A week in Geelong

Skandia winner Iain May reports on the Charlie Fish crew in- and off-water antics at Geelong Race Week

The Charlie Fish crew were selected out of 800 boats at Skandia Cowes Week last year to represent the UK at Geelong Week sponsored by Skandia. The selection committee from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and Skandia were looking for a crew who ’impressed the most on and off the water and were ambassadors for the sport of sailing’. The crew of the Hunter 707 Charlie Fish comprising skipper Iain May, Gary Kibble on tactics and mainsheet, Mark Asquith on spinnaker and starting, Ian Powers on genoa, Allie Hall on foredeck, seemed to fit the bit admirably delivering quality on and off the water and we were selected for the sponsored trip, a fairly big responsibility bestowed upon us; however, one that we felt we could deliver….and deliver we did.

We met at Heathrow at 19.00 hrs for our BA flight to Melbourne via Singapore, a 24hr fun fest which challenges the most experienced traveller! All in our team blazers and ties, we were like children on Christmas Eve, awaiting the big day, with the anticipation of what lay before us. However, once onboard the plane, one can only handle so much of Friends series one and the jokes in Meet the Parents are not as funny the second time round….nor the third. So, we turned to alcohol to numb the pain. One tot of beer every thirty seconds, and no going to the toilet! Numb it did and we awoke in Singapore with over half of the journey complete and only another 9 hours to go. On the second leg it was encouraging to find out that Allie was recovering from shingles, one of the most infectious of virus’ and it was most encouraging knowing that I would be spending the next 2 weeks with him, sharing a room with him day in, day out… 24, 7 !

Saturday

After clearing customs we were met by our sponsors, Tim Sewell from Skandia, and he transported us an hour west to our base in Geelong where we were safely moved into our apartments near the beach. Like fools we decided to go for a run along the beachfront (it was 07.30 and we were suffering sleep deprivation!) whereupon we stumbled across a sea swimming area with high diving boards.There we were, 08.00 in the morning and were already immersed in the wet stuff - a sign of things to come.

Later on we got our hands on the boat Skandia had chartered for us. In full Skandia colours and Charlie Fish livery was our Thomson 870, a 28ft asymmetric sportsboat, a full-on racer with uncompromising good looks and lines. We decided that we would go out that afternoon in Corio Bay to blow away a few cobwebs and as the wind rose to 30 knots we started to pretend we couldn’t see the RGYC racing fleet heading back in after there racing was cancelled. We carried on under number 3 genoa and full main, popping the asymmetric masthead kite up as we past the returning yachts waving like fools.

Making 16 knots and three dolphins decided they would join our bow wake. There we were, in arguably the yachting capital of the world, under full steam with dolphins. We smiled, it doesn’t get much better than this we thought. It was at this point that I wished I had a crystal ball!

With huge grins we went back into the RGYC and were on full parade to the locals, knowing that this group of whinging pommies were competing in Skandia Geelong Week they made us more than welcome. It was only 1600 and we had already been introduced to the local tipples; VB and Bundy rum. For the rest of the day (it is true what they say, days do have 24 hours, we saw everyone of the 24 of them) was spent meeting people in the yacht club and then being taken out to a local restaurant with our host for the night, Darren Pickering. Then onto Eureka, one of a few local nightspots which were to become home over the next two weeks. It was quite simply the biggest night of my life. Not to be repeated on doctors orders!


Sunday

We met at RGYC at 11.00 for a few hours training with local legend, Darren Pickering (surely not the same man who led us astray the night before?), getting to know a bit more about Corio Bay. We spent a few hours working on windward, leeward, short legs (gut busters as we call them). Corio Bay was going to offer interesting racing with severely oscillating breeze and a trade wind coming from the west at 20 knots daily.

After a few hours on the water and a bit of boat work we found ourselves, post powernap, back in the Yacht Club bar for a ‘social beer’. However, with little activity from the locals, the resident barman Glenn decided it would be a goodnight to introduce us to a few of his favourite concoctions. The turning point (and let's be honest, every night has one) was ‘mainlining’ pre-mix Bundy Rum and coke from the tap with the help of straws and gaffer tape. We went onto another local nightspot for ‘Industry Night’ which is a night dedicated to everyone that works within the Hotel, Puband Restaurant industry.

Having invented our own cocktail (aptly named the “Charlie Fish” – Curaco, Vodka, Raspberry cordial and lemonade), our work was done and so to bed at the unreasonable hour of 03.30. It was going to be a long few weeks.


Monday

We took in breakfast at a waterfront café and agreed the sailing plan for the day. More gut busters in the morning followed by a meeting with Sail For Cancer (one of the other sponsors) in the earlyafternoon. A very sensible day which culminated in a quiet meal and discussion on how we were going to play the regatta based on the first few days training.


