Sydney Rigging Specialists – You can’t push a rope!

by John Curnow on 3 Dec 2014 Try as you might, it just won’t work. Ropes are for pulling, and pulling alone. Similarly, most things on a boat and in a rig have a specific job to do and hence reason for the way they’re designed. Form follows function, after all. So with this adage firmly in mind, let’s see what Sydney Rigging Specialists have been up to and why they stick to this theory, like rust marks on a trusty kite.

The eminently respected Peter Gardner and one, Bruce Clark, started Sydney Rigging Specialists 19 years ago. Craig Garnett off Loki and Ichi Ban, and also a Farr40 and Etchells sailor, joined those two working directors around four years ago. Today the three of them not only get their hands dirty for a living, they guide a young and dedicated team that are keen to learn and very enthusiastic about it all. Will Parker and Haydn Baker are part of that group.

So if there is a wide range of ages and experiences inside the organisation, then it seems only fitting that there is an incredible diversity of boats that they work on. Clark commented, 'Just today I was working on items for Black Jack, Alive and the new Wedgetail, before completely changing space and doing the grunt work on a rig for a Spacesailer 24. The range of work and our clientele vary greatly. Anybody from a Sabot to a 100-footer can call us. We do it all.'

'It is about doing it correctly and spending your money properly and in the right areas. Only then do you get the best value. For instance, you can put a lower grade rope on something if that is all that is required, but if you have a high tech sail, then you are going to need a low stretch halyard of say Vectran or PBO. Equally, with many racing craft now having halyard locks, stretch is not crucial, so you can have a lighter gauge and therefore save weight aloft.'

'We have a great relationship with International Rope Braid and work in closely with their development to try things out and see where we can improve them. The ideas are always there to help us all move forward. It is a plus for us and really sets our running rigging apart. We also have a fully-fledged workshop, can swage up to 25mm wire and have a rod-heading machine. Our annexe at Sydney City Marina is where we do all the servicing of rigs and also install those for production boats off the ships.'

'Covers over the various cordage are now super-crucial. A lot of effort has gone into creating ones that do not stick to the winch and don’t heat up, which is the best way to reduce the lifespan of it. So again, spending your money wisely with blends of Technora and polyester is a good option.'

Clark added, 'One of the big things we do is rejuvenate rigs or better yet update boats from alloy or early carbon. If you choose to go for it, a high modulus carbon rig will save you weight, increase stiffness as well as righting moment and best of all, and gain more speed. You save a bit of money on ongoing maintenance and avoid issues, but the new performance is where you’ll get bang for your buck. Typically, a 40-footer will have a 190kg mast and a new mast section will save you 15kg overall. Not only is it the best part of 8%, but every kilo aloft is approximately five on the keel!'

In some ways, the rigging business is not a lot different to many others in this country at the moment. A strong Aussie dollar and no production craft being made here any more means Sydney Rigging Specialists have become more of a service and replacement facility, which in turns means that all hands there are well and truly on deck. These factors and a very local focus means that the full range of sailors make their way to them no only by necessity, but by preference.

Quite possibly the only racing yachts under construction in Australia currently are at Van Munster Boats in Morisset, NSW. The Fred Barrett 35 and Shaw 11m with a canting keel are getting the added benefit of Sydney Rigging Specialists working on both rig and deck layout simultaneously. 'We enjoy the thinking side of it all. It is totally different to a production boat. Here you start with a blank piece of paper, bring all your good ideas or ones you’ve seen and then determine if they can all work on the one boat and as one package. It is one of the real plusses in the game and very rewarding. We don’t just do it locally, either. Craig went to the United Arab Emirates to have input on Ichi Ban’s deck layout', said Clark.

As a mark of the respect builders have for Sydney Rigging Specialists, you need look no further than McConaghy. Their good association stems back to when John McConaghy was there and through the building of Farr40s and all the big custom craft that came out of the Mona Vale facility. They currently talk with Joint CEO, Jono Morris a few times a week, and have had input into the Botin 40, the Ker designs (40 and 46).

Despite the amount of work they undertake, there is still time for sailing. Peter Gardner can be found with the Etchells, as too Craig Garnett. Will Parker sails on the MC38, Ginger, and Bruce Clark sails on another of these electrifying speedsters, Kokomo. He and wife, Jane, also sail on the Farr40 of the same name. 'One Design racing is fantastic. The Farr40s are established, whereas the MC38s are up and coming, pretty different in style, but the ramp of progression is much the same.

