MERITUM

Greg continues to sail, now choosing to boat go fast”. This reputation earned him the NOOD regattas in America and the San do it in style and comfort aboard his luxury positions on some very successful yachts Francisco Big Boat Series. Buizen 52, Infinity. and in 1994 he started his impressive run in ‘Enzo’ and the Mumm 30 class, taking the first of six These listed so far are just a list of the Darren “Twirler” Jones, like many of world titles in the class aboard the yacht events he has won. He has achieved top Tasmania’s champions, learned Foreign Affair. three and top five finishes at countless other his craft racing Sabots on the Derwent – event and yachts ranging from starting out at Kingston Beach Sailing Club in He has continued succeeding in the through to TP52s and has raced on the ‘Twirler’ join the 1970s. Mumm 30s, claiming his most recent world European Circuits and up and down the East title last year aboard Ramrod. and West Coasts of America in grand prix IRC In the following years he started and one-design yachts. working towards what has become a most Throughout his professional racing career impressive collection of national and world ‘Twirler’ has collected an enormous number Darren ‘Twirler’ continues to race at the Hall of Fame championship titles – including a Junior of Australian, European, North American and highest level and is a highly sought-after World championship in his , back when World Championship champions in a range crew member at the very top of International WORDS: Greg Rowlings (Yachting Tasmania) and Peter Campbell scows were the fastest designs in the class of one-design keelboat classes. grand prix racing classes. and well before the current crop of foilers came onto the scene. In addition to the six World championships Somewhat fittingly, this meant that he Two high-profile members of the in Mumm30s, he played a key role as was unable to be at the Yachting Tasmania When he finished school, Darren tactician in winning the Mumm 30 Australian awards for 2016 in person - he was racing immediately took up a position as a sail maker and North American Championships; yachts in America. Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in and spent a number of years through the 90s World, European and Australian working in sail lofts around the country. championships; a Swan 45 World Fellow Hall of Fame inductee, and his best June were inducted in the prestigious Championship; an Etchells Australian mate, Greg Prescott collected his award and At the same time, he was developing and Championship and a Australian coveted Tasmanian Yachting Hall of Fame pin. Tasmanian Yachting Hall of Fame fine-tuning his racing skills, before making the Championship. decision to start racing professionally in 2001. TY – Greg ‘Enzo’ Prescott and Darren He has also had success in other grand prix ‘Twirler’ quickly started to get a name for events, winning regattas such as Hamilton ‘Twirler’ Jones. Greg 'Enzo' Prescott IMAGE PETER CAMPBELL himself as being “pretty good at making a Island Race Week, Sydney Harbour Regatta,

reg ‘Enzo’ Prescott and Darren the same race, aboard the same yacht, He then backed this up the following year, ‘Twirler’ Jones are not only two skippering Hotshot to seventh place overall in winning the Maria Island race on AMS. Gof Tasmania’s pre-eminent a fleet of 160 ocean racing yachts. yachtsmen, with success nationally and After these offshore campaigns he internationally, but they also happen to be ‘Enzo’s’ offshore success pulled together a mostly-Tasmanian crew best mates. didn’t go unnoticed and he then spent a to contest the Melges 32 regattas on the number of years racing for other owners mainland. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get together aboard different yachts in a number of top- TRIXIE BERRY to celebrate being the 2016 inductees into level regattas around the world, including the Among his successes were the Yachting Tasmania’s prestigious Yachting Hall Noumea Race, Admiral’s Cup and One Ton NSW States, the Australian East Coast of Fame. Cup. championship, the Melges 32 division at Hamilton Island Race Week and finishing 2nd ‘Enzo’ was there, at the elite function Then, in 1994 he returned to the top level at the Melges 32 Nationals in 2012. at Bellerive Yacht Club; ‘Twirler’ was of Australian yachting, finishing the 50th somewhere overseas, sailing in (and probably anniversary Sydney Hobart in 5th place The following year, 2Unlimited and her Specialist agent winning) yet another international regatta or overall and winning IMS Division F IMS Tasmanian crew returned to the mainland, 30 years experience world championship. with his J35 named after the sponsors, continuing to notch up a number of regatta Southern Cross TV. That year there were 371 wins, including the Australian National title. Stress free results Greg ‘Enzo’ Prescott has had a long and competitors in the race. successful yacht career. Starting in Sabots Greg’s contribution to the sport goes in his youth it didn’t take all that long for him Greg Prescott has competed in 27 far beyond results alone. In the Melges 32 Call Trixie Berry to step-up into ocean racing yachts. His Sydney Hobarts in boats ranging in size and campaigns he chose not to hire seasoned for an appraisal of offshore career started in the 1980 Sydney performance from his half-tonner and J35 to professionals as many of his competitors did. Hobart Yacht Race aboard his father’s half- more recent races aboard grand prix yachts your home tonner, Hotshot. such as the Victorian TP52 Shogun and the Instead, he opted to give some young West Australian Reichel Pugh 63, Limit. Tasmanian sailors an opportunity to At the time, aged 18, he was the youngest experience grand prix racing at the highest 0419 134 330 skipper ever to have completed the ocean More recently he achieved great success level, providing the opportunities to develop classic. To this day he still the second- in his Melges 32, 2Unlimited. In 2010 he the skills and knowledge of how to crew youngest skipper to have raced in the entered his lightweight, grand-prix sports racing yachts successfully. Sydney Hobart. boat in the Maria Island and Launceston to Hobart races, winning the latter overall and As part of this campaign ‘Enzo’ was named 6232 4999 The year after his first Sydney Hobart crossing the line in second, against many 2013 Tasmanian Yachting Personality of the ‘Enzo’ had his first taste of success in bigger, more ocean-oriented yachts. Year. 229 Elizabeth Street eisproperty.com.au

Tasmanian Yachtsman 2016 number three