Most of us realise that Russell Coutts, founder of the Youth Sailing Foundation, contributed financially and personally to Manly’s vigorous training activities and is now the club’s President. Coutts introduced the modern O’Pen Bic class for his foundation and donated several to the club.
But fewer people may know other highly-respected names in yacht racing are also still giving so much time and effort to the pursuit of youth sailing skills excellence – Harold Bennett, club Vice Commodore, famed Laser sailor and indefatigable yachting enthusiast, and Barry Thom, the club’s Commodore.
Harold is known worldwide as the official starter for five America’s Cup regattas, some of which he would rather forget. But one of his major achievements is his experience as a youth training specialist. For example, he initiated youth training for the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron and coached champions in five Olympic Games.
Harold has been happily using this vast experience at Manly for 15 years. He also officiates as race officer in major monotype events such as the Zephyr Nationals and foiling Moths, as well as other types such as catamarans, 29ers, 49ers and Lasers among others.
Bennett insists that Manly isn’t the only pebble on the beach when it comes to youth training. Around Auckland the movement has enthusiasts in Murrays Bay, Gulf Harbour, Kohimarama, Akarana and Half Moon Bay clubs to name a few. Not all of them use Bics, but there are fleets of O’Pen Bics in Wanganui, Dunedin, Queenstown and Nelson. They may well become the preferred national choice for developing young sailors’ competitive instincts.
Barry Thom, Olympic class sailor, ex sailmaker and Real Estate business owner, spends countless hours cajoling, critiquing and encouraging the club’s young guns in their fast, twitchy Bics.
Apart from the normal responsibilities of Commodore, Barry spends several hours on the race track observing tactics like mark roundings, rule infringements and how well the kids read wind shifts. He shares his observations with young sailors in group sessions, not to chastise mistakes, but to help them achieve consistent performance.
The main goal for Barry and his army of volunteers is to maintain the kids’ interest while building character and confidence. He sees sailing as inspiration for the youngsters’ later lives and is himself always eager to join in the fun.
I waited hours for Barry to beach his boat after supervising several yacht races, impressed he had been on the water all day. He just smiled and said, “It just stays in the blood.” It’s in his son’s blood, too – Murray Thom is Manly’s current Zephyr champion.
Naturally such dedication to achievement needs organisation behind the stage. This important task is the responsibility of Manly Sailing Club’s Secretary, Fiona Rist. Fiona works out agendas and arranges meetings in addition to her normal secretarial duties. She also has a son out there on every race day.
Fiona is another dedicated enthusiast in a thriving, very busy sailing club, whose budding champions are cossetted by moms and dads helping their girls and boys to rig and launch their feisty O’Pen Bic skiffs.
The champions of yesteryear all started off sailing in the famous P Class seven-footers, including Russell Coutts, Chris Dickson and Dean Barker. Of course none of these guys enjoyed the tuition so prevalent today – it was shape up or ship out and capsizing was par for the course. They reckoned the ‘P’ stood for ‘Pig’ but anyone who excelled in P Class could sail a log on a stick!
I can lend credence to that. At 11 years old, I braved Wellington’s fierce nor’westerlies and sou’easterlies in a P Class sailing out of Worser Bay Yacht Club. The ‘P’ for me meant ‘pig root’ because it was not uncommon to pitch-pole your boat into one of those steep troughs!
Oh the joys of sailing!
Manly sailing club: www.manlysailingclub.org.nz
