How did you get into sailing and why?
When I was in grade three, a classmate took me for a sail in his sabot. That was in Cairns in 1958. I have been in and out of boats ever since. And my Dad being the Deputy Chairman of the International OK Dinghy Ocean Racing Association from 1963 to 1967 provided a bit of a spur.
What sort of boat are you sailing at the moment?
A CAL21 trailable yacht that cruises very nicely. We tow it with a utility camper which, combined with our trailer sailer, gives us a very long range capability allowing us to cruise sailing grounds anywhere in and around our magnificent continent.
Racing/cruising highlights to date?
Tracking the wake of HMB Endeavour along sections of the Queensland coast. This was done by entering coordinates taken direct from Endeavour's Log into our GPS then sailing point to point along those coordinates.
Moments you'd prefer to forget?
Taking a falling from a dock in South Australia resulting in a broken leg. The doctor in Victor Harbour asked me if I owned a timber or a fibreglass yacht. I explained that my boat was glass and the doctor promptly set my leg in a fibreglass cast. Makes me wonder what I would have got if my answer was timber?
If you could have any boat, what would it be?
American Eagle. It's been everywhere man.
What do you like most about being on the water?
The constant motion. Even on very still water, a 21 foot trailer sailer responds to every movement made by anyone onboard. Even when docked or at anchor, there is the feeling of the potential energy of an almost organic machine.
Is there anything you dislike about sailing?
Completing a cruise.
