Thirty one yachts are gearing up for the Rockingham Race Weekend, hosted by Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club. Contested off the coast of WA, racing will be on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November.
The weekend incorporates the Dolphin Race and Gordon Craig Ocean Race and forms part of the Farrawa Cup Series, an annual event popular on the WA Offshore racing calendar. Yachts will start outside Fremantle Harbour on Saturday and race to the sheltered waters of Rockingham where they will be moored for the evening. Sailors and race officials will enjoy an evening of hospitality and entertainment put on by The Cruising Yacht Club of WA. TCYC is keen to use this event as a tester for their upcoming 57th Cockburn Sound Regatta and is promising a fantastic time ashore.
Sunday morning will begin with windward/leeward racing in the waters of Cockburn Sound, followed by the start of the Gordon Craig Ocean Race back to Fremantle.
Amongst the big boats racing the event will be the GP42’s Black Betty and Dirty Deeds who both performed well in the Geraldton Return Ocean Classic and the impressive TP52 Calm.
A regular entrant in the event, the Sydney 36 from RFBYC, This Way Up will be racing with a completely new crew. Skipper Bryan Thurstan says “This will be our first offshore race in 6 months, we have been training up a new team who are all keen to give sailing outside the river a go.” This past Sydney to Hobart finisher performed well in last year’s Rockingham Race Weekend with a win on the way down and a win during the windward/leeward series in the bay.
Following the racing on the water this weekend will be CEO of Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, Paul Bayliss. He comments, “Rockingham Race Weekend is a fun event both on and off the water. I always enjoy accompanying the yachts to the fine waters of Cockburn Sound and Mangles Bay. On arrival, TCYC always match the great sailing with fantastic hospitality.”
The Farrawa Cup Series will conclude with the 67th Bunbury Return Race starting on 17 January 2015. To follow the event, visit the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club website,
Susan Ghent
RFBYC Offshore Administration
