Whitsunday Sailing Club friendly rivalry

9:23 PM Sun 16 Oct 2011 GMT

'Sandpiper (WSC)' Sail-World.com /AUS &copy Click Here to view large photo

Sandpiper skipper Colin Pruden has learnt to accept a minor role when he is invited to enjoy a meal with his sailing rival and father in law John Galloway.

The proud Sandpiper skipper naturally attempts to protect his space on the Whitsunday Sailing Club courses when Sandpiper goes head to head with the John Galloway skippered Queensland Marine Services but that changes during the friendly 'banter' at the meal table.

Both Queensland Marine Services and Sandpiper have a long history of successful racing on Pioneer Bay and naturally John Galloway and Colin Pruden are happy with their individual results.

However Colin Pruden who married Kathryn Galloway has learnt to understand that sailing families will always protect their reputations on the race course and John Galloway has always been known to be a fair and tough competitor.

Some time ago Colin Pruden told this columnist that he was a lone voice when both families talked sailing over a meal.

'We have managed to rib each other a bit which is accepted as par for the course' he said.

Generally John Galloway has enjoyed holding the 'bragging rights' and that continued when daughter Kathryn guided by the tactical experience of her father successfully helmed Queensland Marine Services to a comfortable win in the Whitsunday Sailing Club Lady Skippers championship event on Pioneer Bay.

The daughter-father combination revealed the value of their long term sailing experience to ward off a strong challenge from the Michelle Webb skippered and Jeff Brown owned 007 while skipper Colin Pruden was forced to face some further verbal torment when Sandpiper filled third place.

'Really it's all good fun and I'm well prepared to take the punishment' he said.

However the new generation Sandpiper crew are confident of bridging the gap.

During a recent television interview with Channel 7 a relatively confident Colin Pruden spoke about the importance of understanding the local conditions after finishing with a deserved Silver Medal at the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.
That result was a career highlight showing that the past generation Kim Swarbrick designed S111 Sandpiper can still race competitively in open company.

But a challenge remains for the Sandpiper crew to allow their happy skipper the opportunity to share the conversations when he enjoys the post race family feast with his wife's family.

Presently the father and daughter combination have shown their class to rule the waves on Pioneer Bay leaving the vocal Sandpiper skipper to sit in silence when the family meet at the meal table.

by Ian Grant