11:11 Set for Apollo Bay with Skipper Till Brauckmann

Till Brauckmann on the helm

The 2026 Apollo Bay Race is next on the horizon for Till Brauckmann, a step up that reflects just how far his sailing journey as skipper has come in a relatively short time. He plans to take on the race with a crew of six, including his son and experienced sailors Brett Millar and Safety Beach Commodore Tony Christmas.

Till and Joshua helming

“I didn’t start sailing until I was in my late 20s, firstly taking on dinghy sailing more than 20 years ago,” Till says. “Living in Sydney in the early 2000s, and with such a beautiful harbour on our doorstep, that was when I made the move into keelboats.”

It was during the pandemic that he became a skipper. Restricted within five kilometres, and with the water close at hand, it became the perfect outlet for Till and his family.

“There were two boats in Martha Cove for sale at the time, with boat 11:11, a Beneteau 34, ticking all the boxes,” he explains. What began as a plan to cruise soon evolved. “I thought we’d use the boat exclusively for cruising, although with our son becoming super keen on sailing, we’re now undertaking club racing and the longer ORCV races.”

“That progression led Till to take on the ORCV Beyond the Bay course, which gave me real respect for the Heads and has extended our horizons to local offshore opportunities,” explained Till.

11:11 transiting The Heads

"The Beyond the Bay course has brought together, navigation, safety, weather and made me more confident and aware of what to look out for as skipper,” said Till. There’s a clear focus on safety in the course with Till explaining he will be carefully considering the weather both during the upcoming race and for the return journey.

“The final event of the Beyond the Bay course with transiting the heads were less daunting than I had expected, even though it was blowing strongly, I was so pleased with how well we handled it” he recalled.

“Still, it was the overnight race that stood out most. “It was such a beautiful night, and I got to enjoy it with my son.”

With the mindset shaped by his experience during the Beyond the Bay course, Till says “sailing in my happy place” reflecting on the knowledge and prior skillsets learnt and is ready to sail in the upcoming Apollo Bay race.

Photos provided by Till Brauckmann