Open to all sailors, not just club members, the course took sailors past the Granite Island breakwater and over to the Bluff before turning and heading home.

Conditions can be quite different to those normally experienced within the bay so this is an exciting race and much anticipated by those who take part.

Not really a race for the novice skipper, but a good one for spectators as racing yachts are easily seen from vantage points like the Bluff, Granite Island and along the foreshore of Encounter Bay.

Winners of the Rum Race are the first home in each division after yardstick values have been applied, each collecting some warming rum for their efforts.

This years winners were:

Division 1 - Catamarans

1st - P Mahoney - Red Zepplin - Yvonne

2nd - D Kopp - Bullet - Mosquito

3rd - P Hallsworth - The Young Mariner - MosquitoMk2

Division 2 - Monohulls

1st - N How - Monster - Cherub

2nd - D Carey - Why2K - 505

3rd - C Todd - Cows with Guns - Tasar

Division 3 - Trailerables

1st - R Rogerson - Classact - Ross780

2nd - T Bartlett - Bohica - Boatspeed23

3rd - M Symonds - Baku - Ross780

Last minute news this year was that the Bluff boat ramp would be open for the weekend allowing a 'Trailerable' division to be run alongside the regular Monohull and Catamaran divisions.

As this news came very late only a few trailerable yachts made it to the race but hopefully next year more will be able to enter.

As usual the Victor Harbor and Goolwa Sea Rescue Squadrons, as well as Victor Harbor Yacht Club's own support boat personnel were on hand throughout the race.

Without the time and dedication of these volunteers events like this could not go ahead, so a very sincere thanks to all the people involved in these positions from all of the sailors at Victor.

One of the strange things about this race is that no one seems to know when, why or how it came in to being.

Speculation within the club has not turned up any evidence and this is probably something that just goes down to club history and tradition, perhaps some Victor Harbor residents will know the history of the race?

Please feel free to contact club Commodore Robert Rogerson on 0408 838 550 or email the club on email@vhyc.org.au if you can help with some history of the race.

Sailing has now finished at Victor for the season, the next event is the club presentation dinner this Saturday night, tickets have all been sold so if you don't have yours it's too late.

Then there is the annual general meeting on May 23 for all members.