Double the Trouble
The Melbourne to Osaka Double Handed Yacht Race will begin in less
than one month, with approximately 23 crews currently going through
their final preparations. The race, being run for the sixth time in
2007, occurs every four years and attracts a mix of both Australian
and Japanese entrants.
 One of the stalwarts of short handed sailing and a three time winner
of the event is yacht designer and boat builder Jon Sayer of Mooloolaba,
a beautiful beachside town on the east coast of Queensland, Australia.
I first
heard about Jon while working in the marine industry in the early
nineties – his
reputation followed him around like a shadow. A little
rough around the edges in those days, rumour had
it that he was so against wearing footwear that a
mate had to cut the soles out of a pair of shoes
to allow him entry into the local yacht club! That and word had
it he had faired a boat with a brick!
This year Jon is racing with Murray Bucknall, representing Southport
Yacht Club on a Sayer 12 Ryujin-FGI. (Meaning 'Luminous Being'. The
Japanese dragon god of the sea.)
So what
makes Jon tick? What makes him continue to return
to this race of endurance?
ASC
How would you describe your introduction
to sailing?
JS
My father built one of the first Ferro cement yachts
in NZ and I sailed on this at the age of 5. Started
dingy sailing at the age of about 9.
ASC
Is it true that you once faired a boat with a brick?
JS
Basically, when you break down the consistency of
sand paper, it has a gritty type of finish. When
taking the sand rough off a Ferro yacht, they are
easy to hold. Hey, there were just lying around in
the grass so.....??
ASC
What is your absolute favourite sailing memory?
JS
Hard to say whether it was a favourite memory or
a bloody nightmare. We had a great run in one of
my earlier 12m yachts in a Sydney to Mooloolaba, and
we did a lot of hard running in about 35knts of breeze
with a spinnaker up which had us winning the race by
miles. Most other exciting periods of sailing involved
the fairer sex!! Delivering Jedi Warrior to Brisbane without
an auto pilot always brings a smile to the face.
ASC
How many Melbourne to Osaka races have you competed
in? What were your results in those races?
JS
I have done three, this will be my fourth. This year
if all goes well there will be only two of us that
have done four.
- 1st race with Peter Mounsey, 1st in under 12m division,
beat all yachts in 14m division, 4th boat home.
- 2nd race with Rob Drury, 1st overall and first under
12m division
- 3rd race on my own yacht with Joel Berg. 1st in under
12m division, 3rd yacht home, new race record for
division (from Peter Mounsey)
ASC
How have you improved the design of Ryujin-FGI
compared to Team FGI (competing in this year’s race under “Runaway”)?
 JS
Ryujin-FGI and Wasabi are true 12m designed yachts
for the race. Team FGI was designed as a 10m yacht
and I added a scoop on the back to give me a bit more
waterline length.
We are bigger and faster all around.
ASC
Since Ryujin-FGI has been on the water, have those
modifications paid off?
JS
Easier to sail and more forgiving. We still have to
be on our toes, but she is bigger and easier in a sea
way.
ASC
What factors do you consider when choosing materials
and suppliers for a Melbourne to Osaka boat? Does this
compare to other builds for more standard purposes?
JS
No different really, just a bit more global electronics used like
Sat com C.
ASC
How have the costs of doing the race changed from when you first
did the race in (what year was it??)? What was the average budget
then and what is the average budget now?
JS
When we raced the first race on Flying Fish, the total budget to
hit Japan was about $170,000 which covered the entire
campaign. This time, we have spent that same amount on mast and deck
gear for one of our yachts with a carbon rig and PBO rigging.
In reality, it would cost double for the same
yacht but the same yacht would not win the race....so we
spend more on more exotic type materials.
ASC
How do you balance being a competitor, a yacht designer
and a short handed consultant?
JS
I guess it comes easy to me as I design, build, and
sail the things for this race so I know what to expect
on the averages. The biggest dilemma is how far out
on a limb you go with having a purpose built yacht
for the race, and an after life for the beast when
you have finished. Too extreme and it would be like
going cruising on your AC yacht after the cup has been won (by the
Kiwis)
ASC
Who is your biggest threat on the water? How much information
gathering can you do (or have you done) on the other
teams before the race? Or is the preparation more introspective
ie; preparing within the team, rather than finding
out about the competitors and/or their boats?
