Clarence River Sailing Club

31/03/2026

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31/03/2026

Saturday 28th March 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #8
Season Final

Crews enjoyed magnificent conditions for the final event of the 2025-26 sailing season. Although shifty at first, the determined south easterly gradually filled in. By the second lap it was blowing a steady 8 to 10 knots with brief gusts of around 14. Combined with the glorious autumn weather and brilliant sunshine, conditions were near perfect. The race start was pushed back to 3.00 pm and with the best of the breeze happening later in the afternoon, this worked out superbly.

Race official Dennis Boyd set another great course. Delivering fast off-wind sprints mixed equally with demanding upwind works it exhilarated and challenged everyone in the fleet. Departing from the usual mid race loop, crews steered a roughly boomerang shaped track with the apex east of Susan Island and leeward marks on the southern and northern sides. A solid three laps were sailed with most crews completing the distance in just over an hour. A remarkably quick time for a race of this length.

Viper 16 skipper Peter Walker took out line honours in the Catamaran Division. Sailing his high performance craft single-handed is a considerable undertaking, but even more so when flying a spinnaker as well. A great display of controlled sailing and a well deserved win. Despite crossing the finish nine minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Peter’s overall position remained on hold until yardsticks were calculated. With a punishing yardstick of 67.5 it was a tough call, but on this occasion the numbers came back perfectly - awarding him the prize with a margin of just three seconds. It doesn’t get much closer than that. Just missing the prize but happy with second, Hobie 18 crew Lindsay Cowan and Tansie Higgins put in a top performance and were so close it didn't matter. Third place went to Mosquito crew Greg Lee and Deb Michell followed by Nacra skipper Ben Higgins.

It was all Lasers again in the Mono Division. John Nelson took the prize this week after a tight contest with Peter Zietsch. Getting away to a near perfect start John dominated the fleet in the early stages before Peter was able to haul him in on the upwind leg of lap #1. Finding favourable lifts along the northern bank Peter was to carve out a comfortable lead before John clawed back the advantage at exactly the same point in lap #2. Only twenty seconds separated the two at the finish. Deb Parkin took out third place. Had the breeze been just a fraction stronger, it may well have been Deb's race.

See the Club’s website for more results.

Full results, photos and more details are on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and boat driver / photographer Dennis Boyd.

Sailing is now in recess for the winter break and will resume on Saturday 5th September 2026. Watch this space.

15/03/2026

Saturday 14th March 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #7

A lively south easterly breeze kept crews busy in Saturday’s Pointscore heat.Gusting to 15 knots at times, it was a breeze that demanded total focus to stay competitive. Regular shifts added to the challenge but also gave pro-active skippers opportunities to gain the edge on their rivals.

With only three races left in the season, a highly motivated fleet contested the event - split equally between the monohull and catamaran divisions.Racing got underway early to take advantage of the breeze which was nearing its peak and predicated to ease. A tight start line and big fleet demanded quick reflexes as crews jockeyed for the best positions on the hectic sprint to the first mark.To everyone’s credit, all boats got away cleanly and fast.

The course this week was a marathon four laps – but with the abundance of breeze all crews still clocked very impressive sub 90 minute times.Course designer Dennis Boyd read the conditions perfectly and delivered some of the fastest and exhilarating sailing of the season.

Deb Parkin was the standout performer in the Laser dominated Monohull Division. Battle hardened after recently competing very successfully in the State Cherub titles, Deb’s remarkable upwind speed and endurance saw her cross the line almost three minutes ahead of her nearest rival. Taking advantage of the frequent wind shifts, Deb tacked regularly to maintain the best line and maximum boat speed. Minor placings went to John Nelson in second, Peter Zietsch in third and Neil Burgess in fourth. All skippers elected to use their smaller Radial (5.7 sq m) sails rather than the usual 7.1 sq m rigs which can be a handful on breezy days.

