Stranded in Esperance a real test of perseverance

• NEWS
• 23 Nov, 2007 03:48:00 PM

Stranded in Esperance a real test of perseverance

With no time to organise another delivery crew, a resourceful Humphries has, from his motel room in Esperance, organised a truck to pick up his S&S 34 Huckleberry a week from today and transport it across the Nullarbor to Sydney.

For some lucky skippers, heading out to the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart on Boxing Day can be as convenient as stepping on to their boat berthed at one of the Sydney Harbour marinas and motoring to the starting area.

While all have to complete the rigorous entry process and prepare their crew and boat for the often treacherous Bass Strait crossing, by the time start day rolls around, one West Australian skipper will no doubt feel like he’s already completed the tough 628 nautical mile ocean classic.

Steve Humphries set out from Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth last week and after six days at sea ran head on into gale force winds.

“The boat was to sail to Sydney with a delivery crew of two,” said Humphries. “As luck may have it, the trip south to Cape Leewin proved to be a bit on the nose with 50 knots across the deck and with the addition of a gale south of WA, the experience proved too much for the crew who decided they didn’t want to continue and asked to be dropped off in Esperance.”

With no time to organise another delivery crew, a resourceful Humphries has, from his motel room in Esperance, organised a truck to pick up his S&S 34 Huckleberry a week from today and transport it across the Nullarbor to Sydney.

Humphries has coined this year’s race “an achievable working man’s Everest (I hope)” and it’s something he’s been working towards for many years.

“In 2001 and 2002 I crewed on two Sydney Hobart races on a boat called Breakaway and after that I vowed to do the race in my own boat one year,” said Humphries

“As I’m retiring and getting older, I decided that if I didn’t do it this year then it probably it wouldn’t happen.

“To this end I purchased Huckleberry in June last year from Mike Finn, who raced it very successfully in WA.

“The preparation and the cost started almost immediately with a new mast and rigging, overhauled motor and a preliminary sail wardrobe.

“Most nights after work were spent on the boat doing something to bring the boat up to cat 1 racing standard, other nights were spent on the paper work required to enter the race.

“The first real test of boat and crew was the Perth to Geraldton return race last month. The race up was fine, even though we were the last boat home, but the race back was to prove to be a test for both boat and crew.”

Humphries has had to face another test getting to Sydney for the start in less than five weeks but he’s determined to continue on.

And perhaps typical of a sailor, he’s managed to convince his bride of a month to fly down to Esperance this weekend for their honeymoon, which had to be postponed due to Huckleberry’s Rolex Sydney Hobart preparations. 

Huckleberry is one of four West Australian entries for the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2007 - Lisa Ratcliff