Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

News
2023
Tucked in the hidden corner of universe ...Blue Planet

Tucked in the hidden corner of universe ...Blue Planet

NEWS
21 Jul, 2023 03:50:00 PM

Tucked in the hidden corner of universe ...Blue Planet

Contesting two-handed this year in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is Chris O’Neil’s Blue Planet. Although O’Neil has never owned an offshore boat before last year, he has sailed since childhood and done four Rolex Sydney Hobarts and three Noakes Sydney Gold Coast races.

O’Neill’s J/99 which had fine results in Coffs Harbour, did its first big ocean race in last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart. This time Blue Planet will be co-skippered by Tom Johnston, who owns The Italian Job and hails from the Sunshine Coast Yacht Club in Queensland.

Together the pair will race in support of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, a not-for-profit charitable independent Research Institute focused on the treatment and prevention of sleep and respiratory disorders, lung cancer and tuberculosis.

In the past, O’Neil has sailed mainly on 45-footers, but in 2023, the two-handed division is what will make the contest most alluring.

“It’s a race I always enjoy. It’s certainly a very tactical race and a race which requires good strategy. I think that’s mainly why I enjoy it. It’s easy to make big gains or big losses,” he says reflecting on his past experiences.

In preparing for the race, O’Neil says they’ve banded together with other two-handed crews to test the boat in some recent overnighters.

“Last Friday and Saturday, we had a shakedown sail when we headed down to Shellharbour. And we’ve done the whole Winter Series, as well as a couple of other overnighters in NSW.”

Experience on both sides of the boat will make this race a lot of fun he says.

“The boat was bought new last October, I bought it primarily for two-handed ocean racing. It’s a good, well balanced, pretty solid little boat. It's well suited to two-handed, I got it, new off the boat last year, and I had to run flat out to get it ready for Hobart," he says.

Speaking of the maintenance program and the lead into every race, O’Neil speaks highly of the camaraderie between his newly adopted cohort.

“It’s a good group. Everyone is very supportive of each other and we are all learning off each other all the time,” O’Neil says.

This means he and his teammate Tom, will be looking forward to catching up with them when they reach the finish in Southport.

With many a warm comment to say about his fellow competitors and much excitement about preparing the boat, I wonder if Chris is worried at all about the lack of sleep he might experience or the cool and chilly conditions?

“You’ve signed up for it. You have got to expect it,” he replies matter-of-factly. It seems for him just the racing and raising some awareness for the Woolcock institute is reward enough.

“If I can get one eyeball on their site, that’s enough for me," O'Neil says.

We wish Blue Planet the very best success and commend their commitment to the cause.