by Roger Deane, GBR9125
Not that it is normally the thing you think about at the start of an adventure abroad, but we thought it was pretty cool that the return flight back from Australia was scheduled to land at 5:05! They call it the ‘Dreamliner’ and flying out on the Qantas flagship non-stop to Perth was a fabulous experience. Good choice of films available too – I watched Jaws thinking I might learn something….just in case!
We didn’t realise quite how much stuff we had until we tried to put the luggage and 4 people into what was basically a London Taxi at Perth airport. It was quite hot, and it was windows down all the way for the 30-minute ride in to Freemantle.
We’d opted for an apartment in the centre of town which as it turned out proved to be an ideal spot – a particular feature being the wine discount store opposite (called Cellarbrations!) and, although we didn’t use it, a swimming pool for washing sailing kit!
Having dropped off our bags we headed off on foot to find the sailing club, boats and bikes, and after a small diversion to a fishing tackle supermarket, we got there.
What a lovely spot. It’s Australia and you have to be so careful about the UV when you are in the sunshine – at the expense of Sartorial elegance Zinc sun cream was obligatory!
We already knew that the containers had been unloaded, not incidentally as part of the welcome by our hosts, but on the insistence of the Aussie customs officers who thought they saw a leaf in the bottom of one of the boats when they inspected the contents! A leaf! – like that was a bigger hazard than Terry Scutcher’s sailing kit!
Boats were already coming and going from the harbour and the smiles on the faces of those coming ashore told us all we needed to know about the sailing conditions off Fremantle on the Indian Ocean.
Dolphins in Fremantle Harbour
The organisers had assigned each boat with a berthing spot and once we’d found ours it was rigging time and launch. I have to say the sail out of the harbour was not a pleasant experience – a high sea wall deflecting the wind upwards only for it to come down on top of you and mean the only way out was to literally hug the boats berthed in the marina and wallow out – most odd…but as they say a bad day in Fremantle harbour is better than a good day at Ogston…..or Burton!!
But was it worth it……OH YES!…. On rounding the marina wall there it is – turquoise water with white capped waves and just a hint of the Doctor coming to visit. Later in the week we were joined here by dolphins just to add to the smiles.
On leaving the harbour on port tack going West there was quite a confused short chop until you got a quarter of a mile or so out and you tacked off. Going South the water flattened and got quite shallow and you could see large sting rays swimming just above the sandy sea bed. We were of course being vigilant just in case there was anything bigger around…you know, with a fin sticking out of the water!
We got the boat wound up in about 18 knots of warm south westerly thermal breeze – this was heaven – and continued up wind for about an hour tacking a few times as we headed out to a bit of land in the distance which I think was Carnac Island Nature Reserve. We seemed to have the whole ocean to ourselves and with the salt water now burning my eyes we bore away, popped the kite and absolutely creamed back towards Fremantle.
Now we knew what all the fuss surrounding this place was about – the breeze had freshened and with no real current the sea state was pretty even and the waves were not as big as I think they would have been off, say, Weymouth or Lyme in 22 knots. Brilliant!
We gybed a couple of times on the way back before dropping the bag and navigating the harbour entrance. Funny…when creeping out in the fluky marina conditions it was a beat and on the way back it was also a beat! The Dragons were also in Freo for their Worlds but of course they didn’t have to go through this as they were mostly towed out.
So we had met the Doctor! We were happy campers. It was sunny and hot ashore and after a quick hose down we walked across the lawned dinghy park to the Fremantle Sailing Club for a drop of amber nectar. Swan beer (presumably named after the Swan river which runs through Perth) was the medicine on tap although the other local beer called Roger’s Little Creatures might have been more appropriate!
Bikes were our selected method of transport whilst in Fremantle although I was very impressed with Uber’s service – pretty cheap and seemingly always one available. It was a downwind 10 minute cycle from the Club back in to town and after a quick do down through we walked into town for dinner. There are bags of restaurants on South Terrace catering for most tastes and they do serve decent size portions.
We basically did the same thing for a few days although in the middle of it all was a 6 race Pre Worlds Regatta which gave us champagne sailing conditions – pretty tough I know!
3 athletes ready for NYE Freo style!
This took us to new years eve and most of the team out there opted to go to the ‘70’s Themed New Year’s Eve Party’ at Fremantle SC – we hadn’t really come prepared for this but I think we all made a great effort all be it that some of the dye on the newly acquired items of clothing wasn’t quite up to a sweaty session on the dance floor!
A day of rest and all of a sudden it was the 2nd of January and the serious stuff was about to start.
The Worlds sailing week was broken up by a generously hosted party by Matt Hansen at his amazing house overlooking the Swan River in Perth.
We managed to do some of the touristy stuff – why wouldn’t you when you go half way round the world. Rotnest island is a beautiful place – you get there on a fast ferry and it is well worth a day out. There you find amazing un touched beaches and these funny little animals called Quokkas like a cross between a rat and a kangaroo but believed by many to be the happiest animal on the Planet (that is apart from those hanging from a wire on a fivo in 22 knots off Freemantle!)
You all know by now what happened next: Mike and Adam sailed flawlessly to take the Championship during which we had many fantastic experiences on the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean. The race organisation was spot on and I can see why this place is referred to as one of the best venues for 5O5 sailing – it certainly is!
When can we come back?
