The RENDEZVOUS is a series of 6 races over 6 days with a layday thrown in on day 4. Some wonderful Jazz greeted participants before the Sunday arvo briefing at the Yacht Club, Ric Clarkes relaxed instructions basically translating into …have fun and go for it! The most serious directives were official starter,Brian Snells, advice regarding the reef off Dalrymple Point and the handicap notices stern caution - PLEASE NOTE - WE KNOW WHAT SANDBAGGING IS! Brians treasured Hartley cabin cruiser, FURY, added a classic touch on the lines as start boat, zooming timekeepers and spectators around in grand style and always boasting a happy crew.
Twelve multis rendezvoused with an even spread between the two divisions. An assortment of designs in the racing division covered the gamut of go fasts from a little Farrier 24 and Grainger 075 right through to mid size Crowthers and the awesome 53ft Crowther/Turner creation, A ROOM WITH A VIEW. The cruising division boasted a collection of beautiful Graingers , spiced with a Schionning 40, Perry 43 and Simpson 37. The zippy Grainger Lightwave 10.5, ZIG ZAG enjoyed their very first race since their honeymoon launch in March 2000. Steve and Laura were unable to coerce crewman, Peter Safe, to jettison the plaster around his recently broken leg but figured Lucy and Chester (their British Shorthair cats) were no lightweights anyway! ZIG ZAG smiled their way through all six races, even jagging a First in the Cruising Division for race 4. Lucy and Chester decided to reserve their energy for something more spectacular than racing - like food - and held their crew positions well, namely sleep stations in the saloon.
The stunning Schionning 40, COSMIC RIDER carried an ever changing bevy of crew, owners Steve and Pat Halter meeting loads of fellow aussie cruisers, hence satisfying one of their RENDEZVOUS goals. Their daily scout for crew never proved difficult, COSMIC RIDER proving a temptation for all.. Their bright orange spinnaker, ‘Granny’ was borrowed from a friend,adding a splash of tangerine triangle amidst glorious blue skies and seas.The small old kite was nearly emblazoned with a pumpkin face to truly finish it off but Pat resisted the temptation. A smiley spinnaker would have proved a perfect addition to an already happy bunch although its owner may not have found it so funny!
The 37ft Simpson, SCIOLTO stayed on the drum for the first race with new owner John Stanton electing to rest both body and boat after an overnight slog from Townsville. John and Helen collected some valuable knowledge about their new boat throughout the RENDEZVOUS with John saying by Race 5, they ‘finally figured out how to make the boat go!’ He also discovered wife Helen to be an excellent helmswoman, managing to continually wrench out that further half a knot. Watch out all cruisers in 2002!
Crews were almost as varied as the fleet, experience ranging in years from nil to 80 plus. Syd Wood’s seen more races than Sunday Roasts, proving a more than valuable tactician aboard the 15 mth old luxury cruise ship, CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE. Less than perfect eyesight didn’t affect Syds sharp sense of strategy, lending the Perry 43 a real edge. Crew members Jenny and David also helped tap CHARLIEs talents while enjoying some leisurely racing .Owners, Laurie and Sally Hohn have obviously mastered multi hulls after 30 years of valuable experience aboard a Swanson 38. In just 15 months they have achieved an easy relationship with their magnificent boat and know how to extract the most from it. This cellar of skills, along with Syds experience and the sparkling performance of CHARLIE itself saw them improve each race to eventually win a sparkling SECOND place in the Cruising Division.
The seasoned skills of Reg Harris were also appreciated aboard last years overall winner, SALTONAY. Regs decades of experience including two Sydney to Hobarts and countless cruisings made this years race one to remember for owners Tony and Sally Henderson. Sally and Tony collected not only some pearls of wisdom but also learnt a modicum of swearing really does lessen the pain of not placing and tearing a headsail into the bargain! The stately Grainger 12 metre will hopefully be a regular entrant for years to come with Sally suggesting a prize for the ‘eldest crew’ be a feature of RENDEZVOUS 2002!
