Perfect weather for parade of sail day

OPENING Day of the summer sailing season today will mark 139 years of a grand tradition on Hobart’s River Derwent, and looks to again be blessed with near perfect weather for the 200-plus boats taking part in the colourful Parade of Sail in Sullivan’s Cove.

As a combined clubs event, the honour of leading the fleet falls to Commodore Graham Mansfield of the Bellerive Yacht in his 40-footer Black Magic, with the fleet sailing or motoring in line astern from off the regatta grounds to Sullivan’s Cove, starting at 2pm.

Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner will take the salute from the stern of the motor launch Egeria.

Accompanying her will be Commodore Tracy Matthews of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, whose initial members performed “sailing manoeuvres” in their gaff-rigged yachts to mark Opening Day in 1880.

Joining Black Magic at the front of the fleet to mark the upcoming Rolex 75th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be the famous ocean racing yacht Westward, winner of the 1947 and 1948 Sydney Hobart races.

Westward is now part of the float exhibition of the Maritime Museum of Tasmania in Constitution Dock and her crew today will include Graham Cook and Rob Loring, who sailed aboard in her Sydney Hobart wins.

Sailing with Westward will be two other famous Tasmanian racing yachts, the Muir family’s former ocean racer Trevassa and the Tassie Too, the former champion 21-Foot Restricted Class skiff.

Following the Parade of Sail, the fleet, usually “dressed ship” with colourful pennants and ensigns, will then sail down river to a rendezvous for the Opening Day raft-up.

On Monday, Westward will be moored at the Royal Yacht of Tasmania for the Launch of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

The first race of the summer season will be tomorrow’s RYCT Channel Race, starting off Castray Esplanade at 10am.