Terry is Wise. Are you?

by John Curnow on 21 Nov 2016 The next installment of the Volvo Ocean Race will require both the Skipper and Navigator to have the respected and vaunted RYA Yachtmaster International Certificate of Competence. Of course, many of them have already done a lap or more of the globe on the way to getting the prized gigs in the race often referred to as the Everest of yachting.

These kinds of sailors have amassed thousands of miles in many and varied conditions on the seven seas. As the ocean racing season gathers momentum to all the Christmas races, you might consider making it part of your training for next year. Everyone is time poor nowadays, but if you were to improve your skills you would undoubtedly enjoy your time on the water even more.

So it is definitely a wise choice, and so for some sage words I went to speak with Terry Wise of the Pacific Sailing School. “It is fast becoming a smart decision to get some qualifications to sail offshore. Some insurance companies are also asking for qualifications for both cruising and racing sailors.”

“I really think owners should consider getting qualifications for them as Skipper along with the Sailing Master and Navigator for races like the Hobart. We have timetables to suit, with five non-racing days spread out over two months, rather than five consecutive days. The courses are designed to be easy to comprehend and also lots of fun.”

www.pacificsailingschool.com.au offer shore based theory and also on-water prac tuition, in addition to radio, first aid and the obligatory Safety and Sea Survival Course. Wise has almost boundless enthusiasm and continues to be motivated by ensuring as many sailors as possible have excellent prior preparation and planning to avoid the four remaining Ps.

“I love and encourage adventure, and try to support it where I can. I am very lucky in be involved with many successful adventures, including arranging a successful sail to Heard Island for mountain climber William Blunt and his team. I also spent a couple of years helping James Castrission and Justin Jones prepare for their kayak journey from Australia to New Zealand”, said Wise.

“I do hear a lot of sailing stories, and thankfully most are about happy and joyous times. Yet even clients tell me about ones that aren’t so good. We had a young couple who brought their boat back from Europe to Sydney via the Caribbean. They met lots of lovely cruising people on the way and made good friends, but were amazed at how many of their new friends admitted that they had at some time parked on a reef, and were also told of some that were still parked!”

In concluding, Wise said, “It’s not just about navigation and pilotage, but also general seamanship. Think things like taking spares, knowledge of tides and time zones, and we have courses that can help you with this, no matter whether you are new to it all or already experienced. They can be the difference between a great story and a sorry tale!”

Now talking of wise choices, Zhik® collected a DAME Award at METS for their incredible Avlare® range. These are technical tops that just love to hate water. They are so light, stretch every which way and also bounce right back. These men’s and women’s tops offer UV 50+ protection, are just one quarter the weight of wet Spandex and fight wind chill supremely.

More good news for this innovative company from Artarmon, as the science comes back in to prove they are four times more waterproof durable than the previous best with their awesome Istotak® range. This well and truly makes them the new market leader. Christmas looms, along with lots of racing, so treat yourself or someone you care about to a cool product that looks good and works even better.

Heaven Can Wait has gone over to the February date some time ago and continues to deliver real hard cash to directly assist cancer patients. Well done to all the people who make it happen and the sailors who get out there to do the miles and collect the dollars. There are more new options this year as they attract more OTB craft, so please check it out at www.heavencanwait.com.au - N.B. for 2017 it is on February 18 and 19.

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