Australian TP52 Sailing Association Set to Make Waves

The TP52 class originated in California in the early 2000s as an alternative to 70 footers competing in the Transpacific Yacht Race (a 2,225nm course from Los Angeles to Honolulu).

The appeal of a 52ft, ‘one-design’, racing yacht that is equally competitive inshore and offshore saw the TP52 class swiftly make its mark around the world.

In 2013 a number of Australian TP52 owners began to establish a series which was founded by Terry Wetton, with the support of Marcus Blackmore, Dennis Thompson and Michael Green. Unfortunately after a few breakages and boat sales, the series laid dormant until 2021 when Wetton encouraged a number of owners to compete in Newcastle for the ‘Gold Cup’ – from there things began to take off.

Australian TP52 Sailing Association President and the owner and skipper of Quest, Craig Neil, has nothing but praise for the TP52 class, which he fell in love with in 2017. 

“I just love it,” Neil said. “It’s hard racing, you’ve physically got to be fit. It’s full on, but it’s exhilarating and I like racing the boats we’re up against. They really keep you on your toes.”

Joining Neil on the Australian TP52 Sailing Association Management Committee is manager Sam Haynes, owner and skipper of Celestial, and founder & Class Captain Terry Wetton, who coordinates the handicap system and on water activities.

Since TP52s started to race in Australia more than a decade ago, a highly competitive fleet of about 10 TP52s in NSW has been joined by enthusiasts sailing out of South Australia and Queensland.

Offshore, TP52s are a force to be reckoned with. Matt Allen’s TP52 Ichi Ban achieved the overall win in the 2021 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, to claim the coveted Tattersall Cup for the third time. In the same event, three other TP52s placed in the top 10 on line honours — Celestial, Quest and Smuggler. And in the 2019 race, the top three yachts on IRC were all TP52s.

“You could put a blanket over us (we’re so close),” Neil said of the calibre of TP52 offshore racing. “Racing off each other, you’ve got something to benchmark yourself against.”

The class gathered momentum in 2022, with 10 entrants in the Australian TP52 Sailing Association’s point score – an inshore ‘around the cans’ regatta series comprised of 21 races over three months. About 150 sailors, 14-to-15 crew members per boat, competed at locations on the east coast of NSW. 

To encourage an evenly-weighted competition, the event focussed on IRC and TPR handicap results rather than scratch. 

According to Wetton, TPR “allows for things like the age of the hull, the number of professional sailors on board, etc.”. David Doherty’s Matador claimed first place overall on TPR, while Matt Donald and Chris Townsend’s Gweilo placed first overall on IRC. 

“Every boat improved, everyone got better, it was really good to see,” Neil said. 

“From where we were from the first regatta to where we finished up, was quite a big difference. And if you look at the results, not just one boat ran away with it, it was quite mixed.”

Heading into the 2022/23 sailing season, Australian TP52s will compete in offshore races in the lead-up to the 2022 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Following the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the Association will run a highly anticipated second regatta series. And with borders no longer closed to neighbouring states, the fleet will have more than 10 competitors on the start line for several races.

The Australian TP52 Sailing Association will continue to focus on youth sailors. TP52 racing gives youth sailors invaluable experience on a technically advanced racing yacht. “We really embrace youth sailing,” Neil said.

In the Australian TP52 Sailing Association’s 2022 point score series, a penalty system was implemented for yachts that had more than one professional sailor on board per boat. This is a reflection of the Association’s commitment to providing opportunities for sailors at all levels of experience to develop individual skills and compete in a team environment.

The Australian TP52 Sailing Association is looking forward to another season of competitive racing and taking the class to the next level.