 |
12:19 AM Mon 27 Apr 2009 GMT
The forecast breeze kicked in on day 2 of the Yachting NSW IRC Championship at Sail Port Stephens and had the Wild Rose crew looking forward to more favourable conditions for the original 1985 Wild Oats.
The previous night the crew had enjoyed the Tooheys New White Stag beer party at the Nelson Bay Diggers - dressing in all white, decked out with red roses and white skipper Roger 'Hicko' Hickman wigs.
However the Kirribilli crew stole the show, timing their entrance to perfection to show off their white dust suit costumes crowned with supersized White Stag slab boxes.
All the Wild Rose crew gave the Tooheys New White Stag the thumbs up, and the girls were quite partial to the Wild Oats Wines on offer at the party.
'We are very privileged to be sailing an original Wild Oats, owned by Robert Oatley, and quite befitting that we are here, given that Wild Oats is the Official Wine of the Sail Port Stephens Regatta' commented owner and skipper Roger Hickman.
The crew brushed off any dustiness early Saturday in their short walk from their Nelson bay Apartment overlooking d'Albora Marina and performed well in the first race.
Being one of the oldest boats in the fleet, Wild Rose relished in the fresher breeze over her more modern competitors.
The mainly novice crew continued to improve and Wild Rose zipped around the three lap course to finish second on handicap.
The secret weapon on Wild Rose was additional crew member, Yachting Australia President Andrew 'Plymo' Plympton, who called tactics brilliantly on the day (even if he did say so himself ).
Together with Yachting NSW President Roger Hickman, they had the heavy weight sailing administrative advantage on the day. The two Presidents provided plenty of entertainment for the crew around the course, especially Plymo's emphatic views on the role of the bowman (not seen and not heard').
Plymo is also very vocal about his own place on a boat.
'I don't do paper. I don't do sails. I don't do ropes and I don't talk to idiots,' he exclaimed, in his customarily matter of fact,'don't argue with me son' manner.
A crew member, who shall remain nameless, remarked that this attitude severely limited the potential role of the President on any boat, let alone the mighty Wild Rose.
Unfortunately the breeze died off from 20 to five knots before the second race, giving better conditions and a more competitive edge for other boats in the fleet.
As the water became glassy, Plymo started paying Hicko compliments about how well Wild Rose performs in light breezes.
Only the President of YA could expect to be invited back on board for another race after suggesting that the boat was a 'maiale' (thanks to our Italian crew member, it sounds slightly better than the English translation of a 'pig').
Hicko retorted that he wasn't scared of trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
'You can still have a great time on these old boats,' enthused Hickman.
'What better challenge can you get to sail something that no-one else would take on? We are trying to make the impossible become possible.'
The Wild Rose crew is well and truly living the dream at Sail Port Stephens.
by Jenifer Wells
|
|
Mount Wellington, TAS
