Friday, March 18, 2011

CONTEST 30

Boat: CONTEST 30

Builder: Contest Yachts - Conyplex

Designer: Dick Zaal

More: CONTEST 30 Specifications

News:

Marriage Survives 28 years on the Water


Author: Peter Campbell

Just a week before the start of the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart, English yachting couple Tom and Vicky Jackson today celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary onboard Sunstone, their home of 19 years.

Sunstone arrived this week at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia as part of the 81 boat fleet preparing for the 630 nautical mile ocean classic – as part of their long term cruise around the world.

Tom and Vicky met in 1970 when they were sailing with Vicky’s father. By this stage, Vicky had sailed two of her ten Fastnets and Tom three of his eleven.

Vicky’s father was onboard the original Margaret Rintoul when she took line honours in the 1950 Sydney to Hobart – as a result he gave his daughter a middle name of d’Entrecasteaux, after the well-known waterway to the south of Hobart.

That was the beginning of a wonderful partnership between Tom and Vicky. Not long after marrying, they moved onto their first boat, Thrasher. “Living on a boat was part of the condition of acceptance” said Tom of his marriage proposal.

In 1981, they purchased Sunstone which has been their floating home ever since.
It must be the beauty of her long overhangs, teak decks and varnished topsides and cabin that has made life onboard preferable to life on land for Tom and Vicky.

It seems they are always at sea to celebrate special occasions. To mark the millennium they were at sea and “toasted at midnight with a whisky and a gin, before Vicky returned to her watch”, according to Tom.

Tom and Vicky have sailed over 30,000 nautical miles to participate in this year’s Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and whilst they are yet to partake in this year’s Bluewater classic, their crew have plenty of miles under their belts.

See also: CONTEST 29 for sale