ADMIRAL’S CUP 50TH ANNIVERSARY REGATTA
The first race of the regatta started from the
Rushcutters Bay area in glorious sunshine (isn’t it always
that way in Sydney?) and a northeasterly Force 5 to 6.
Sadly on the start line Caprice of Huon, helmed by
91-year-old Gordon Ingate, her skipper in 1965, was hit
amidships through no fault of her own by Impetuous
(1979 Cup winner). Neither boat took any further part
in the regatta, but for the rest of the fleet a cracking race
ensued, with a long beat up the harbour.
Downwind, the brief sight of two boats flying
bloopers, or big boys as they used to be known, took
us all back a few decades. The 1999 Cup boat Auric’s
Quest retired with a badly tangled spinnaker, allowing
Ragamuffin (one of eight boats of the same name – this
one was a Cup boat in 1969, 1971 and 1973) to win
line honours, followed by the 1975 Cup boat (and
three-time Sydney Hobart winner) Love and War.
These two were also first and second on handicap
with Lorita Maria third.
A SPECIAL GUEST
That evening the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron hosted a
gala dinner attended by some 280 people. During the
initial planning stages, the organising committee
wondered if enough people would be interested in such a
Salacia II, a Cup
competitor in
1971, storms
downwind in
glorious Sydney
Harbour
conditionsAdmiral’s Cup 50th Anniversary Regatta participantsCaprice of Huon Cup boat in ’65 & ’67 (winner)
Anitra V ‘Special connection’ boat
Lorita Maria ‘Special connection’ boat
Camille Cup boat in ’65
Mister Christian Trialist in ’65
Syonara Trialist in ’65
Fare Thee Well Trialist in ’67
Mercedes III Cup boat in ’67 (winner) & ’69
Ragamuffin Cup boat in ’69, ’71 & ’73
Salacia II Cup boat in ’71
Vittoria Trialist in ’71
Pacha Trialist in ’71
Kingurra Trialist in ’73
Love and War Cup boat in ’75
Mercedes IV Cup boat in ’75
Uptown Girl Trialist in ’77 (as Sunburst)
Impetuous Cup boat in ’79 (winner)
Wild Oats Trialist in ’85 & ’87
Sagacious V Cup boat in ’87
Too Impetuous Trialist in ’87
Auric’s Quest Cup boat in ’99