved a little challenging for some in the freshening 20+ knot breeze before easing to a comfortable 10-15 knots.
Day 3 was two races, a shorter race in the morning and the iconic Sorrento Channel twilight race to Portsea and return. This race always has some challenges, depth, tide, ferries, traffic and the need to tack back up the narrow channel. All the boats were finished by 5.45pm which left plenty of time for socialising on the deck and enjoying the fabulous evening weather, live music and BYS hospitality.
Unfortunately, day 4 the sailing gods did not smile upon us with weather more akin to water skiing than sailing, dead flat, little wind. Although some finished it was a hard slog with many retiring as the breeze dropped before freshening to healthy ten knots….too late for most.
There were so many winners in the four divisions it is easier to check the results at petersvilleregatta.com.au than list them here. The Petersville regatta is not all about winners, it is about having a go and meeting likeminded sailing friends from different clubs around Port Phillip.
The significant volunteer input covers both on-water and onshore activities and varies from, Race Officers, start boat assistants, mark layers, safety boat, finish boat, radio operator, protest committee, preparation of regatta documents, organisation of daily prizes, and on-water photography. The following deserve individual acknowledgment and thanks – Glenys Hitchen, Bronwyn Evans, John Thatcher, Allen Broadhead, Wayne Bates, Sally Derham, Adrian Vinck, Russell Cutler, Jim Senogles, Anna Lewis, Rosey Cobelas, David Brown, Ginny Thatcher, Jura Liubinas, Jane McKenzie, Brad McKenzie, Greg Rowland, Peter Southwell, and Brian Smith.
We greatly appreciate the support of the 2022 Petersville Regatta sponsors, Fever Tree, The Wine Company, Doyle Sails and Musto.
We would also like to thank all the BYS staff members who contributed to a successful regatta with particular mention– Michelle de Blaquiere and Andrew Wilkinson from the Sailing Department, Michelle Muter who spent many hours organising berthing arrangements, Albe Bosman and his marina team, Dave Sherlock & Chef Simon heading up the F&B team and of course our GM Andrew Cooper.
Planning for Petersville 2023 has begun and the team look forward to seeing you all back at BYS on the 27th December 2023
Petersville Organising Committee,
Phil Beattie, Felicia Brown, Alistar Singh
Images courtesy of Brad McKenize
