Wilson scores at Sail Port Stephens

by Lisa Ratcliff on 18 Apr 2010 It’s not the first time love has blossomed at a sailing regatta.

On Wednesday night at the Commodore’s Cup prizegiving, Lu Lu Belle’s mascot Wilson the American volleyball was introduced to a prospective love interest by her minders, two of the wenches from the yacht Antipodes who have been jousting with the Lu Lu Belle crew both on and off the water at Sail Port Stephens.

Turns out Desopante, the anagram of Antipodes, is a luscious golden-haired, tiara-wearing wig model and on first sight at the All Seasons Salamander Shores, Wilson was smitten.

The pair was left alone over candlelight to get to know each other then, in front of the many young children in attendance they were spotted by MC Ian Cover scandalously disappearing out of the room during the formalities with a set of hotel keys, Cover postulating that there could be a pressure pack of triplet tennis balls making their way into the world sometime in the future.

The following day after breakfast in town at Nelson Bay the two crews set off for Wilson’s Wild Hunter Valley Wine tour during which many bottles of fine Tyrrells and Calais Estate wines were consumed, so much in fact that Desopante fell over in the breeze and was looking the worse for wear by the day’s end.

Now it seems, despite sensibly carrying her own precautions (two of them), that Desopante might be in the family way.

Wilson attended last night’s Gone Troppo party without her and was definitely down in the mouth as Lu Lu Belle’s owner/skipper Peter Lewis explained, “It’s a very unfortunate situation. Now Wilson has to decide whether to do the right thing by Desopante. He is coming to Cork Week with the rest of the crew in July to ponder his future.”

The only bright moment for Wilson last night was when the Lu Lu Belle crew picked up the best dressed award for the ‘urban sailing cowboy chic’ look and he joined his mates on stage to collect his prize.

Prizes were also presented to the crew of Windy Passage for the creative use of their boat name with their grass skirts, to Moet for beautiful colour coordination with their matching shirts and leis and finally, to the team from Negotiator for an outstanding overall effort, including bringing their own palm trees, mini guitars, table decorations and matching hats.

Today is the final day of on-water competition at Sail Port Stephens and it’s tight at the top for many divisions but for the Middle Harbour Yacht Club crew of the Jeanneau 37 Lu Lu Belle, who are well out of trophy contention, it’s not all bad news. Another light forecast means they can dip into their impressive on board wine and DVD collection and well stocked library to help pass the time. And of course there’s the daily hot lunch to keep morale up.

“Everyone else lightens their boat, but we think that’s the wrong way to go,” pondered Lewis this morning.