A Port Stephens father and son team preparing to line up in this year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race have had the wind taken out of their sails with the cancellation of the great race announced last weekend.
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But experienced Soldiers Point sailor Greg Busch and his 18-year-old son Marcus say the decision was totally understandable and they have already put behind their disappointment behind them as they go full steam ahead in preparation for 2021.
The pair had been training with a crew of 11 to sail Mako - a 40ft Dutch-built skiff originally built in the late 1990s for the Netherlands' Admirals Cup team - in this year's regatta scheduled to leave the Sydney Heads on Boxing Day (December 26).
The cancellation due to the latest outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic on Sydney's northern beaches is the first time in its 76-year history that the fleet has been grounded.
"We are all disappointed, particularly for the younger crew members [including Marcus], but it is totally understandable given the circumstances," Mr Busch said.
"The crew had a meeting [on Sunday] and it was agreed that we put the disappointment behind us and look forward to re-entering next year's event.
"We have already had our accommodation bookings in Hobart transferred to next year and we have every intention of ensuring the the boat is fully prepped for next year's Sydney to Hobart and other events."
The Sydney to Hobart would have been the first ocean sail for Marcus Busch, who learned his trade from age eight with the Salamander Bay-based Port Stephens Sailing and Aquatic Club.
"I have a great affinity with this club and the Port Stephens sailing community. I started with the Bic's and moved on to the hobby cats before sailing small yachts," said Marcus.
"This would have been my first time sailing the ocean for a long period of time in a major sized yacht, but now I will have to wait for 2021."
Marcus said that competing in a 24-hour race against the super maxi's Info Track and Black Jack during a recent trial run had whet his appetite for ocean racing.
"It was quite a sight from our vantage point to see these two boats cruising past us on the way to Cabbage Tree Island. It was also a great experience for me to do some night-time sailing."
Dad Greg Busch said that he was comfortable with the thought of deferring for 12 months what would have been his second Sydney to Hobart.
"Last year [which celebrated the 75th running of the Sydney to Hobart] we had a crew of nine and finished around 60th from the 180 participating boats. We were hoping to improve on that finish."
He expects next year's fleet to be ready and raring to go and that most crews would be busy training hard and preparing for a bigger and better sail season in 2021.
