Sailing with a 3× World Champion… then the mast came down!

Sailing with a 3× Flying Dutchman World Champion… then the mast came down mid-race! I joined Ian McCrossin, 3× World Champion and one of the most successful sailors in the class, for a day of racing at Sail Bellarine on the Bellarine Peninsula. Strong wind warning. Wind against tide. Shallow water. It was always going to be a big day. Between races, Ian shares stories from decades at the top of the sport — from ferry collisions to life on tall ships — and what it actually takes to compete at that level, including three Olympic campaigns. Then race one. Second windward leg. The genoa halyard snaps… and the mast comes down. It punches straight through the forward bulkhead. We limp back in, rip the rig out, patch the damage, and somehow thread a new halyard through the mast. Most days would end there. Ours didn’t. We went back out for the final race. This is what high-performance dinghy sailing really looks like. #Sailing #DinghyRacing #FlyingDutchman #SailingFail Flying Dutchman sailing, dinghy racing, dismasting, rig failure, jury rig, halyard failure, sailing repairs, heavy weather sailing, Sail Bellarine, Port Phillip Bay, Australian sailing A massive thanks to everyone on Patreon who continues to support the channel:   / tomstuchberysailing