Just make it all about the gold…

by John Curnow on 27 Jul 2016 It was certainly the title that got me thinking about said precious metal. The email simply said, ‘Unlocking the potential of the Broadwater through sport.’ I had been in and out of the Gold Coast Seaway a few times in the last couple of months, with the last the most memorable. You see Maverick had decided to buzz the tower, so to speak. Now at something like 350 knots and only 400 feet above the deck, the F18 Super Hornet from Amberley was graphic and intense, if nothing else.

Alas. Back to our email, which was about as short as the ordinance holders under the wings of said jet fighter. “On behalf of Sports Gold Coast we would like to invite you to an entertaining lunch with some of Australia’s most iconic sailing figures at the Southport Yacht Club.” Honestly, that was it. I mean the headline had me thinking that the GC’s liner/superyacht terminal on the Southern side of the breakwater could do more for unlocking the potential of the area, but we digress…

Top bill for the gig are, Iain Murray AM, and Jessica Watson OAM. It takes place at Southport YC on August 4, 2016, at noon for 1230hrs lunch. Now the cost was not mentioned on the invitation, you had to go online for that, and I did not, but there is a door prize of a free night at the Sheraton Grand Mirage GC on offer.

It went on to say, “Through uniting the community, industry and Government, let’s unlock the Gold Coast’s greatest asset, the Southern Broadwater. Come and enjoy a lunch and hear from special guests about how together we can unlock the potential of the Broadwater.” So it looks like something we’ll have to report back in just a wee while…

Meanwhile, a horde will descend on the GC soon enough. Like next weekend. It’s time for the Sydney to Gold Coast run, you see. The ever effervescent and entertaining Paul Clitheroe commented on the impending CYCA Sydney to Gold Coast ‘warm-up’, by saying, “After being fortunate to win both the Rolex Sydney Hobart and the Blue Water Series in 2015, Balance is lining up to try to defend both titles in 2016. With the vagaries of the weather, and a world-class fleet competing in 2016, this is an unlikely outcome, but worth a shot!”

“After a tough couple of years racing at sea, Balance has had a major overhaul, including a new, deeper keel to make her even faster. She returns to the water this week for training in preparation for the first major race of 2016 - the Sydney to Gold Coast.”

“I’ll be among those watching on yacht tracker. An important birthday for my wife sees me watching from a rather different sort of boat. I’ll be on the barge, Rosa, meandering down the Canal du Midi in France”, added Clitheroe.
“Sure, I’ll miss being skipper for Balance’s first major race in 2016. Mind you I’ll be eating foie gras and duck, washed down with a glass of red, while my crew are eating freeze dried stuff that tastes like salty cardboard, so there is some compensation for missing the race!”

Thank you Paul, that’s just gold. Three time Hobart winner, Adam Brown, from Pantaenius Power and Sail Insurance won two of them on this very boat, so look for the crew to be very motivated...

So in talking of so much gold, we find we’re another week closer to Rio. John Bertrand was fourth at Munich (‘72) and then third at Montreal (‘76) in the Finn. Later on he would hoist aloft THE medal of medals, as it were... Some astute sailors note that he still uses the skills learned in the Finn when taking his Etchells downhill today. Anyway, the Great Man had this to say, as a result of his role as President of Swimming Australia.

“As I write this, our Olympic and Paralympic teams are packing their bags for Rio. This has been a long journey. Selection at this highest level does not come easily. Very few make it.”

“To be an Olympian is something very special. It means most to the people who have achieved this position. But it also says so much about the support behind each Olympian. All those families and loved ones, the coaches, the support staff, the physios, the sports psychologists.”

“At this level, the mental preparation, how one sees one self, is equally as important. Can we feel truly comfortable on the world stage? Is our presence felt in the marshalling area? Do any words need be spoken?”

“Then, when it really counts, what’s going through your mind? Do you believe? Our coaches talk about achieving a ‘hollow mind’. After the thousand’s of hours of training, …it’s then time to do your thing.”

“…above all, this team, both Olympic and Paralympic teams, are competing not only for themselves, their coaches, their families, but for each other. I believe this is our strength. I believe this team will leverage off each other, will support each other, when the pressure is on. That’s what teams are all about.”

JB, as he is best known, closed by saying, “Sport is a defining quality in this country. Go Australia!”

Meanwhile back at the show, as in Sydney International Boat Show, we’ll be checking out all that’s new and reporting back, so stay tuned! Boats and products abound.

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