Skate sails to club championship as yacht season wraps up

TIM Skate and his yacht Serendipity have capped a dominant 2025-26 season at Newhaven Yacht Squadron by claiming the club championship after victories across multiple events.

Skate won the Around Phillip Island Yacht Race on Saturday March 14 in extremely light conditions that tested the patience and skill of the fleet.

The race which starts at Cleeland Bight takes a clockwise course around Cape Woolamai heading west toward The Nobbies and Seal Rocks before rounding back through Western Port toward Cowes.

Lighter vessels had the advantage in the gentle breeze with a number of heavier yachts retiring before a 10-knot southerly arrived in the afternoon.

Simon Hogarth’s Synergy finished second.

The result gave Skate’s Serendipity victories in four of the five major events on the Newhaven Yacht Squadron calendar securing the overall club championship for the season.

Skate also finished second in the Winter Series behind Michael Dixon’s Ecstacy V.

The Newhaven Yacht Squadron races all year round and the 2025-26 season produced competitive racing across the five-event calendar.

The Summer Aggregate was won by Mark and Maria Harper’s Gypsea with Serendipity again in second place.

Marcus Bond’s Joalda took out the Single Handed Race ahead of Serendipity while Bob Garforth’s Avocado won the Commodores Cup.

Results:

Winter Series 2025: Ecstacy V (Michael Dixon) 1, Serendipity (Tim Skate) 2.

Single Handed Race: Joalda (Marcus Bond) 1, Serendipity (Tim Skate) 2.

Commodores Cup: Avocado (Bob Garforth) 1, Serendipity (Tim Skate) 2.

Summer Aggregate 2025-26: Gypsea (Mark Harper) 1, Serendipity (Tim Skate) 2.

Around Phillip Island: Serendipity (Tim Skate) 1, Synergy (Simon Hogarth) 2.

2025-26 Club Champion: Serendipity (Tim Skate).