xx JOHN BACON INTERVIEW
Fantastic spirit and a warm welcome Pittwater, John Bacon finally took up the challenge of the 5.5 Metre in 2018. He is now waiting patiently to join the fleet in Europe in his third 5.5 Metre, Ku-Ring-Gai 3. After
A
nearly
30
years living and sailing on
t both the 2019 World Championship in Helsinki and the 2020 World Championship on home waters in Pittwater, John Bacon, along with crew James Mayjor and Terry Wetton dominated the Evolution fleets in both the pre-World Championship cups and the World Championship itself. The win in Helsinki set up an historic and poignant defence in Australia for the Frank Tolhurst trophy, a name synonymous with Australian 5.5 Metre sailing. It was a special moment for John and his crew to not only take the trophy home, but also to then defend it in style on home waters.
John Bacon grew up on and in the water. His father was a professional ocean going skipper and he lived in some out of the way places like the Solomon Islands. He did a fair bit of dinghy sailing early on but like a lot of kids, left the sport for education and career and was only re-united with sailing in the early 1990s when he moved to Pittwater. “What an opportunity with one of the best waterways on your back door step.” Since then, “It’s been a great journey through a variety of boats both inshore and offshore but things got a bit serious when we jumped into the MC38 right at the beginning of that project. John McConnaghy invited me down to the factory to see the first boat and I’m like, wow! We didn’t know where the class was going but it’s been an amazing eight years sailing with and against some of the best sailors in the world and getting some sneaky good results as well. “However I was always thinking about getting into an international class to do some sailing in the US and Europe. I formed a Corinthian Melges 24 crew for a few years and we ended up winning the Corinthian world title in 2013. Then I spent a few years campaigning in the Melges 20 until the 5.5 Metre got me in. “Along the way I did a couple of Laser Masters worlds, a bit of time in the Aero and a Class 40 project to do the 2018 Melbourne to Osaka 2 handed race. I just traded the
