Hot off the heels of BYRA's successful Junior foiling regatta, BYRA has had another reason to celebrate. This time with a win at the CYCA's 2024 Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta, demonstrating that BYRA really does have all bases covered when it comes to welcoming all types and ages of craft!

So a massive congratulations to BYRA member Eddy Vinks and his courageous crew from the classic yacht Boongown, sail number 144, who picked up first in the non-spinnaker Classics Division 3. Well done all!

And courageous they were! Sources close to the crew (Eddy) revealed they were almost a non-starter... With only 25 minutes to the start, Boongown's furler jammed! A part had broken, and as it disintegrated before their very eyes, their hopes of contesting Division 3 began disintegrating with it.

But BYRA sailors are a hardy breed, and Eddy and his team were not to be beaten so easily by new tech on old boats. Adrenaline kicked in, and they lept into last-minute action, frantically working to free the overlapped line to remove the broken component... and it worked! With a mere ten minutes to the start, the line came free, the broken component was removed, the main went back up, and Boongown was back in the race!

And the rest, as they say, is history.

What a fantastic result for Eddy and his team of Jeremy Cox, Matt Austin & Bob Vinks - we are very proud of Boongown's success at such a prestigious event.

For the less exciting CYCA article, please click here.

For more on Boongown, including its epic restoration, please click here!

Photos above by the talented Andrea Francolini!