SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week- from soldier to sailor in one week

by Tracey Johnstone on 2 Sep 2014 In among the 57-boat fleet competing in the eighth SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week is a team of Defence mates; veterans of past conflicts who have had a new door opened in their lives.

The veterans are racing on board the event’s largest entry, the Volvo 60 Spirit of Mateship. Some of the crew are now relatively old hands on the boat by now having joined the Queensland RSL sponsored Mates4Mates program before last year’s Sydney Hobart Race. But for three of the crew, the powerful yacht and the experience of sailing is new and welcoming.

Magnetic Island’s James ‘Bear’ Humphrey was in the right place at the right time when Spirit of Mateship first arrived into Townsville. The retired CSM Warrant Officer with the Royal Australian Engineers was visiting Townsville Sailing Club in early June when the boat pulled in to town. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Humphrey put his hand up in the hope of joining the crew for Race Week. The next thing he knew he was off to Brisbane to complete the required Safety and Sea Survival course.

Humphrey’s sailing experience has been limited to him buying a 45-foot yacht about three years ago. 'I have never been sailing before and I bought a yacht which I am now refurbishing. So I went from being a soldier to sailor,' Humphrey said.

'I am on board Spirit for the challenge. It’s a big boat. In the future I may have an opportunity to do a Sydney Hobart Race and do bigger races offshore. With the yacht club here you don’t get many opportunities to get on a boat this size and do offshore sailing. Eventually, when I take my boat offshore, I would rather start on this and get a bit of an idea. It’s a massive learning curve.

'(Sailing on this boat) gets you to socalise with old servicemen that sail. I don’t know anyone else here that sails and is ex-service. This is a chance to sail with a couple of old blokes and tell a few stories and reminisce. But also to work with people who are professional sailors,' Humphrey added.

The learning curve has been steep for Humphrey, but he admits having been a solider has helped him to learn quickly, with the minimum of fuss.

Sean O’Malley is the ‘baby’ of the team at 25 years old. The still active Military Police member, who has seen service in Afghanistan, travelled down from Darwin to join in the team after being nominated for the experience by his commanding officer. His first introduction to the Volvo 60 footer and to sailing was a three-hour training session yesterday.

'I wanted to go straight back on and go out again,' O’Malley said. After his first race, O’Malley said he is hooked on the experience. 'It’s quite like the military. It’s quite quiet and then when things happen, everyone starts screaming and people start doing things,' O’Malley added.

Humphrey has been helping O’Malley out as he finds his sea legs. 'The first boat he got to sail on was a Volvo 60. There isn’t many young kids who get that chance. The first few days he wasn’t sure, but now he is getting into it, doing things, realizing the jobs he has on the boat and starting to understand the terminology.

'He has gone from a little bit of confusion to working quite well as part of the team,' Humphrey said.

Sergeant (rtd) Craig Hansen of the 7RAR first heard about the Spirit of Mateship program late last year through a friend of his who was an army recruit instructor with Kapooka.

'He rang and asked me if I wanted to do the Sydney Hobart Race on the yacht as I think it was down a few crew. I said, ‘I loved to’. But, I hadn’t done the Sea Survival course and I hadn’t done anytime on the boat,' Hansen said. Ultimately he wasn’t selected for that race, but the offer for involvement in the program this year was what the Adelaide- based Hansen needed to get motivated to prepare himself to go sailing.

The Spirit of Mateship offer came a good time for Hansen who had only just been medically discharged from the army after seeing active service and suffering severe wounds.

Hansen was with the International Forces East Timor in 1999. He then went back for a second tour in 2006-07. After that he went to Afghanistan in 2008. 'I was medically discharged in November last year. In November 2008 I was wounded in action. I was in the back of a Bushmaster in the Chora Valley in Afghanistan. We ran over an IED made of about 35 to 40 kilos of homemade explosives and blew us up. I was pretty seriously injured and had pretty badly smashed feet, right ankle, back injuries, hand, brain injury. I was subsequently discharged from the army after 14 operations,' Hansen said.

He finally joined the Spirit of Mateship crew in July gaining his first exciting experience helping to deliver the yacht from Rockampton to Brisbane. He then competed with them in the 348 mile Brisbane to Keppel Race.

Hansen has risen well to the challenge of learning to sail on a big boat. He said the program has got him up and going, and made him realize there are other things he can do. 'The program has given me a different outlook on other things that are out there. There are sailing programs for wounded, ill and injured soldiers in Adelaide where I am from. It’s made me reach out to them and get out and do some sailing. It’s opens up new avenues for guys to get off their bums and have a go at something different,' Hansen added.

For full regatta results and all event information, http://www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au/