With the 38s we’re all still learning how to sail them, but the difference is that it is never over because of the angles you sail and the puffs really count and provide for lots of passing opportunities. You can always get back in the game, which is one of the advancements of the asymmetric kite over the spinnaker pole. I enjoy it all. I love going yacht racing. There is always something different to learn. I sit there when you’re on the rail and look at a piece of rope or layout and think what can I do better here.'

Asked why he is out on the water so much, Clark states, 'Every boat I sail on I enjoy the people, and if you don’t you may as well not go. This is a great sport and it is just more enjoyable if it goes well. A big part of that is being able to have a laugh and not take it all too seriously. Often in the middle of a One Design race we’ll be killing ourselves laughing and I really get something from making it enjoyable for all around you. You do need to be serious where it matters, but you are hanging out too. The other thing is that I have seen places though sailing that I would never have been to otherwise.'

Since 2005, Bruce has become a big boat specialist, especially when it comes to offshore work. This is no more evident than with this country’s premier event, the Sydney Hobart Race. He was on Wild Oats XI for two wins (Line Honours), did a couple on Alfa Romeo including the one to break Oat’s winning streak and then also the one on Loyal when they jagged a win. 'Loyal was the most satisfying, given it had an element of surprise – the Aussie Underdog strikes again, if you will. I am fortunate enough to have been involved in the campaigns that are done properly and are professionally run. The most important thing in a Hobart race is to win your class and then hope it is your year to win the race (Overall)', said Clark.

So in 2014, when the blue water classic turns 70, four of the team from Sydney Rigging Specialists will be making the famous turn to the right out of the Heads on Boxing Day. Craig Garnett is on Ichi Ban, Will Parker is on Loyal and Haydn Baker is on the venerable, Love and War. Interestingly, this is the very same craft on which Bruce Clark did the 50th iteration of the race. Bruce himself will be making this run South his fourth as part of the super-honed and well-prepared Black Jack team. It does seem terribly fitting that the subject is now all about a 70’ in the 70th.

Black Jack is one of the last versions of the Volvo Ocean 70s, the former Telefonica. She’s had more than a spit and polish of late and was delivered down from Brisbane just recently. Black Jack now sports powered (hydraulic) winches, so the lack of pedestals will be easy to spot. Other items are equally as significant, but perhaps a little more challenging to identify from the quay. There is an ultra high modulus mast and a deeper and lighter keel. These are a package designed to improve her light air capacities, without compromising her devastating heavy air punch. Last year’s SOLAS Big Boat Challenge and the last Sydney Southport race come to mind regarding that one…

The pocket battleship will be one to really keep vigil over come race time. Her 14 crew, including owner Peter Harburg, will have their work cut out for them as they aim to not only make the most of the boat’s potential, but also be in a position to strike at the top should weather and fortune have the same hymn sheet that day. It may be easier to run than a 100-footer, because the gear is lighter, but a sail change will definitely be an ‘all hands on deck’ affair.

Naturally, Black Jack’s Skipper, Mark Bradford, is one person who gets to see Clark regularly. He’s incredibly clear about Bruce’s inherent capabilities and why the company he founded with Peter Gardner is so well respected. 'I first met Bruce back in the Fraser Sails days of the late 80s or so. You always get Sydney Rigging to do something for you from the beginning. They’re experts in what they do and Bruce is an expert in not letting you down. He’ll die on it before he quits. The whole team has this as part of its DNA. He’s a standout and his skill set is underestimated.'

Bradford added, 'I always look for all-rounders. Those who instinctively know the time to the mark, can trim and recut sails, look after the rig and drive the boat properly. Offshore tactics is Bruce’s greatest skill. He’s a leader and a real sailor’s sailor!'

So don’t try and push a rope. Get Sydney Rigging Specialists on the job from design to servicing of all your running and standing rigging. Tick the pace, serviceability, dependability and peace of mind boxes with confidence, whether you sail Off The Beach, day-hop from anchorage to anchorage, cruise around the world or race across the oceans. From 8’ to 100’, alloy to carbon and a whole range of items in between there is a reason Sydney Rigging Specialists are the ones that dinghy, cruiser and racer sailors all go to see. You can find them at 5 Wellington Street, Rozelle NSW 2039, go to www.rigging.com.au or phone (02) 9555 4277.