THIRD to prove their winning ways in the Cruising Division were the happy crew on the giant Grainger 430, THIS WAY UP. Owners Dave and Pattie Bowden along with crew Tony and Pam Mumford showed they definitely knew UP from DOWN, racing like old hands in their first regatta ever. Daves advice for future participants sums up the crews priorities and the RENDEZVOUS overall vibe … ‘ …bring suitable shoes for dancing at Montes. Thongs and sandals are O.K. …!’
The immaculate Grainger has to take the unofficial award for Most Spectacular Finish after carving their way from Fourth to First over the line through a mess of stalled boats in Race 2. It was a classic case of ‘…what the …?’ when the three leading boats pinched further and further up but cut it a little too fine, sitting pretty - but STOPPED - only metres from the finish. With momentum behind them and a clear passage ahead, THIS WAY UP elegantly swanned through amidst giggles and groans to casually cross the line - a great memento of their first RENDEZVOUS and one which will hopefully entice them to further Regattas.
‘…Sailing and tales told over a cold beer’ lured the gorgeous Grainger Azure 40, ENDLESS SUMMER to the RENDEZVOUS but owners Bob and Anne Brown had no idea they’d be endlessly winning rum for the entire regatta! Bob and Anne have previously only raced small monos but 2 1/2 years cruising and living aboard ENDLESS SUMMER has obviously stoked their multi expertise to sizzling as they placed FIRST or SECOND in all but the last race.Their highly able crew, Geoff and Kim Macinnery of the Port Curtis Sailing Club regularly race a Northshore 33,their experience adding fuel to ENDLESS SUMMERs already winning style. Geoff enjoyed a break from his role as Racing Director for the Gladstone to Great Keppel Island Ocean Race, adding multihull racing to his broad range of knowledge. It wasn’t surprising to hear the ENDLESS SUMMER crew called to the podium to collect FIRST in the Cruising Division, a well justified honour for an amazingly consistent effort. Bob and Anne also have their priorities well in hand with no further racing planned for a while - ‘…NONE -we’re cruising …’ being their definitive response. Well … until next year we hope!
Some notable identities escaped the Race Week Riot at Airlie or the rigeurs of work to support Rendezvous 2001 with John Cadewallader of AVATAR jumping between ships to share his expertise and A ROOM WITH A VIEWs’ owner, Tony Pilgrim deeming the RENDEZVOUS a great excuse to fly back to Oz. Tony and skipper Matt Jensen had the pleasure of testing spanking new sails with the sailmaker himself, Jason McMillan of Halsey Lidguard managing to escape the loft for a day to book onto the ROOM and strain a few neck muscles admiring his handiwork.
Shane Croghan, Regional Manager of CARLTON UNITED BREWERIES enjoyed flying aboard the stunning 40ft Schionning, COSMIC RIDER. (along with explaining some of the finer points of beer drinking to a captive audience at Montes Resort!)
Shanes presence was greatly appreciated by all and CARLTON UNITEDs generous sponsorship cannot be praised enough. The crew from EMULTIHULLS brokerage in Airlie Beach, Keith Roberts and Jim Gard were spotted taking breaks from the spartan ( and wet!) decks of their Grainger 075 to relax on some of the more spacious ships but it was HALCYON 60 designer, Horst Anna who proved the true ‘multi moll’ swapping boats daily and thoroughly enjoying every multified minute of it.
Local identities were also well represented by the super sportsmen aboard Ric Clarkes Farrier 24, STUNNED MULLET. Bennie, Geoff and ‘Roscoe’ are famous far and wide for their esky trimming abilities and diligent provisioning of liquid refreshments therein! The boys continued to build upon this illustrious reputation while also squeezing in some impressive sailing. Their combination of comraderie, skill and determination to have a good time placed them in nearly all races although their advice for future participants reveals a missing element in their RENDEZVOUS experience …. BRING MORE SINGLE GIRLS! their collective plea.
The two local Crowthers, TROPIC GOLD (Shockwave 29) and FAST COMPANY (Windspeed 36) are also regular speedsters on the Bowen race scene with lots of local knowledge hidden in their hulls and the skills to seal it - always a successful combo. And one which saw both sail away with a prize.