Tuesday

Awoke to 35 knots of breeze, and a forecast of more to come. We did a few hours boat work after our first press interview of the week with the Geelong Advertiser which presented us with more column inches than the Melbourne Open! One of the team’s girlfriend was competing at the Sail Melbourne regatta and she called with news of 50 knot winds and big swells. With the front coming our way we decided to take the afternoon off and headed up the Great Ocean Road to the Surfers Beach in Anglesey and then onto Bells Beach (made famous by the film Point Break) where we caught some waves and got into the Aussie lifestyle. We then went to see some roo’s before heading off to Darren’s to eat one! A bar-b-que where we ate our first kangaroo steak on a traditional Australian Barbie “Lovely!” We then headed out into Geelong again, and ended up in the ‘National pub’ for Quiz night. Team name “Stinking f*=king pommie C#^+ts!…however, it just wasn’t the same as quiz night in England; they don’t seem to be as reserved as the British! We won a porn DVD!


Wednesday

On the dock at 09.30 for the passage sail from Geelong to Williamstown as the first 2 days of the regatta were sailed from Williamstown Yacht Club in Melbourne. We Darren Pickering for navigation tips as day 3 was a passage race from Melbourne back to Geelong. We left Geelong in a light breeze with full rig and code zero. Once we had navigated out of the tight channel the breeze freshened and we peeled to a number 1 genoa. In beautiful sunshine, and in sight of Melbourne after 5 hours we popped the masthead kite up and spent the remainder of the 7 hour journey under full power, flying into Melbourne in a 6 ft swell making 14 knots. An amazing moment. Once safely in Williamstown Yacht Club we wereintroduced to the Commodore who ‘presented’ us with a slab of VB for the bus ride back to Geelong.

We had an important date with the Mayor at the Civic Reception and dually presented her with a “Charlie Fish” t-shirt which to our amazement she put on under her robes and improvedUK/ Australian relations! We were then taken out to a local restaurant called the “Pink Fish” where upon we changed the menu to include ‘Charlie Fish steak and Fish soup’, much to the owner’samusement. It was only a few days later we discovered that the “Pink Fish” is Geelong’s gay restaurant. How inappropriate!


The regatta

Geelong Week is Australia’s oldest event. Now in its 187th year, it is known as the Festival of Sail. We saw the sleepy seaside town transform itself into a bustling metropolis of waterfront marquees, stages, bars and restaurants over the course of two weeks.

With 308 boats entered this year, it was the biggest ever in the history of the week; helped by Skandia’ssponsorship. We were almost the smallest boat racing and were paired against the pinnacle of worldwide racing yachts, right from Grant Warrington’s Skandia Wild Thing (92ft and line honours winner of 2003 Sydney to Hobart) and Ichi Ban (Farr 52 and class winner in the Sydney-Hobart), so we were in good company. Yachting is very close to the hearts of the Australians and they ensure that Geelong week is similar to the Wimbledon of the tennis world in the UK. Geelong week is sailed half in Melbourne (two days racing, day one old Olympic courses and day 2 windward-leewards followed by a 65 mile passage race back to Geelong. The racing then shifts to Corio Bay for the final two days).

Thursday

Day 1 of the regatta and we were picked up at 10.30 from RGYC and taken to WYC where we met our seventh team member for the week, Tony (designer and builder of the Thompson 870). The breeze was from the South and 12-14 knots so we got started.

However, as we progressed up the 1.4 mile first beat.The wind was building so we peeled to the number 2 and then to the number 3. Skandia Wild Thing who was also in our class (92ft of pure ‘formula 1’ racing yacht) was already over the horizon by this point, a real frustration of handicap yacht racing.

The wind was now 25 knots and as we bore away for the first tight reach, Mark called for the masthead kite, and under full load, went into a major broach which we sat out for what felt like minutes. Suddenly, our tack line block blew from the end of the pole so once we recovered from the broach we two sailed the rest of the leg while Allie frantically fixed the damaged pole. Once sorted we hoisted for leg 3 and flew downwind against the back-drop of Melbourne, flying past struggling 35 footers and Mumm 30s.

We sailed a conservative remainder of the race and finished with a 10th place which we were satisfied with, particularly given the broach issue. We headed into WYC, sank a fair few VBs at the Skandia corporate hospitality party and then got cars back to RGYC rather exhausted from day 1 racing.


Friday

Got to WTYC at 10.30 and went straight out to the start for two windward leeward races. We started in 8-12 knots and had another encounter with some over-friendly dolphins. We had the perfect start at the committee boat end (it helps having Mark, Olympic 49er sailor calling the shots) and in a rising breeze we held our own up the long first beat.

