MYC Helly Hansen Women's Challenge - 2015

A record fleet of yachts signed up for the 20th anniversary of the Manly Yacht Club Helly Hansen Women's Challenge sailed on Sunday March 22, 2015.  The Yngling fleet took out the largest One Design trophy with nine boats entered for the regatta.

The ladies participating in the Yngling class this year were made up of

1) Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Keelboat Start Crewing / Start Helming courses graduates (LOTS 'Ladies of the Sea'.

2) University of NSW Sailing Club members who have been trying out Ynglings with some Saturday racing

3) Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Intermediate members 

AUS60 Miss PIBB Ruth McCance, Alexia Biggs and Julie Moloney (helm) © Dimiter Nedialkov

Experienced Yngling sailors joined the ladies, and on most boats took a back seat and mentored relatively new sailors on the helm.  For some ladies it was their first experience racing, for some it was also their first experience with a spinnaker.

Overall Handicap winner AUS34 Yertle Warwick Back, Olga Skatkova and Jan Newland(helm) © Dimiter Nedialkov

It was a big day meeting at 10am for crew introductions, by 11:15 boats were launched and getting ready for the hour long tow to Manly.  Unfortunately a few tow line failures meant that two Ynglings were not in the start area for the 12:50pm warning so the Ynglings were put back to the end of the starting sequence.

The breeze was a gentle 10 to 12 knot East nor easter, and the sky overcast.  It was a gentle start off Forty Baskets, then the run into Edwards Beach at Balmoral with the swell behind saw boats catching waves and surfing.  

AUS58 Holly Lucy Wilson (helm), Fiona Lynch and Karyn Gojnich © Dimiter Nedialkov

The course was incredibly long, taking over two and a half hours and AUS56 Ewa Lindelof, Annelise Kullmann and Gary Pierce crossed the line just one second ahead of AUS34 Yertle Jan Newland, Olga Skatkova and Warwick Back.  In third place was AUS48 Shining Star Megan Howe, Nicky Howe and William Lewis.

It was then a long sail back to RSYS.  After hauling out and washing down boats some still had energy to return to Manly Yacht Club for the 6pm presentation.  We didn't quite make it but the club saved some food and slices of the 20 year anniversary cake.

To participate in the MYC Helly Hansen Women's challenge would not be possible with out a helping hand from some of the male Yngling sailors and all boat owners making their boats available for the day.  Many thanks also to Hamish Jarrett and Trent Goldsack onboard 'Hands Off', and Dimiter Nedialkov and Callum Thompson on board the RIB.

3rd on Handicap and Scratch AUS48 Shining Star Megan Howe, Nicky Howe, William Lewis © Dimiter Nedialkov 

Crew on AUS57 Soria Sara Ladd, Robyn Grosvenor and Joanna van Hagen(helm) © Dimiter Nedialkov

AUS59 Evie Kylie Lloyd (helm) Meredith Kennedy and Helen Impey © Dimiter Nedialkov

1st on scratch AUS56 Ewa Lindelof (helm) Annelise Kullmann and Gary Pierce © Dimiter Nedialkov

AUS40 Debacle Rikke Kronborg (upwind helm), Elyse Guevara-Rattray(downwind helm) & Ellis Todres © Dimiter Nedialkov

Collection of photos taken by Dimiter Nedialkov here

A video of the days action here (Ynglings feature from 3:26)

Photos from MYC here

Scratch results:

1 AUS56  Black Adder  Ewa Lindelof, Annelise Kullmann Gary Pierce
2 AUS34  Yertle Jan Newland, Olga Skatkova, Warwick Back
3 AUS48  Shining Star Megan Howe, Nicky Howe, William Lewis

Overall handicap results here