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Light weight and freeze dried versus hot showers and Grange

Home 2007 Light weight and freeze dried versus hot showers and Grange

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Life on board this comfortable cruising boat with its two double cabins and master cabin will be pretty civilised with plunger coffee and plenty of water for a “hot top and tail” for the crew coming off watch.

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On Saturday 28 July when the Audi Sydney Gold Coast and Mackay fleets line up in Sydney Harbour, most of the 700 or so competitors will be feeling the usual pre-race jitters. For two owners, the reasons for those butterflies couldn’t be further apart with one gearing up for his maiden offshore race and the other beginning his quest for back to back handicap wins.

The owner of the brand new Oceanis 50 Apres Vous, John Griffin, is mentally preparing for his maiden offshore passage race by watching Hollywood block busters The Perfect Storm and Jaws, “just to get me in the mood” he laughs.

Described by crewman David Salter as a “rough, tough but amiable developer who drinks Dark & Stormy and used to fang about in a big Riviera and is now a sailing enthusiast”, Griffin has no elusions that despite signing the cheques, he will be a mere passenger for the 384 nautical mile race to Southport on the Queensland Gold Coast. It is his intention to learn as much as he can from the likes of Salter, John Sturrock and SASC Commodore Rob Evans, the most experienced of the 10 crew.

Life on board this comfortable cruising boat with its two double cabins and master cabin will be pretty civilised with plunger coffee and plenty of water for a “hot top and tail” for the crew coming off watch.

Books and iPods, “to help pass the time while off watch”, won’t be frowned upon and the hot evening meals washed down with Grange Hermitage, New Zealand whites and some lovely 1983 French cab savs should lift spirits heading into a cold night’s sailing. 

Journalist and yachtsman David Salter has planned three evening meals; Spicy meatballs in butter mushrooms on a bed of jasmine rice, Stir-fry black-bean chicken and vegetables with noodles and Diced lamb and pepper sausages in Mediterranean sauce with spirelli pasta. He figures “After three days, if we're still at sea, they can cook their own bloody dinners!”

A heavy cruising boat, Apres Vous will need a stiff blow before she hits her stride, “around 28 knots would be perfect”, says Griffin. But even in heavy air you won’t catch the crew with their legs over the side thinking heavy as sitting on the rail is not permitted on this boat.

On board Steven David’s light weight grand prix Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe, weight is a major consideration and the crew will be stacked on the rail whenever there is an advantage to be gained.

Breakfast will be the only comfort meal of the day, the owner insisting on warm croissants and bacon and eggs, but after that, food will be rudimentary.

“In terms of crew we are going pretty light this year and we’ll mainly be eating freeze dried food. We are not really worried about we eat, as long as we have the right amount of carbs and protein to get us there,” says David who has his sights set on back to back IRC wins in the 384 nautical mile race and should also finish in the top three over the line.

To help him achieve that end, David has called in the heavies. America’s Cup strategist Adam Beashel and Volvo Ocean Race sailor Anthony Merrington, amongst other ‘names’ in the crew of 12, will add a new dimension to David’s quest for the most sought after silverware, the overall handicap win. With similar credentials aboard Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats X and many of Australia’s most seasoned offshore sailors spread amongst a handful of top IRC contenders racing north Saturday week, the tussle for the trophy is going to be hard fought.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has accepted a late entry from Kym Butler’s Northshore 37 One for the Road, taking the fleet to 72 for the opening race of its 2007/8 offshore season.

The Audi Sydney Gold Coast and Mackay races will start from Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Saturday 28 July when Audi Australia’s managing director Joerg Hofmann fires the 19th century replica cannons from the VIP boat. - Lisa Ratcliff