FAST COMPANY proved a constant and competitive companion for ROOM WITH A VIEW, the two Crowthers making a stunning spectacle on many occasions as they battled it out, sometimes only metres apart. The Windspeed 36 was often praised by ROOMs skipper, Matt Jensen, who found its performance both dazzling AND challenging. Warren Dickinson and Brian Phillips proved size doesn’t always matter, FAST COMPANY placing in all but two races and taking out a tidy THIRD in the Racing Division overall. They enjoyed the shorter legs and were rarely seen far from the lead. Warren will no doubt prove a stiff contender in 2002 and urges future participants to just ‘BE THERE … it’s a great place for sailing …’
SECOND in Division One was the slick little Grainger tri, EMULTIHULLS.COM. The 075 matched COSMIC RIDERs record for crew changes, along with setting the RENDEZVOUS 2001 boat speed record, achieving a maximum of 20 knots in race 6. They also enjoyed battling A ROOM WITH A VIEW for line honours. A David and Goliath script was played out over the RENDEZVOUS duration with the little tri and giant cat eventually scoring an even three races each. Keith Roberts says comedy was alive and well aboard with the ‘Johnnie Cadewallader pissing to windward’ routine providing the boys with more than their usual soaking! The EMULTIHULLS crew were also humoured to cross the start line with fenders blazing in one race and outboard leg ‘out there’ in another. Their ill fated attempt to sail into the bar at Montes was also pretty entertaining. Drying a spinnaker out by way of hoisting it on the beach NOT one of their better ideas. Despite these minor oversights (and over flows!) EMULTIHULLS battled their handicap excellently to continue blazing their way along a trail of race placings.
The little yellow modified Crowther Shockwave, TROPIC GOLD thoroughly enjoyed each and every RENDEZVOUS race, proving well worth their weight and revelling in some challenging tussles with the leaders of the pack. Their wealth of experience saw them triumphant, however, as they sailed their way to a treasured FIRST in Division One. Owner Bob Critchley found the damage to his headsail well soothed by the honour and looks forward to repeating the performance next year. Perhaps TROPIC GOLD has now set the difference between itself and GOLD RUSH, another Crowther 29. Bob says when they finally met recently, both agreed they had been getting each other into ‘a fair bit of trouble….!’ TROPIC GOLDs deserved win is a great plug for the local racing scene and proves the RENDEZVOUS is for all multis to enjoy, regardless of size, age - or colour!
Bobs wealth of experience and TROPIC GOLDS gleaming performance will no doubt continue to shine in future RENDEZVOUS, the bulkhead growing heavier with plaques each year. (9 carat not guaranteed however!)
Predominately light conditions saw little damage in the fleet although EMULTIHULLS sailed to excess twice, adding an interesting new slant to their prodder - they WILL have such a high powered rig!. STUNNED MULLET also returned with a ‘stump’ at the end of Race 4. Both boats ‘injuries’ were efficiently and quickly mended with the race lay day utilised in the traditional manner. While others meandered on the beautiful Bowen golf course or luxuriated at BBQs, EMULTIHULLS and STUNNED MULLET laboured in carpark and marina - fixing things! A ROOM WITH A VIEW and SALTONAY also damaged headsails while SCIOLTO reported his only gear failure to be a blocked head!
Comic highlights were many but COSMIC RIDERs stellar ‘dak dropping’ in the last race is up there with EMULTIHULLS beach spinnaker run. Steves performance really had COSMIC RIDER ‘cracking’ along that day!
Montes Reef Resort proved a favourite with everyone as usual, fantastic entertainment and a sumptuous smorgasboard adding the finishing touches to an already magic stopover. The races to and from MONTES were also high on every boats enjoyment list with the anticipation of a party ‘MONTES’ style a motivating force in Race 3… more than one boat load of racers appearing not so racey at breakfast the next morning! Fresher conditions in Race 4 were appreciated by all with some impressive boat speeds achieved in the Racing Division and spectacular downwind slides home for the Cruisers .
The MULTIHULL RENDEZVOUS is a great multi meet …As Warren Dickinson so eloquently put it - ‘JUST BE THERE!’

RENDEZVOUS 2001 RESULTS

DIVISION ONE
1 - TROPIC GOLD
2 - EMULTIHULLS .COM
3 - FAST COMPANY

DIVISION TWO
1 - ENDLESS SUMMER
2 - CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE
3 - THIS WAY UP