Jones/Hart 14
I have raced with Jock MacAdie aboard Alex across numerous Sandringham and ORCV races, gaining valuable experience on a highly competitive and historically significant offshore racing yacht, sailed to a consistently high standard.
Alex was built by Hart Marine and launched in 1993 as Cadibarra VII, designed and raced by Don Jones. Following major structural modifications in 2000, she was relaunched as Kontrol and quickly established an impressive offshore record, including an ORCV Sovereign Series win, Melbourne–Hobart line honours, second place in the Melbourne–Osaka Double-Handed Race, and setting the Melbourne–Stanley race record.
Jock MacAdie purchased the yacht in 2005, renaming her Alex – Team MacAdie in memory of his father. Under Jock’s ownership, the yacht became renowned for exceptional double-handed performances against fully crewed fleets. The pinnacle achievement came in the 2007 Melbourne–Osaka Cup, where Jock and his son Hamish overcame major equipment failures to restart the race, claw back an 800-mile deficit, and win outright.
Across the 2007–2010 seasons, Alex achieved multiple overall and divisional wins in major offshore and bay races, including repeated ORCV Sovereign Series victories, Melbourne–Hobart podium finishes, Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy wins, Port Phillip Sea Pilots Trophy honours, and consistent line-honours results—often sailed two-handed against fully crewed boats.
After a quieter period, Alex underwent a full refit in 2019 and has since returned to racing. Jock remains deeply committed to double-handed sailing and to mentoring and developing the next generation of sailors in this discipline—an ethos that strongly shaped my own experience aboard the yacht.
Blogs
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.
Salt
On Salt, a 2021 Solaris 50, I sailed as bow person with James Marshall and Ian Fankhanel. Festival of Sails 2026 saw us win Division 1, thanks to a skilled team including tactician, navigator, and Peter Dowdney. Aaron Cole added sail expertise, highlighting how experience and teamwork make a high-performance yacht excel.
Shimmer
Shimmer, beautifully maintained by Steve Twentyman, is sailed regularly from Safety Beach Sailing Club. With a versatile sail inventory including J0, Code 0, and asymmetric spinnakers, I’ve gained experience across bow, trimming, and helming roles. Calm leadership and preparation make her a reliable platform for club racing, ORCV coastal events, and Category 2 offshore races.
S2H 2025
White Spirit – 80th Rolex Sydney to Hobart
I completed the 2025 Rolex Sydney to Hobart as 2IC and Navigator aboard White Spirit (Beneteau First 50), skippered by Cyrus Allen. Responsible for routing, weather analysis and sail strategy, I supported the helm and watches through a demanding, multi-system offshore race.