Pardey Time at the Whitsunday Sailing Club!
As soon I discovered that the inimitable Lin Pardey would be sharing her story at our local Whitsunday Sailing Club, the first thing I did was ensure my whole family and I were booked in.
Like many cruising sailors, I'm a Pardey fan, so the chance to see one of my long-term idols in person, and hear her speak, was no doubt going to be a personal highlight.
But as a journalist of about 20 years, who initially started as a freelancer for nautical and travel publications before moving into mainstream media, the opportunity to interview Lin and tell her story myself was one I couldn't pass up.
I will be forever grateful to both Lin for being so generous with her time, and to my colleague and friend, Deb Friend, for allowing me space in her excellent Whitsunday News newspaper (https://whitsundaynews.net.au) to share this incredible story.
And like everyone else at the Whitsunday Sailing Club that night I probably also owe long-term member Lachie Wilson a beer. It was thanks to Lachie alerting the club's management to Lin's arrival on the Queensland coast that the opportunity arose in the first place - albeit pulled together in a matter of just seven days.
They say "never meet your heroes", but now I can say I definitely met one of mine, and Lin Pardey not only met but exceeded any expectations I might have had.
I Hope you enjoy both the written article on the Whitsunday News site and this video interview, which you while also find embedded there (once both links are live).
If you want to read more about Lin from her own pen, please also visit https://pardeytime.blogspot.com, or to buy any (or all) of her must-read books, head to https://www.paracay.com/ using the code Pardey 20 for a 20% discount.
Fair Winds, and in the words of someone we all know and love, remember to sail for "as long as it's fun"!
Sharon Smallwood
Airlie Beach, 2025
The Sailing Adventures of Brilliant II
Join the Smallwoods - Sharon, Julian, Josh, and Pepe (the Blue Burmese) - aboard Sailing Vessel Brilliant II. Brilliant II is a Kelly Peterson 44, built in 1978. Julian and Sharon bought the boat in Phuket, Thailand, in 2005, and sailed her slowly back to Sydney, Australia. Over the next five years they lived aboard and sailed the coasts of New South Wales and Queensland. They are currently based in the Whitsundays, Queensland, where Josh was born in 2010. In 2021 they began a refit of the water-damaged interior (which had needed doing since the start!), while continuing to sail on mini-adventures north and south of their home port. Sharon is a photojournalist by trade, but realising YouTube is a thing has started creating videos too. You can also follow their adventures on Instagram at @shazatsea.
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Pardey Time at the Whitsunday Sailing Club! Locations
- Whitsunday Sailing Club (-20.267004,148.7226409)
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