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Greg is 'Making Waves' in the iconic Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Home 2025 Greg is 'Making Waves' in the iconic Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

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Greg, a 60-year-old sailor from Newcastle, is getting ready for his third Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – a feat he never imagined after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2008.

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But a suggestion from a friend changed his perspective completely.

“I was diagnosed with MS and thought that was it for me,” Greg says. “Then a mate said, ‘Let’s go sailing around the world,’ and everything turned around from there.”

Greg Pugh will be on board MWF Kayle for this year's race.

At the time, Greg had never sailed out to sea.

So he contacted his local yacht club and was introduced to the Making Waves Foundation, a charity making sailing accessible for people with disability.

Not long after, Greg was invited to join a crew competing in the 2014 Sydney to Hobart.

“I’d never been at sea before,” Greg laughs. “Two weeks later, I was on a boat heading to Hobart.”

Despite being a new offshore sailor, Greg’s crew finished 20th out of 117 boats. He was hooked.

“I remember thinking, ‘This is exactly where I’m meant to be.’”

MWF Kayle sailing in the 2025 Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race - Salty Dingo pic.

Making sailing accessible

The Making Waves Foundation, originally known as Sailors with Disabilities, made history in 1994 when they competed in the Sydney to Hobart with a crew made up of people with disability – and they have competed in the race every year since.

For this year's Sydney to Hobart, half of the Making Waves Foundation crew has a disability. They will be racing aboard MWF Kayle, a yacht designed to be accessible.

The custom-built ocean racer has easy wheelchair access, ropes contained on one side for easier handling, and a ramp that can be attached to a dock for boarding. 

“We’ve had blind sailors, deaf sailors, people with neurological conditions,” Greg says.

“Once you’re on the boat, you’re just a crew. Everyone has a role, and everyone matters.”

MWF Kayle leaving Sydney Heads in the 2025 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast - CYCA/Andrea Francolini pic.

Giving back through sailing 

Greg’s involvement with the Making Waves Foundation has grown into something bigger. He now volunteers with programs such as ‘Winds of Change’ and ‘Winds of Joy’, helping children and young people with disability experience sailing.

“It’s incredibly rewarding,” Greg says. “Being able to give back and actually make a difference means a lot.” 

“Some of the kids arrive a bit apprehensive the first time, but most of the time you see a real change. It’s about giving them the confidence and the opportunity… that’s what it’s all about.”

Life lessons at sea

The Sydney to Hobart is a tough race in any year, but Greg says sailing has taught him how to stay grounded and given him a perspective that extends beyond the water. 

“Once you get out there, you've got no land-based cares in the world,” he says. “You're just concentrating on keeping the boat going where it's going. It doesn't matter whether the garbage got put out yesterday or not.” 

The race is known for its unpredictable and often extreme weather, and one storm in particular remains vivid in his memory.

“Coming back from Hobart, we hit a thunderstorm. The lightning strikes were so close, we could smell the ozone.” 

“That’s the most scared I’ve been on a boat,” he says. “I’m not religious, but you begin to pray in that situation… and stay away from metal objects.”

“Everyone is a little scared of the Sydney to Hobart, but it's the courageous that face their fears and succeed regardless," Greg adds. 

For Greg, experiences like that reveal one of sailing’s core realities. 

“You can’t control the weather,” he says. “When you’re out there, it’s just you, the boat, and the wind.” 

Preparing for the big race

Preparing for the Sydney to Hobart is no small task. Greg and his team spend months training, fine-tuning MWF Kayle, and gathering supplies. They race together in a series of lead-up events, but the Sydney to Hobart is the main focus.

“We’ve already done the Gold Coast Race this year, so we’re in good shape,” Greg says. 

In the weeks before the start, attention turns to final preparations.

“I’m training every day and raising money,” he says. “We’re down there on the weekend too, getting the sails ready, organising all the non-perishable food and water, and making sure everything’s ready to go.”

“So on the day, we just have to load the frozen food and head out to start the race.”

By race day, the groundwork is complete, and the team can finally turn its full-attention to the race ahead, with 142 boats set to depart Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Boxing Day.  

Celebrating at the finish line

After an expected four days at sea, crossing the finish line is a sweet moment. Greg says he and the team have a post-race tradition. 

“We’ll head to the Customs House Hotel and celebrate with a curry scallop pie,” he laughs. “It’s a bit of a tradition.” 

For Greg, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is more than just a competition.

“It's the entire disabled crew, showing everyone with a disability that if you work together and try hard enough, you can achieve anything,” says Greg.

To help Greg and the Making Waves Foundation crew in the Sydney to Hobart, donate to their fundraising page and support opportunities for sailors with disability.