Gosford Sailing Club hosts 34th Lord Howe race
by Helen Hopcroft on 28 Oct 2007
Pacha in the foreground with Time Out behind Helen Hopcroft
Gosford Sailing Club is the proud host of the 34th Gosford to Lord Howe Island race. It seems that many of the world’s great ocean races start as the result of a conversation in a bar or over dinner and the Lord Howe race is no exception. Legend has it that three sailors had cruised their boats to the island and were enjoying the hospitality of an island guesthouse owner.
During the evening meal conversation turned to the island’s economy and the guesthouse owner mentioned how difficult it was to encourage tourists to visit the island. It must have been one helluva meal because the three sailors: Lloyd Pryke, Peter Rysdyk and Brian Livingstone turned to each other and someone said ‘why don’t we start a yacht race?’ The Gosford to Lord Howe Island race was born.
The first race was actually a cruise and for a number of years the event was managed by the Gosford Aquatic Club. Later the Gosford Sailing Club took over and today the race is the only category one race, other than the Sydney to Hobart, which is held annually in Australia. Global marine paint company Hempel are sponsoring the race for the second time this year and it looks certain that their support will continue in the future.
Hempel Australia General Manager Paul James was on board the start boat for the commencement of yesterday’s race and will fly to the island for the race presentations. The presentations are reportedly a marvellously low key affair known as the ‘fry up’ because of the large amount of locally caught kingfish that the islanders serve. Race director Mark Greenwood said that the fish was ‘delicious’ and was keen to stress that one of the things that makes the race unique was the involvement and hospitality of the Lord Howe islanders, reportedly a permanent population of about 350.
Also on board for the start of yesterday’s race was Gosford Sailing Club stalwart Duncan Dyer who holds the unofficial record for having completed the highest number of Lord Howe races. He crewed for the first time in 1984 and for the last time about five years ago: a total of 16 races. In 1987 he was on board the handicap winner ‘Classy Lady’ (a Cole 43) and repeated the win in 1992 on board ‘Rough and Tumble’.
Things didn’t always go smoothly for the veteran sailor. During his third race he was crewing another Cole 43, ‘Excitable Boy’, when the mast snapped about eight miles away from the island. They had been running third but were forced to limp into port under jury rig. He said that one of the things he loves about this race is the self reliance it necessitates: ‘it’s an adrenaline rush, a challenge, being so far out to sea you only survive because of yourself and your boat.’
Dyer tells a good story: in the 1970s he was often the foredeck hand on Cole 43’s which he describes as ‘wet boats’ because of their tendency to punch through waves, ensuring the regular drenching of the foredeck hand. He soon learned that after three or four headsail changes all his wet weather would be saturated. So he adopted the novel strategy of changing headsails in the nude: ‘they didn’t keep you up there long’ he said with a grin.
The sole representative of the Cole 43’s in this year’s race is Polaris of Belmont, a well known racer and still looking good for her years. A past winner of the race (1997 IMS and PHS handicap honours) she was built by East Gosford Yachts in 1970.
Another veteran that impressed was the Camper & Nicholson designed Pacha who won the Sydney Hobart in the same year that Polaris of Belmont was built. Pacha’s classic lines, recently painted burgundy hull and immaculate teak deck was a sight to behold.
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Peter Robson the former owner of Classy Lady, which Dyer crewed to handicap honours in 1984, now owns a Maritimo 60 called Class Act which he kindly agreed to use as yesterday’s start boat. Everyone on board enjoyed the luxury and space with the added benefit of a fine post race seafood feast. ‘Wouldn’t be dead for quids’ said someone looking at the blue sky and sparkling water and everyone else looked like they wholeheartedly agreed.
As well as being the host of the Gosford to Lord Howe race, Gosford Sailing Club is well known as Tom Slingsby’s home club. The current World Laser Champion has just been selected for the Olympic team and will compete in the upcoming Laser Worlds in Terrigal, Central Coast NSW in 2008. The 23 year old has been quoted as saying 'my Dad is my biggest support. He’s taken me on yachts all my life and helps me in every way.’
Proud father David Slingsby was on board Class Act for the start of yesterday’s race. He said that Tom started racing Sabots at age seven when he began crewing for his older sister. He moved into his first Laser just before his 13th birthday. Sabot rules at the time said that kids could not progress from being a junior Sabot sailor (with two people on board) to a senior sailor (solo) until their 13th birthday.
Tom was so frustrated by this age restriction that he persuaded his parent’s to buy him a second hand Laser which was christened ‘Nappy Rash’ in reference to his youth and he started racing that instead. Nowadays Nappy Rash has a new owner and is still being raced at Gosford Sailing Club.
Gosford Sailing Club president Vardon Brown said that Tom’s success has inspired the club’s junior sailors and encouraged a new crop of promising young locals. These include the Graham kids: Eliza, David, Heidi and Matthew who ‘win just about every regatta they go in.’
The club hosts junior sailing every Saturday and has a mixed fleet which includes Sabots, VJs and Flying 11s. Their learn to sail program, which is run in conjunction with the NSW Sport and Recreation department, is often how new junior sailors first join the club.
Saturday is also the regular dinghy sailing day for dinghies which includes a large number of Lasers, Fireballs and a fleet of Etchells. Ron Thompson has been a club member for over 60 years, he started sailing when he was nine and is now 84, and he always starts the Saturday races; apparently he hasn’t missed a start in fifty years.
Gosford Sailing Club contact details:
http://www.gosfordsailingclub.com.au
Gosford Sailing Club Ltd, 28 Masons Parade, Gosford NSW
Postal Address: P.O. Box 187 Gosford NSW 2250
Telephone: 02 4325 7216 FAX: 02 4323 4488
Email: gossail@ozemail.com.au
Hempel contact details:
Hempel Australia Pty Ltd
12 Fitzgerald Road,
Laverton North VIC 3026
Telephone: (03) 8369 4900
Fax: (03) 9360 0894
Email: sales_melbourne@au.hempel.com
http://www.hempel.com
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