Faster Forward
Faster Forward – Sydney 38 – RYCV – Matt Fahey
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Matt Fahey through sailing and the wider sailing community, with our connection really beginning after finishing the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster aboard Rushour, the 50-foot racing catamaran. At the conclusion of that race, I was warmly welcomed into the Faster Forward group and very much adopted into the team in a social sense over the week that followed.
That time was less about clocking up miles and more about becoming part of the crew culture—sharing crew dinners, spending time together off the water, and celebrating New Year’s Eve as a group. It was a great example of how inclusive and connected the sailing community can be, particularly around a well-established program like Faster Forward.
The yacht itself, a Sydney 38, is one of the most recognisable and respected one-design racing boats in Australia, appearing regularly across major regattas. Its reputation for close racing and strong crew dynamics is well earned, and being around the boat and its team offered valuable insight into how successful programs operate both on and off the water.
Since that initial introduction, I’ve continued to stay connected with Matt and the Faster Forward group, with sailing forming part of a broader relationship built around shared events, conversations, and mutual involvement in the sport. In his role as Rear Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Matt later engaged Media Strategy to assist as the communications team for the Lipton Cup Regatta, further reinforcing the overlap between my professional work and the sailing world.
This experience reinforced for me that sailing isn’t defined solely by time spent racing. The friendships, trust, and sense of belonging that develop around a boat are just as important, and often form the foundation for future opportunities on the water.
Blogs
The Boat You Don’t Say No To
A presentation-night chat at Airlie Beach Race Week turned into an invitation most sailors would kill for — a skeleton-crew delivery of the Swan 82 Crackerjack V from Airlie to Hamilton Island, helming 82 feet of German Frers pedigree through the Whitsundays. Some boats you just don’t say no to.
Airlie Beach Race Week 2026
Solaris 50 Salt took on Airlie Beach Race Week 2026, leading Performance Cruising Division 1 into the final day. After six intense races through the Whitsundays, a tie-break countback handed victory to Eureka 11. Here is the story of a memorable campaign, stellar conditions, and racing decided by the narrowest of margins.
Ca Va — Hamilton Island Race Week
Filmed from aboard the Hanse 430 YKnot, Phil Dressler’s Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 Ca Va battles through the competitive Orange Division fleet at Hamilton Island Race Week 2026. Experience the close-quarters action, tactically tight racing, and stunning Whitsunday Islands scenery as these two fast-cruising yachts race side-by-side.
Racing 520 Miles North on Clockwork
Shaun McKenna joins the South Australian crew of the Sydney 38 Clockwork for the 520-nautical-mile 2026 Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race. Facing 30-knot southerlies, high-speed spinnaker runs, and a severe midnight broach that snapped their steering column, the team executed rapid mid-race repairs to reach Mackay Marina.
Celebrating Legacy and Grit at the 2026 ORCV Awards
Go behind the lens at Sandringham Yacht Club for the 2026 ORCV Annual Awards. This photo-driven retrospective captures the grit and triumphs of the offshore season, celebrating champions like Matt Setton and Nigel Jones while tracing the historic continuity and community defining Victorian ocean racing.
Brass Monkey Winter Pursuit
A thick winter fog at Safety Beach couldn’t stop the Shimmer campaign. With five of eight crew members aboard, the team used Race 4 of the Brass Monkey series to test a new TP52 staysail in light air. A second-place finish secured Shimmer the overall series lead, building critical momentum for the 2026 Rolex Sydney to Hobart.
Smoke, Sparks, and 25 Knots
Before racing the ORCV Winter Series opener, the crew aboard Shimmer stepped onto the swim platform for a spectacular, 25-year-old tradition: a live marine distress flare drill off Sandringham. From orange day smoke to high-altitude rockets and brilliant handheld red pyrotechnics, this vital safety training offered a rare, firsthand look at handling hot emergency ordnance on the water.
Time Out goes north
Follow the delivery of the stunning Hanse 458, Time Out X2, on her maiden winter passage under the new owner John Corrie as it leaves from Martha’s Cove to Bermagui. This coastal adventure captures everything from navigating the Rip and anchoring at Refuge Cove to spectacular encounters with breaching whales along the Australian coast.
Port Douglas Race Week 2026
Working the bow aboard Y Knot at Port Douglas Race Week 2026, racing for the iconic Clipper Cup on the Coral Sea. Five days of tropical sailing — from glassy Day One conditions to 25 knots of south-east trade wind. Shaun McKenna reports from one of Far North Queensland’s sailing events.
North by Northwest
Pinned in Nelly Bay by the south-east trades, we waited four days before heading north aboard YKnot, a Hanse 430. What followed was 199 nautical miles of downwind sailing — island anchorages, unexpected hospitality at Dunk, a sea turtle at Fitzroy, and a tide-dependent entry into Port Douglas. The difficult days are always worth it.
ORCV Coastal Sprint #3
Sam Backwell’s first ocean race. Six yachts crossing ahead of an inbound cargo ship. Ginan sweeping all three handicap divisions. The third ORCV Coastal Sprint packed a full season’s worth of sailing into 27 nautical miles off the Mornington Peninsula — and Shimmer was right in the thick of it.
Luxury cruising
Some boats are built for the marina. Others are built to move. Shooting Baruch — a 2019 Nautitech 542 — for Inspire Marine, it was clear from the first frame which one she is. Fast, refined, and strikingly photogenic, she’s a French multihull design that earns its reputation both offshore and at anchor.