We are spotlight showcases a Member who has represented the Club at national and international match racing events as well as being a regular in the Australasian keelboat sailing circuit and Club racing, having competed in 4 Rolex Sydney Hobarts. Angelique Kear also volunteers her time at the Club as a committee member, having sat on the Training & Development Committee from March 2016 to September 2018, before joining the Sailing Committee from October 2018 to present.
Favourite CYCA memory:
Gosh, there are so many, although lots of the most entertaining ones are probably not wholesome enough to detail here!
I spent the entirety of a decade of my annual leave entitlements doing regattas on cyca members boats. I have met some of my best friends through the cyca, celebrated milestones here, lived across the road for a few years, represented the club overseas, had some wins, had a few bad days, but (almost) always finished up with embellishing the days sailing activities over a beverage in the bar after racing.
Proudest achievement on water:
Hard to go past 2013 Hamilton Island Race week, where we finished with a series score of 6 points across 5 races for IRC passage – made all the more memorable by the crews phenomenal apres sailing performance.
Bucket-list event still to attend/enter:
The only place I have raced outside Aust is NZ – competing twice in their women’s national match racing championships. I’d be so keen to do some more sailing internationally – anything in the med or Caribbean would be amazing!
Best thing about the CYCA:
That members are genuinely more interested in your day on the water than your day at work. It is the most authentic sailing club I’ve been to.
Favourite CYCA moment:
Each Hobart I make a point of finding a less hectic spot on deck to take a deep breath, look around the harbour, see the helicopters and the spectator traffic and take it all in. It really is incredible and special and something I feel privileged to experience – plus it helps dissolve the anxiety created by cooking 75 pies and 5 kilos of roast lamb to package into foil trays on Christmas day!
Outside of sailing I…:
Walk to Manly beach almost every day – whether for dinner, drinks or exercise. Travel as often as I can squeeze in around sailing with my ever tolerant (non-sailing) partner. Other than that, I recently developed an interest in powerlifting – very amateur but getting stronger with practice – I’ll still accept a hand lifting a code zero if you’re offering though
Advice to my younger self:
Learn to talk it up – the boys do it so you should too! Ha!
On a serious note though, I’d tell myself to lean in to as many opportunities as possible. Put your hand up. Ask to have a go at everything rather than assuming everyone is more experienced or better suited to the job that needs to be done – often they are but sometimes they aren’t. Don’t miss an opportunity.
