Nick Moloney’s story.

The SOLO Windsurfer Bass Strait Crossing: Nick Moloney and Jim Close

An Account by Nick Moloney

As with most who are sharing fond memories of their experiences with Jim, I feel somewhat humbled and unworthy to share mine.

Jim was a bit of a mythical character to us Melbourne crew. Before many of us had made it to Hobart, Jim had sailed around the world with some of the greatest names in offshore sailing. We honoured him, we envied him, we respected and admired him.

I first got close to Jim during the 1992 America’s Cup with Challenge Australia then again during the 97-98 Whitbread, Jim on Kvaerner Innovation, myself on Toshiba. Yes we knew each other but now we were sharing our first real adventure together, on different boats at sea and united in mischief on land.

But my story about a memorable experience with Jim is not a yacht sailing story.

Jim and I once found ourselves in the middle of the night in the middle of Bass Strait, Jim in a support boat guiding the way, me on a windsurfer. There was a solid reasoning for the pairing, quite simply trust. I knew that there was no better person than Jim to help make the first crossing of Bass Strait by a windsurfer a successful mission, period. It’s a long story so I will spare you details, but a few moments that will always stick with me are Jim’s unflappable composure, side smile and aura of ‘it’s all good’ even when it probably isn’t.

During the night, I am experiencing regular encounters with sizeable sea life darting below and around the board as I make my way South, amplified and size exaggerated by the bioluminescence, making average size fish look massive. Keeping in mind that Bass Strait is known as ’shark highway’ due to its biological and geographical bridge between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There were two others onboard the support boat with Jim and with Jim on the helm he pulls up nearby and cuts the engines to exchange some encouragement. I yell through the dark and the wind ’there’s some fucking big fish out here isn’t there!?’ I can see Gary and Andrew (the other two onboard with Jim, both green with seasickness), faces in shock and looking deeply concerned about the ‘big fish’ nodding their heads, looking at me like I am about to get eaten, Jim at the wheel yells back ’NA!’, one word…’Na’, with that side smile, then starts the engines again. That’s the extent of the conversation, but it’s all I wanted to hear. It was received as it was sent, a subtle nudge to just get on with it! Little did I know that Jim’s confidence that I would not be fish food came from the hand gun he had holstered around his waist, he thinks of everything, that’s why we trust him, Jim’s the guys that simply has your back, and you know it!

The journey was a light version of hell with plenty of swimming and some windsurfing, to the point where at around the 20 hour mark I was pretty broken. Jim, Andrew and Garry come alongside again and I am fried; black eyes and blood nose. I see Garry and Andrew’s faces and one of them says ‘he is done, we need to get him out of the water’, then I hear Jim say ‘whoever pulls him out takes his place’. Needless to say, I stayed in the water, on the board, we kept moving forward and the rest is history as they say.

It has taken me sometime to write this account because I feature in the story more than I should, these stories are about Jim and times in our lives when Jim has either had your back our led from the front. I genuinely do not believe that I could have coped or made that passage without Jim, and I am sure many others that know Jim well can say the same. What we shared together in that crowded day is truly special and genuinely unforgettable, from the bottom of my heart I am forever grateful.

Jim on Nick

Nick’s a great mate, always the same whenever we catch up. He has a no bullshit with a totally transparent attitude, combined with a great sense of humour. He knows how and when to grunt up and gets things done, I respect that a lot. I am sure that his latest job training the new up and coming sailors in the open60 class will go well, and they should be thankful to have him to help the flourish.

Nick Moloney: Sailing History & Achievements

1991 & 1995: 2x Americas’ Cups

1997-1998: Whitbread Round the World Race (Toshiba)

2000: Attempted ‘The Race’ onboard Playstation with the late Steve Fosset

2000: Founding member of OC Sport / Offshore Challenges Sailing Team in the UK (with Mark Turner and Dame Ellen MacArthur)

2000-2004: Won EDS Atlantic Challenge and most IMOCA class Grand Prix events

2002: Won 50’ monohull division of the Route du Rhum

2002: Jules Verne Record (Orange 1). Authored a book about the journey titled Changing the Dawn.

2004-2005: Vendée Globe. Lost keel on day 80 in the Atlantic while in 6th position. Returned 10 months later to quietly finish what was started.

2007: Created the Extreme Sailing Series (ran for 13 years)

2020: Antarctica and Falkland Islands

2023-Present: CEO, coach, and sailor with Canada Ocean Racing

Ongoing Records: 15+ World Sailing Speed Records

Ongoing Records: 21 TransAtlantic races or records (5 victories, 7 podium places, several records, 1 DNF)