Way back where it all began
Monday, March 7th, 2005It’s pretty surprising when you look back at where our sailing all
started., seeing as pretty much anywhere I go I tend to run into
people from back in the beginning, or I still keep in contact with
them or whatever. Coutts talked about his
early days back in Dunedin or some southern NZ backwater, I guess
our start was even more humble (and so are the rest of our sailing
careers in comparison I’m sure).
Anyway, Urunga was the place where it started back in ‘86 or ‘87.
Urunga is at the junction of the Bellingen and Kalang rivers on the
North Coast of NSW, some 30 minutes South of Coffs Harbour. There’s
not much of a club there, just a fibro shed on stilts on the edge
of the golf course. Come to think of it, there wasn’t much water
there either. With the widest part being less than 100m across, the
narrowest about 5. The tide dictated the sailable area most of the
time, with sandbars covering probably 75% of the course. Yes there
was tide, and there were rocks on most of the shore. The rocks had
oysters, and the fun combination of tide, rocks, oysters, slow
boats and inexperienced kids meant for some interesting learning
experiences.
Anyway, sailing on a Sunday in the late 80’s was a family thing.
The dads ran the rescue boats and set the courses. The mums made
cakes and manned the kitchen. We made our own marks and we did
sail-a-thons to raise money for motors and tinnies. We at first
bought old timber Manly Juniors from the club for $200 or so. There
was myself and my older sister Tina in one, Jacob and his older
sister Rina in another. There was Tai, Aiyana and Onni sharing a
third boat. My best mate Sam and his older sister Amy were there
too. We all buggerised around in crap boats learning things here
and there as we went about it. I’ll find some old photos to add
eventually.
Dad did his usual school teacher thing and made it all happen, made
sure we all had fun. We did swim/run/paddle/sail races, races where
we caught floating baloons, races where we had to get out and pull
the boat across the sandbars. Typical stuff you’d find at your
average sailing club - not.
Anyway, Belinda came down and steered a boat for a girl (Kelly
maybe) after a while. Amy & Sam got a new fibreglass one
(ooooh). We took our old timber shitters home and re-varnished them
up. Things trundled along nicely for a few years.
The Dad got more school teacher-ish and organised a few local
regattas. We had a club championship with home-made results boards,
he organised a “Mini-skiff” regatta with our boats and the kids
from Grafton and Harwood (hardly skiffs when they raced Sabots).
Andrew Doble, Rob Fish and the older kids from up North kicked our
arses. Dad got more keen and asked the Sydney MJ fraternity to a
“Country Style” regatta in about ‘91. Lee Knapton & Julia
Bower, Tim & Simon Lee, Stuart Rab, Christian Stevens, Matt
& Ben Felton and more turned up to race. Let’s just say they
were a little surprised when they arrived to sail against country
hick kids with no skills sailing shite boats at a worse than shite
venue. But then they had fun, and some of them came back again, and
again.
We all got keener.
The Christians upgraded their boat, so did we. Roger bought a new
one for Tai. Tai raced the Nationals at Middle Harbour, and Aiyanna
raced against Tina & I in the apprentice division. We finished
half the races, and were beaten into third by Michael Rynan &
Paul Atkins - the paddling cheating bastards 
So on it went, the more regattas we went to, the keener we got. The
Howlins turned up. The “Mini Skiff” got bigger, we got better and
better gear. We came back for the Nationals at Royal Motor the next
year and were trolling around in 39th with no idea. Nathan Wilmot
one every race.
We got better gear, we had a coach come up from Sydney. Our racing
got more serious. Rina and Tina got their own boats, Jacob trained
up younger sister Melanie, I trained up Emma. Suellen & Simon
Hurling bought a boat and drove from Grafton every weekend to race.
Tina tought Kylie Mara, Rina tought Coryn. There was another
brother combo - but I can’t remember their names. Dad’s 6 week fun
kids sailing courses were pulling in more people. The Brunning’s
arrived, the Beattie’s left and so did the unnamed brothers.
Belinda moved on to Hobies at Coffs, the Elliotts moved on to other
things.
Not to say everything was sunny and happy. The rivaly between
myself and Jacob was pretty intense, lines were drawn,
confrontations were had. Politics, bitching and backstabbing came
and went.
Tina and I teamed up at Manly for another Nationals two years after
the last and beat Jacob for 4th. Jacob went on to win the NSW
States. We were getting better. The rot was setting in.
The next year Suellen moved onto F11s, buying the existing National
Champion boat and taking Tina as crew. Jacob and I dominated the
MJs, winning every race of the States and Nationals between us -
well he won all but 1 heat of the States. That was 10 years
ago.
I could go on and on and on, but that might be act 2, and 3.
So where did that small bunch of country hick kids end up 15+ years
later?
Well here I am, sailing as madly as ever on pretty much anything I
can get.
Jacob went off the rails for a long time, but came back to win the
B14 Nationals a few years back, and go close to winning the 16′
Skiff Nationals this year (well they lead early).
Tai went on to race big boats with Pierre, sportsboats with Pierre,
29ers with me in Italy, and now crews for Julian Bethwaite on a
49er.
Belinda has been number 2 or 3 in Womens Hobie sailing for the last
5 years.
Rina and Tina both stopped sailing. As did the Beatties. Suellen
sailed, got married etc. Melissa went and became a lawyer.
The younger Christians Melanie and Jenna continued on sailing, and
still do.
Kylie went close to winning the F11s, and now dominates the NS14s
with Coryn as crew. Their younger brother races 11s.
Emma was the first girl to win the MJs. She teaches windsurfing in
Greece.
Simon sails a laser in Brisbane, Ashly sails a laser in Sydney. The
younger Brunnings still sail 11s.
So for a bunch of kids with no idea in the middle of nowhere, we’ve
all done ok. The main thing is that the vast majority of us all
still sail, and absolutely love it. We still do what we can to draw
others into our sailing way of life, and plenty have followed
us.
But everything goes in cycles. I’m sure Urungu is now the quite
little fibro shed it used to be… with some boards with our names
on them. Coffs is rattling along with a decreasing number of
sailors. It will die off with the currenct generation. It might all
come back in a few years, it might not. I’m sure the bunch from way
back then will still have fun.
Now wasn’t that all philosophical for a Monday.
