Nov 2006

Most of my time this week at work has been spent organising a conference which ended in a sunset cruise around Sydney harbour. It followed a race of about 8 small yachts (each yacht representing a different company).

Everyone else from HSBC pulled out from the cruise at the last minute, but I decided to go anyway even though I wouldn't know anyone from the other banks, a few drinks later and I soon got chatting. I spent most of the 2 hour cruise on the lower deck at the back of boat where the views of the coast line were just stunning.

I chose to get off at the first drop off point, Rushcutters Bay where a coach waited to take us to the yacht club.

It only took 5 minutes to drive to The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Usually our boat would have been able to dock at the Club's marina but yesterday it was jam packed with yachts moored and ready for the Sydney to Hobart race on boxing day. This race is big news here, its a dangerous route and every year a couple of people die during the race because of the notoriously bad conditions at sea...and as Australia’s most prestigious yacht club, this is where it all starts from!

Met up with the people from the race and after the short prize giving presentation the champagne flowed. The bar's balcony gave an amazing view across hundreds of moored yachts in the marina. It's a place I will definatley explore further.

As it got dark and the place thinned out one guy in the group I was talking with turned out to be a member of the club and have his own yacht moored there. About 10 of us climbed aboard this awesome yacht and the party carried on until the early hours.

Struggled to get to work the next day, buy hey this is what it's all about. The next night was with the girls at Opera Bar next to the Opera house. It looks out across the Harbour to the bridge. We met straight from work and watched the sunset from the bar then went on to a few bars around the city.

View from the Yacht club balcony at Rushcutters Bay

Yachts moored ready for the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race

At the Opera Bar
From Left: Emma, Me, Becky