RSYS to Launch New Offshore Yacht Race Commemorating Historic 1864 EventIn 1864, the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS) conducted the earliest recorded offshore yacht race in Sydney, a challenging course from Fort Denison to Newcastle and back. The race was effectively a match race between two of the most prominent racing yachts of the era — the 80-tonne Chance and the eventual winner, the 37-tonne Xarifa. The event captured widespread public attention, drawing thousands to the foreshore to witness the spectacle and spurring significant wagering on the outcome. To honour this historic occasion and to revitalise the Squadron’s offshore racing program, RSYS, in partnership with the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (NCYC), will inaugurate a new offshore race on Saturday, 8 November, from Sydney to Newcastle. The winner will be awarded one of the Squadron’s prestigious historic trophies — the Xarifa Tray, which was last raced for in 1995.