Our next Member is no stranger to ocean racing. Geoff Ross has done 13 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races in his five yachts all called Yendys. He holds two divisional wins and one overall win and held the race records for conventionally-ballasted boats under 50 feet and under 60 feet from 1999 to 2017.

Ross began sailing as a teenager on Vaucluse Juniors in Port Philip Bay before moving to Sydney in 1990. Ironically, he now lives in Vaucluse and liked Sydney so much he named his boat after it, just backwards!

After competing in many different races with many different Yendys yachts, Geoff remains an avid sailor and committed CYCA Member.

CYCA Member Since:

1997

Favourite CYCA memory:

While ocean racing is full of adventures, there is one event indelibly imprinted in my mind. It occurred during the 1998 Sydney Hobart which saw us win our IMS division. My good friend and our bowman, Pete “The Peeler” Seary, was washed off the bow. As he reached the stern of the yacht a wave picked him up, pushing him back on board Yendys. It was both unbelievable and a complete miracle. As it happened, I went overboard in 1999 Sydney Hobart and was safely recovered because of the increased safety requirements put in place following the 1998 race – truth really is stranger than fiction.

Proudest achievement on water:  

No doubt winning Hobart is a highlight in any ocean racer’s heart. However, while that moment is important, what endures for me are the invisible bonds forged with the Yendys crew. We worked and suffered together over time and on multiple boats to make this outcome achievable.

Bucket-list event still to attend/enter:

The Fastnet Race and I would like to sail in the Mediterranean at Porto Cervo.

Best Thing about the CYCA:

It is a club for sailors with its primary focus being sailing!

Favourite sailing book/movie and why:

Unquestionably, the best publication I read on sailing is the monthly Seahorse Magazine from RORC. I really look forward to reading this each month. This magazine covers the full gamut of competitive ocean racing as well as a vast array of sailing information from who is doing what to a complex assessment of developments in CFD mathematics and design. It is a consistently superb publication.

Outside of sailing…

From a work perspective, I am the Chairman of three companies which develop AI (artificial intelligence) based IT platforms and APPs which are deployed across the Asia Pacific and Australia for use in the financial services and traditional healthcare market sectors.

Advice to my younger self…

Persistence – Be prepared to knock on 1,000 doors for one to open.