A Sporting Life

Cain Jelliff Rumbelow

The son of Cain Jelliff,  Cain Jelliff Rumbelow was a good cricketer, but he will best be remembered in sport by his long association with the Victor Harbor New Year’s Day Sports, in which he successfully competed in sailing races for many years in company with the late Mr. D. M. Rumbelow.  

Malcolm Rumbelow

Rumbelow Shows The Way

•  Times (Victor Harbor, SA : 1987 - 1999) 

•  Tue 5 Nov 1991 

Hobie sailor Malcolm Rumbelow and rookie crew Mark Stock showed the reduced Victor Harbor Yacht Club fleet their style when they narrowly won the handicap race in Saturday's strong 20-25 knot winds.

With weather reports predicting gale force winds along the South coast, Commodore Don Rumbelow postponed the running of the first heat of the Club Championship until November 30. A handicap event in the shelter of the island was arranged for the senior sailors. Only 11 boats took to the water for the start from the breakwater and by the end of the first triangle the wind had increased in strength to 20 knots, but with the sea still flat the sailing was fast. Randal and Liz Cooper increased their handicap when they pitchpoled their Stingray on the reaching leg. Despite the sudden shock the boat was soon upright and back in the race.

Early leaders Mike Schirmer and Wesley Roach, aboard Rebel Yell, lost ground when they headed for the wrong marker. This allowed John and Gerry Amos on the Taipan Stepping Out to gain the advantage. Back in the fleet Rumbelow and Stock were steadily making ground on the leaders. With the winds increasing in the second half of the race, the Coopers showed their class to take the lead and go on to take the line honors, 17 seconds ahead of Stepping Out. Rebel Yell was a similar distance behind in third and Rumbelow crossed in fourth place, just short of a corrected time win. Their time was however good enough to take the race on handicap.

The hard-luck story of the day went to Rob Williams and Linda McEvoy. Having capsised early in the race and made up lost ground, the pair were within sight of the finish line when they were hit by a strong gust from the mouth of the Hindmarsh River. The resultant pitchpole saw McEvoy injure a leg, forcing them to retire. Bob McFarlane, sailing the lone division two boat, made it a double for the Hobies. Next week the club will conduct the annual David Turner Memorial Race. This event involves all divisions and with the results held secret until the presentation night at the end of the season the winner is always a point of speculation.

Don Rumbelow

From powerboats to sailing craft, Don is equally at home. He remembers in 1977 tossing in the cricket bat to go sailing and from that day he has played a vital role in the Victor Harbor Yacht Club.  

Over the years he has served as Commodore, President and committee member. With his daughter Celina and sons Brad and Troy also heavily involved in sailing, Don has been involved in the national sailing championships for about 11 years. 

Mark Ewens

Youngster wins yachting trophies 

Mark Ewens (right) and his father Graham proudly display the trophies awarded for a very successful season of yachting with 'Water Rat'. 

A Victor Harbor schoolboy - with a bit of help from Dad has taken a clean sweep of awards at the Victor Harbor Yachting Club Championships. 

Mark Ewens, 15, skippering 'Water Rat', took out the Division 3 category of Monohull Yachts from a series of five races between November and February. 

But that wasn't the highlight of Mark's season he also took out the title of 'Cock of the Walk', which was for the yacht which, out of all categories, won the most races from Saturday meets. 

Mark had 12 wins during the season, despite competing against experienced skippers from all 

His crew (and father) Graham, said it was a creditable performance for someone so young, and who has been competing for only four years. 

"We argue all the time, but Mark wins the arguments-he's the skipper," Graham said. 

The winners of the Division One Stingray class in the club championships was Stephen Adams, 24, and his crew, Fiona Lloyd. 

Of the five-race series, Stephen and Fiona, sailing 'Private Eye', won four of the races and came second in the other. 

They also finished third in the National Championships in NSW in January, a result which surprised them. 

"We thought we would go all right, but definitely not as well as we did" Fiona said.

Mark won the "Cock-of-the-Walk" trophy at VHYC as a 15 year old. Not a bad feat when you consider this tropy is awarded yearly to the boat with most wins in the season, across all classes. He was also a Club Champ, competed in State and Nationals and won a National handicap title in Mosquito Catamarans. 

Troy sailed Mirrors with Mark's dad, Graeme, winning Club Champs, then going on to Arrow Cats, competing in both State and National titles. Troy achieved National Champ status as a crew, sailing with local skipper Randall Cooper, on a Stingray in about 90-91. 

Malen Rumbelow (5th)

Malen Stuart Rumbelow (Malen 5th) was born at Victor Harbor on 24th September 1945 and married Meredith Anne Knox on 28th January 1967. 

Malen 5th was a bank officer employed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia until he resigned to join his mother in the seafood business with Rumbelows Fish Shop. 

Malen had shops in metropolitan Adelaide and became well known for selling whole crays outside of the metropolitan racing tracks. Successful punters were regularly relieved of some of their winnings. Malen and Merrie had three children.

In later years, Malen became an accomplished sailor, crewing on boats such as Ishtar and Rager.

Richard Avery

Neil Richard Avery, a descendant of Mahalia Rumbelow, married Lesley Ann Avery (nee Burge) on 24th April 1965. 

