Racing J FORCE

When I caught wind that there was an opportunity to work as crew on a racing yacht, I had to go for it! I spoke to the Skipper of J FORCE. He was more than happy to take me on and asked me to crew for his upcoming sunset race. I could barely contain my excitement as I counted down the days. I've been on yachts and sailing ships before, but have never had the opportunity to crew in a race. I had no idea what to expect but it was going to be a fun adventure.

Alex Foreman crewing J FORCE, during a sunset yacht race from Sandringham Anchorage, Port Phillip Bay

I made my way down to the Sandringham Yacht Club, taking the scenic coastal route. It was windy, and the sea looked choppy, which only added to my excitement. Warren, the Skipper, greeted me with a friendly smile and a warm welcome, then I set about making myself a useful as possible. I was surprised to find the yacht sitting ashore on a giant trolley. We prepared the boat and wheeled her over to a large crane, where Warren hoisted the yacht into the air while I steadied her with the bow line. The boat was carefully swung out and lowered into the sea. At this point the rest of the crew arrived. I followed Trish and Chris, and tried to keep up as they rigged the sails.

J FORCE ready for hoisting into the sea.

Warren, Skipper of J FORCE and yacht racing addict

The last yacht I sailed aboard was Dux Nutz on a leisurely cruise from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast boat show. Dux Nutz is a German made luxury Hanse yacht full of every amenity you can imagine, sort of like a floating high end caravan. J FORCE is a very different animal indeed.

Alex Foreman sailing the Dux Nutz

J FORCE is an Italian made J-class single mast racing yacht. She's a gorgeous boat with lovely sleek lines but she is made for racing, not pleasure. The yacht uses a simple tiller instead of a helm and there are zero comforts aboard. As we sailed out of Sandringham Anchorage, we hit the chop and I realised why most of the yachties were wearing waterproof overalls. The skipper ordered me to untie and secure the bow line, and as I fumbled with the knot a wave came straight over the bow and drenched me. I tightened my shoe laces after another wave nearly took the runners off my feet. Now this is sailing!

The competitors

Warren manoeuvred J FORCE to the start line. Due to handicap penalties, we had to start at the back of the pack and then try to overtake the other boats. I was grinning from ear to ear as we passed the start line. "That's it, we're racing!" cried the skipper. The yacht heeled over and sped ahead as the wind filled her sails. I had no idea how skilled Warren was as a skipper, but when he calmly passed boat after boat, I started getting the picture.

Skipper Warren (left) brings J FORCE in at 4th place, assisted by experienced yachtie Chris

Trish and I had the relatively simple job of counter weighting the yacht. As the wind in the sails caused the boat to heel one way, we had to hang off the opposite side to improve stability. Then when the boat tacked, the wind swung to the opposite side and the big steel boom swung violently across the deck while Trish and I scrambled under it to get to the opposite side. I found the best way to do the was to swing my feet towards the opposite side, lay flat and slide through the narrow gap between the boom and the deck. The only thing preventing us from sliding off the boat was a length of wire that we had to grab. I took a few bruises before I got it down pat.

There is something absolutely magical about a boat under sail. It is a pure experience, like flying a glider or floating in a hot air balloon. Then when doing it in a race, there is the added thrill of competition, urgency in doing your best and the danger as corners are cut fine and other boats pass withing a few feet at speed. Warren managed to bring us in at 4th place. A good finish considering he started at the back of the pack!

We had some drama to finish off the day. As we were coming in to tie up, another boat had a crewman go overboard between their boat and the dock. He just disappeared under the water, and about 15 seconds later his head popped up in a very unfortunate place. His boat was still closing on the concrete dock and his head was sandwiched between them. Our crewman Chris sprang into action. He bolted across and pushed the offending vessel away. The wet yachtie made it out ok and the day was finished with a cold beer. Cheers J FORCE and crew for the fun times! I hope to sail with you again.