In the Catamaran Division two races emerged as the 18 foot cats pulled ahead of their smaller 16 foot competitors. At the front of the fleet Hobie 18 rivals Luke Denham and Lindsay Cowan / Tansie Higgins battled it out in an epic contest that could easily have gone either way. Sailing single-handed, Luke did it tough in the bigger gusts but had the advantage in the lulls with a lighter crew weight. On the other hand Lindsay and Tansie were able to fully power up in the gusts but weren’t as quick when it eased. With the lead changing regularly it was anyone’s guess who’d prevail but it Lindsay and Tansie on the day when they crossed the line with a margin of just 30 seconds. Racing doesn’t get much better than this. In parallel to the main event, the two 16 footers (Ben Higgins in a Nacra and Greg Lee / Deb Michell in their Mosquito) also went head-to-head in a tightly fought contest. Ben had a faster top speed but Greg and Deb were quicker tacking and gybing. Both sailed exceptionally well but the Nacra gradually gained the lead and went on to claim the prize.

A big thanks to race official Dan Parkin and boat driver / photographer Dennis Boyd.

Sailing again next Saturday (21st March) for Race 8 of the Post Xmas Comp and second last event of the season.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

08/02/2026

Saturday 7th February 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #5

Club Commodore and Hobie 18 skipper Luke Denham had a sensational win in Saturday’s competition and claimed the points with a crushing two and a half minute margin on his nearest rivals. Sailing single-handed with the prospect of a freshening breeze in a highly competitive fleet, Luke’s initial odds didn't look promising. However, they quickly shortened when he sprinted away to a near perfect start and led the pack to the first mark. Fending off multiple challenges and keeping his powerful rig under control as the breeze filled in, Luke eventually wore down the opposition and crossed the line to a highly deserved first prize.

Hobie rivals Lindsay Cowan and Tansie Higgins were next home to take second place. Lindsay and Tansie struggled in the lighter breeze in the early stages but quickly picked up speed as it freshened. By the final lap they were closing in fast but unfortunately too late to change the outcome. Visiting Viper 16 skipper Peter Walker took out third place after a very impressive run in his high-performance rig. Peter also claimed line-honours before being relegated to third on yardstick. Minor placings saw a tightly fought battle between Mosquito crew Greg Lee and Deb Michell and Nacra 16 skipper Ben Higgins. Crossing paths regularly and pushing each other the whole way, the results were too close to call until right at finish when the Mosquito got the flag with less than a minute to spare.

In the monohull fleet, Laser skipper Neil Burgess consolidated his recent successes with another decisive win. First away at the start and finding breeze that eluded his peers, Neil maintained consistent speed throughout the race despite the highly variable conditions. Rival skippers John Nelson and Peter Zietsch had him in sight regularly but were unable to match his near flawless tactics. The battle for second was a tough one with John and Peter locked in a gruelling tacking duel right to the finish where Peter finally got the flag just 30 seconds ahead.

In an interesting variation this week, Race Controller Dennis Boyd set a new course that not only matched the breeze perfectly but challenged skippers to switch off their ‘auto-pilots’ and explore different strategies to maximise their speed and height. The leeward end of was centred around the tip of Susan Island in a roughly boomerang shape with the catamarans sailing slightly further back downstream. This presented skippers with dozens of possible options - each affected differently by the constantly shifting breeze, nearby shoreline and strong incoming tide. With the race over three laps, mistakes made in one lap could be corrected in the next and everyone finished the day a slightly better sailor.

See the website for full results and photos.

A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and Dennis Boyd in the rescue boat .

Sailing again next Saturday (14h February) for Race 6 of the Post Xmas Comp.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

02/02/2026

Saturday 31st January 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #4

Everyone had a solid workout in Saturday’s Competition Series when a surprisingly lively nor-easterly delivered unexpectedly good sailing conditions. Only moderate at first it just kept getting better and by the final lap was consistently gusting over ten knots. Even better it remained rock-steady enabling crews to coax maximum performance out their rigs and achieve some remarkably fast times.

