Sailing Away

Sailing-Collage

Passionate young Rothesay Bay sailor Jamie was ready to move out of the Optimist class into Starlings.

His coaches were encouraging him to make the move and luckily his mum Christine found a local Murrays Bay family ready to sell their boat, but it needed a bit of work. In stepped Big Buddy Ryan!

The boat needed a full repaint and Jamie soon learned that 90 % of the finished result comes from the prep work! It took around six months for the 2-3 undercoats and the pair also replaced the rigging with much simpler fittings for a quick set-up.

There were many hours spent sanding the boat in Dairy Flat which provided them plenty of time to talk about everything from school to sports. Big Buddy Ryan said, “Jamie got the knack for a good spray painting technique by the end of the build too. I think it was also a great lesson in patience – great things take time! The boat is already looking very fast and he has quickly gotten the hang of the extra controls needed on a starling.”

Little Buddy, Jamie is already racing this summer in his new boat with his club on the North Shore. Well done Ryan and Jamie, what a worthwhile achievement together!

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