Escapade, a Bruce Farr-designed cruiser/racer, will be sailed by father and son duo Robert and Michael Bradley from Hobsons Bay Yacht Club.
Robert competed in the 2013 Melbourne Osaka Cup on Escapade with Joey Gough from Scotland, and they won the Osaka Cup. Scottish Sailing Life magazine subsequently reported, “Scots duo wins Osaka Cup,” so Robert has happily accepted honorary Scottish citizenship! Robert is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, and he started sailing 25 years ago when, in his words, “he was too old to play mixed netball”. He took up ocean racing on the advice that getting your boat to a cruising destination was a good way, but he has developed a real passion for offshore sailing in the past 15 years.
Michael started sailing when he was in Grade 3, completed his first ocean passage to Wilsons Promontory when he was 12 years old and is now the Chief Instructor at Hobsons Bay YC. The highlight of his club racing career was winning the Next Generation race in 2024. He has completed 9 Melbourne to Hobart races, including 1st and 2nd place finishes. Michael has completed his RYA Yachtmaster theory exam, and his practical assessment will be put on hold until he’s back from Osaka! He invited his dad to join him in the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka race.
Robert and Michael are no strangers to short-handed sailing, having completed numerous yacht deliveries around southeast Australia over the past 5 years. They look forward to tackling this new navigational challenge together and are very grateful for the support from friends and Hobsons Bay YC.