Officials set a marathon three-lap race and with the steadily freshening breeze, crews had to dig deep on their stamina reserves towards the finish. A regular easterly course was sailed with the windward mark near the bridge and the leeward end off Susan Island. Midway was an extended double loop (sausage) between the Marina and Convent. Course controller Dennis Boyd aligned this perfectly giving crews some fantastic reaches across the river and back.

In the Catamaran Division, Nacra 16 skipper Ben Higgins got away to an impeccable start and dominated the fleet for much of the first lap. However sailing his powerful rig single-handed, Ben’s advantage was gradually eroded as the breeze picked up. By the second lap Hobie 18 rivals Lindsay Cowan and Tansie Higgins had caught up and revelling in the fresher conditions they pushed through and went on to a narrow win. Only 40 seconds separated the two at the finish and some great sailing by both crews. Mosquito crew Greg Lee and Deb Michell took out third place and posted a very impressive time of 01:33:23

Laser skipper Peter Zietsch took out the prize in the Monohull Division after a tight battle with Radial challenger Deb Parkin. Taking advantage of the standard Laser's bigger sail, Peter made gains on downwind legs only to be pegged back by Deb on the upwind returns. This equilibrium continued until the final lap when a couple of favourable shifts near the finish gave Peter the advantage he needed to claim the day.

See the website for full results and photos.

A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and Dennis Boyd in the rescue boat and setting the course.

Sailing again next Saturday (7th February) for Race 5 of the Post Xmas Comp.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday.

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

27/01/2026

It is with great sadness that we inform the members of the CRSC and the sailing community of the passing of Brian Wright. Brian passed away peacefully today, January 27th, at Grafton Hospital after a courageous six-year battle with cancer. Rest in peace, Brian. Brian's wishes were for no funeral and to be cremated with his ashes scattered on Clarence River. May you have smooth sailing on your journey with the tides.

25/01/2026

Saturday 24th January 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #3

Crews had their patience tested on Saturday in a fickle and frustrating breeze that couldn’t make up its mind what to do. Conditions looked promising in the early stages but the anticipated north easterly just couldn’t get traction. An opposing north westerly regularly overpowered it, leaving an almost becalmed fleet stuck in the middle. A strong incoming tide (especially along the southern bank) added to the challenge which skippers needed to carefully factor in to stay out of trouble.

Fortunately, there were brief occasions when one breeze or the other took control and provided some very pleasant sailing. Switched-on skippers who took advantage of these opportunities made substantial gains on their rivals.

With a smaller fleet competing this week, everyone sailed in a single division. To hedge against the uncertain breeze officials set a different course to normal - equally split between upstream and downstream of the twin bridges. The upstream section was bounded by a gate which required skippers to choose between rounding to port or starboard. The starboard option proved to be the most favourable. The fleet then headed downstream to a tight double loop off Pound Street before returning for the next lap. Navigating the adjacent sets of bridge piers in an erratic breeze was interesting but sharpened everyone’s skills. The non-standard course worked nicely and made the most of the diverse conditions.

Laser skipper Neil Burgess was the standout performer of the day. Finding every patch of breeze and using the current to his advantage Neil gradually built an uncatchable lead before finishing with a very decisive margin of nearly three minutes. A great exhibition of light weather sailing and well done Neil. Next home was Laser sailor John Nelson. John pushed his rival hard in the first lap and was ready to pounce had the opportunity presented. However Neil’s flawless technique stymied every challenge leaving John to be content with a very respectable second place. Deb Parkin (Laser Radial) took out third prize after beating Leader skipper Luke Denham to the points on yardstick. It was a change of pace for Deb who recently competed in the Cherub Nationals on Sydney Harbour in 25 knots of breeze.
See the website for full results and photos.
A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and Phil Cavanagh in the rescue boat and photos.

Sailing is on again next Saturday (31st January) for Race 4 of the Post Xmas Comp.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday.

