Race Report Saturday 19 September 2026

Photo by John Vasey. Remaining photos by Ian Tudball.

Forecasting is meant to narrow things down. This week, all available weather models forecast different days, which should have been our first clue that Saturday was going to be a lesson in patience rather than boat speed.

From the committee boat, the omens started reasonably: 3–4 knots out of the NNW as we headed to the race area, with a shift to the ESE that was foreshadowed by one of the wind models arriving more or less on schedule. Course set, flags up, cautious optimism on board. Then the breeze, having delivered on the direction, decided it had done enough for one day and declined to build. It sulked further round towards the east, so we reset the course and tried again.

Buoyed by nothing more than hope and a rash reading of the sky, we sent the 4.7s off in their start sequence, backing the wind to hold. It did not. By the time the 6s were lining up to start, the folly of the whole exercise was plain for everyone to see — still 3–4 knots, and at no point all day did anything resembling 5 knots look like sticking around. Around 3:50pm, we called it: no racing, day abandoned.

If there's a silver lining, it's that every sailor out there got world-class practice at bobbing gracefully up and down on Sydney Harbour — a skill not yet recognised by World Sailing, but surely under consideration.

The genuine good news: after two Club Championship race days, there's still only one result on the board. The series remains completely up for grabs, so there's every reason to turn up next Saturday and see if the forecast models can embarrass themselves again.

Good to see such a strong turnout at the BBQ after pack-up, too — nice consolation for a day with nothing to show for it on the water.

Thanks to our Club Championship RO Martin Gill, along with Gaye on the Jazzman and Ian Tudball, Alban Delpey and John Vasey on the safety RIBs.

- Stephen Reid