Bird Island Race
The Bird Island Race is the shortest race in the CYCA's blue-water pointscore — an 83-nautical-mile offshore run from Sydney Harbour north to Bird Island off Norah Head and back, and a Sydney Hobart qualifier.
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The Bird Island Race is the shortest race in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's blue-water pointscore — an 83-nautical-mile offshore run from Sydney Harbour north to Bird Island, off Norah Head, and back. Short it may be, but it is still a genuine offshore race and a useful step in the Sydney Hobart qualifying series.
What it is
The Bird Island Race sends the fleet north from Sydney Harbour to round Bird Island — about three nautical miles north-east of Norah Head on the Central Coast — before returning to the harbour. At 83 nautical miles it is the shortest race in the pointscore, which makes it one of the more accessible offshore races on the calendar, without the multi-day commitment of the longer events.
The Blue Water Pointscore
The race is the fourth event in the CYCA's Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, the season-long series that prepares and qualifies crews for the Rolex Sydney Hobart, and it also counts towards the club's Coastal Pointscore — so it does double duty for crews chasing series results. It complements the harbour and coastal racing covered in our guide to sailing in Sydney and Sydney Harbour.
How to enter and follow
Entries and the Notice of Race are published by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. As an offshore race it carries safety-category requirements, so crews should read the documents and prepare accordingly. The first boat home takes line honours, while the overall winner is decided on corrected time under handicap — see line honours versus handicap — and the sailing terms glossary covers the offshore vocabulary.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Bird Island Race?
- The Bird Island Race is an 83-nautical-mile offshore race run by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The fleet heads north from Sydney Harbour to Bird Island, which lies about three nautical miles north-east of Norah Head, then returns to Sydney Harbour. It is the shortest race in the club's blue-water pointscore.
- How long is the Bird Island Race?
- The course is 83 nautical miles, making it the shortest race in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore. Despite the modest distance it is still an offshore race, taking the fleet north up the New South Wales coast and back.
- When is the Bird Island Race held?
- It is typically held in November, as the fourth race in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Blue Water Pointscore series. It also counts towards the club's Coastal Pointscore, making it a doubly useful race for crews chasing series results.
- Where is Bird Island?
- Bird Island lies about three nautical miles north-east of Norah Head, on the Central Coast of New South Wales north of Sydney. The race rounds the island before turning back south for the return leg to Sydney Harbour.
- Is the Bird Island Race a Sydney Hobart qualifier?
- Yes. As part of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Blue Water Pointscore, it serves as preparation and qualification for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Its shorter length makes it an accessible offshore race within the qualifying series.
More regattas
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
The Rolex Sydney Hobart is a 628-nautical-mile offshore classic from Sydney to Tasmania, run by the CYCA and starting every Boxing Day.
Read the guideNew South Wales · AnnualCabbage Tree Island Race
The Cabbage Tree Island Race is a 172-nautical-mile CYCA blue-water classic — north from Sydney Harbour to Cabbage Tree Island off Port Stephens and back — and one of the most popular races in the Sydney Hobart qualifying series.
Read the guideNew South Wales · SeptemberFlinders Islet Race
The Flinders Islet Race is an 88-nautical-mile CYCA offshore race — south from Sydney Harbour to Flinders Islet off Wollongong and back. One of the shorter blue-water pointscore races, it still packs plenty of action.
Read the guide