J/111 & J/99 Win @ Festival of Sails
(Geelong Bay, VIC, Australia)- The Festival of Sails 2026 has drawn to a close following the Victory Bash Presentation Party at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, where champions were celebrated, trophies awarded, and the sailing community came together to mark the end of an outstanding edition.
More than 260 boats took part across the regatta, with the iconic Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong Passage Race once again setting the tone. The 183rd running of the historic race saw more than 200 yachts start in Melbourne at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria before racing down the bay to the Royal Geelong Yacht Club in near-perfect conditions, including a rare spinnaker start and finishes that came down to the wire.
Racing across the following days showcased the depth of talent in the fleet, with competitive battles across divisions and consistent breezes providing excellent racing on Corio Bay. Crowds were treated to close finishes, tactical racing, and a festival atmosphere along the Geelong waterfront throughout the event.
“We absolutely love coming to Geelong,” commented one of the sailors, David Suda. “It really is the ultimate keelboat regatta if you sail on Port Phillip Bay. Flat water, close racing, warm weather, and a great party atmosphere back on the dock have kept our six-person crew coming back for four years in a row. Massive credit to everyone at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club!”
Yet again, it was an unforgettable long weekend of racing and revelry in Geelong, Australia. J/Sailors thoroughly enjoyed Australia’s premier celebration of sailing. A number of them collected some silverware for their hard-won efforts.
PASSAGE RATING SERIES
In the Passage Rating Series, Nigel Jones and Cameron McKenzie’s J/111, GINAN, won the ORC 2/IRC 2 Division. Their team counted all podium finishes of 1-1-3-3 for 8 pts to earn their gold medal.
DOUBLEHANDED SERIES
In the Doublehanded Series, winning that division was the dynamic mixed duo of Robert Darcy and Janet Wilks on their J/99 FOGGY DEW.
J/24 Class
Without a doubt, there was a cast of characters enjoying the on-water fun on Geelong Bay in the J/24 class. Not surprisingly, it was a trio of class veterans that filled up the podium. Hugo Ottoway’s BRUSCHETTA VI won their four-race series by three points from Daniel Gallagher’s DUTCH TILT. Then, happily picking up the bronze medal with his usual fun-loving team was Simon Grain’s CONVICTS REVENGE.
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