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CYCA honours champion racers after 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore

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  • 05 Mar, 2022 11:05:00 AM
CYCA honours champion racers after 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
Matt Allen and the Ichi Ban crew.

CYCA honours champion racers after 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore

Matt Allen and his Ichi Ban crew were the big winners at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Ocean Racer of the Year Awards and Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Prizegiving.

After Ichi Ban won the 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore – crowned by a historic third Tattersall Cup win in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – owner/skipper Allen was named the Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year.

The 2021/22 Pointscore featured four races – the Flinders Islet Race, Bird Island Race, Cabbage Tree Island Race and Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Ichi Ban won fully-crewed overall honours (IRC) in the Bird Island Race and Rolex Sydney Hobart, finishing second in the other two races.

"It's a great credit to my whole team," Allen said. "We've had a mind-blowing year, some really close races.

"Every time we were beaten, we were second, so it was a really consistent performance, which is what you’re looking for in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

"It was great that the boat performed well in all conditions and that's what we aim for. We don’t focus the boat on being really powerful in one aspect.

"It's always a great honour to win that award [Ocean Racer of the Year], but it is a reflection of the team's performance.

"It's a team that just wants to work really hard together. We've got plenty of experience and talent."

For his role in Ichi Ban’s successful campaign, Will Oxley was named Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year.

Jules Hall and Jan Scholten were named the inaugural Two-Handed Ocean Racers of the Year after a dominant campaign on Jules’ J/99 Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth.

The pair won the first two races of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore in the Two-Handed Division, before finishing third in the Cabbage Tree Island Race and sweeping all divisional handicaps in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

"We committed to train hard and push ourselves, but there were so many unknowns. It's really gratifying to win this award," Hall said.

"We've all made new mates, good friendships and we've all been on a journey together. I really hope it attracts a lot of other people in."

Scholten added: "You share the adventure [with other two-handed crews]. A lot is planned, but there is plenty of stuff that comes new, so we all have stories.

"You challenge yourself with roles on the boat that you wouldn't previously have done. We all have those things in common and I think that's why we stick together a bit. We know what the others have gone through and that’s nice."

Antony Hawke scooped the Youth Ocean Racer of the Year award after completing his second Rolex Sydney Hobart on Richard Hudson and David Beak’s Pretty Woman.

21-year-old bowman Hawke competed in all Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races aboard Pretty Woman, which finished an impressive 14th overall on IRC.

"Richard and David have done awesome stuff for youth development, getting young sailors on board for offshore races and showing what it's like," he said.

"It's such a great vibe on the boat. We're all great mates and everyone loves being out there.

"I was quite surprised when I heard I got this award, but I'm loving it and thank the CYCA and everyone who put me forward for it."

CYCA Director and owner/skipper of Whisper, David Griffith, is the Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year.

Griffith and Whisper competed in almost all of the CYCA’s offshore races in 2021, starting with the Summer Offshore Series and finishing second overall in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Whisper also finished first overall in the Flinders Islet Race and first on Line Honours in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson were crowned Ocean Racing Rookies of the Year following their maiden campaign as owners and co-skippers of the Sydney 36 Supernova.

Alex and Felicity bought the yacht in February 2021 and assembled a crew for the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Supernova finished 13th overall on IRC in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, which was Nelson’s milestone 25th appearance in the race.  

Glenn Stewart was honoured with the Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy as Crew Person of the Year.

Glenn was an integral member of the Midnight Rambler crew throughout 2021 as they enjoyed plenty of success throughout the Tasmanian offshore season and finished seventh overall in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

He was joined on board Midnight Rambler for the Rolex Sydney Hobart by daughter Anne, who sailed in the race for the first time.

"I'm very happy to have received this award and also to have been nominated by a legend like Ed Psaltis," Glenn said.

"Individual awards don't sit particularly comfortably with me, because we're a tight knit group and we do things as a team, but I appreciate this honour.

"There is a long-formed ethos that Ed has developed over 39 Hobarts. He has a set formula, he sticks to it and he expects a high standard. He can bring a crew together and that’s what has happened here. The simple ethos is 'go hard or go home'.

"Sailing with your kids is a great thing. I’m very proud of Anne and couldn't be happier."

