Pure Nor’easter Bliss at Sail Port Stephens

May 12, 2026

By Emma Thomas (Viola Star, 6 rig)

Conditions: Nor’easter on Repeat (15–21 kts)

Two days, six races, and one very reliable Nor’easter. Breeze sat between 15–21 knots, with a classic course delivering long upwinds, a punchy but manageable chop, and that nowlegendary reaching leg that had a few of us in the fleet whooping like kids on a rollercoaster.

Compared to the Blairgowrie Nationals, the chop was positively polite, though I still managed to get flattened by a beam-on wave while threading a tight lane upwind on Day 1. Lightweight Aero karma.

The Start: Clean Lines… Until They Weren’t

For most of the regatta, the start lines were civilised and relatively chilled. But by the final races, the fleet’s competitive instincts kicked in. The line tightened, elbows came out, and two boats went OCS in one race, which I will happily admit helped me to my best result of the weekend.

Key Moments: The Reach Heard Around the Fleet

The course was simple: long legs and a downwind that rewarded commitment. But the reach… oh, the reach. A reach so addictive it should probably come with a warning label. A few sailors who had quietly planned to skip a race or two ended up staying out purely to blast down that reach again.

I couldn’t stop whooping, much to the amusement of Crosbie on Bow Caddy beside me. The Aero grin is real.

Downwind, the hot topic was the Scurve: by-the-lee, carve up, ride the wave, repeat. When I managed to string one together, I could see the gap closing between me and the midfleet pack. That acceleration is addictive.

Lessons Learned: Vang, Cunno, and Salty’s top tips

My personal breakthrough came courtesy of Gary Ratcliffe and Craig (“Salty”) Greenhill. Gary pointed out that I was reaching around upwind with far too little mainsheet tension. Salty then jumped on his boat, Too Salty, behind me prerace and gave live coaching as I worked upwind.

It’s one thing to know the theory. It’s another to feel what “enough vang and cunno” means when the boat suddenly stops misbehaving and starts tracking like it’s meant to. Then pulling enough main sheet on is possible. That feedback changed my entire regatta, and my confidence.  I was able to hike the boat flatter than I have before, and I started to get in the mix as a result.

Fun & Social: Cheeky Dog Debriefs

Off the water, the Aero fleet did what it does best: share knowledge, share laughs, and share food and drinks at the Cheeky Dog. Ben Austin and others ran an informal debrief after Day 1, breaking down how they handled the conditions and where the big gains were. The generosity of the top sailors is a defining feature of this class.  So grateful to our sailors for helping others find their way.

Results: Yardstick Top 3 congratulations goes to:

1. Ben Austin
2. Graham Baxendale
3. Gary Ratcliffe

I met Ben on Day 1 and joked that he’d be first and I’d be last, and could he please not lap me. He just smiled, but thankfully he didn’t pass me. I just got to admire his downwind technique while I was still beating upwind.

I finished 18th of 21, which is real progress for me one year into owning my Aero (and learning to sail a singlehanded dinghy).

Final Thoughts

Sail Port Stephens proved why it’s considered one of Australia’s best dinghy venues: reliable breeze, open water, and a fleet culture that blends competition with camaraderie. All rigs racing together on handicap kept things tight and tactical, and the social scene next door at the Cheeky Dog rounded out the weekend perfectly.

And yes, I got my first ever 12th place in an Aero regatta on Race 6, thanks to a clean race, no swims, my best upwind of the weekend, and a couple of OCS gifts from the universe.