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  • ENTRANT SPOTLIGHT | Rob Aldis

ENTRANT SPOTLIGHT | Rob Aldis

ENTRANT SPOTLIGHT | Rob Aldis

ENTRANT SPOTLIGHT | Rob Aldis

Kayimai is a new boat and, after a respectable finish in the PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race, has a bright future her owner tells OLIVIA PRICE.

(This article first appeared in Offshore magazine, the official publication of Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - purchase your magazine here.)

 

OFFSHORE: What made you decide to do the Rolex Sydney Hobart?

ROB: About four years ago, I stepped back from my full-time executive roles and decided to get into sailing, bought a yacht, and got a coach to teach me about how to manage a yacht and help the crew develop their skills. I like being out on the ocean and what I find fantastic is that you don’t have to be a grand prix racer to enjoy sailing. I’ve always admired the people who take on the great challenge of the Sydney Hobart and this year decided to get a crew that wanted to take it on with me. This year Kayimai has done some of the CYCA offshore races as well as the PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race, and we’ve done reasonably well in her for a cruising yacht.

 

OFFSHORE: How has your crew come together?

ROB: We have a range of sailors on board for the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Some will be doing their first race, myself included. And then we have some great veterans of the race. We are all from Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney, and we basically came together as a group of sailors wanting to experience the race. Some of the crew, like myself, are “coming up the curve” and really enjoying the learning experience. At the same time the more experienced yacht racers, with whom I have developed a great friendship with are also on board for the ride. You could say that our crew is pretty dynamic and our aim is to sail safely, look after the boat and have a lot of fun together!

 

OFFSHORE: Did you treat the PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race as preparation for the Rolex Sydney Hobart?

ROB: In part I guess it worked out that way, but funnily enough we only decided to do the Hobart once we’d finished the Sydney Noumea race. Kayimai took a few days to race to Noumea; it was five long and taxing days. But what we got out of it was that we all wanted to do some more offshore racing. The crew and I really enjoyed the race and the yacht loved the conditions that we had. One thing we did as well was have a long and fun “after party” you could say, taking in the culture and life in New Caledonia. It was also a great cruise back to Australia after we had done all of the sight-seeing.

 

OFFSHORE: Why did you choose Kayimai? What will be your strengths heading into the great race?

ROB: I bought Kayimai in February 2017 because I saw it as a well-set-up cruising boat, it has a modern hull design, a good sail plan and has a reasonable turn of speed. One thing I had in mind when I bought her was that my wife and I love cruising together, and Kayimai is well set up for handling by the two of us. After both the PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race and Hamilton Island Race Week this year, we decided to take our time and cruise around the various islands and reefs that the delivery had to offer. The boat is also a great passage maker for those long ocean legs.

The Azuree 46 is a good solid and stable boat which has proven itself in strong wind conditions that we might see heading south this year. She’s a heavy yacht, at just under 12 tonnes, providing great stability for all on board. The crew are all there to enjoy the experience, and we are all getting along really well. I think that’s something that will work to our advantage when the going gets tough and the days get long. She goes well off the breeze so we’ll be waiting to see what the conditions bring at the start on Boxing Day.

 

OFFSHORE: What would you say to people who may not be the keenest racers?

ROB: I think there is great opportunity for more reasonably well performing and modern designed cruising yachts to join the fleet and participate in the CYCA’s Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore series racing. You don’t by any means have to be at the highest ‘Grand Prix’ level of racing to do well. Modern and well-designed cruiser-racers can open up more opportunities and events to a broader section of the sailing community, without having to make the large commercial outlays required for the high-performance race boats and their crews.

 

(This article first appeared in Offshore magazine, the official publication of Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - purchase your magazine here.)