50 YEARS of the

HMAS GOORANGAI MEMORIAL TROPHY RACE

In 1975 the first Race took place as a passage Race from Royal Brighton Yacht Club to Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club.

The Goorangai started life as a trawler in NSW built in 1919 and at the outbreak of WWII was seconded into the Royal Australian Navy as an auxiliary minesweeper. Due to the activities of the German minelayer Pinguin that laid sea mines that sank the Cambridge off the Prom and the City of Rayville 6nm SE off Cape Otway, November 1940, Goorangai was to operate in Bass Strait from Port Philip; note the motto “As they sow so shall we sweep” on the first Memorial Trophy Board as you pass upstairs at QCYC.

On the night of 20^th November 1940 the auxiliary minesweeper was crossing from Queenscliff to anchor at Portsea overnight. With minimal lighting on Goorangai, at 20:40 was struck by the MV Duntroon and sank within a minute taking all 24 RANVR crew to their deaths. Only six bodies were recovered. Goorangai and her ships company were the RAN’s first loss in WWII.

A former QCYC Club member, Les Nangle, was a Petty Officer in the RANVR prior to the War and was called up, served in HMAS Goorangai and left her just before her last voyage. Many of his mates were on board, and it was to preserve their memory that he presented the Goorangai Trophy to the Club.

The first Memorial Trophy Race was won by “Gumblossom” from RBYC, a Professor Peter Joubert design currawong class fibre glass yacht. The fastest recorded time for the Race, was in 2021 and is 2hr 34min and 40s sailed by Peter Strain in his catamaran “It’s a Privilege”. Since 1975, 9 races have not been sailed, 2020 probably due to COViD. There are 3 yachts that have won 2 races consecutively, “Lena” 2007,2008; “It’s a Privilege”, skipper Peter Strain 2021,2022 and Kioni, skipper Rob Dott 2023,2024.

The Goorangai currently is held in conjunction with the Eliza Ramsden Trophy Race, a division for lady helms. The Eliza Ramsden was a 3 masted barque built in 1874 and sank with no loss of life, after colliding with Corsair Reef, inside the bay very close to where the Goorangai remains lie. Her anchor is on display outside the Queenscliff Maritime Museum, which has plenty of information and literature on both the Ramsden and the Goorangai- well worth the visit.

Indeed the Queenscliff Maritime Museum is conducting a Commemmoration Service for the HMAS Goorangai 23^rd November 2025; contact them for further information. Another reference for Goorangai is the Australian Naval Institute.