2025 ANZAC Day Race

 

It’s not only the last race of St George Sailing Club’s season but also one of the most significant.

 

The ANZAC Day race was started by a group of returned servicemen from the 53rd Ack Ack regiment more than 50 years ago.

 

It was their way of commemorating the day while celebrating their love of sailing.

 

The group, based in the San Souci region, would attend ANZAC Day ceremonies in the morning before returning to the club to join members for a free lunch of bully beef and rice.

 

The veterans each chipped in $10 to sponsor the afternoon’s race, with a fleet of around 30-40 16ft skiffs hitting the water for one of the most fiercely contested races of the year.

 

It wasn’t all about the prizemoney – it was more the prestige and honour of winning the Ack Ack Trophy on such a momentous and historical day.

 

The 16s are still the headline act on ANZAC Day but these days all classes are invited to compete.

 

The race is conducted under handicap rules, with various classes making up the fleet and results decided division by division.

 

Last Friday, the big ANZAC Day crowd was treated to one of the closest and most thrilling races in Ack Ack Trophy history.

 

 

Sixteen footers R. Beauchamp Metal Workers (Sam Fetherston) – with promising 13ft sailor Noah Chenhall onboard – and So Far So Good (Shannon Andrew) staged a ding-dong battle for line honours, going at it from the top mark all the way home.

 

Andrew appeared to have the race in her keeping about 200m out from the line until disaster struck.

 

On her last gybe the boat’s spinnaker tack got caught and Fetherston took full advantage to sail over the top of So Far So Good and take the win by around 20 seconds.

 

In the MGs, Rod Andrew on Suicide Blonde celebrated his first win at St George after holding off the fast-finishing Seabreeze (Greg Junk) in a race shortened due to the dying easterly.

 

 

The 13s was taken out by husband-and-wife combination Hannah and Graham Biehl on Merinda Village Hotel, with Noakes 13 (Tom Hughes/Claire Cini) quickly closing the gap at the death to finish second after overcoming a three-minute handicap.

 

With the season now officially over, St George will celebrate another successful year with its annual presentation night on May 17.