Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

News
2023
Springing into action

Springing into action

NEWS
25 Jun, 2023 10:13:00 AM

Springing into action

This year Mark Spring will take part in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, taking his new TP52 Highly Sprung on the big journey North with Patrick St. John.

Mark Spring is a relatively new boat owner and someone who loves to test his mettle with ocean racing. Since acquiring Highly Sprung, he has done 2018 Hamilton Island Race Week on a Beneteau First 45, finishing top ten in IRC. Then in December 2019, the same boat took the triple IRC/ORCi/PHS crowns in the Pittwater to Paradise, assisted by his boat captain ‘Banker’ Pearson.

Off to a flying start, Spring’s other running partner is Patrick St. John, a very experienced ocean racer with seven Hobarts under his belt.

We caught up with Patrick prior to the race on the marina and asked him a bit more about the new Highly Sprung, a TP52 and got some details about their next campaign as part of the Audi Centre Blue Water Pointscore.

CYCA: How was last years’ race?

Patrick: Last year we entered the Noakes when Mark had only owned the boat for about a month. We were rushed and underprepared. We had to pull a crew together at the last minute and we ended up retiring from the race at Coffs. This year is very different.

C: How will you approach this race in Highly Sprung?

P: Certainly, we are going to be better prepared – both boat and crew. Mark has spent a lot of time and money getting both our crew and boat ready to make sure we are competitive.

C: How long have you been sailing?

P: I was into ocean racing in my late teens and twenties. In my twenties I did seven Hobarts and then I gave it up and went overseas. I got a job, had a family and became partner in a law firm for 30 years. I’d always followed the Hobart and done kite surfing and that sort of thing but it was really after I retired, from law that I decided to get back into it.

C: What’s your role on the boat?

P: Well I used to be a bowman and now I’ve been telling people I have reinvented myself as a navigator. But the boats have changed so much. Racing a TP52 is like driving a sports car after being used to clapped out old Holden.

C: So you’re impressed with the TP52 for ocean racing?

P: TP52’s are definitely a sweet spot. They’re a good size and you get to finish in the front of the fleet. You have good sails and you can pick the boats up relatively cheaply. There’s a good supply of them and then you just need to have the ability to modify them to make them competitive. You can bring a boat back, like Mark has.

C: How will your skills come to the fore in this next race?

P: As a navigator in this race there are not has many options, as a with a Hobart race. But there are more things to run into because you are hugging the coast and during the night. So there's more for a navigator to do.

C:What’s your favourite thing about this course?

P: What I like about it is that you’re in close contact with the coast the whole way North. And the NSW north Coast is a beautiful thing. You can count the lighthouses between here and Byron Bay, I love it.

C: What’s not so good about this race?

P: There are a lot of light air phases in the race and when it come so to arriving we are just hoping to get a good result.

We wish Mark, Patrick and the whole crew great luck with their race this July and August.