Sailors and spectators alike were treated to a weekend of superb weather and light to moderate winds for the 10th year of the Inverloch Classic Wooden Boat Regatta. South Gippsland Yacht Club once again played host to this celebration of off-the-beach timber sailing boats on Anderson Inlet. Forty nine boats took to the water over the 2 days including racing dinghies, clinker built skerries, a Polish designed Salmo Lugger, a newly built Huon pine Percy Clinker and a veritable fleet of 11 Australian Sailfish.
Racing was close with a Sailfish, a Pacer and the Lugger each coming first on handicap over 4 races and representing the 3 starting divisions. The Regatta “Ginn Cup” was won by Shaun Ritson in his timber Pacer. Overall winner of the “Jack Carroll Memorial” Sailfish race Trophy was Jim French.
On shore, “Jack’s Toy” owned by Brian Carroll, Jack’s son, won the Best Presented Sailfish Trophy. Judged Best in Show and the overall People’s Choice was “Allie” the Huon pine ‘Percy Clinker’ built by Anthony Horgan at the Wooden Boat Centre, Tasmania.
LIST OF ENTRANTS
| Boat Type | Boat Name | Skipper Initials | Boat Type | Boat Name | Skipper Initials | |
| Sailfish | Stanley Crocodile | GB | Mirror | JZ | ||
| Mirror | Lille Fugle | DB | Mirror | Nemo | AvO | |
| Sailfish | Redfin | SB | Mirror | Kokomo | LM | |
| Sailfish | Jacks Toy | BC | Sailfish | Gooney Bird | IM | |
| Gwen 12 | Aquaris | AC | Sailfish | Jaguar | PM | |
| Sailfish | Janus | CC | Sailfish | Slippery Sam | JF | |
| Sabre | Sibbo | JC | Sabre | Lieu | HvO | |
| Sailfish | Lucy | BC | Sailfish | The Grub | BR | |
| Aquanaut | AC/DC | GC | St Kilda 8 | Maggie | MR | |
| Moth | George | AD | Impulse | Zephyr | SR | |
| Sabre | Custard | CS | Sabre | My Time | PK | |
| Sailfish | Hustler | JF | Sailfish | Gonzo | KM | |
| Moth | Cabbage | AF | Skerrie | Arctic Tern | WS/AS | |
| Impulse | RF | Sabre | White Lady | CS | ||
| Sailfish | Goofy Footed | WJ | Mirror | Lillian | CM | |
| Percy Clinker | Allie | AH | Sailfish | Dingo | MT | |
| Sailfish | Hustler | JF | Pacer | Return of the Taipan | SR | |
| Shearwater | Shearwater | TL/AB | Moth | Street Fighter | MK | |
| Skerrie | IO Design | SW | Sailfish | Super Trooper | DW | |
| Sabot | Warriuka | PL | Salmo Lugger | Delores | KZ | |
| Picnic Boat | Sea Bakin | BP | Miracle | Aquaninity | RC | |
| Sabre | Itz Kitz | AB | Sabre | AP Flag | RR | |
| Viola 14 | Blinky Bill | GB | Sabre | Some Girl | RH | |
| Rainbow | Gpysy | JMcC | Gwen 12 | Flyaway 2 | JP/TP |
Photos from the weekend are here >> thanks to Mark Chew of southernwoodenboatsailing.com and Andrew Young for these.
On the Saturday evening, the regatta dinner was a sell-out success with around 85 guests catered for. Particular thanks to George and Becky with help from members and the Inverloch Scouts for planning and delivering a fantastic meal. A selection of raffle prizes were drawn throughout the evening and Steve presented two trivia challenges, one on boat emblems, the other a marine based quiz, that tested our sailing knowledge to the full. Another successful evening of revelry, good food and great company!
PRESENTATIONS & AWARDS
| Award | Owner | Boat Type, Name | Presented By |
| Category Awards | |||
| ‘Best in Show’ | Anthony Horgan | Percy Clinker “Allie” | Leigh McNolty (SGYC) & Lyn Seymour (Lions) |
| Best presented Australian Sailfish, Perpetual Award | Brian Carroll | Sailfish, “Jack’s Toy” | Leigh McNolty & Lyn Seymour (Lions) |
| Youth Trophy, Perpetual Award | Pippa & Mergi | Sabot, “Warriuka” | Simon Wilson (SGYC) & Penny Lyttle (Bendigo Bank) |
| Bendigo Bank Junior Encouragement Awards | Liedewig & Anouk, Bonnie, Rowan, Archie, Rose, Riley | Simon Wilson (SGYC) & Penny Lyttle (Bendigo Bank) | |
| Race Series | |||
| Ginn Cup (3 of 4, Overall race series) | Shaun Ritson | Pacer “Return of the Taipan” | Simon Wilson |
| Race 1 | Shaun Ritson | “Return of the Taipan” | Simon Wilson |
| Race 2 | Krystof Zemski | “Delores” | Simon Wilson |
| Race 3 | Warren Jones | “Goofy Footed’ | Simon Wilson |
| Race 4 | Krystof Zemski | “Delores” | Simon Wilson |
| Jack Carroll Memorial Trophy, (1st Sailfish, Overall race series) | Jim French | “Hustler” | Simon Wilson |
| Gwen 12 Challenge Cup | Jonathan & Trilby Parise | “Flyaway 2” | Simon Wilson |
Coming soon – The 2024 WBA Report by Leigh McNolty is available here.
Putting on an event like this requires a lot of inputs – people’s time and labour, funding, in-kind donations and a large amount of planning and patience! Thank you to all our sponsors, our community partners, spectators, participants and of course, SGYC members. Without your combined support we wouldn’t be able to run this regatta.
We look forward to doing it all again in February 2025 and to welcoming everyone back to the 11th Inverloch Classic Wooden Dinghy Regatta.
Simon Wilson
Commodore | SGYC Inverloch