SLAM, the X Yacht and the Senator

by Helen Hopcroft on 4 Feb 2008 Last year Tony Kirby, the owner of the Danish built X-41 Yacht ‘Patrice Six’, was looking for sponsorship for his summer racing campaign. He had the good sense to approach SLAM, the Italian technical sailing clothing company, who thought about his request and decided that supporting his boat was a great idea. Some months after this a South Australian politician was talking to a couple of his mates, both experienced sailors, who were describing the challenges and demands of offshore racing…

The politician, who had represented his country as a member of the Australian rowing team, looked at his sailing friends with mild disbelief. Used to competing at an international level, and to the rough and tumble of Federal politics, he must have thought to himself ‘offshore racing: how hard can it be?’

He accepted his friends’ invitation to take part in the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart, that esteemed 628 nautical mile blue water classic, onboard Patrice Six which had just received a generous sponsorship package from SLAM.

It was to be his first proper sailing experience.

By all accounts, and leaving aside all the usual jokes about politicians, Senator Cory Bernardi acquitted himself well on the high seas; he reported a couple of bouts of illness, which is to be expected in a novice racer, but never feeling incapacitated.

Like many former rowers he had the upper body strength and rhythm required to be a good grinder, with mental endurance honed by a background in elite sport and a useful build. ‘He’s massive…’ reported one of Patrice Six’s crew. At 6 foot 5 and approximately 115 kilos, Bernardi brings to mind that old aphorism that on board a racing yacht you need ten good men: five tactical geniuses and five gorillas that can carry the mast around like a bread stick.

The Senator said that he returned to port with a burning desire to do more racing while accepting that his sailing friends had been right about offshore racing:

‘It is a tough and demanding sport where there is a great deal more to it than would appear at first glance.’

‘I sailed with some great sailors on that race and you just recognise that they are very skilled, they understand all the tactics and the strategies. They are operating in an environment that may be familiar to them but to me was very confronting; it’s dark, it’s cold, it’s rough, it’s dangerous and you’re very isolated. All of those of those things go to making…a very tough environment for a novice.’

As a first time ocean racer, Bernardi was lucky to get a place on a boat which had comprehensive clothing sponsorship.

‘We wanted to get involved with a boat which was in the average man category, where it’s a cruiser/racer, it sails well and it rates well, so you can race it in all those divisions out there and have a lot of fun’ explained SLAM’s Jack Young, one of the helmsmen onboard Patrice Six.

SLAM supplied the Hobart crew with a complete set of offshore and inshore wet weather gear, thermals, tops, hats, quick dry shorts and grinding shirts, as well as some of their highly regarded footwear. Bernardi said that he was wearing a pair of Code Zero deck shoes:

‘As someone who’s quite a big person, to get around the boat and have confidence in the grip of your footwear makes a huge difference. I like to have both my feet on the deck and at least one hand hanging onto something!’

Jack Young was sporting SLAM’s latest footwear offering, the Code Four Sea Boot, he’s currently enjoying the feeling of being the only person in the country to have a pair. The boot has just been released in Italy and should be available in Australia by April, thus ending Young’s period of sole possession and related bragging rights.

‘What they’ve done is taken the Code Zero sole and carried that through into the sea boot. They’re light, extremely comfortable and very dry. And they’re flexible with plenty of room in the calf area; you get lots of boots which are tight in the calf. I think they’ll definitely get a good run.’

During the 24 hour qualifier for the big race, Bernardi wore his own clothing and he said that the experience highlighted to him how important proper technical clothing was.

‘You realise how uncomfortable it is and it’s just not practical for an ocean environment… And you contrast that with the equipment and clothing we were provided with during the Sydney Hobart race and you realise that there is a quantum difference in not only the comfort level but the ease in which you can do the job you’re meant to be doing.’

‘To sit on the rail in cold conditions for 10 or 12 hours you want the best possible materials you can have to cover you, and SLAM filled every need that we had.’

After completing the Sydney Hobart, Patrice Six stayed in Hobart to compete in the Sailing South Regatta on the Derwent River, with Tony Kirby steering his boat to victory in the Regatta’s IRC division.

'I inherited the sail number 360 and the name 'Patrice' from my father Ray, who campaigned Patrice II for the Admiral's Cup with that sail number back in the 1970s’ explained Kirby after the race.

Patrice Six went on to compete at Skandia Race Week and is now expected to campaign hard on the East Coast circuit. Jack Young said that one of the things he enjoyed most about sailing at the Skandia event was the contribution of the young Tasmanian crew members, including Clare Cunningham, who joined the boat.

He grinned and cracked that:

‘It was good to have some youth on board, not just old farts like us. We needed some young ones to yell at!…’

On a more serious note, Young went on to say that all the young crew acquitted themselves exceptionally well, were keen to learn and build on their existing skills.

‘We had three or four young crew that sailed extremely well and it was good to pass the knowledge on to the next generation.’

As for South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi, he said that he’d be keen to do more offshore racing.

‘I’d like to make a greater contribution to a boat and I think that only comes from participation. And so given the opportunity to participate in more sailing events, I’ll do it if I possibly can.’

Skippers: if you’re looking for a new grinder, you know where to find him.

SLAM Contact details:

Address : Suite 12/46-48 Buffalo Road
City : Gladesville
State : NSW
Postcode : 2111
Country : Australia
Phone : 02 98084877
Fax : 02 980 82677
Email : jack@slamanz.com

http://www.slamanz.com