Australian Yachting Championships

IRC | Derwent Sailing Squadron | January 3–5, 2025

I had the opportunity to race aboard Tenacity, a highly competitive Mills 41 owned by John Lawrie and skippered by Vaughan Lynch, during the 2025 Australian Yachting Championships (IRC) on Hobart’s iconic Derwent River. Tenacity’s reputation as a proven campaigner is well established, including multiple Rolex Sydney to Hobart starts with a crew noted for precision, discipline and tactical excellence.

I served as mast person for this regatta. In this role I was responsible for controlling the halyards and top sails, coordinating hoists and drops, and ensuring clean, efficient sail changes—critical components when racing upriver and across the shifting breezes of the Derwent.
Being part of Tenacity’s crew, even for a brief period, presented a rare learning environment: surrounded by sailors operating at the highest club and championship level, I was able to observe how experience, preparation and clear communication translate into split-second execution under pressure.

The team on board functioned like a well-oiled machine. Every manoeuvre—whether a tack through the river’s tidal bands, a hoist in light air or a gybe in river chop—was carried out with precision and decisive timing. The professionalism and calm control demonstrated by the crew deepened my appreciation for coordinated teamwork, situational awareness and the importance of role clarity in high-stakes racing.

Racing on Tenacity reinforced my understanding of the demands of fleet-racing at championship intensity, particularly in the Derwent’s notoriously fickle conditions. The level of skill and communication required to keep sails flat, speed optimised and systems aligned during close-quarters competition provided valuable insights that I have since applied to other high-performance racing contexts.

Being entrusted with the mast position alongside this experienced group was both humbling and highly educational. It further strengthened my competencies in sail handling, race rhythm and execution under pressure, and enhanced my ability to integrate quickly into a performance-driven crew environment.

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