Two long days of safety work; sailing out in the ocean beyond the “heads”, and seemingly endless chores to get the boat in full racing condition, and we’re on track. The sailing community is giving us plenty of full on Australian humour, returned in kind. Today’s practice had us doing spinnaker work under the Harbor Bridge, and tacking along by the Opera House – all a bit surreal. Crew dinner at Bondi Beach tonight, and then two more days of…
These guys have chase boats that have difficulty keeping up when they are on a full bore blast reach with a kite up!
All Joe Mele has heard since arriving in Australia from New York earlier this month is that anyone sailing a yacht out of Sydney and turning right towards Hobart is out of their mind. He’ll realise a decade-long dream on Boxing Day when he does just that as captain of Triple Lindy, the only American entry in this year’s Sydney to Hobart, determined to successfully navigate the unpredictable waters of Bass Strait amid an undercurrent of apprehension. Everyone I have talked to…
From today’s Australian: Australians are used to American yachtsmen arriving for the annual Rolex Sydney to Hobart race with the world’s newest, largest and most expensive ocean racers and making off with the silverware after leading the fleet into Hobart. It started with Huey Long and Ondine I in 1962 and again with Ondine II in 1968 and then Ondine III in 1974. Jim Kilroy arrived with Kialoa II in 1971 and then set an elapsed time record that lasted…
The mast featured large in today’s session – it wasn’t straight and there were many conflicting theories concerning why. The relative tightness of the various wires (shrouds) holding it up were discussed. In the end a rigger was summoned, and the offending wire was identified as we sailed back and forth in the harbor in stiff breeze. Shortly after the junior rigger was sent aloft to do mysterious rigging things, all agreed the mast was now perfect. This did not…
All the crew, most of the families, and some of the luggage now arrived – snow in Canada causing all sorts of issues. You’d think they’d be used to it, but it seemed to take Air Canada completely by surprise. Lots of lending of clothing, but somehow no one interested in my smalls. After hours of boat chores, and jet lagged wandering around, we were ready to actually have a sail in the afternoon. But first ABC news dropped…
Team members and families are now on their way to their bottom of the world, to join the advance Sherpa party in tuning up for the Hobart Race. Gill insisted we rough it on the long flight out – all good preparation for the adventure ahead. We slept through the afternoon tea to toughen us up – you have to make sacrifices every now and again. And late breaking news – snowing in Tasmania. Am now looking for fleece jackets…
Well today was about getting ready to leave Wollwich Dockyard and get to the yacht club in time for the crew party. We succeeded! In the background Casey and Carla sorted out the pre-loading of food for incoming folks, Christmas turkeys and hams (not an easy find). And then Carla and Casey joing Joe and I for the delivery from Wollwich to the YC. I have sailed in a lot of places but to say Sydney Harbour is busy is…
Today was a bit of a rest day after the feverish preps from earlier in the week. Fearless Leader headed off to golf at a fancy schmancy course that had a strict rule against ratty old Novi golfers so he went off alone. The Joe got a birdie on the 12th hole, a Par 5. Bill Murray would have been proud! Carla, Casey and I headed off for the Manly area to watch some surfing but primarily to heck out…