Below is the full list of Ocean Racer of the Year Award winners and results from the 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

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CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Award recipients

  • Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year – Matt Allen (Ichi Ban)
  • Two-Handed Ocean Racers of the Year – Jules Hall and Jan Scholten (Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth)
  • Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year – Will Oxley (Ichi Ban)
  • Youth Ocean Racer of the Year – Antony Hawke (Pretty Woman)
  • Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year – David Griffith (Whisper)
  • Ocean Racing Rookies of the Year – Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson (Supernova)
  • Crew Person of the Year (Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy) – Glenn Stewart (Midnight Rambler)

2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore

The following winners were recognised for their achievements throughout the 2021/22 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Ichi Ban (Matt Allen)

  • Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore champion
    1st IRC Overall & 1st IRC Division 1
    Jack Halliday Perpetual Trophy
  • 1st ORCi Overall & 1st ORCi Division 1
    Cape Byron Perpetual Trophy
  • 3rd PHS Overall & 1st PHS Division 1
    Tasman Performance Series
  • 2nd Line Honours
    Bass and Flinders Series
  • 1st IRC Bird Island Race
    65th Janzoon Trophy
  • Roger Hickman OAM Memorial Trophy, awarded to the bow person of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore champion – Matiu Te Hau
  • Tony McLean Memorial Trophy, awarded to the mainsheet hand of the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore champion – Andrew Cuddihy

Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth (Jules Hall and Jan Scholten)

  • 1st IRC Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 1st ORCi Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 1st Two Handed Line Honours

Whisper (David Griffith)

  • 2nd IRC Overall & 2nd IRC Division 1
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
  • 2nd ORCi Overall & 2nd ORCi Division 1
    Cape Byron Pointscore
  • 2nd PHS Overall & 2nd PHS Division 1
    Tasman Performance Series
  • 1st Line Honours (Pat Cooper Memorial Trophy)
    Bass and Flinders Series
  • 1st IRC Flinders Islet Race
    60th Ron Robertson Perpetual Trophy

Highly Sprung (Mark Spring)

  • 1st IRC Division 2
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
  • 1st ORCi Division 2
    Cape Byron Pointscore
  • 1st PHS Overall
    Tasman Performance Series
  • 1st PHS Division 2
    Tasman Performance Series
  • 1st PHS Flinders Islet Race
    72nd Kings Birthday Cup

Speedwell (Campbell Geeves and Wendy Tuck)

  • 2nd IRC Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 2nd PHS Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 3rd Two Handed Line Honours

Crux (Carlos Aydos and Peter Grayson)

  • 3rd IRC Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 2nd ORCi Overall
    Two-Handed Division
  • 1st PHS Overall
    Two-Handed Division

Cinquante (Kim Jaggar)

  • 3rd IRC Division 2
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
  • 2nd ORCi Division 2
    Cape Byron Pointscore
  • 3rd PHS Division 2
    Tasman Performance Series

Wings (Ian Edwards)

  • 2nd IRC Division 2
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
  • 3rd IRC Corinthian
  • 2nd Wild Rose Pointscore
  • 2nd PHS Division 2
    Tasman Performance Series

Smuggler (Seb Bohm)

  • 3rd IRC Overall
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore
  • 3rd IRC Division 1
    Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore

Gweilo (Matt Donald and Chris Townsend)

  • 3rd PHS Division 1
    Tasman Performance Series
  • 3rd Line Honours
    Bass and Flinders Series

Pretty Woman (Richard Hudson and David Beak)

  • 1st IRC Corinthian
  • 1st Wild Rose Pointscore

Zen (Gordon Ketelbey)

  • 1st IRC Cabbage Tree Island Race
    59th Halvorsen Brothers Trophy

White Bay 6 Azzurro (Shane Kearns)

  • 1st ORCi Cabbage Tree Island Race
    EC "Boy" Messenger Memorial

URM (Anthony Johnston)

  • 1st PHS Bird Island Race
    46th George Barton Perpetual Trophy

Eve (Steve Capell)

  • 1st PHS Cabbage Tree Island Race
    49th Woollahra Cup

Salt Shaker (Peter Franki and Drew Jones)

  • 2nd Two-Handed Line Honours

Quest (Craig Neil)

  • 3rd ORCi Overall
    Cape Byron Pointscore

Celestial (Sam Haynes)

  • 3rd ORCi Division 1
    Cape Byron Pointscore

Rum Rebellion (Shane Connelly and Graeme Dunlop)

  • 3rd ORCi Overall
    Two-Handed Division

Supernova (Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson)

  • 3rd ORCi Division 2
    Cape Byron Pointscore

Local Hero (Mark Ayto and Anto Sweetapple)

  • 3rd PHS Overall
    Two-Handed Division

LCE Old School Racing (Mark Griffith)

  • 2nd – IRC Corinthian

Khaleesi (Rob Aldis and Sandy Farquharson)

  • 3rd – Wild Rose Pointscore

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