This year will be Marg’s 16th Marlay and first with an all-female crew as usually we have sailed with a family crew, with an occasional mate to make up numbers.
The first was in 1991 in our TS16 Dawn Treader. We had heard about this race on the Gippsland Lakes and now had a boat that qualified to enter.
After 3 races in the Hartley we raced our Boomerang 20 Balderdash 4 times. A couple of races in a sonata 7, then we got a Noelex 25 for the next few. This time we are racing a Noelex 30.
Of the 16 races, we have finished 11 times, most of the DNF races being those light ones where the wind didn’t help us.
One year when Marg wasn’t able to race, the boys sailed the race without Mum! They finished!
Marg began sailing with Albert Park Yacht Club, then joined Melbourne Trailable Yacht Club. Getting involved with keelboats she joined Royal Yacht Club of Victoria at Williamstown, and took part in several women’s events including the AWKR and Port Phillip Womens’ Championship Series – with all female crews. For the past few years Marg has been a part of KISS, a program which is encouraging women to become participants in sailing, particularly in keelboats.
Now a member of GLYC, where her Noelex 30 Cut Loose is berthed, Marg, her daughter Jenny – who was crew on that first Marlay – along with Vicky Egan and Anne Delahay from GLYC will make up the crew for this race. Vicky has sailed in 5 Marlays, and Anne raced with an all-female crew in the 50th anniversary race in 2018.
We are looking forward to a fun night on the water, and like all the other crews hoping for fair winds and a favourable current!
