To win you have to get there says Sydney Rigging’s Bruce Clark

by John Curnow on 22 Oct 2010 As the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is looming, we got the chance to talk with Bruce Clark about the race and the best way to ensure you get there.

It is always important to listen. No more so than when you get to talk with someone who has sailed on virtually everything from 10 to 100 feet and amassed an impressive total of 21 of this country’s most famous water-borne event.

Now before we get to his tips, let’s see how this particular yachtsman got into sailing and how he ended up co-owning one of Sydney Harbour’s most trusted names in rig maintenance and rigging supply - Sydney Rigging.

Bruce was born in Melbourne in 1969 to New Zealand parents. His father, Jack, was a Civil Engineer working in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. Indeed the family spent 10 years in Fiji whilst the Suva-Nadi Highway was constructed.

This was to be Bruce’s first real maritime experience, as he got to sail Sunburst dinghies from one of the hotels. A P-Class dinghy was next and they’re a little like a Sabot.

There was no TV in Fiji at that time and the Auckland Suva Race, which now goes to Nadi, was a bit of highlight.

His Kiwi parents still had many friends in New Zealand, so there was always a big involvement from his family at the quay with the boats. Much later on, Bruce would do a follow-on race at Musket Cove aboard a Beneteau 47, but his memories of those stopovers in Suva are still strong. ‘As a kid, I would crawl over the boats. Anticipation had coffee grinders and I got to play on that and met a blokes like Bruce Farr and Peter Blake, in the process.

Today, the late Sir Peter Blake, is still one of my heroes.’

The family moved from there back to Sydney, where Bruce’s focus was ‘rugby in winter and sailing in and around Sydney in all manner of boats including the familiar dinghies and skiffs’.

‘My dream was to play rugby as a Wallaby’, he tells us. 'I did the 1986 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on an S&S 39 called Sunseeker. After that race and on returning to Saturday racing, I smashed my teeth badly at the end of the spinnaker pole.

'That supplanted my desires for rugby with sailing. I had been doing school holiday work for Hood Sailmakers and had also done some rigging for work experience. Formally, I started a Surveyors course, until you guessed it, an ambition to go sailing got in the way of achieving good results.’

It was back to Hoods with Ian Lindsay and Ian Broad after that and Bruce went sailing whenever possible. There was a half-tonner called Pemberton III that he spent a lot of time on and ‘whenever we were doing a coastal race heading North and then a southerly front would arrive, we'd win.’

1989 was really the beginning of his professional era, as he got work on the bow of a One Tonner for a team from Hong Kong in the Southern Cross Cup. The China Seas Race Series followed, including Manila, which as a then 20 year old newbie, was apparently a bit of an eye opener!

Bruce must have done well, however, for in 1990 he did the Japan Cup on a One Tonner, whose owner now has a certain 52 footer called, Hi Fi. Fast forward to modern times and when we did this interview, Bruce was heading out to join Neil Pryde and the crew, yet again, for the China Coast Cup and then the Hong Kong to Vietnam race, which is 700nm downhill in 25-30knots.

Bruce has done quite a few of that particular race, so when the Volvo Ocean Race was lined up to go the opposite direction, a few crew asked him what to expect and Bruce could only say, ‘You’re going the wrong way’.

Bruce’s direct involvement was with Green Dragon, which the company he co-owns, Sydney Rigging, put together and maintained the standing and running rigging.

When talking with Bruce you get the sense that he and Sydney Rigging stay involved with their people, clients and projects for a long time. There is not quick-dash approach to their process and as we delved deeper into the way the man grew in the business, you can understand why.

In 1992, Bruce worked on Challenge Australia for Syd Fischer for the Louis Vuitton Cup and from there he went to Europe and Asia as a sprightly 21 year old, earning US$100 a day, ‘which was a lot at the time’.

At the end of that stint, there was six months spent in China setting up a loft for Neil Pryde. ‘It was out there. We worked really hard until 10 or 11 at night. There weren’t any real expenses, so it was very much an interesting ex-pat type of experience.

In fact, that very experience did teach me a strong work ethic - production and process oriented - sit down and think about it, before going hell for leather with it.’

1992 came an overall win in the RSHYR on a Farr IMS40 called Assassin, which was built by Mick Cookson.

Bruce was the bowman and ran the boat for her owner, as well.

He joined the late Peter Kurts for the Admiral’s Cup of 1993 on yet another One Tonner. ‘You know, it was interesting. We had 50 footers, Two Tonners and One Tonners. This was one design racing back then and it was very competitive.’

After the Admirals Cup he wanted to stay in Europe, but made his way to Australia, instead, which is lucky for him for it was around this time that he met Jane at the Mooloolaba Yacht Club and she would go on to be his wife.

She’s a fellow Farr 40 sailor, which they both love. ‘Aboard Kokomo we get to be with each other, see the world and so far, it’s worked out fine! Jane works the pit and is very much the respected sailor aboard the boat.’

He got to work with Bob Fraser around then, including cutting, designing with Brad Stephens and at the same time, Bruce was running Assassin.

Another pivotal moment also occurred around that period, which is when he met a certain Peter Gardner. They did the Southern Cross Cup and also went off to Hawaii to do the Kenwood Cup. In 1994, which was the 50th RSYHR, he sailed on Love and War with Peter Kurts and they won the 20-year veteran division and were seventh overall. ‘She was a difficult boat to steer downhill and it was my first time back from the pointy end, so I had a bit on.’

