We are pleased to announce Bob Colman has been awarded Australian Sailing’s NT Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-term dedicated contribution to DBCYA, promoting sailing in the NT and his own personal sailing accomplishments.
Bob started sailing on keelboats in 1987 at the age of 25. Bob took up an invitation to race in the Gulf of St. Vincent and by the end of the day he was hooked! In 1988, Bob competed in his first offshore race, the Adelaide to Port Lincoln, he went on to compete in two more before moving to Darwin in 1991.
Darwin proved to be an ideal place to meet new people and continue sailing. In 1993 Bob competed in his first international yacht race from Darwin to Ambon. Bob has since raced across the Timor Sea many times. Bob competed in his first Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 2011 and has gone on to sail more since then.
Aside from offshore sailing Bob has been active in supporting and promoting sailing in the Northern Territory for over thirteen years. Bob has been active on the DBYCA’s Management Committee since 2018 including four years as Vice Commodore organising the iconic Dinah Beach Wet Season Series and the Spice Islands Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race.
In 2015, Bob proposed that DBYCA became affiliated with Australian Sailing and that all DBYCA active sailors should have an AS number. DBCYA is now an affiliated club of Australian Sailing and crew membership is available to all competing sailors.
In 2017, DBCYA adopted the use of safety categories for both the Ambon Race and Wet Season Racing. Bob has held the position of Senior National Equipment Auditor for Australian Sailing since 2014. Bob has worked to encourage and accredit more local Equipment Auditors for NT Sailing across both local clubs. Bob has also represented DBCYA on Yachting NT for many years and continues to advocate for offshore sailing in the NT.
After completing 19,000nm in 50 offshore yacht races, 61-year-old Bob reflects on the 2022/2023 sailing season as his most memorable.
It is great to go yacht racing with your mates and I am forever grateful to have helped Derek Morrison sail ‘Sintara’ to victory in my 10th Adelaide to Lincoln race.
Bob has competed in 50 x Blue Water Offshore Yacht Races:
- 5 x Darwin to Ambon (600nm)
- 8 x Darwin to Dili (430nm)
- 2 x Darwin to Bali (1000nm)
- 1 x Fremantle to Bali (1400nm)
- 1 x South China Sea Race (600nm)
- 5 x Raja Muda Regattas, Malaysia
- 3 x Sydney to Hobart
- 3 x ORCV Offshore Series Races
- 2 x Freo Offshore Series Races
- 2 x Melbourne to Hobart
- 8 x Round the Tiwi Islands, NT
- 10 x Adelaide to Pt Lincoln, SA
Nominated by Joy Eggenhuizen