RUNNING THE RHUMBLINES.

By Ian Grant.

Since 1964 this salt encrusted and somewhat sun damaged yachting journalist has had the pleasure of covering major dinghy and yachting events around the World while enjoying the fellowship of the sport.

Collectively the experiences of meeting new faces in many faraway places are treasured for life but like all proud sunshine state sailors I’m proud to call Queensland home.

Someday I will finally complete the book called Ageing Sails and Shapes which has been on the drawing board for some time now however it will be published when the deck-shoes and the spray cape are finally hung on the peg at the Kiparra St Yacht Club.

Meanwhile there is still far too much of the treasured yachting fellowship to enjoy and there are a lot young and not so young sailors who have contributed to the joy of being a yachting and marine industry reporter.

Sure there have been the times when I have struggled to put the weet-bix on the brekky table to feed the bride and three bread-snappers but that has been more than compensated with the priceless opportunities including spending what neighbours and friends call an annual holiday in the Whitsundays.

Memories of this tropical sailing paradise and the lovely little township of Airlie Beach go back a long way to 1960 when the lovely little English Yawl Mouse of Malham previously owned and raced by the inaugural Sydney Hobart race winner Captain John Illingworth RN cruised north after winning the Brisbane to Gladstone race.

At the time her Australian owner Bill Dayan-Smith had a comfortable beach-shack at Dingo Beach and had bought Mouse to deliver freshly dressed chickens to Hayman Island.

Bill Dayan-Smith (now deceased) was one of those special characters very similar to another long term sailing friend Don Algie.
We met over two decades ago when the fun loving sailor made the initial plans to launch a signature yachting regatta which was personally sponsored under the now famed Hog’s Breath masthead.

It is well known that Don Algie has a passion for sailing however a southern yachting journalist who should remain nameless said ‘The regatta will be nothing other than an excuse to have a sail and a few drinks’.

 He had no knowledge except to say Airlie Beach iswell north of the Pittwater and therefore it won’t work.
Now 20 years on the professionally managed Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week hosted by the Whitsunday Sailing Club and energised by a group of willing club volunteers have successfully established the regatta on the Australian ocean sailing calendar.

 A number of high profile sailors including former World Farr 40 champion John Byrne Volvo Globe race navigator Will Oxley and multiple Rolex Sydney Hobart race winning crew member Peter Messenger are just three sailors who shared the warm sunshine and sea space on Pioneer Bay in recent days.
They were in town to sap up the hospitality which has now established this special yacht race week as a major Australian event while also cash flowing a substantial boost to local community.