Hart Charts a New Offshore Course Aboard Amici
Graeme on the helm of Amici / Photo provided by Graeme Hart
Graeme Hart is still chasing new challenges on the water, with his yacht Amici, a Beneteau Oceanis 331, at the centre of a journey that blends lifelong sailing experience with a renewed push into offshore sailing.
A graduate of the ORCV Beyond the Bay program, Graeme has embraced the opportunity to build his skills in a structured and supported way. “I did the course last year, but when the training went through the Heads, our crew weren’t comfortable in the conditions,” he explains. “So doing the last Coastal Sprint was my first time on Amici going through the Heads.”
“Amici does well when it’s 15 – 20 knots but is slow when it’s under that.” With Graeme adding, “While the most recent sprint didn’t go entirely to plan, with the wind fading mid-race and forcing a retirement to get back through the heads in time. The start of that race was brilliant, with Amici and crew handling it well. If the wind had held, we would have made it around the course and back through the Heads in time.”
“I was keen to do more offshore and Category 3 racing, especially when it’s semi supervised,” he says. “Being possibly the smallest boat in the fleet at 10 metres, I won’t go out in extreme weather and I use racing to have supported experience offshore, with cruising and safety in mind.” Graeme added, “Racing puts you in a more challenging position and pushes you.”
Amici racing / Photo by Al Dillon
Amici is co-owned by Graeme and his brother-in-law Chris Clarke, who have spent the past three years bringing Amici back to life.
“The boat had 3 owners before us and needed an extensive refit to bring it up to Cat 3 standards,” he says. They’ve completely re-rigged the boat, upgraded steering and electronics, replaced the propeller, and added practical sail systems like a Code C and spinnakers with snuffers “all the things you need when you’re a little older and still want to enjoy your time on the water.”
Preparing the boat for Category 3 racing also meant tackling a detailed compliance list. “We just worked our way through it,” Graeme explains, crediting an early audit by Marissa McManus for helping focus their efforts. Even the smallest details mattered, including a particularly tricky companionway hatch modification to ensure it was both secure and operable in an emergency.
Sailing has long been part of Graeme’s life. From university days crewing on a wooden ketch, to dinghy sailing on Western Port and time spent sailing in the United States, the foundations were laid early. But like many, life intervened. “When I came back to Australia as a young doctor with a family and interest rates at 17 percent, sailing took a back seat,” he recalls. It wasn’t until later, after owning a Cole 23 and eventually stepping up to Amici his desire to sail offshore safely and with knowledge developed.
There are longer cruising ambitions on the horizon, including trips to King Island and Refuge Cove, as well as a goal of competing in the Apollo Bay race in 2027. He’s also recently achieved his RYA ICC, with Mediterranean sailing in his sights this year. Based on the Mornington Peninsula, and supported by his wife Penny, who shares his love of sailing, Graeme continues to balance adventure with preparation. “I enjoy the racing,” he says. “For me, it’s about building experience safely.” And with Amici ready and waiting, that journey is far from over.
