Member Spotlight
We celebrate one of our sailors who recently bought a new yacht after completing the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) Beyond the Bay program and participated in his first ocean race. This brings fresh energy, ambition, competition and fresh faces to our offshore racing scene.
Blueprint for Future Plans
Blueprint ready for the mast again / Photo by John Bearsley
John Bearsley may have had a hiatus from sailing for some years due to family and work commitments, but he has recently purchased the McConaghy MC38 Blueprint after completing the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) Beyond the Bay program.
“Blueprint, is a 12-year-old MC38, previously known as Swish and well regarded in one-design Sydney racing circles.
“It’s a 38-foot carbon boat, a great bay racer, made by Australian boat builder McConaghy,” John laughs, saying, “We’ve probably bitten off a lot and are chewing madly.”
“The name ‘Blueprint’ says it all,” John explains. “It’s the detailed plan to build sailing skills, crew and knowledge within the ORCV and Sandringham sailing network.”
“Blueprint will be sailed fully crewed on the bay as John continues to build experience. With a longer-term goal in a couple of years to step up into a more ocean performance cruiser style yacht for offshore passages.”
Blueprint in the cradle / Photo by John Bearsley
“There’s a little more work to be completed on Blueprint with the mast soon to go back in,” explained John. “My wife Aoife enjoys the more social bay races, where I enjoy the challenge of the ocean side of sailing.”
“The Beyond the Bay program was a great way to stitch together the pieces you need to ocean sail. The Safety & Sea Survival Course was awesome. I never thought I’d need an angle grinder as part of my sailing kit. It certainly whetted my appetite to learn more.”
John Bearsley on his first ocean race / Photo by John Bearsley
Through the network developed during the Beyond the Bay program, John has since thrown himself into crewing opportunities with fellow ORCV members aboard Faster Forward and Foggy Dew, completing races including the Melbourne to Devonport, Hobart (Westcoaster) and King Island.
Deliveries home extended the learning curve even further. “From Hobart, we came back via the East Coast, stopping at Flinders, which extended my navigation skills, although we were lucky to have some navigation tracks shared by fellow ORCV member Neville Rose as we wove our way to Lady Baron.” A stopover at Flinders Island even saw the crew join the local Killiecrankie Yacht Club regatta, rewarded with crayfish and beer for their efforts.
Having gone on to complete his RYA Day Skipper certificate and charter a yacht for five days in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, John summed up this sailing with, “I love that sailing is very much a team sport, and a bit easier on 50+ year old bodies than rugby or footy. With the kids now young adults and a bit more financial freedom now is the perfect time for us to rekindle our love of sailing. While I'm also enjoying the racing side, we also love that sailing is multifaceted and is something that Aoife and I can enjoy doing together.
“We still pinch ourselves, and I’m taking every sailing opportunity to get out on the water and to learn.”
