News
How She Sails: Jane
Published Fri 03 Jul 2020
How long have you been in the sport of Sailing?34 years
What Club, Association or company are you involved with?
Royal Yacht Club Victoria
What Part do you play in our sport?
Sailor; Race Official; Club Volunteer; on water volunteer; Club Flag Officer; Committee Member
Tell us how you first got involved with Sailing.
During my gap year I had romantic notions of sailing from the UK to the Med and trawled the yacht clubs in Plymouth for a gig. After a dreadful delivery through the Irish Sea to Troon in Scotland, stopping in at Howth to let gales blow through, I jumped on the next flight to Athens! Fortunately, a good friend of mine was a great sailor and provided a much better introduction when I returned to Australia.
There are many pathways in sailing, where has your journey taken you?
From cruising the stunningly beautiful Sydney Harbour, to racing on Port Phillip, Ocean and Coastal racing including the S2H, deliveries up and down the east coast and Auckland to Coffs via Lord Howe Island. 10 years in a gun crew sailing where we hardly needed to talk, we knew each other and our roles so well. Owning and skippering several yachts, at the moment an Adams 10. First female Club Captain and Rear Commodore Sailing at RYCV. Chair of YV's Keelboat Committee.
Whatever part of sailing you belong to, tell us about what you enjoy about your sport?
Keelboat racing and Club Governance. I'm attracted to the complexity of strategy and tactics, pitted against aero and fluid dynamics, and boat mechanics. Team dynamics and getting to the heart of our true characters. Ocean racing - I wondered for a long time during the long stretches of exquisite beauty, challenge and boredom, why? I've come to think it was existential - to prove a point, and now I'm glad I've solved that and don't need to do it anymore! The heritage, the honour and the regulation of sailing - the more I learn, the more I'm impressed.
What would you say to someone thinking about getting into sailing?
You never stop learning - about yourself and others and working in a team, being reliable, disciplined, developing skills and competence, your strengths and weaknesses, how to take advantage or overcome them, and looking out for each other. It's social and great fun! You become part of a terrific community, making life long friends. There are so many aspects to sailing from dinghies, to keelboats, to race management. You can participate all over the world or just in your patch.
Tell us your favourite story ….
Delivering the "Doll" from Mackay to Melbourne after Hamo Race Week. We had 65 knts a few miles behind us and in 45 knts. We were doing up to 28 knts with 3-4 knts current, so 31-32 knts over ground. It was like being on a rocket. The chatter between the returning fleet warned of whales behaving erratically. We sighted two within a few metres and posted a whale watch. It was crazy.
Delivering the "Doll" from Mackay to Melbourne after Hamo Race Week. We had 65 knts a few miles behind us and in 45 knts. We were doing up to 28 knts with 3-4 knts current, so 31-32 knts over ground. It was like being on a rocket. The chatter between the returning fleet warned of whales behaving erratically. We sighted two within a few metres and posted a whale watch. It was crazy.
"You never stop learning - about yourself and others and working in a team, being reliable, disciplined, developing skills and competence, your strengths and weaknesses, how to take advantage or overcome them, and looking out for each other." |
