9:46 PM Tue 30 Mar 2010 GMT
There's a very competitive Beale 8.5 that starts to get twitchy in her marina pen around this time of the year, with Sail Port Stephens looming, and her chance to get amongst it with some new boats just days away.
Saga, owned by Port Stephens local Pat Hurley, has been in every Sail Port Stephens regatta, including the retro test regatta staged by Corlette Point Sailing Association in 2007, the year before the first official Sail Port Stephens in 2008.
Pat and his crew, all locals broadly aged between 35 and 65, really look forward to April every year.
'We love competing at the event and we find we learn new things every year, just by having different boats and people to sail against' he said.
'The atmosphere off the water is great - we get to as many of the social functions as we can manage - it's a big week, so we have to pace ourselves !! 'Pat said.
With Pat always looking for an extra edge in the performance of his boat, Saga has undergone some serious preparation, with the hull stripped right back to smooth and new Number 1 and Number 2 sails added to her racing wardrobe.
Whilst he's forever keen to get good results, Pat doesn't want the locals to have all the inside running, and to achieve that, he, together with a few other Port Stephens crew, will be hosting a Locals Rundown over coffee each morning once the course of the day has been announced.
The Commodores Cup gets the regatta off to a Cruisey start, before the fleet doubles at the end of the week to compete in the SB3 National Championships, the Port Stephens Trophy Performance Racing and Performance Cruising Divisions, a Super 30 division and the Yachting NSW IRC Championship.
Entries close 5pm Friday April 3 - enter now to avoid a late fee!
by Jody O'Brien
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