The inaugural Catalina Owners Group Rendezvous was held in October.
Starting from the Catalina Anchorage in Middle Harbour, 12 Catalinas ranging in size from the C28 Brown Eyed Girl to the grand C470 Migaloo owned by Ross and Jan Hetherington set off under glorious blue skies in a light to moderate south easterly breeze.
Boats came from as far a field as Lake Macquarie, Port Hacking, Pittwater and several from Sydney Harbour.
Fun was the order of the day with just a hint of tactical sailing thrown in to ensure a competitive event. The rendezvous rounded Shark Island, Clarke Island and Fort Denison before finishing back in Middle Harbour as the north east sea breeze filled in.
An overnight raft up at Sugarloaf Bay in the upper reaches of Middle Harbour followed the “race”, where a huge 10-boat Catalina raft-up toasted the day. An unofficial record was set when 20 people filled the cockpit of Volare, a Catalina 42 owned by Catalina sales manager Greg Cockle and his wife Debbie.
As night fell all the owners and their crews, most who didn’t know each other before the day, quickly became friends with a few things in common – a Catalina yacht, a liking for a sundowner or two and the love of a good time on the water.
The rendezvous also gave everyone the opportunity to look at the different Catalina models, ask questions and share some knowledge.
For more information on the Catalina Owners Group contact Glenn Hammond at hammondinvestments@bigpond.com
