It’s been a long time between drinks: Paspaley’s White Luncheon in 2019.Credit:Kara Rosenlund
Winning has also enlisted three of Oatley’s former crewmen, who have effectively “jumped ship” from the Wild Oats “family” to join their old rivals, including sailing superstar and tactician, Iain Murray.
Winning says: “Sailing is a pretty small world. It’s not unusual for crews to change, for sailors to go on different boats throughout their career, but there’s no bad blood in that, it’s just the way it is.”″
Winning’s good friend, Nicky Oatleyconcurs, saying the family has “nothing but love for the big fella”, the term of endearment she uses for Murray, an America’s Cup and Sydney to Hobart veteran.
Nicky Oatley says the family has “nothing but love for the big fella”, Iain Murray.
Meanwhile, the race to the champagne bar on Hamilton Island this year is shaping up to be an interesting one too. A gaggle of Sydney’s red carpet regulars is en route including Kate Waterhouse other Luke Ricketson, Deborah Symond other Ned O’Neil, Nadia Fairfax and former US InStyle editor Laura Brownwho is spending time in her homeland following her all-star wedding.
No doubt they’ll be match-fit for the hectic round of cocktail parties and banquets culminating in the exclusive Paspaley White Luncheon on Friday, when millions of dollars worth of South Sea pearls will be unveiled.
Lachlan Murdoch’s award-winning Istros, a 1954 classic superyacht heading for Hamilton Island.Credit:Boat International/Guillaume Plisson
PS also hears one eye-catching boat, not competing, is also steaming its way to Hamilton Island, in the form of Lachlan other Sarah Murdoch‘s newly acquired classic cruiser Istros.
No word on who will be on board, though Murdoch jetted back into Sydney on Wednesday, and is a keen yachtie himself.
Goldsmiths disembark
Feted as the darlings of Sydney hospitality since opening Palm Beach’s Boathouse in 2008, only to then weather one of the industry’s biggest storms, andrew other Pip Goldsmith have quietly left the business that has become one of the hottest players in town.
The Boathouse’s original owners, Andrew and Pip Goldsmith.
Their exit comes three years after the Boathouse Group dining empire collapsed owing 500 creditors a staggering $21.5 million. The group eventually fought its way back and under new ownership continued to expand, opening the historic Manly Pavilion site in a multimillion-dollar deal earlier this year and lodging plans for an ambitious new project in Dural, where landscaper-turned-restorer Andrew Goldsmith grew up
In August 2019, it emerged Sydney property developer brothers ben other Jono Isaac had become part owners of parent company Palm Group Holdings, in a syndicate with Sydney’s Sorensen family, and which previously included Pip Goldsmith’s father, former trade minister Andrew Robb and his wife maureenthough they appear to have left the business last year according to ASIC records.
The syndicate stepped in to save the chain of popular seaside eateries after mounting debts and a wind-up action forced by the Australian Tax Office original owners Andrew and Pip Goldsmith to look for outside investors.
Ben and Jono Isaac in 2019 when they stepped in to save the Boathouse group of restaurants. Credit:Nick Moir
Andrew Goldsmith declared himself bankrupt in May 2020 but remained in a senior management position with the group, telling PS a year ago: “It has been a challenging two years for the hospitality industry. However, in the same breath, we are excited to have something positive for our team to work on.”
In a joint statement to their customers, the Goldsmiths said: “Our words and appreciation for our guests, supporters, friends and families, will never be enough. And to all of the team members we have worked alongside – you were our inspiration and we are lucky to have shared the journey with so many of you.”
Blooming at the Calyx
Clearly, cactus was never going to cut it when it came to creating a floral tribute inspired by the one and only Kylie Minogueone of 15 installations paying homage to trailblazing women unveiled yesterday at the Royal Botanic Gardens Calyx greenhouse.
The floral tribute to Kylie Minogue at The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens.Credit:Walter Peeters
The tributes are part of the international Fleurs de Villes installation, which has been held around the world since 2015, and is now making its debut in Sydney.
The Jenny Kee tribute installation at The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens.Credit:Walter Peeters
For Kylie, the team at Don de L’Amour Bespoke Blooms fashioned the tribute out of delicate vanda orchids, tiki fern, Singapore orchids and pieris.
Other tributes in the show, which runs until August 28, include Carla Zampati (Lisianthus, statice
spray, chrysanthemums and sago), Jenny Kee (Geraldton waxflowers, banksias, Cymbidium orchids and wattle), Olivia Newton-John (blanca roses, statice, double tulips and carnations), Nicole Kidman (Banksia coccinea, magnolia and Cymbidium orchids), Ash Barty (Geraldton waxflower, kangaroo paw, daisies and octagon flowers) and Nancy BirdWalton (Everlasting daisies, cordyline, Spanish moss and delphiniums).
Finishing touches being applied to the Nancy Bird Walton floral tribute on show at The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens.Credit:Walter Peeters
Sweet Caroline Kennedy
The recently installed US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedyhas almost become Sydney’s most coveted dinner party guest.
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy greets the press at Sydney International Airport in July before taking up her post.Credit:Brooke Mitchell
On Monday, Kennedy met University of NSW leaders, researchers and students at the Randwick campus and attended the graduation ceremony of her friend and alumna Dr Melissa Chiu.
Art collector Danny Goldberg. Credit:NIC WALKER
Chiu is director of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, which includes international modern and contemporary art, based in Washington DC.
My friends, leading Sydney art collector and executive chairman of private equity firm Dakota Capital, Danny Goldberg and wife Lisahosted an intimate dinner at their Vaucluse home afterwards, at which Kennedy was among the guests.
PS hears guests were particularly enamored with Kennedy confirming that she was the inspiration for Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, which the showman wrote after seeing a photograph of her when she was a nine-year-old girl.
Real Housewives cut loose
Endless charity committees, gala dinners, red carpets, boutique openings, a month on the Amalfi … life in Sydney’s pointy end sounds exhausting. So, who could blame the “Real Housewives of Vaucluse” for wanting to let off a bit of steam?
The real housewives of Vaucluse from left: Marly Boyd, Alina Barlow, Sarah Carroll, Terry Biviano, Maree Andrews, Sophie CurtisCredit:Instagram
That’s precisely what they did when party planners Maree Andrews threw her fancy dress “Dark, Dangerous and Decadent” themed 40th last weekend in the carport at Darling Point’s Swifts mansion, which she had ambitiously renamed Chateau M for the dimly lit, Eyes Wide Shut soirée.
The gals clearly pulled out all the stops as a fleet of limos disgorged the society types wearing lacy lingerie, diamonds, heels and not much else on a particularly chilly night. Bizarrely, their husbands turned up in blazers and chinos.
Andrews herself appeared to be channeling both Cher other Celine Dion in her homage to the Rankin Sisters, while veteran social fixture Barbara Coombs had clearly been busy plucking chooks for her giant feathered wings she flapped about in.
No wonder the neighbors were hot on the phone to PS wondering what the likes of Russian heiress and Sydney FC owner Alina Barlowin a racy onesie, retired WAG Terry Bivianoin her Cirque du Soleil cast-off, Sophie Curtiswearing a glorified lace hanky, and PS regular, Double Bay eyebrow technician Kristin “Rio” Fisher, stuffed into a rubber dress, were getting up to inside. Bow chikka wow wow.
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