17 December 2010
By Peter Campbell
Receiving his 40th Sydney Hobart medallion after last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart
Photo: Rolex
Prominent Squadron member Bruce Gould has been honoured by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia by naming him the Ocean Veteran of the Year at this week’s CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards.
Gould completed his 40th Sydney Hobart race last year as watch captain on board fellow Squadron member Geoff Hill’s MK49 Strewth.
Gould survived the storm swept 1998 Sydney Hobart, spending nearly 30 hours in a life raft with crew mates following the sinking of the classic timber cutter Winston Churchill.
He has sailed in ten of the eleven Hobarts staged since 1998, commenting previously that “the friendship and companionship you make out of sailing is one of the main reasons I am still participating in the sport at my age!”
“Whilst we may be rivals on the race track and competing for divisional success, it’s great to enjoy a laugh and beer with your mates once the race is completed,” he added.
Previous Ocean Veterans of the Year winners have included the late Alby Burgin (NSW) twice, the late Merv Finn (WA), the late John Bennnetto (Tas), Dick Fidock (SA), John Walker (NSW), three times, Lou Abrahams (Vic), Don Mickleborough (NSW), Richard Hammond (NSW), Alex Whitworth (NSW, twice, and Syd Fischer (NSW).
For only the second time in the history of the awards, the prestigious Ocean Racer of the Year award has gone to a South Australian, Andrew Saies, who skippered his Beneteau First 40 Two True to victory in last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
The Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy for Ocean Racing Crew Person of the Year has been won by Andrew Crowe, a member of the crew of Yendys, while the Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year was awarded to Will Oxley, a longstanding crew member of Yendys. Oxley played a major role in the search for Sally Gordon and Andrew Short in the Flinders Islet Race tragedy last year.
From Peter Campbell
M: 0419 385 028 E: peter_campbell@bigpond.com
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