Broker's Corner 431 - Battle of the Log
We are told that the Log is close to a century old; made of rope and originally used as a small fender. It now rests in Vicsail Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay office somewhat as a sailing artefact, but more so a dark reminder of the Vicsail sales team do-or-die weekend battles in 18-footers on Sydney Harbour!
Michael Coxon joined Micah Lane and Jack Macartney in the Vicsail Sydney sales team 18 months ago. All three skipper their own 18-footers (Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, Appliancesonline.com.au
The steady flow of Monday morning traffic through the Vicsail Sydney office gave rise to an in-house competition “the battle of the Log”. Whoever’s desk it rests upon on Monday morning is the weekend’s loser.
The hairy beast moults fur over the table and poses boldly on the desk, a notice to all who ask for the result and inspiration for the boys to stay upright around the track!
Winter is a happy time, the skiffs are tucked away neatly on their trailers resting after a torrid season of thumping down the harbour. The office goes back to selling yachts on Monday mornings, without being plagued by “I should have covered him up that last beat!”
CHAMPIONS ALL
Michael “Cocko” Coxon is a two-time winner of the J.J. Giltinan trophy (the unofficial 18-footer World Championship); today the most prestigious title on offer. Raised on Pittwater and cutting his teeth in many dinghy classes, Cocko’s experience and competitive instinct breathes life into the Log’s inferno.
Micah Lane is a veteran of eight seasons skippering an 18-footer around the harbour. An Australian Champion in the class, his catlike prowess and raw boat speed sees him a serious threat in the upcoming season. Now the business owner of Vicsail Sydney’s brokerage, his passion and commitment to the industry is firmly cemented.
Jack Macartney grew up sailing out of the Vaucluse Amateur 12-foot Sailing Club. He too is an Australian Champion in the 18s and this year comes into his third season as skipper. A heavy-air specialist and uprising competitor saw him finish last season with a clean desk!
Micah and Jack began working at Vicsail as pups some eight years ago and in between other adventures have remained a driving force behind the company’s face. Both began selling in the brokerage before moving across the board to new Beneteau, Swan, and Lagoon yachts. They identified Cocko as an ideal fit to their team and lured him away from his plumbing trade.
EXPERIENCE TELLS
The team work concurrently and share a wealth of knowledge, not only in skiffs but sailing in general — a passion that comes from growing up, on and around Sydney’s waterways.
The Audi Hamilton Island Race Week in August is one of the main events that Vicsail actively participate in annually. Micah, Michael and Jack represent Vicsail as host of the unofficial race briefings for the regatta fleet. Open to all, they share knowledge on tides, weather forecasts, obstacles and helpful hints for each race day. Pioneered by Brendan Hunt and now a decade on, it continues with strength, involving all sailors at all levels.
With summer fast approaching, a few fleeting looks have been passed and the hairy Log lies waiting. The trio plot and plan their personal rig developments, occasionally sharing information without giving away the end game plan. Cheeky grins and infectious laughter disguise the fear of succumbing to the Log.
For updates on this season’s results feel free to stop by for a glance and see who is plagued for the week. — Team Vicsail
Top photo: Heading skywards, the 18-foot skiff Thurlow Fisher Lawyers, skippered by Vicsail Sydney broker and two-time J.J. Giltinan trophy winner Michael Coxon.
Micah Lane at left, and at far right Jack Macartney and Michael Coxon are three brokers from Vicsail Sydney who do battle in their 18-foot skiffs for the in-house Log trophy.
Log on the line: In a race earlier this year, Appliancesonline.com.au leads from Thurlow Fisher Lawyers and Rag & Famish Hotel.
From Trade-a-Boat Issue 431, Sept-Oct 2012. Photos: Vicsail Sydney.