Neil Avery, a descendent from the Mahalia Rumbelow line, sailed competitively from the Port Melbourne Yacht Club, for many years, sailing Moths, Jolly Boats and Lightweight Sharpies, competing at club level and in Victorian State and National titles also.  Neil was Officer of the Day and Chairman of the Sailing Commitee for the1980-81 National Lightweight Sharpie Championship held at Port Melbourne. 

After Neil retired from the CSIRO , he spent many years as a member of the Port Melbourne Yacht Club and competed in club races, Victorian and national championships, graduating from Moth Class to Jollyboats (JBs) and Lightweight Sharpies. 

He sold his last boat in 1980 and now plays golf.

Celina Rumbelow

Celina Rumbelow was born in 1979 to parents Don and Lesley Rumbelow. 

Celina has taken all before her while sailing in the Arafura Cadet division, winning back-to-back national titles over the previous two years and along with a State title.  She was awarded the 1995 Rotary Club of Goolwa Times Sport Star of Month for January. 

Celina started in Mirrors, then on to 125 Dinghy's, Arafura Cadets and Arrows and crewing on Stingrays for State and Nationals. 

In 93-94 she won the Arafural Cadet Nationals  in Rye Victoria, 94-95 she again won the National and the State titles in Kingscote Kangaroo Island, 95-96 saw her take home her 3rd Nationals. trophy, winning 7 out of 8 races. 

In the race she lost, she had a problem with her sail and had to tip the boat over, swim to the masthead, fix the issue and then right the yacht to complete the race. 

She also won the States again and finally managed to win a Club Champs as well. 1996 also saw her named as the Victor Harbor Times- Goolwa Rotary Club Sports Star of the Year.

In 1997 she won the South Australian Women's Sailing Regatta in a 420 Dinghy, I think. Not a bad resume for a young woman not yet 20 years old. 

Celina was transferred to the Adelaide office of Rural Press, and eventually to head office in Sydney. She kept sailing her Arrow for a few years before succumbing to the lure of keelboats on Sydney Harbour, and Blue water ocean series as well. 

She progressed from foredeck to sheet hand, tactician, helm and 2nd skipper and skipper. 

Celina is now a well respected and important crewmember on "Georgia Express" a 36ft Mumm design racer. 

She has taken on the skippering in women's series on Sydney Harbour finishing 2nd in that series in 23 and co skippering in the Blue Water Point Score series which is basically the qualifying events for the Sydney-Hobart. 

Races to Coffs Harbour, The Gold Coast, Broken Bay, Batemans Bay, Port Stephens are all just normal for her now.

In 2023 after a lot of coercion and cajoling she said yes to the chance of a Sydney-Hobart. So for the year of 2023 Celina and the crew of "Georgia" trained, worked, streamlined on board safety protocols and generally made ready for the big one. Putting the right crew together, considering crew positions, compatibility, flexibility to fill numerous positions, calmness in a crisis ... all things that need to be considered. Crews have to have the right off shore accreditations, health certificates, first aid certificates, navigational knowledge, determination, rigging understanding and the ability to think outside the square. 

You just never know what Mother Nature and the Old Man of the Sea will throw at you. 

With all the preparation done, Boxing Day 2023 saw the start of the 78th Sydney Hobart with "Georgia Express" just one of the 103 entrants. They had a good start and were sailing well down the East coast keeping up with many larger boats and in the top 2 or 3 of their division. 

They were past Eden and soon to enter Bass Strait when rigging issues caused problems. With the threat of worsening weather and not being able to correct the rigging at sea the descision to retire was made. Their race was done, retiring they limped back to Sydney. 

Law Connect was the  winner in just 43 hrs and 3 mins, an average speed over that distance of 14 knots or 27klms/hr., but we all know that yachts don't sail straight lines. 

Out of 103 Entries, 85 finishers, 628 nautical miles in a straight line or 1163 klms. 

Celina decided against the 24 race as she believes 36 ft just aint big enough, and "Georgia" once again had to retire, this time with more damage from a broken spinnaker pole at night, surfing down large swells at 20 knots, an electrical fire and subsequent loss of instruments. Once more they limped back to Sydney, but still in 1 piece. 

Celina Rumbelow is now the Finance Systems Delivery Manager at Nine in Sydney, New South Wales.

 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart - Georgia Express

Sebastian Hultin purchased the Mumm 36 in April this year and will be heading south with several Hobart first timers.  Last season, the crew onboard their previous yacht, had some solid results, winning the CYCA’s Short Ocean Pointscore PHS division as well as the G Carter Trophy and Chaos Cup. 

Competitor Details

Yacht Name  Georgia Express
Sail Number  6333
Owner  Sebastian Hultin
Skipper  Sebastian Hultin
Navigator  Andrew Forbes (10)
Crew  Abelardo Nishida, Alessandro Schioppetto, Celina Rumbelow, Federico Riches, John Crockett, Loreno Riches
State  NSW
Club  MHYC
Type  Mumm 36
LOA  10.9
Beam  3.6
Draft  2.5
Result Georgia Express *
Division 4
RETIRED - AT PORT
Handicap  1.084