Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

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2023
Sheppard Brothers to enter Noakes Sydney Gold Coast on Blacksheep

Sheppard Brothers to enter Noakes Sydney Gold Coast on Blacksheep

NEWS
06 Jun, 2023 01:59:00 PM

Sheppard Brothers to enter Noakes Sydney Gold Coast on Blacksheep

The Sheppard brothers are a formidable team who love racing anything fast. They’ve signed up for Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, and are more than ready for what comes next. Together, they’ve notched up 21 Sydney Hobarts between them - and just as many Audi Centre Blue Water Pointscores - but this year, their battle cry, has a slightly, different tenor. When the gun goes on Saturday 29th July, they’ll challenge two-handed, on their new J-111 Blacksheep.

Sharing a thirst for adventure, this pair of brothers have been sailing dinghies and catamarans together since they were 8 years old. Whether they are sailing, surfing, white-water kayaking or riding motorcycles, Derek and Martin Sheppard are always adding to their collection of shared memories as friends and siblings. Each year, they like to earmark a few events to do together as brothers - making sure they don't miss a year.

“We’ve had some really amazing experiences,” says Martin Sheppard. “We did our first five Hobarts on other people’s boats before buying the Beneteau 45 - which was the first Blacksheep. We did five Hobarts on her and had some great results, including being on the podium in our division, but I think the fact that we finished all our races safely and competitively, is what we’re most proud of,” Martin says.

Like many taking on Noakes Sydney Gold Coast – this race for them is a way to test their metal as a two-hander, before doing the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

“The boat is reasonably well set up, but experience tells us it takes a few races to work out systems and then refine them. We are still coming to grips with new instruments, when to use the autopilot and our other bits of equipment. We have gone with hanked headsails and the main is on sliding cars rather than a bolt rope. This means we can reduce sails with the sails remaining captive which is much safer when you are short-handed,” says Martin Sheppard.

The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race also offers memorable vistas and warmer conditions heading north.

“It is always good to get out of the Harbour and then the entire trip is usually pretty good, as we are often close to shore, avoiding current. The nights can be long, with as much time sailing in the dark as the light. But it’s always fun to cross the Tweed River and then catch sight of the high-rise buildings at Surfers Paradise.

“The last few hours can be fun and are often, close racing. We have had some challenging and light variable conditions around Norah Head, but that just comes with winter sailing."

Despite their history sailing together, this duo takes nothing for granted. From hard-won experience, they know things can and do, go awry on the ocean.

“We have had broken steering, we've had the leach of a mainsail fully, torn away. When both of those things happened, I am certain everyone on board thought we were done, except for Derek and I. We spent hours stitching the sail back together and we had to re-rig the steering using spectra from pipe cots."

"Hand sewing the leach back on the mainsail in 40 knots on Bass Strait is one of those really epic moments that are really indelibly printed in our minds," Martin says laughing.

Troubled waters, won’t stop Derek and Martin making more short-handed attempts. They know this kind of sailing will provide the challenges of a new format.

“I think we have done enough sailing together to know that as it gets tougher, you need to absorb pressure, rather than create it. We seem to know what each of us have to do, there’s never raised voices on our boat, so it is good in that respect,” says Martin.

When asked what gets him through it, Martin doesn’t have to think twice. “The post race celebration and the camaraderie are next level - and one thing I am sort of sensing with the short-handed cohort is that there is a real camaraderie and a bond between the two-handed crews. I think this is the reason that a lot of people sail.”

Entries are now open for the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The race will start at 1300h (AEST) on Saturday 29 July at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

The Notice of Race invites competitors to register for this exhilarating off-shore event, now in its 37th year.
Follow all the race action here