After the three hour race with the wind increasing, we were straight into the next sequence for race 2, changing headsails down to the number 3, safe in our minds that it would be time for the fractional kite on the run. Another amazing start saw us flick right for clear breeze which we held for most of the first beat.

However, another major broach on the first run driven by a rising turn on the winch not allowing Gary to ease the kite left us struggling to pick up the pace. Relief to have finished after a long day we flew the masthead kite all the way in (to some dismay by our fellow competitor’s) and it was the pinnacle of the 2 weeks. Rolling waves, 30 knots of wind, surrounded by 6 great sailing friends all painted on the stunning canvas of high rise Melbourne. Coming in on that high always ensures a good night…and a good night it was!

We met up with Darren’s crew who had sailed there Thunderbird Larriken 2 from Geelong in advance of the passage race on Saturday, seasoned professionals in this regatta they had consumed five slabs (to us pommies that’s 5 x 24 cans) on the journey and we were straight on board to enjoy the Aussie hospitality. We instigated tug of war competitions and got the party going ensuring a good night was had by all. We stayed in Williamstown that night as we had an early start on the Saturday, so, bed by 01.00 was the right call.


Saturday

Out on the water at 08.00 for a 09.30 start. This was a real spectacle, the main race of the regatta, the return leg to Geelong with all 308 boats starting on 2 lines. Maxis racing with small 30 footers make quite a sight, all jossling for pole position. After posting a Charlie Fish sticker on the bow of the committee boat the uncharacteristic light winds made a difficult first few hours, particularly for the small boats and no chance for the maxi’s to beat any course records.

We had a really good first four hours and were very well placed, and then we fell into a hole as the wind swung 90 degrees in front of us! Stuck in 30 degrees of heat, no wind with the fleet behind you gaining all the time, and the fleet in front moving away in the building breeze, what a nightmare! It was worse than Rose Bowl on a hot August weekend.

When the breeze did fill in, it did so at 20 knots from the south east and made the second half of the race a plug against the wind. Ducking transoms, seeking the clear air, holding height, searching for speed all made a lot harder after six hours of zapped concentration.

It was an amazing sight as all 308 boats had to squeeze through the 40ft wide channel into Corio Bay. But, as we crossed the finish line we saw what Geelong Week meant to the people of Australia. The Festival of Sail had cerainly come to Town.

In the Skandia tent after the race, Skandia announced their sponsorship of Nick Moloney for the Vendee Globe later this year; a really emotional moment as Nick is a local of RGYC. Also attending were Sam Davies and America’s Cup legend John Bertrand. We had an interview with Tony Blackburn on Classic Gold and then the party started, and never really finished. The Aussies are as serious about partying as they are about sailing. The night ended at 03.30.


Sunday

Two amazing races held in Corio Bay were completed under the hangover clouds.

Perfect sailing weather, flatter water in the bay favoured the smaller boats and we sailed two good races securing Top 10s in both.

The breeze grew all day and we finished in 27knots. At times it was really hairy stuff but incredibly exhilarating in the close confines of Corio, strong winds and lots of boats. The swell did build which produced some good broaches for the spectators, luckily for us, no broach patrol on Skandia Charlie Fish. The main night of the week went with a bang. An inspiring firework display over Corio was a fitting endedto the first week and a fitting beginning to Australia Day.


Monday – Australia Day

The final race of the series. Following a sail past the centre of Geelong with flares, the final race was a reaching start and our first and only ‘round the cans’ race. Don’t remember much of it really, that must be the 12 nights of VB and Bundy getting the better of us! At the prize-giving that afternoon we presented a framed “Charlie Fish” crew shirt to the Yacht Club and were part of the team who selected the Australian Crew who would represent Geelong Week at Cowes this August. When ‘Team Larriken’ were announced as the winners, the party really started.

With ‘queer beer’ (champagne) corks flying everywhere, the team of Larriken 2 (led by Darren Pickering), were ecstatic and not afraid to show it. Culminating in lots of photos and diving into the marina (with whole Fish crew in full blazers and ties); it was quite an emotional moment. And, suffice to say, the party went on….and on….and on.

We boarded the plane the next day after an amazing experience. Every single day made you proud to be part of the sport, incredibly proud to be British and to represent our country. The Australians were the most gracious of hosts, and, in return, we were the most grateful of guests. Not only did we sail hard, finishing 10th (out of 308) overall but we also partied hard and, after all, that is what we went for.

We all have been to many sailing regattas around the world, but we had the best time in Geelong. We’ve been asked how was it down there? And when they do, we just start smiling! There’s too much to remember. If you’re in Geelong and see a “Charlie Fish” tee-shirt or a sticker remember us, because we’ll always remember Skandia Geelong week.

We have made some life long friends in Geelong, we simply can’t thank everyone who got us there enough.