Morning Star, an S&S 34 hails from the Tamar Yacht Club where Jo Breen is the current Vice Commodore. Jo has a RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate and works for TYC as a dinghy and keel-boat instructor. She also works part time as a delivery skipper.
Jo has clocked up over 30,000NM including a solo delivery of a 28fter from the Azores to the UK, multiple trans Atlantics and a transpacific crossing. She also spent a season working on Skip Novac’s expedition yacht ‘Pelagic’ sailing around Cape Horn, the Falkland Islands and circumnavigating South Georgia. “Sailing in the high latitudes around ice was a great learning experience, and a true heavy weather sailing education”, Jo says. Jo has competed in the Launceston to Hobart, Maria Island Race, and 2016 Sydney to Hobart as the Navigator on Cromarty Magellan, winning the Corinthian Division of the race.
Co Skipper Peter Brooks is a member of Port Dalrymple Yacht club at Beauty Point Tasmania and he’s been sailing since he was 10 years old. Peter owned an Elliott 7 used for club racing and recently bought a Beneteau First 325 intended for cruising. Over the years Pete and Jo have done a lot of deliveries together.
Peter’s first offshore race was the Queenscliff to Devonport in the early 80’s where he crewed on an East coast 31.
He completed the Tall Ships race in 1988 on a steel ketch 50’ and has circumnavigated Tasmania a number of times.
Other events Peter has competed in include:
• 2015 Launceston to Hobart on a Knoop 39 Cromarty Magellan where Jo and Peter first crewed together.
• 2016 Sydney to Hobart on a Knoop 39. On this occasion Petre was on bow, Jo was navigator and they won the corinthian division of that event.
• And recently the 2017 Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster on S&S34 where he sailed double handed with Jo.
Over the past couple of years Morning Star has been fully refitted in preparation for for the Melbourne Osaka Cup. This includes a new rig, new rudder, replaced the wheel with a tiller and an upgraded to all electronic systems on board.
VIDEO CLIP:
An interview with Jo and Peter following their Qualifying passage in the Melbourne to Hobart.