1995 saw Peter and Bruce form Sydney Rigging Specialists and they began working under Peter’s house and doing the books from Bruce’s kitchen table. ‘It’s virtually 15 years to the day, almost, since the creation of our company and we could not be prouder.’ Peter the rigger and Bruce the sailmaker literally said, ‘Why don't we work together and do rigging and stuff, stemming from a common knowledge and communicating all this to the sailmaker - building a bridge - working together.’

It must be true for they have moved on to dedicated premises at 5 Wellington Street Rozelle NSW 2039 and have eight people working for them full-time.

They have worked on VO 70s like Movistar and Green Dragon, as well as doing all the 100s built in Australia (Wild Oats XI, Alfa Romeo II and ICAP Leopard III).

There are also 18 footers, Mumm 30s, dinghies, cruising boats and Farr 40 World Champions. One area they are really well known for is the upgrading of production boats to meet Aussie conditions. ‘Yes, from the pointy end to the blunt, we’re involved in making it work to the best that technology can provide, whether you’re racing the big guns or taking the family North for the big adventure.’

‘We built business on hard work and dealing with people in personable and professional manner’. We have worked on both Aussie boats and campaigns, as well as a lot of overseas boats and campaigns.’

In regards to the RSHYR, ‘First you have to finish. In order to win overall, you must then win your division and that’s skill.

'Luck comes in to play after that and this is where the conditions on offer favour your division’, said Bruce.

‘You need a good handicap system to make it work. From 2005 to now, all of my racing has been on 66 to 100 feet.

'The gap is now so great, that only time it’s the same weather for everyone is during the pre-start. Anything can happen in a race like the Hobart. To win, you need to get to Tasman Island in good shape and then have a fortunate time with direction and strength of breeze from there to the finish.

'Other critical areas to consider are the line of longitude you choose as your exit point relative to current and tide as you leap off from Green Point. From there you choose whether you’re going in or off the Tasmanian coast and then ultimately, there are the delights of Storm Bay to consider’, he said.

Preparation is the key to preventing poor performance. ‘You have to ask if the gear you have is good enough for the task - your sails and rigging cannot blow up – the same applies to things like radios and crews.

'In terms of a rig check, your insurance company will advise if your rig has to come out and be serviced or if a visual inspection is sufficient.

'You must be thinking about that in October and November. You must also pay good attention to your running rigging and ensure it is all up to scratch.’

‘The five things I determine as crucial are:

1. Halyards
2. Block attachments
3. Backstay
4. Mast electronics/aerials
5. Mast to deck seal and overall a watertight boat - then a method for getting it out - i.e. - good pump, so you do not wear the crew out.’

‘I suppose I should have put keeping the crew going in that list. Good food, including hot meals is just as essential, as rest.

'Hammer the boat next to you, as your first race to win is amongst your division. So sit up and go to ½ watches if necessary - whatever works for you and get people out of the elements.

'At the end of race you should be completely exhausted, but not so spent as to be thinking poorly. You have to manage your body.’

‘Being safe on the boat and having everything in its correct home helps, but actually knowing the gear is essential.

'You may want to look at getting everyone together and do all your safety stuff in a pool as a bonding session. You need to perhaps have a small laugh, so you all think together and I’ve also found days on the boat, sitting together and going through all the gear, detailing responsibilities, prepping stuff, doing supposedly simple things like MOB buttons and headache tablets really helps.

'You know, you only have to get to the boat a few hours earlier than usual before a Saturday race and cover it off, but you should be thinking about it all now’, Bruce went on to add.

‘It is different from around the cans, so understanding who’s doing sail changes on our watch and who’s in the ‘get up bunk’ near the hatch are really important things to be locked down before you go.

'Being on the edge is important to your competitiveness and paying attention to your surroundings is crucial. You must be fed, watered and have your gear ready/changed before anything comes. It's about boat management and people management.’

‘You are racing your division and your best memory is your last.

'For sure winning overall in 1999 on the blue Yendys and the line honours things are great. Last year’s focus and crew on Alfa Romeo was simply awesome and we really concentrated on the win.

'I signed on in July for that. Neville was emphatic about the need to take out the Line Honours battle’, Bruce said with a fair bit of enthusiasm himself.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]
‘I have been fortunate enough to have racked up two races on Alfa Romeo II, two on Wild Oats XI and one on Black Jack, so yes, it certainly has been on the bigger side of equation, of late.

'There are lots of great memories from the race, like being on Alfa doing 36knots in the NW breeze as we chased Oats down, before the Southerly front arrived and there’s also the winner’s appearance on the podium.

'With the Hobart, it is just a sensational event, no matter where you finish.

'In my opinion, the race winner is the handicap winner. One thing is indisputable, however. It is the people at the end that make it.’

‘I’ve also learned in recent times as I have been in the bush camping or on farms and you walk into a pub and the event is known by all. Australian people treat it as a special time.

'It is a genuine sporting icon of Australia and the globe – it is ‘the great race’, Bruce said in finishing.

So to get the best performance from your vessel for the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, you may want to contact Bruce at Sydney Rigging for some prior preparation on +61 2 9555 4277 or sydneyrigging@rigging.com.au