After a week in Nelson Bay waiting for wind and sea state to abate it was time to head home. We did a very long day from Port Stephens to Pittwater and then a short hop from Pittwater home. The swell out of Nelson Bay was still very rough but after Newcastle it was a very quiet motor sail.

There were 122 yachts in the 2026 Commodores Cup split into five roughly speed based fleets. Passion was in Division 2 of 28 boats. We had five great days of racing with two offshore races which, once the wind settled, provided perfect sailing conditions. There were three inshore races with the last one in good strong breezes and the other two in some challenging variable wind and tide affected races.

A few boats in the inshore races managed to trouble the sand crabs running aground in various parts of Port Stephens. Passion managed to a keel kiss off Corlette.

The racing was very close and competitive. After a slow start with steady improvement in settings and spinnaker work each day Passion managed to climb to finished 15 on scratch and 13th on handicap at the end.

Full results are Here.

David and Elaine waited out the strong southerly system which swept through after the Commodores cup before completing the sail home on 25th and 26th April with an overnight stop in the Basin in Pittwater. It proved a wise decision as waves built to 4 metres from the south and one yacht was written off at Fingal during the weather event.

There are more pictures of Passion and crew at SPS on our Photos Page Here.

Passion XI is now safely back on its mooring at Greenwich after a campaign in the Newcastle to Port Stephens Race 12 April and Sail Port Stephens Commodores Cup 13-18 April .

After an early start the delivery motor/sail from Sydney Harbour to Port Newcastle on 10th April was uneventful with 5-8 knot N to NE breeze on the nose and the mainsail was set to stabilise the boat. The next day was spent at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club marina getting Passion XI in tip top shape for the coming events.

There were 42 boats in the Newcastle to Port Stephens race and it was a cracker with a 20-30 knot SW breeze driving the yachts along the relatively protected Stockton Bight at a record pace.

The first yacht on scratch and handicap by a big margin was the 30 ft Thompson 920 Road Runner which planed its way along the 26nm course from Newcastle Harbour to the finish off Fingal Light in just 101 minutes averaging 15.5 knots.

Passion sailed conservatively with full main and older fuller jib averaging 10 knots to finish 13th on scratch and 24th on handicap. Many boats provided excitement for their crews and other participants with asymmetric and code zero sails getting a flogging in the strengthening gusty breeze.

Full results are Here.