Adventurer preps at Rivergate
Rivergate Marina & Shipyard has welcomed the indomitable adventurer, Lisa Blair and her Hick 50, “Climate Action Now”, the 15.25-metre Robert Hick-designed yacht, for a series of works in preparation for her next World Record attempt.
The former “Funnel Web” will spend three months at RMS undergoing a complete overhaul and systems check ahead of a planned launch in September.
“As soon as I arrived the mast was lifted,” she explained. “Now the boat goes up on the hardstand where every system will be tested, inspected, overhauled and improved upon.
“This will include testing the hull structure for any damage or weakness, replacing the watertight deck hatches with new ones, checking and replacing rigging, replacing rudder bearings, through hull fittings and keel bolts, modifying the fuel and water systems and replacing the tanks, safety rails, updating the electronics and nav gear.
“It’s a huge undertaking covering everything you can think of to make sure it’s prepared for the next series of projects.”
The “projects” she refers to include her second attempt at sailing solo around Antarctica, aiming to complete the 14,000 nautical mile voyage in 90 days, beating the current record of 102 days held by Russian sailor, Fedor Konyukhov.
Climate Action Now on the hardstand at Rivergate.
In 2017, Lisa made history becoming the first women to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop – an emergency stop in Cape Town on South Africa’s south-west coast to repair a broken mast. She wrote a book about her experience, called Facing Fear, which is an account of the life-threatening challenges she encountered in her quest.
Lisa also holds the record as the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia in the first 100 percent eco-powered vessel. She set a new overall speed record as the fastest monohull to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia in 58 Days.
As “Funnel Web”, her vessel competed in the Melbourne to Osaka Race, Rolex Sydney Hobart and Transpac Honolulu Yacht Race, before Lisa took on ownership and sailed her way into the record books.
Lisa had already clocked up 50,000 nautical miles, undertaking the Clipper 2011-12 Round the World Yacht Race, then working with Alex Thomson Racing on their 60-foot racing yacht, Hugo Boss.
That’s when the spirit of adventure took hold. “To sail around the world was an immense achievement and I realised I was capable of doing anything,” she recounted. “At that point I’d already had ideas of solo sailing and it's just developed.”
She acquired her RYA/ MCA Yacht Master Offshore, a Master Class 5 (Australian Skipper ticket) and her MED 3 (Marine Engineering) and in 2014, Lisa sailed twice across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand solo, notching up 3,000 nautical miles of solo sailing.
Lisa’s yacht, “Climate Action Now” is named to convey her message: Man-made climate change is impacting our environment. Since taking up sailing in 2005, Lisa has been a witness to the health of the oceans, prevalence of storms and the real risk of collision with ice as glaciers melt at a rate never before observed.
“These are all symptoms of man-made climate change,” she states. “What we know is that action needs to be taken and a greater awareness needs to be reached.”
Lisa’s campaign encourages people to commit to actions as individuals, such as taking public transport, riding to work or recycling as steps towards climate action and a better future.
Climate Change Now is in the hands of the experts at Rivergate, undergoing massive refit works ahead of her odyssey which will begin in September with sailing to Sydney ahead of a Sydney-New Zealand speed record.
“I’m aiming to be the first woman to sail from Sydney to NZ under the 12-day record,” she stated. “If that’s not possible due to travel restrictions, I’ll do Sydney to Sydney via Lord Howe Island. It will be a great test run, a shakedown voyage for the boat and ideal for media opportunities.
“Then in October, after putting the final touches on the boat, I’ll sail to WA and prepare for my departure in mid to late December, depending on weather and conditions.”
Image: Dean Coopman
Lisa chose Rivergate for the wide range of marine professionals on site, Brisbane River location and access to skilled contractors from all over south-east Queensland.
“I asked David Lambourne, the experienced rigger, where I could get all these jobs done. After the dismasting, I needed to be sure get the right rigger, so it would be safe and I wouldn’t have those problems again. David said Rivergate was the best boat yard for all these jobs and so I’m here.
“I arrived Friday morning [in early June] at 5am, navigating Moreton Bay in the dark and went straight to Rivergate. They had a casual get together with pizza for me to connect with 30 or so contractors, as well as eight volunteers from the local sailing community. They offloaded everything into a storage container, prepared the mast for slipping, and now the boat’s on the hardstand, the real work starts.
“Angus Paterson, Rivergate’s Project Manager, has spreadsheeted everything, so it’s very organised.”
Angus, who has been Project Manager at Rivergate since 2013, says the team is enthusiastic to assist and support Lisa.
“We are providing free berthing, haul out, hardstand, and some of the costs of the scaffold. David Lambourne is helping out with the rigging. Lisa is managing a lot of it herself because she’s very capable and because she needs to know every inch of the vessel.”
Rivergate is the yard of choice for sailing superyachts, cruising and racing yachts.
“They need specialist care,” explains Angus. “And Rivergate provides the deepwater access marina that sailing yachts require with their deep drafts. We have many experts on site and contractors close by such as sail makers, spar specialists, special cranes to pull out masts and rigs, and deepwater travel lift pens.
“Over the years, we’ve welcomed most of the high-profile Sydney Hobart yachts, such as Black Jack, Wild Oats XI, Comanche, and recently the 43-metre Vitters sailing yacht, and 44.7-metre Ningaloo Vitters sailing yacht.”
Lisa’s achievements so far and her planned voyages have earned her a legion of fans and followers, including the team at Rivergate. “She’s a braver person than I am, that’s for sure!” says Angus.
Climate Action Now will remain at Rivergate until September.
With the attitude and the motto “Just do – the World is changed by doers”, Lisa is determined to achieve the Antarctica record, undeterred by 80-knot wind gusts, 90-foot swells and temperatures of -20C.
“My first record attempt was about me growing into my own as a sailor, as the first woman, and with the aim of breaking the speed record. But the dismasting put a spanner in the works.
“Writing the book was healing, and the Australia project allowed me to get my faith back and restore my trust in my boat again. It was always a niggling little thing though and I knew I’d be going back. I just needed some time to process the dismasting. It was a close call. The whole boat was upside down and I had to battle snowstorms and blizzards.
“Now I’m ready, mentally and physically to take on the challenge again.”
This time, Lisa has embraced a “Citizen Science” aspect of the voyage.
“The Antarctic is a massive, diverse and unique marine eco-system, and there’s not much scientific data collected. I have the support of the science community and will be taking samples along the way, measuring microplastics. I’m offering schools a six-month school program for free; live streaming for students, with weekly updates, rolled into the curriculum in marine studies, geography, climate change.”
Her mission remains the same. “Positive empowerment”.
“I want to inspire people to take small actions towards a better future. It doesn’t matter how small your step is; a small step has as much value as a large step. A million smaller steps can be easier.
“People are so conditioned to be limited in our goals and views,” she continued. “Until we put ourselves in uncomfortable positions, we don’t know what we’re capable of. I went from no sailing experience, to 10 years later holding three world records.”
“I really want to show people that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Whether that’s to run a successful business or go on an adventure – to live their dream, whatever it is. Life’s too short not to.”
For the next few months, Lisa will be hands-on, overseeing the works at Rivergate. “I’ll be there every single day. I can do a lot of the work myself, and there’s heaps I need to learn. My boat is like my child; we’ve done 30,000 nautical miles, just me and her.”
More at www.lisablairsailstheworld.com