It’s with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Gordon Ketelbey (1953 to 2026), owner and skipper of Zen Racing, and one of the great characters of our Club.

Gordon lived life large and exactly on his own terms, all the way through.

He arrived in Australia on a 39-foot ferro-cement yacht with nothing but a dream, built a life and a successful business, and never once slowed down. Despite the challenges thrown at Gordy, cancer, broken bones, nothing kept him off the water for long. “I don’t care as long as it’s fast,” he told his sailmaker, who became a lifelong friend, back in 2006. It stayed his motto for twenty years.

His sailing career was long and hugely impressive, always driven by his can-do attitude. His achievements on the water are possibly too much to capture in one Facebook post. But one standout moment came last year, when he took Zen to the Admiral’s Cup, flying the flag for Australia in the Solent for the first time in over twenty years.

It was the pinnacle of a lifetime on the water and we are hugely proud to have been a part of that journey. When the boat was meant to be sold in Europe afterward, Gordon brought her home instead, because he wanted to race Zen until he no longer could.

He raced Zen right to the end, exactly as he wanted to.

Fair winds, Gordon. Thank you for all the memories and showing us what determination looks like. You’ll be deeply missed on the water and in the Clubhouse.