AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S KEELBOAT REGATTA
Over 150 women sailors from South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria turned on an impressive
and competitive display of sailing over the three days of the Australian Women’s Keelboat
Regatta.
The regatta was sailed on , 6, 7 and 8 June 2009 in winds that varied from a 5 – 8 knot northerly
on the opening day to a gusty 18 – 25 knot westerly on the final day.
The regatta was sailed over windward/leeward courses at the top end of the Bay and saw a fleet
of 21 yachts competing , ranging from a Thompson 7 sports boat to a 40ft ocean racer .
Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron was represented by 8 boats; Masumi (Jo Morley), Meridian
Passage (Alison Binks), Bushido (Marg Ludowyck), Silicon Chix (Louise Griffiths), Mood Indigo
(Sabina Rosser) and Salamander III (Janet Dean). Les Norton’s Bavaria Match 38 ‘Mrs
Overnewton’ was crewed by Lisa Bettcher, the sail administrator from the Royal South Australian
Yacht Squadron and her team from Adelaide with Ian Ewing’s Dubois 34 Spellbound being
crewed by Helen Wilmer and her team from Adelaide.
Royal Melbourne members were prominent in the crews entered on boats from other clubs.
Top Gun, skippered by Erin Peters and helmed by Anne Antrecht (a member of Royal Melbourne
Yacht Squadron) won all three handicap divisions including first place on corrected time in five of
the six heats under the IRC handicap division. The well-sailed Adams 10 from the Royal Yacht
Club of Victoria also won the IRC division in 2008.
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The Tasmanian crew, skippered by Hobart competitor Dianne Barkas, sailed the chartered
Sydney 38 Scarlet Runner to line honours in all six races, placing second overall in the IRC
division and third in the AMS division. The Tasmanian crew showed excellent heavy weather
sailing skills carrying a shy spinnaker in the final race, with the westerly gusting across the Bay at
25 knots. On corrected time, Scarlet Runner notched up four seconds, a third and seventh place
and an excellent result for Dianne Barkas and her team from three Hobart clubs, the Royal Yacht
Club of Tasmania, Derwent Sailing Squadron and Bellerive Yacht Club.
Salamander III, skippered by Janet Dean, was the best placed Royal Melbourne boat in the IRC
division, finishing third overall. Janet and her crew won race three and scored a second, two
thirds, a fourth and a fifth in the remaining heats.
Meridian Passage from Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron also performed extremely well. Alison
Binks and her crew, racing a boat kindly loaned by Past Commodore Rohan Brownlee finished
third in the Performance division, with placings of 3 – 6 – 1 – 19 – 10 – 13 equal.
Of the two South Australian teams, Helen Wilmer and her team sailing Spellbound was wellplaced in the AMS division while Mrs Overnewton finished mid ranking in the IRC division.
A new trophy for 2009, the ‘Best Performed Owner-Skipper’ kindly donated by Ian Lodewyckx
was awarded to Kathy De Garis from Royal Brighton Yacht Club and her boat ‘Allegresse’ whilst
the most improved award went to Erin Foster and her team on the Laser SB3 ‘Ocean Buro’.
For full results , please see the RMYS website.
We were thrilled that Amanda Wakeham agreed to be the regatta officer for 2009 and she was
very ably supported by Alistair Hart, Dennis Livingston, RMYS Club Captain Stuart Addison and
a team of on water volunteers drawn primarily from RMYS but also from the Ocean Racing Club
of Victoria, Hobsons Bay Yacht Club and the Tasmanian support team.
We thank our principal sponsors, Helly Hansen, ANZ Bank, Rebecca Badenoch, Sebago , Split
Rock and Go Wild Ballooning. We also thank our ancillary sponsors of which there were many.
The 20th year of the regatta promises to be exciting, highly competitive and we are already
working to offer a professional but welcoming environment for the anticipated 200 competitors.
Linda Goldsmith
June 2009
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