Adventure Magazine December 2019/January 2020

SAILING THE WHITSUNDAYS
AN UNRIVALLED EXPERIENCE
A
picture-perfect sunny day,
beautiful blue water, and a
sea full of boats and promises
of adventure. As I approached the
gigantic yacht that I’d be calling home
for the next two days, I attempted,
feebly, to size it up. Climbing on
board, it was easier to take in all the
different angles, and I began to feel
the excitement building. The 27 other
passengers and I sat together on the
deck of the vessel, not knowing quite
what to expect. Our Skipper told us
there was enough wind blowing that
we’d be leaning over a fair way. He also
made us feel oh-so safe explaining the
difference between the ‘high-side’ and
the ‘suicide’ of the boat!
Once out in the Whitsunday Passage, safety
briefing complete, volunteers were called upon
to hoist the humongous sails. Of course, my
hand flew up! Hauling the sail from the boom to
the top of the mast was no easy feat. However,
between me and the two other volunteers, we
were victorious – and apparently in record time!
Okay, that may have been a little-white-lie on
the crew’s behalf - but we didn’t mind – it made
us feel empowered! In no time at all, we were
seeing the fruits of our labour. Suddenly the
unassuming vessel that had been sat in the
dock transformed into the most commanding
yacht on the water!
Everyone was smiling and hanging on to
their hats, as we dangled our legs over the
edge. Meanwhile the crew ran around the
vessel totally effortlessly, making tiny tweaks
to the sails – all to ensure we were charging
through the water. All of a sudden, my sailing
experience on that small Croatian yacht with my
family last year seemed to fall by the wayside,
and I truly understood the difference between
‘Champagne Sailing’ versus ‘Maxi Sailing’.
"I began to imagine what
it must have been like
to be a crew member on
board when this powerful
boat competed!"
We watched the islands float past us as
the water splashed our toes, feeling very at
ease. Constantly realigning and rebalancing
our bodies, keeping up with the dipping and
weaving of the yacht dancing on the waves. I
began to imagine what it must have been like to
be a crew member on board when this powerful
boat competed!
Over the course of the trip, we jumped
into the water for a refreshing snorkel at
three incredible bays. Watching the colourful
fish swimming around right at my fingertips
was amazing! My duck-diving practice from
swimming lessons 20 years ago finally came to
good use. Ducking down to the stunning coral
to get a closer look was awesome and I reckon
even David Attenborough and his team would
be impressed by my video footage!
We visited Whitehaven Beach and Hill
Inlet Lookout, the incredible viewpoint on
Whitsunday Island overlooking the beach. Even
though this beach is visited by hundreds of
people every day, it is still incredibly untouched.
And, even though it is one of the most
photographed locations in the world, you still
need to see it with your own eyes to truly realize
its magnificence! I wholeheartedly support the
many awards and accolades this unique beach
boasts!
As well as all the action, of course, the
trip was well-balanced with moments of calm,
which were also some of the highlights of the
trip. Watching the sun setting and rising over
the islands, sharing stories of adventures with
like-minded people from around the world,
and laying back on deck to point out the
constellations. Once the sun had set, although
not a moment of calm, the revelries took over,
and the rest you’d have to find out for yourself!
Explore Whitsundays called this trip ‘Fun
sailing for the adventurous traveller’ which
certainly rang true for me!
108//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#217