The Crew
Below are the Creative inTension crew of 8 who have over the last 12 months lived the highs and lows of an offshore campaign. With the success of achieving our goal of getting Eski home the team encountered some fantastic results, notably First Tasmanian Yacht on IRC, First Small Yacht across the Line and First Tasmanian Navigator on IRC in the Blue Water Classic 2006 Rolex Sydney to Hobart. The crew where also extremely proud of their results in local events including 2nd in the Crown series run on the River Derwent.
The next challenge for the team of eight is to compete in the 2007 Sovereign series incorporating the Hemskirk Melbourne to Hobart yacht race. The crew are not only aiming to be the first Tasmanian boat this year but to have a real crack at taking out the overall honours.
In preparation for the upcoming season the crew will split into two teams and go against each other in the Freycinet Multi Sport 2 day Challenge to be run in mid October. The crew hopes this will give them the fitness required to compete successfully in the Tasmanian Offshore Trophy Series and Melbourne to Hobart Race.
The Race Crew Are:
David Rees (Reesy) - Skipper - Watch Captain - 12 Sydney to Hobart Races & 1 Melbourne to Hobart
Reesy is the Project Manager for this campaign. He has an extensive sailing history and has been extremely successful including winning the 1978 International Cadet Class World Championships, being a team member of Australia 2 in the 1983 successful Americas Cup campaign and being part of the winning crew in the 1986 1/4 Ton Class Offshore World Championships. He has competed in many Hobart Races with his best result to date being a 2nd in the IOR division on Bruce Taylor’s JLW Chutzpah in 1990. Since joining Team Whistler Reesy has skippered the boat to wins in the 2005 Maria Island Race and the 2005 Sailing South Race Week in the PHS handicap division he has also skippered the yacht to 2 outright wins in the Pipe Opener.
Tim Jones (Jonsey) - Hatch & Main - Watch Captain - 7 Sydney to Hobart Races
Jonesy started sailing with Eski not long after he sold them the boat while he was working for local identity Greg Muir in Yacht Distributors (YD). He had met Esky during his apprenticship in Cadets while he owned a boat built by the late Jim Hickman (Roger’s Dad) but their friendship was cemented when he took over helming Solandra during Eski’s stints chartering in the Med. This was followed by a stint in PNG on Screwloose (of ‘79 fame) and the annual trip south to Hobart after Christmas with Eski. With a taste for the tropics the focus broadened to Airlie Beach and Hammo with the highlight being a Sydney 38 series in 2003. A pleasant Hamilton race week last year with John Muir (Muir Winches) has dulled the pain of the 98 race and has Jonesy coming back for another go with Eski and Guyser.
Guy Lewis (Geeza) - Trimmer - 5 Sydney to Hobart Races
Guy has tasted success at the highest level of sailing, being part of the 1994 all conquering Tasmania team claiming Line Honours in the 50th Sydney to Hobart and only just missing out on the race record set by Kialoa. Guy was part of the Solandra crew in the ill fated 1998 race in which the crew won the Jock Muir Memorial Award for seamanship after Solandra was capsized and de-masted by a rogue wave in Bass Strait. Guy has been on record as saying he would “never do another Sydney-Hobart” after the ‘98 race, but here he is again ready to take on the challenge and bring Eski home after almost 12 years of being by Eski’s side through the good and bad times.
David Spiers (Spiersy aka Shackleton) - Trimmer - 1 Sydney to Hobart Races
Spiersy can be described as the all rounder of the crew. He started sailing as a child on the early 70’s on Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. He became a champion junior sailor in the Sailfish class before representing Victoria 5 times in the Lightweight Sharpie class. He went off to Japan teaching for 5 years, where he actively competed in local cycling competitions and tele-mark skiing, as well as learning to speak fluent Japanese. He then moved to Tasmania in the 1990’s and represented Tasmania twice in the Sharpie class, including winning the National Junior Sharpie Championships. Spiersy started offshore sailing after meeting Eski and has sailed with him for the last 5 years. He is a scientist by profession and, has University degrees in Bio Chemistry and Fresh Water Ecology.
Nick Bax - Mastman - 1 Sydney to Hobarts
Dr Nick is a very well respected marine researcher in Australia and has accomplished significant advances in controlling marine pests not only in Tasmania but Australia wide. Most notably his research on the New Zealand Screw Shell problem facing Australia’s south east coast. Nick’s sailing history includes competeing in the National 12 and Fireball classes while based in England and has undertaken several Bass Strait crossings on his research vessel. Nick will be competing in his first Melbourne to Hobart after completing his 1st Sydney to Hobart last year and is looking forward to once again taking on the Australian waters he works so hard to protect.
Jonathon Rees (Jon) - Navigator & Traveller - 1 Sydney to Hobart Races
Most of Jon’s 35 plus years of sailing experience has been in small boats with highlights including third in the Olympic 470 class Nationals in 1977, third again in the Olympic 49er class Nationals (With brother David) in 1998 and competing in the 49er World Championships in 1999. Over the years Jon has completed a number of Maria and Bruny races and after recieving the trophy for 1st Tasmanian Navigator in the 2006 Rolex Sydney to Hobart will be setting out to achieve the same goal when the crew tackle the Melbourne to Hobart later this year..
Jory Linscott (Joz) - Bowman - 1 Sydney to Hobart Race & 1 Melbourne to Hoabrt
Jory is the youngest member of the crew and will be 23 when the gun fires. However his age doesn’t reflect the amount of sea miles Jory has under his belt. Jory has been an important member of the very successful “Team Q” over the past four years and in that time has tasted success in all forms of keel boat sailing both “Around the Cans” and offshore. His greatest sailing achievement is being part of the Quetzalcoatl crew (Along with Reesy) that claimed Line honours in the 2004 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race. Jory is aiming to get the matching pair when Creative inTension lines with a great shot at overall honours in this years Melbourne to Hobart Race.
Lisa Shulander (Cal) - Hatch/2nd Bowman - 1 Sydney to Hobart Races
Originally from California in the USA, Lisa Has relocated herself to Hobart to further her studies and as a permanent residence. Lisa had little sailing experience prior to moving to Hobart but since joining the Creative inTension team with the help of the DSS during the Winter Series of 2006 she has become a very motivated and confident yachtswoman. Lisa has in the last 18 months achieved a lot including sailing round the infamous Tasman Island 5 times. Cal will be relocating back to the USA in January and would love to leave Australia with a offshore victory with her.