JS
Everyone is a threat. The biggest hurdle is getting
the boat built and actually getting to Melbourne. With
my two sister ships I feel we can chase the big boys
for line honours although we are one of the smallest
yachts in the fleet. Our biggest problem will be the
crew itself. How good are we to keep her going at full
tilt? Have we done enough to be fit? Have we got all
the systems to evaluate weather and currents correct....and
the lists go on.
ASC
Describe the race in stages.
 JS
- Melbourne - East Coast of Australia
This is the tricky one, do you
go straight through the East Coast Australian southerly
current early and get off shore?; or do you go
up the beach for 5 days and get totally worn out with close coastal manoeuvring?
Generally, I like to go offshore but during the
last race, the buggers got a 240 mile jump on us because we ran out of wind
while in the Southerly set.
- East Coast of Australia - Equator
This is easy and fun. South East
trade winds mean good passage making. The later of
this period is where my yachts are designed to excel in the lighter
doldrums areas.
- Equator - Osaka
This is where the big boys may catch us as there
is 1500 miles of cracked sheets and the waterline
can kick in on the big yachts. Last race was lighter so we hit
our straps earlier than the big boys and we managed to hold them
off.
ASC
What is the finish in Osaka like to experience? Can
you compare it to any other finish line?
JS
Bloody hard to find with the smog and back lighting
of the City. You have to trust your electronics and
keep going. Oh and watch out for the 100 ships a day
and the millions of fishermen.
The welcome from the Japanese people is nothing short
of fantastic. They are the nicest, most generous people
I know and quite frankly, this is the reason why I
do the race. The hospitality is fantastic. I know I
could buy a plane ticket and fly over and save heaps
of money and time...but hey, it is in my blood.
ASC
What drew you to short handed sailing?
JS
I hope it is not the same as my good friend David
Adams that we built a BOC yacht for (True Blue, a Jutson
50 which won its’ division). He was bad tempered and everyone
else to him was a dickhead so he preferred to sail
by himself. Though I think he has mellowed. I actually am not that
fussed on it but the challenge keeps me coming back.
ASC
What is the absolute best part of double handed sailing?
JS
The best part is having a good crewman beside you
so that you can sleep well and fully trust them in
any conditions with their ability. Joel Berg was
excellent in my last race and we had a ball just because
we could drive like mad men and trust each other.
ASC
What is the absolute worst part of double
handed sailing?
JS
Trying to change a headsail by yourself it shit
conditions and stopping the sail and yourself from going over
the side. I am a purest, so I don’t have furling gear. I prefer
the hard way to get the best out of the yacht....but it is harder
as you get older (lucky me)
ASC
What gives you the edge psychologically during a double handed race?
JS
I guess my edge is everyone is expecting me to do it
right and they can be a little intimidated. Believe
me, it is all smoke and mirrors, I just hope they all
go the wrong way if I do as well
ASC
How do you physically prepare for this race? How do
you prepare for over a month without showers?
JS
Plenty of Vaseline and Ralph magazines usually prepare oneself for
the long time at sea. I have done gym work and run 4 out of 5 days
every morning for about 10 months. Unfortunately, I am wound up with
work loads to get 4 yachts ready for the race but I hope to relax
a bit before the start
ASC
How important is the support from family and friends for this type
of race? How will they be able to follow your progress?
 JS
None of the latest projects could have been tackled without the hours
put in by my wife Diane. She insists I go...I think she has a bloke
on the side. Media coverage and organization is pretty poor this time.
Nobody does shit without big sponsorship dollars. The Japanese always
pull their weight though, often out of their own pockets. www.osakacup.com will
probably be the best link. I am not sure whether we have transponders
for tracking this time?
So there
you go… The Melbourne to Osaka race kicks off on
the 25th of March, 2007 and will cover approximately 5,500nm or 10,200km. Good
luck to all the competitors!
Keep an
eye out for Jon Sayer and Murray Bucknall on Ryujin… The
only barefoot dragon of the sea..
Footnote:
Jon is also the designer of the famous bar crossing photo of “Belle” which has appeared on Sailing Anarchy… You
can find more information on Jon and his designs at www.sayerdesign.com
AussieSailorChick
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