Circa 1992-93 AD:
We are in the Canterbury Bight, off the east coast of the South Island, New Zealand, aboard the Whitbread 60 “Tokio”..
Not quite the Southern Ocean, but trying to get there as part of a qualifier for the 1993/94 Whitbread Around the World yacht race while putting the yacht through its paces.
Jim & I had first met in the Whitbread prior, him aboard “The Card”, me aboard “Steinlager 2”.
It was great that he had joined us to lead the sail program.
The weather in the Bight had turned a bit ugly, a depression had formed up ESE of our position which meant we’re on the wind in 40-50knots and battling to make our southerly course and not break the boat.
A number of the crew were seriously seasick and it was in this setting that I remember Jim the best…
Some crew members needed to be administered with anal suppository’s to keep them alive and I shall always remember Jim gleefully obliging by pulling on the rubber gloves and getting the unsavoury business done with a huge sarcastic smile.
Indeed some of these now very well known sailors may in fact owe their lives to him..
Needless to say conditions in the Bight got worse before they got better and we proceeded to stuff Tokio’s bow inside out and ended up flooding the forward compartment ahead of the water tight bulkhead with waist deep water. We also ripped the mainsail in half, due to hard flogging in the massive seaway and full storm conditions. After the fact, we found out that this low pressure system, produced the strongest wind strengths ever recorded by the met office for the area.
This period of time is my most vivid recollection of Jim; always enthusiastic, always steady, always reliable, and the first to put his hand up to get any job done.
Over the years through various campaigns a few of us would come to measure our team mates by asking ourselves:
“Would they follow us out of the trench” Undoubtedly Jim is one of those guys… you can count on him.
Unfortunately we never got to sail together aboard Tokio in that race but the boat and crew were in safe hands with Jim aboard.
Bazza
Barry McKay (Bazza) has a sailing resume that would make all but a few sailors drool with envy. He has won the 1989-90 Whitbread round the world race, aboard Steinlager 2 and the Trophée Jules Verne with Sir Peter Blake on ENZA. He was also aboard the winning NZL Americas’ cup team “Black Magic” in 1995.
Bazza is one of Gods’ great men, a steadfast friend, highly skilled, yachtsman, boatbuilder and marine product innovator. Always calm under pressure, and he has a wicked sense of humour. 
