Adventures

Guy Stening, a great sailor most known for winning the Mumm 30 world championships in 2008, passed away on Thursday 10 May. Today he will be farewelled at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, a venue close to his family and friends, at 2pm, the time of his favourite Wednesday afternoon RPEYC race. I met Guy Stening when I filled in for his sick bowman at the 2007 Mumm 30 Nationals. I became fast…

Frank BethwaiteDFC OAM, the designer of the Tasar among many other things, passed away on Saturday 12 May 2012 at 92 years of age. Today he was farewelled at the Northbridge Sailing Club, whichwas describedas sacred groundby the Bethwaite family. I have been sailing the Tasar since I was 11, now for 16 years with my father Rob Douglass. We have known Frank through the Tasar…

Teams racing says it all; a focus on the team. A great reminder ahead of getting back into serious training tomorrow that a team is only as good as the sum of its parts. The NSW Teams Racing Championships at Woollahra last weekend were busy for me to say the least. I ended up on the start boat for two days, and I am pretty sure the word was that we ran 159 races… in those two…

The NSW Tasar State Championships finished up on Easter Sunday at the Illawarra Yacht Club. Dad and I managed to finish in fifth after a not so brilliant first day, a blinder of a second day, and then some rough luck on the last day. The most important thing was that Team Chukkel only improved as the regatta went on, or as Rob Douglass would say, the “apprentice” (apparently that is…

We sailed three races at day one of the NSW Tasar Champs yesterday is a very tricky Nor’easter. Puffing up to twenty knots at times, and with big shifts – it was all on for our Tasar team sailing in different roles. We had a pretty good day, and showed to ourselves (and others) there is a lot of potential for our team with me up the back. Big breeze is our thing when sailing with Dad…

The 35th NSW State Champs kick off tomorrow at the Illawarra Yacht Club, and it will be the luckythirteenth time I have sailed in this regatta… the first as skipper. Since 2005 Dad and I have been in the top two in this regatta, this year we will be sailing in opposite positions. Hopefully I can do the team justice and Dad’s new shoulder holds together in the forecast southerly on…

Yesterday was my first day of working in Sydney since the move was finalised two weeks ago. I am still working in the Australian Public Service, but now with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Wow… I have had two great days! It feels a lot more natural than I thought it would to be back in Sydney. In a way it feels like the time I spent in Canberra has folded over to join…

The past few weeks I have been wrapping everything up here in Canberra, for at least the next year. Definitely sad, especially because the lake has been closed and I haven’t been able to get time on the water like I had hoped. I never thought I would leave Sydney and my Harbour, but now most will know I am pretty attached to “Lake Barely Tolerable”. Two and a half years…

Not much to report from this week. Packing and planning for the move North has been all consuming. I have not been on the water for a week – for the first time in a very long time. Looking forward to hitting the training hard after my forced mini break! This weekend I will be on the water, possibly for the last time on a weekend for quite a while in Canberra. Thanks to Craig Davidson and Matty…

A quiet week for me on the sailing front following the challenging NSW Laser State Champs last weekend and the start of many loads up to the new place in Sydney. The Laser States can only be described as challenging for all that were involved! Highlight of the weekend was definitely the reach in on Saturday in front of the storm front. I have never been that fast on a Laser before!  The race…