4 minute read
Genesis of the Sydney/GC Ocean Yacht Race
The annual Sydney to Gold Coast Ocean Yacht Race has become one of Australia’s most prestigious bluewater yachting events. It attracts large fields which include many of this country’s state-of-the-art racing vessels. The Sydney Gold Coast Ocean Yacht Race was the brainchild of flamboyant and popular Southport Yacht Club Member, Richard Van Coeverden. Richard was born in The Netherlands and made a name for himself in the building industry firstly in Canberra and then on the Gold Coast.
Richard conceived the idea of the Sydney Gold Coast Race. During his many trips down the east coast of Australia, he formed a close friendship with another Dutchman, Peter Rysdyk of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia situated at Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay. Together they devised the race which previously had not been possible due to the fact Southport lacked an all-weather access to the sea. The longawaited construction of the seaway was completed in the first part of 1986 so this was no longer an obstacle... I was a member of Richard’s crew and recall many conversations at the time which related to the possibilities of staging the race. Eighty-three yachts, a vast field, departed Sydney in August 1986 fanned by a brisk NE headwind and Richard’s sloop, “Jimmie Blacksmith”, was among the first seven boats out of the harbour... The race was eventually won by Sydney maxi “ Apollo” skippered by Jack Rooklyn who took both line and handicap honours. Peter Rysdyk generously donated a handheld Hewlett Packard computer, almost unheard of at the time, to the SYC through Richard, for use in calculating handicaps.
Pictured in the cockpit of Richard’s 40-foot Adams sloop, “Jimmie Blacksmith”, prior to the start of the race is, former Premier of Queensland and official starter, Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen with skipper Richard Van Coeverden. The crew members pictured below are Keith Bow, Terry Stephenson, Alan Creswell and John (J T) Taylor.
By Terry Stephenson
It’s magnificent to be out on the ocean, sailing through the waves on a perfect tack with the crew leaning out enjoying the sea spray blasts. Then hoisting the spinnaker as you turn to cruise downwind, flowing in harmony with nature and feeling in control of your ship. But the ocean has its ups and downs and when the weather turns wild it takes an experienced skipper to sail safely through a gale. Those challenging conditions reveal the great captains. A great captain is not only clear about their destination and how to get there, but they also know how to navigate safely through a storm. They creatively innovate to solve problems along the way, and they know that getting the right people on the ship and retaining them is the number one factor to enjoying many safe and successful journeys. The same applies to business leadership. When you ask a great captain or a great organisational leader how they became great, you’ll hear stories of the many experiences and challenges they had to overcome, as well as the mentors who guided and taught them along the way. It becomes clear that their journey has been one of steady evolution. David McDermott is the Founder & Principal of Evolved Strategy. David has a lot of passion for the ocean, sailing since the age of 10, surfing and free-diving around the world, and working with a range of organisations focused on marine conservation.
David is also the host of the Evolved Leadership Podcast, where he speaks to business owners and executives who run mission-focused and successful organisations. Recent guests include the CEO of Sea Shepherd Australia, the Global Chief Learning Officer of Unilever, and the Founder of Car Next Door who recently sold his business to Uber. You can check out the conversations at: www.evolvedstrategy. com.au/podcast At Evolved Strategy we specialise in leadership development and business strategy. We are a business and executive coaching firm dedicated to helping leaders embody an evolved style of leadership that includes a high degree of emotional intelligence. We also support leaders to understand how to motivate an individual within a team, how to create an inspiring organisational strategy, and how to cultivate a culture of growth and development throughout their organisation. Some of our client success stories include:
• Coaching the owner of a marketing firm to step out of his operation, leaving the business to run successfully and independently; • Coaching the Chief Information Officer of a large Australian property investment group to give her team more autonomy; • Strategy consulting to a QLD-based bus and coach company, resulting in their business transformation from dieselpower to hydrogen fuel cell technology; and
• Leadership development work with a global marine conservation charity, helping create a more evolved leadership team.
w: www.evolvedstrategy.com.au e: david@evolvedstrategy.com.au p: +61 449 895 517
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