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Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Race: Welcome back Master Lock Comanche

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  • 17 Nov, 2025 11:05:00 AM
Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Race: Welcome back Master Lock Comanche

Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Race: Welcome back Master Lock Comanche

From a slow sail out of the harbour to fast, spinnaker-powered finishes, the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Race fleet experienced it all.

In its first Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore race of the season, Master Lock Comanche unsurprisingly led from start to finish. The 100-footer completed the 83-nautical-mile course in 5 hours, 43 minutes and 52 seconds.

All smiles on board Maritimo Katwinchar - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Mark Ayto’s Western Morning was the final yacht home. The S&S 34 crossed the line just after 0646 hours on Sunday, after 20 hours, 26 minutes and 57 seconds at sea.

The red-and-black speed machine, co-skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo, also claimed victory on PHS Overall.

Master Lock Comanche is back - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Two hours after Master Lock Comanche finished, Anthony and David Johnston’s URM Group blasted into the harbour under spinnaker. After placing second to Robert Appleyard’s Reichel Pugh 69 Moneypenny in both the Flinders Islet and Tollgate Islands races, the Reichel Pugh Maxi 72 finally secured the Overall win the crew had been chasing. Olympian Olivia Price and Olympian/SailGP athlete Jason Waterhouse were on board for the race.

A crowded rail on board URM Group - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Master Lock Comanche placed second on IRC Overall, with Mark Spring’s TP52 Highly Sprung in third. Highly Sprung’s crew included a strong contingent of former and current CYCA Youth Sailing Academy sailors: Nick Drummond, Nathan Gulliksen, Campbell Geeves, Mark Murray, Hamish Vass and Max Brennan.

Bacchanal currently leads the 2025/26 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

The US entry Bacchanal continued its strong season. Ronald Epstein’s JPK 11.80 claimed the top spot on IRC Division 2, which means that the yacht holds its Overall lead in the 2025/26 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore. Four-points behind in second place is Seb Bohm’s JV TP52 Smuggler, followed by Moneypenny and URM Group in equal third.

"The Bird Island Race was very special for us as it marked the one year anniversary of Bacchanal's first outing," Epstein said. "The competition was outstanding, as it has been for each of the Blue Water Pointscore races, and we're quite excited about our performance in some challenging conditions.

"A great tune up for the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart coming up next month."

Moneypenny placed third on Line Honours - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Peter Wrigley and Andrew Kearnan’s TP52 KOA placed first on IRC Corinthian, followed by Richard Hudson’s IC 45 MOD Pretty Woman in second and Ron Forster and Phil Damp’s Beneteau First 40 Ariel in third.

WA entry Wyuna - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Pretty Woman also placed first on Wild Rose IRC (minimum 25 per-cent women crew across the ACSBWPS season), ahead of Jiang Lin’s JPK 10.30 Min River (DH) and Michael Rowe and Ben Martin’s Cookson 12 Kanreki.

Toucan, Min River, Crux, Borderline and Verite put on a great show in the Double Handed Division.

Happy days on board Toucan - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Min River co-skippers Jiang Lin and Matteo Brignoli had to contend with a broken speedo, but that didn’t stop the duo from winning on IRC in the Double Handed Division. Lin and Brignoli also opted to sail a more conservative and direct route back to Sydney, influenced by the “unfriendly clouds and strong wind forecast”.

Andy Offord and Stephen Prince finished second on board the Sun Fast 3300 Borderline, with Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews’ sistership Toucan in third.

Meanwhile, Paul Beath’s J/99 Verite, last month’s Tollgate Islands Race IRC DH winner, took out PHS Double Handed, with Min River second and Toucan third.

A very focused First Light crew - Ashley Dart/CYCA pic.

Up next is the 172-nautical-mile Cabbage Tree Island Race, starting Friday, 5 December.

Click here for the Bird Island Race results.

Click here for the Audi Centre Sydney Pointscore progressive results.

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