The sun’s hot rays were beaming down on our backs, but it wasn’t enough to stop Beneteau owners and crew from having an incredible time down at CYCA for the 28th annual Beneteau Cup. We had perfect weather conditions and everyone was keen to get their sails up for a competitive day of sailing. We started with a light breakfast and race briefing, followed by an exciting chase along the waters, then finished off with dinner, dancing and prizes.
Skippers and crew can view and download all the low res photos from the day here.
A big thank you to John Curnow for the brilliant photography.
Flagstaff Director Graham Raspass shared his thoughts about the event: “What a fantastic day of racing in Sydney Harbour with 24 Beneteau owners and crew enjoying two races stretching the length of the harbor from Fort Denison to the Heads. We also had a fantastic three-course dinner at the host club at CYCA.
The weather was perfect, with winds of 6-14 knots. It took all the skill and guile that the skippers and crew could muster to successfully navigate the courses. Congratulations to our trophy winners and a special congratulations to our Beneteau Cup winners Emir and Xin.”
Flagstaff is proud to announce that the winners of this year’s Beneteau Cup are Emir Ruzdic and Xin Li. Each year this special trophy is awarded by the Flagstaff team to an owner who has been an ambassador for the Beneteau brand. We select a sailor who has shown great commitment to the Beneteau brand and, more importantly, has made sailing and cruising a major part of their life.
Emir Ruzdic, the owner of the Oceanis 41.1P ‘Hugo’, is a true ambassador to the Beneteau brand and is a well-deserved winner of the perpetual Beneteau Cup for 2019. Flagstaff Director Micah Lane says,
“I was honored to be on board with Emir for the first sail of the new yacht ‘Hugo’ that was a three-day crossing from Beneteau headquarters in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, across the Bay of Biscay to the top of Spain, where Emir confirmed to me his intention to be back for this very Beneteau Cup in 2019.”
Since then, Emir and his wife Xin have sailed all over the world: through the Med, across the Atlantic, through the Caribbean, and across the Pacific at a rapid pace.
From Lord Howe Island, Emir rang up Micah and said he would make it back to Sydney in time for the Beneteau Cup… if the weather gods were on his side!
After four hard days of sailing against tough currents, Emir and Xin arrived at Sydney with very little sleep, checked out of customs at 8 am, and made it just in time for the race briefing.
“I just want to thank Flagstaff Marine. Beneteau’s great; we wouldn’t have any other boat. But we also wouldn’t have any other dealer,” says Emir. “I’m doing this event for the third time and it’s my favorite day of the year, bringing everyone together and being so passionate. I’m just glad to be a part of this.”
What an incredible achievement and we are extremely pleased to have Emir and Xin as the winners of the Beneteau Cup 2019.
From the whole Flagstaff team, we’d like to say a big thank you to our wonderful sponsors and all the skippers and crew who came together for another fantastic Beneteau Cup. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! You can see and download all the low res photos from the day here. A big thank you to John Curnow for the photography.