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

18/01/2026

Saturday 10th January 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #2

A deceptively challenging south easterly breeze kept the fleet busy in Saturday’s competition event.Although blowing a manageable eight to ten knots for much of the time, it repeatedly surged to fifteen (or more) and delivered plenty of adrenalin rushes as crews fought to keep their craft under control.Adding to the challenge, the course featured frequent tight gybes and with most of the fleet sailing single-handed many came perilously close to capsizing one or more times.

Two divisions were sailed – catamarans and monohulls.The cats were the larger fleet this week.Race officials set separate courses for each division.Following a mass start, the fleet split into parallel tracks each tracing a series of fast, tight loops (sausages) set between opposite banks of the river. Skippers needed to keep their wits about them to ensure they selected the correct marks and kept count of how many turns they’d completed.Two back-to-back races were completed – each a gruelling two laps.A marathon effort but a very enjoyable sail.

Laser skipper Neil Burgess dominated the monohull division, winning both races. Adapting quickly to the constant wind shifts, Neil maintained a solid pace throughout and made a remarkable recovery from a near capsize in Race 2 that could have easily changed the outcome.Peter Zietsch (Laser) took out second place in both events.

In the Catamaran Division, visiting sailor Peter Walker demonstrated the amazing speed of his Viper F16.Sailing single-handed he shot around the course in record time claiming line-honours in both events.However with a punishing 67.5 yardstick he had to concede to the Hobie 18’s in the overall results.Luke Denham claimed the prize in Race #1 with a very decisive margin of nearly two minutes.A great win – and especially satisfying as he also sailed his powerful rig single-handed despite the challenging breeze.Second place went to Lindsay Cowan and Tansie Higgins with Peter Walker taking out third.Lindsay and Tansie turned the tables in Race #2 with a tight win, just ahead of Nacra 16 skipper Ben Higgins in second. An impressive result by Ben and well deserved.Luke was next home taking out third.

See the website for full results and photos.

A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and Phil Cavanagh in the rescue boat and photos.

Sailing is on again next Saturday (24th January) for Race 3 of the Post Xmas Comp.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday.

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

12/01/2026

Saturday 10th January 2026
Post Xmas Comp. Race #1

During rigging the wind was light and regularly shifting more than 180 degrees. Wind indicators on boats were spinning in circles, which did not bode well for pleasant sailing.

A small fleet of three Cats and two Lasers elected to sail with one Cat skipper not being up for spinning wind indicators. Officials decided on two races, the first of one lap with a reverse "downwind" start and the second of three laps with the usual upwind start and standard course.

Due to the constantly shifting wind the first race start could not accurately be described as "downwind", although it was certainly downwind at times. During the race the breeze varied from 0 to 10 knots, with some boats going backwards at times due to the incoming tide.

Neil Burgess was first home in the Lasers with John Nelson close behind. Lindsay and Tansie blitzed the Cats taking both line honours and winning on yardstick.

The second race started in the same conditions, but during the first lap the forecast 10 knot breeze started to come in, and soon settled down into a reasonably constant North Easterly. The second and third laps were sailed in enjoyably brisk conditions, 10-12 knots gusting to 15. The wind was quite gusty, which is demonstrated in some of the photos. Two of the Cats came close to capsize several times, and the Laser sailors worked hard on the upwind legs.

In the Lasers John Nelson was first across the line with Neil Burgess just eight seconds behind. In the Cats, yardstick corrected times gave Phil Cavanagh first place, Lindsay and Tansie second with Ben Higgins in third place.

Early frustrations aside, all sailors thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon with the late gusty breeze leaving them on a high.

Visitors or anyone wishing to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday.

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au

15/12/2025

13th December 2025
Pre Xmas Comp Race # 7

For the final race of the C1 pre Christmas Championship series the stakes were high. The last race of the calendar year is the Commodore's Cup where the Commodore supplies the prizes and this year the prizes were the fabulous Cadburys Favourites chocolates.

