Home and hosed off - it’s back to reality for OG

1 new backpack

4 new sailing shirts

6 new hats

12 sleepless nights

17 purple bruises

32 business cards

158 digital camera photos

218 awaiting emails

Welcome back to reality OG!

I arrived home to tranquil Brisbane on Sunday afternoon at approximately 1530 hours.  Race Weeks are over for another year, so it’s time to hop back onto the reality bus and ride it until the next regatta.  Where did the last three weeks go?  It all seemed to end just as fast as it arrived but in my head play time just doesn’t seem to be over.  The come down of returning home is the hardest thing about enjoying regattas such as Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks.  Hence not jumping back into the work chair right away, but rather catching up on some much needed sleep and rest and bellowing through the recuperation process.

The lead up to events such as Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island requires much organisation and a serious amount of detailed thought to ensure the correct equipment is in place, and the crew are comfortable.

Take for example the crew aboard “Liquid Tactics”, the Egan 6m from Brisbane.  The owner, known simply as TT only returned to his home town a week or so before the big trip north after completing close to 6 months overseas on a superyacht.  His crew, the lovable Sea Bogan and Miller were in force weeks prior to leaving to ensure they were set for the hike north.  Sea Bogan even purchased a new vehicle as it was apparent his former utility just wouldn’t suffice what with the new Bundaberg Rum sponsorship deal they personally placed upon themselves.  But with Sea Bogan’s impressive decision to purchase a new set of wheels before the regatta meant there was enough room to fully cater themselves with their favourite ale, deliver the new headsail for “Quest”, ensure they had enough clean “Chief Drinks Advisor” shirts with room to spare for TT’s girlfriend to join them for the ride.  The organisation definitely paid off.

Then there was the mighty “Hardy’s Secret Mens Business”.  These guys definitely mean business when it comes to transporting their Reichel Pugh 46 from Adelaide to Airlie Beach even though they were only entered to race in Hamilton Island!  Whilst most crews arrange to compete in the races north throughout the season such as the Sydney to Gold Coast, Sydney to Mooloolaba or Sydney to Mackey to get their yachts to Far North Queensland, the directive from the boat management saw the competitive racing yacht delivered via road some 2,440km with only days to ensure they were ready to race.  But they had the experts fly in to rebuild the racing machine hence no hesitation from the management back in Adelaide.  Tricky, Timmy and Silas landed at Prosperpine airport with a massive amount of work laid out before them and if the job was not completed on time, then the remainder of the crew from both Adelaide and Sydney would have been extremely disappointed.  Unlike the crew from the “Liquid Tactics” the boys from “Mens” were more concerned with their sail wardrobe rather than the amount of Bundy Rum they could pack on board, however this was through no choice of their own.  Eventually they managed to get the yacht rebuilt with time to spare and a day to relax before heading over to Hamilton Island for a day of training and crew assessments before the major racing began.  Boat Captain Timmy (which is what he prefers to be known as), managed the entire process of the preparation stages right down securing a berth on millionaires mile at Airlie Beach, assigning room managers at Hamilton Island as directing the crew to have an awesome time whilst on the island, however making sure they understood that hangovers would no be tolerated.  All the signs of a professional racing crew bound for a respected result for race week.  Quality Control Director Caillin arrived just in time to ensure all the boxes were ticked and they were good to go.

But let’s not forget the organisation in getting “Quest of Queensland” north for the big event.  Almost a logistical nightmare for Boat Manager Sherwy as not only did he need to ensure “Quest” made it north, but also the tender, the Palm Beach 50 “Navy Jacket III”.  Originally the Offshore 60 was to be the tender for the crew, however due to technical difficulties a last minute change meant the Palm Beach would travel south to Coffs Harbour then north to Mackey as radio relay vessel for the Sydney to Mackey yacht race.  With the Offshore 60 now off the team Sherwy had to jump into action with arranging accommodation for the crew, which was only finalised the morning we flew in.  Plenty of time and definitely done in style!  Once the crew arrived Sherwy was able to take a much needed brake after travelling from Brisbane to Coffs in the Palm Beach 50, fly back to Brisbane then sail north to Airlie Beach aboard Quest.  Once there it was back to Mackey to deliver the Palm Beach 50 the rest of the way and berth next to Quest in the Airlie Beach Marina.  Luckily he had an awesome crew to back him up and assist with preparing “Quest” for racing.

These are just some of the interesting ways in which crews manage to find themselves in tropical paradise for either Airlie Beach Race Week, Hamilton Island Race Week or in “Quest’s” case, both.  But is it all really worth it?  Is the preparation, the organisation, the management and most importantly the monitory factor really worth it in the end?  Amazingly enough, the racing crews and the generous owners who pay the bills will more than likely respond to that question with a “HELL YES!”  There really isn’t much that can match up to the experiences us yachties endeavour each and every year all in the name of the love we have for our sport.

As I close my eyes the thoughts of my time up north bounce around in my head like sailors dancing in the mosh pit (not a pretty sight!)…

Far too much happened for one particular event to stand out from the rest, however few questions pondered my thoughts whilst gazing out the window of my Virgin Airlines flight awaiting my arrival home…

Are we truly who we say we are when we go on tour?

Can we honestly say we are respectable members of society?

When the new crew shirts emerge from their crisp plastic lining do we become visions of our own imagination all in an effort to entice new stories and evolve on inauspicious thoughts?

Will the people you meet whilst away remain who they promise to be when you next arrive at another destination?

Does what happens on tour really stay on tour or do the memories live on and sporadically emerge which a casual grin whilst hugging the rail at another event?

Regardless of the antics that unfold whilst on tour every event must sadly come to an end.  It’s at this time when all yachties begin to experience a psychotic medical condition known as “Comeoffithliquiddietossis”.   A rare condition amazingly only found amongst sailors who manage to survive long events such as Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks.

As I riffle through the 32 business cards I realise that I’m one of the lucky ones.  Lucky to be able to call myself a sailor/yachtie who emerged from a Northern New South Wales country life to race against the rock stars of the yacht racing world.

As I slowly slip out of my “Comeoffithliquiddietossis” coma like state and realise reality is inevitable my online electronic diary is marked and holiday application form lodged so I can again make the trip north for race weeks.

I’m a sucker for punishment…