Festival of Sails 2017

The wrap!

Wednesday 25 January

Tuesday 24 January

I was awake at sunrise watching the clouds rip over Corio Bay, knowing it was going to be a ripper day on the water (or maybe I am a little jet lagged, though I won’t admit it)!
What better way to start the final day than with a dock walk from right out at the end arm, all the way back to the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, all the while loving the wind in the flags as sailors readied themselves for racing around me.

The Festival of Sails “dock walk”

From there it was out on to the race track…

Super 11’s off to a flying start

IRC Division 1 & 2

Power with the passage racers

Final live cross, with the Sports Boats

Photos from 24 January

A big thanks to all for having me, and congratulations to the organisers and volunteers for putting on such a fantastic event! It has sincerely been my pleasure to be the Ambassador for the Festival of Sails for 2017, and I can’t wait to see the 175th Passage Race next year!

Monday 23 January

I hit the ground running yesterday in Geelong for my role as Ambassador at the Festival of Sails, flying straight into Melbourne, Australia from Quantum Key West Race Week.
After travel through Miami, and a great catch up with Andrew “Dog” Palfrey, and his whole lovely family on Skype in the lounge, I was in bound to LAX, and then onto Melbourne.
I was greeted at Melbourne Airport by John, an amazing member of the Royal Geelong Yacht Club network, driving a beautiful navy blue (my favourite) Range Rover, from Rex Gorell Land Rover. Sitting down in the beautiful beige leather seats provided indescribable relief following well over thirty hours of travel (yes I fly economy), plus an hour or so searching for my bag, which had decided to go for a holiday in the USA without me, regardless of being slapped with an excess baggage fee back in Key West initially.
Not only was I relaxing in this beautiful Range Rover, we were in the city of Melbourne, renowned for it’s coffee – so after a quick stop thanks to driver extraordinaire John’s suggestion, we were back on the road for the journey to Geelong, of just under two hours by car.
My first views for my return to Geelong were breathtaking, the entire fleet of 207 boats, essentially becalmed on the waters of Corio Bay. While not the best for sailing, it definitely took my breath away – and I wasn’t the only one, with plenty of spectators on the promenade taking in the scene.
A quick stop off to Westfield to get some much needed clothes (thankfully all of my technology minus my tripod was in my carry on!), and I was on site at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, ready to get out in the water and check out the racing in a very hot, but building northerly, which continued to build to 20 knots.
You can check out the adventures for yourself in the videos below, including a catch up with Saskia Clark, gold and silver medallist, Rolex Sailor of the Year, and MBE who is in Geelong to check out the Festival of Sails for herself!

Live at Royal Geelong Yacht Club for the Festival of Sails!

Sports boats at the Festival of Sails

The larger sports boats at the Festival of Sails

Sailor Girl with Saskia Clark

The Gill Australia and TackTracker S80 presentation at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club

Photos from 23 January 2017

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