Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

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2023
A Fluid Game – chatting Noakes Sydney Gold Coast aboard Philosopher

A Fluid Game – chatting Noakes Sydney Gold Coast aboard Philosopher

NEWS
25 Jun, 2023 10:58:00 AM

A Fluid Game – chatting Noakes Sydney Gold Coast aboard Philosopher

David Henry, with his blue eyes and self-effacing charm has all the hallmarks of watery wise philosopher. Keeping it decidedly old school, he will take his Sydney 36R two-handed for the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, joined by fellow sailor Stephen Prince.

Possessing a vault of sailing experience that dates to being a child-sized ‘beach bum’ on the waterfront at Dolls Point in Sandringham, one feels David Henry’s whole mob is part human, part amphibian.

“I grew up on the waterfront there, so I was exposed to VJs and 16 footers from the age of 5, 6, 7. Like a bum on the beach.

“I don’t know if I had a talent for sailing, but I had a taste for it,” he says.

In fact, both father, David (on Philosopher) and son, Rupert (on Mistral) will contest the Noakes in the two-handed division. The love of racing here runs deep.

“I really started ocean sailing on multi hulls because a neighbour of mine at Northbridge built a trimaran, which I helped with a little bit. I started out ocean racing that. Then I started racing on ordinary boats at Middle Harbour Yacht Club.”

Henry started in the 70’s competing in what’s today known as the Noakes Gold Coast Yacht Race. He competed in the Sydney Brisbane, Sydney Mooloolaba and Moreton Island ocean races for years in an on again off again fashion.

Still when quizzed about what keeps him coming back from more and what possesses him to do it double handed –he has trouble pin-pointing the appeal.

“Lack of options?” he jests.

But seriously. For the next Gold Coast race Henry has chosen Stephen Prince, a man who also brings formidable offshore experience to the table.

“Stephen is a guy that’s been sailing his whole life, Manly Juniors and Flying 11s. He’s a very capable all rounder. He has sailed on the lot of yachts around here and has probably done 8-9 Hobarts."

This make him perfect for two-handed races.

“He’s a jack of all trades, he can do the bow, he can steer the boat, he can navigate, he can fix things that break. So for someone like that who is a jack of trades like he is – there is something of challenge in two handed sailing. It’s kind of old school,” explains Henry.

Philosopher is race-ready - this Sydney 36R a previously known as The Philosopher's Club when owned by Peter ‘Sorro’ Sorensen - is all converted for the pair.

“The only thing we had to change to make Philosopher good for two handed is that I changed the mainsail to a luff system, so the mainsail stays on the mast. I changed the reefing system so that the reefing comes back to the cockpit and one person can reef from the cockpit. We made the spinnaker pole jibing, and of course we had to install an autopilot so we can’t steer when we are changing the sails,” he says.

After all this life and sailing experience I wonder if he is still prone to being very competitive on the water.

“It’s a fluid game,” he says, “You try to predict what is going to happen and to plan and act accordingly. I am always thinking about doing the best I can do on corrected time all the time, which is probably a bad thing. I am probably guilty of not being conservative enough.

“That is why we lost our position in the last Hobart race. I wasn’t conservative enough I ended up going for a very big spinnaker and ended up losing because of that,” he says

Still Henry won’t just go with the flow.

“When it is freezing and cold there’s always a temptation to say ‘oh well let’s just take it easy and go slow’ but you never do, you are always trying to get a good position in the race.”

This race is one he looks forward to – heading North to warmer waters. He knows despite best laid plans he is likely to get hyped up toward the end of the race and not sleep at all. But when it is all over he will find a second wind.

“Oh we will definitely go straight to the bar. And hopefully be there waiting for everyone else to finish. That’s one of the nice parts…”