With nine boats competing, spirited rivalry was guaranteed. Unfortunately the wind didn't join into the spirit of the day, producing only 0-5 knots very occasionally gusting up to 12. On days like these, luck plays as much a part in the results as skill, and some sailors were unlucky, falling into "holes" while their competitors enjoyed big puffs of wind.

A standard course was set with marks at the bridge, the marina. the convent, the drain and the rowing club. A three lap race was planned but due to the light airs this was reduced to 2-1/2 laps.

Racing was tight in the Monos with only 1m 2s separating first and last after yardsticks were calculated. John Nelson and Neil Burgess were awarded the chocolates with James Harrison narrowly missing out.

Results in the Cats were not as close; Arrow sailors Tony Rose and Phil Cavanagh easily took out first and second places, but third place was a very close race between pirate Santa Hobie 18 skipper Luke Denham and blue arse Nacra 16sq skipper Ben Higgins.

Ben Higgins sailed a great race, possibly his best ever and gave a hint of what is coming in the future. Luke Denham sailing 1-up on the powerful H18 revelled in the light breeze, flying high. Commodore Luke had the shorter time by just 20 seconds, but he awarded the chocolates to Ben.

See below full results.
C1 (Pre Xmas Comp) results to date.

Sailing is now in recess until 10 January 2026.

13/12/2025

27/10/2025

Clarence River Sailing Club
Saturday 25th October 2025
Pre Xmas Warm Up Comp. Race #2

Superb sailing conditions on Saturday produced some of the best racing of the season so far.A moderate and well-behaved easterly breeze gradually strengthened throughout the afternoon and gave crews some great opportunities to hone their boat handling and tactical skills.This was in stark contrast to the week before where a series of stormy squalls kept the focus on survival rather than competition.

Two standout performers made the most of the conditions and notched up some very impressive results.In the monohull fleet Luke Denham elected to sail the Club’s vintage Leader dinghy and outclassed all his rivals.Normally a catamaran skipper, Luke quickly adapted to the intricacies of the sloop rigged Leader and by the second lap had established a very solid lead over his Laser rivals.An unfortunate capsize at the reach mark looked like ending his run but after an amazing recovery he quickly regained the lost ground and went on to take out line honours with nearly a minute to spare.A remarkable effort and well done. Nacra 16 skipper Ben Higgins had a similar run in the catamaran division.The Nacra is a fast and challenging boat but Ben had it tuned and trimmed to perfection on Saturday.Surprising his rivals, Ben broke through to the lead early in race and kept all challengers at bay for the next lap.With the prize almost assured, a simple navigation error late in race forced him to retrace a lengthy section of the course and concede his place on the podium.An unlucky outcome but full marks for some top sailing.

In other results Laser skipper John Nelson claimed the points on yardstick in the monohull division.Getting away to a near perfect start John quickly established a narrow lead but had to constantly look over his shoulder as his rivals gained ground. Luke Denham in the Leader broke through in the second lap but dropped back after a capsize.From here it was a gruelling tactical battle right through to the finish.Luke edged back into the lead on the final work and claimed line honours but had to concede to the Laser on yardstick.Peter Zietsch (Laser) made up just enough ground near the finish to take second prize on yardstick – only two seconds ahead of the Leader.

In the catamaran division Arrow skipper Phil Cavanagh had a leisurely start but as the breeze filled in gradually worked his way through the fleet and claimed the yardstick prize.Hobie 18 crew Lindsay Cowan and Tansie Higgins would have preferred a bigger breeze for their powerful rig but were still able to claim line honours and second on yardstick.Nacra skipper Ben Higgins almost had it won but a navigation error relegated him to third place followed closely by Mosquito crew Greg Lee and Deb Michell in fourth.

See the website for full results and photos.

A big thanks to race official Bob Fish and Neil Burgess on the rescue boat and photos.

Sailing is on again next Saturday (1st Nov) for Race #3 of the Pre Xmas Competition.

Visitors or anyone wanting to have a go at sailing are most welcome to come along. Start time is around 1.00 pm each Saturday.

More details on our website. https://crsc.yachting.org.au