Y Knot
Hanse 430
Skipper: Rob Rainsford | Magnetic Island Race Week
My first Magnetic Island Race Week. What a great event. I was the Bow person of the crew racing Y Knot, a Hanse 430 skippered by Rob Rainsford.
Sailing at Magnetic Island feels a long way from the usual routines of southern club racing. Warm water, trade-wind breezes, bright blue skies and an island that never really leaves your field of view — every day starts feeling more like a privilege than a race. Cleveland Bay delivers proper racing conditions, but with the kind of scenery that constantly reminds you you’re somewhere special.
Y Knot proved a great boat for the week. The Hanse 430 sits nicely in that sweet spot where you can push the boat hard during racing, then relax into the rhythm of island sailing once the sails come down. Racing around the headlands and bays of Magnetic Island brings its own little challenges — shifts, pressure lines and local effects — and it keeps everyone switched on without ever feeling relentless.
What really makes Magnetic Island Race Week stand out, though, is the atmosphere. Sailing during the day flows straight into stories, laughs and cold drinks ashore. Crews mix easily, friendships form quickly, and it never takes long before someone’s replaying a start or a rounding with exaggerated hand gestures. It’s one of those events where the racing matters, but the shared experience matters just as much.
Being part of the Y Knot team at MIRW was a great reminder of why sailing is such a special sport — good people, a solid boat, warm water under the keel, and an island that makes even the toughest race day end on a high.
hosted by
Rosshaven Spinnaker Class Division 1
| Place | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper | From | Sers Score | Race 6 | Race 5 | Race 4 | Race 3 | Race 2 | Race 1 |
| 1 | 43842 | DAGUET 2 | Peter Byford/ Rob Aldis | MHYC | 19.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | [8.0] | 1.0 |
| 2 | B330 | HARTBREAKER | Hughie Lewis | BYC | 19.0 | [11.0] | 5.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 3 | AUS114 | SEEKING ALPHA | David Hamilton | MHYC | 24.5 | [10.0] | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 2.5 |
| 4 | AUS150N | PANTHER 32 | Stephen O'Rourke | 26.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 7.0 | |
| 5 | BOW33 | HUTCHIES YEAH BABY | Andy Lamont | SYC | 26.0 | [8.0] | 7.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| 6 | NZL10750 | AWEN | Michael Lazzarini | SYC | 27.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | [11.0] |
| 7 | 6838 | PONYO | David Currie | HIYC | 27.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | [9.0] |
| 8 | 7027 | THE GOAT | Mitchell Gordon | CYCA | 27.5 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | [9.0] | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 9 | 52002 | QUEST | Grant Golombick | 29.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 11.0 | [12.0R] | 10.0 | |
| 10 | B2 | BKT JAMHU | Ken Christensen | RBYC | 31.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | [11.0] | 8.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 11 | AUS153 | MAC 2 | John & Andrew McDougall | GSC | 31.0 | 3.0 | [11.0] | 8.0 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
Rosshaven Spinnaker Class Division 2
Hosted By Townsville Yacht Club
| Place | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper | From | Sers Score | Race 5 | Race 4 | Race 3 | Race 2 | Race 1 |
| 1 | 6612 | POPEYE | Craig Douglas | RPAYC | 17.0 | [11.0] | 1.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 |
| 2 | M133 | JOKER X2 | Grant Chipperfield | MYC/SYC | 17.0 | [9.0] | 5.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 3 | PD447 | SHAZAM | Doug Ryan | TYC | 17.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 6.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| 4 | BOW08 | SAMURAI | Stuart Tivey | TYC | 19.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 9.0 |
| 5 | RQ19 | JOINT VENTURE | Stephen Green | RQYS | 19.0 | 8.0 | [12.0] | 3.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| 6 | R1210 | MIKA | Brian Yarnall | RYCV | 21.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | [13.0] | 11.0 |
| 7 | SB430 | Y KNOT | Robert Rainsford | SBSC | 22.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | [12.0] |
| 8 | H8118 | MERLION | Eddie Mackevicius | HBYC | 24.0 | 7.0 | [11.0] | 10.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 |
| 9 | SYD1 | SERENE SUMMER | Tina Courtenay | CYCA | 28.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 | [13.0] |
| 10 | 83 | CHARM OFFENSIVE | James Permezel | TYC | 28.0 | [13.0] | 6.0 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| 11 | RP36 | TREASURE VIII | Robert Davis | WSC | 29.0 | 12.0 | 8.0 | [12.0] | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 12 | 7711 | BOUDICA | Mike Steel | TYC | 30.0 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | [11.0] | 6.0 |
| 13 | SM46 | HOT CHIPPS | John Chipp | SYC | 34.0 | 3.0 | 13.0 | [13.0] | 8.0 | 10.0 |
Blogs
Celebrating Legacy and Grit at the 2026 ORCV Awards
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Brass Monkey Winter Pursuit
A thick winter fog at Safety Beach couldn’t stop the Shimmer campaign. With five of eight crew members aboard, the team used Race 4 of the Brass Monkey series to test a new TP52 staysail in light air. A second-place finish secured Shimmer the overall series lead, building critical momentum for the 2026 Rolex Sydney to Hobart.
