Arriving in Melbourne after completing their qualifier, we caught up with Alan Paris, owner and co-skipper of Learning to Fly, together with sailing legend Jon Sayer as they prepare to compete in the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup. This will be Sayer’s fifth time in the race, and he’ll be onboard Paris’s J99, Learning to Fly.
Paris and Sayer’s friendship spans over 20 years, dating back to 2000 when Jon built Paris’s Around Alone boat, designed by Scott Jutson.
“I’d owned and sailed a J105, covering around 15,000 offshore miles—10,000 of them solo,” Paris recalled. “I learned a lot, especially after adding an autopilot, and raced that boat in various Caribbean regattas and back and forth between Bermuda and the United States”
“Jon had built boats for top solo racers, including David Adams, who won his class in the 1998 BOC Challenge. So with Jon, you not only get a great boat builder but also a brilliant yacht designer.”
Paris eventually transitioned from his J105 to Sayer’s custom-built Open 40. “We launched it the day after 9/11. It was an unforgettable time,” he said. “I went on to complete 30,000 solo miles around the world on that boat.”
Sayer, a veteran of the Melbourne Osaka Cup, competed in 1991, 1999, 2003, and 2007, racing boats ranging from 11 to 13 meters. “He’s a legend of the Osaka race,” Paris added. “Back in 2003, just as I was setting off on my round-the-world journey, Jon was already building his next boat for the Osaka race.”
Speaking about the appeal of the Osaka Cup, Paris explained, “It’s the longest race that’s not a circumnavigation. Crossing the Atlantic is only 2,500 nautical miles. This is much longer, and the double-handed format adds another layer of challenge.”
“When this race came up on the calendar, I wanted to enter at the lower end of the scale. Smaller boats are cheaper to operate, and everyone has to carry the same mandatory gear, whether you’re sailing a 14m or a 9.9m boat,” Paris said. “But the biggest downside for our little boat is that fuel, water, and food take up a much higher percentage of our total weight. It disproportionally affects our performance compared to a bigger boat.”
Being the first time Sayer has sailed not on his own boat, with a dry smile, Sayer quipped, “I thought Alan said 99, not 9.9 meters.”
Renowned for designing and building boats optimized for short-handed sailing, Sayer reflected on his involvement in the race. “Most owners who want to do this race ask me, ‘Can you build it? And will you come with me?’” he said. “And I never hesitate, even when Alan asked me to sail this little production boat. It’s a chance to return to Japan—even if it’s on the smallest boat I’ve ever raced in this event.”
Discussing race strategies, Sayer noted, “With advances in technology, I’ve taken largely the same route through the middle section of the race. But if I were on Alive, the 66-footer, I’d plan my route differently. With that kind of boat speed, you can spot weather openings and set a more aggressive course.”
Comparing today’s race to the first edition in 1987, Sayer remarked, “Back then, if it floated, you went to Japan. Safety standards and boat designs have come a long way, but we all know—the hardest part is just getting to the starting line.”
Their boat, Learning to Fly, carries a fitting emblem: a flightless Kiwi bird holding Neptune’s trident. With every wave, Alan and Jon will be working to teach their boat to surf and, hopefully, fly towards Osaka.
Paris and Sayer will start the 9th edition of the Melbourne Osaka Cup on the 2nd start line, March 9th from Portsea.