Smoke, Sparks, and 25 Knots
Before racing the ORCV Winter Series opener, the crew aboard Shimmer stepped onto the swim platform for a spectacular, 25-year-old tradition: a live marine distress flare drill off Sandringham. From orange day smoke to high-altitude rockets and brilliant handheld red pyrotechnics, this vital safety training offered a rare, firsthand look at handling hot emergency ordnance on the water.
Time Out goes north
Follow the delivery of the stunning Hanse 458, Time Out X2, on her maiden winter passage under the new owner John Corrie as it leaves from Martha’s Cove to Bermagui. This coastal adventure captures everything from navigating the Rip and anchoring at Refuge Cove to spectacular encounters with breaching whales along the Australian coast.
Port Douglas Race Week 2026
Working the bow aboard Y Knot at Port Douglas Race Week 2026, racing for the iconic Clipper Cup on the Coral Sea. Five days of tropical sailing — from glassy Day One conditions to 25 knots of south-east trade wind. Shaun McKenna reports from one of Far North Queensland’s sailing events.
North by Northwest
Pinned in Nelly Bay by the south-east trades, we waited four days before heading north aboard YKnot, a Hanse 430. What followed was 199 nautical miles of downwind sailing — island anchorages, unexpected hospitality at Dunk, a sea turtle at Fitzroy, and a tide-dependent entry into Port Douglas. The difficult days are always worth it.
ORCV Coastal Sprint #3
Sam Backwell’s first ocean race. Six yachts crossing ahead of an inbound cargo ship. Ginan sweeping all three handicap divisions. The third ORCV Coastal Sprint packed a full season’s worth of sailing into 27 nautical miles off the Mornington Peninsula — and Shimmer was right in the thick of it.
Luxury cruising
Some boats are built for the marina. Others are built to move. Shooting Baruch — a 2019 Nautitech 542 — for Inspire Marine, it was clear from the first frame which one she is. Fast, refined, and strikingly photogenic, she’s a French multihull design that earns its reputation both offshore and at anchor.
Salt
On Salt, a 2021 Solaris 50, I sailed as bow person with James Marshall and Ian Fankhanel. Festival of Sails 2026 saw us win Division 1, thanks to a skilled team including tactician, navigator, and Peter Dowdney. Aaron Cole added sail expertise, highlighting how experience and teamwork make a high-performance yacht excel.
Shimmer
Shimmer, beautifully maintained by Steve Twentyman, is sailed regularly from Safety Beach Sailing Club. With a versatile sail inventory including J0, Code 0, and asymmetric spinnakers, I’ve gained experience across bow, trimming, and helming roles. Calm leadership and preparation make her a reliable platform for club racing, ORCV coastal events, and Category 2 offshore races.
S2H 2025
White Spirit – 80th Rolex Sydney to Hobart
I completed the 2025 Rolex Sydney to Hobart as 2IC and Navigator aboard White Spirit (Beneteau First 50), skippered by Cyrus Allen. Responsible for routing, weather analysis and sail strategy, I supported the helm and watches through a demanding, multi-system offshore race.
Cabbage Tree Island Race
As part of White Spirit’s Hobart preparation, I helmed through extreme conditions in the Cabbage Tree Island Race, sailing into a rapidly building southerly front with apparent winds peaking at 74 knots. The execution and boat handling through the system resulted in my appointment as Second in Command for Hobart.