One thing Shortwave is not short of is Shorts, both sorts. The shorts the Short family had on during their race from Sydney to Southport in the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Race were well worn by the time they arrived on the morning of Monday July 28 2008. And the Short family were elated at their fourth over the line in their first race on Matt Short’s new yacht, Shortwave. She was also fourth in IRC Division 1, a great result for this Judel Vrolijk designed former TP52 that was modified for offshore sailing as an IRC52 in the UK, before coming to Australia in early March.

The sailing Short family is nothing short of a legend in Sydney sailing circles and around the world. Andrew Short is possibly the best known of the four Short brothers internationally, but the other three are just as dedicated to the sport. The others, John, Ian and Matt have also been sailing Sydney Harbour and further afield for most of their lives.

Now Matt Short has assembled a crew which comprises his wife Chris and their four daughters – Kylie, Nikki, Caitlan and Sarah; Kylie’s fiancé Matt and Nikki’s boyfriend Chris. As if that isn’t confusing enough, Matt’s brother Ian and wife Peta were also onboard.

The remainder of the crew are Jensen Penny, Anthony Guy, Matt Pearce (who has sailed on Skandia Wild Thing), Darren Anderson, Glen Cooper (who works for Ian) and James Craddock. Most of them sail in Sydney with Ian, who is the family sailmaker.

Shortwave was only delivered to Sydney in May, with assistance from sponsor Hamburg Sud. So the crew have only had a very short time to get to know her and each other as crewmates; although you can tell from the above that they know each other very well otherwise, especially as many of them work in one or other of the Short family businesses.

The Shortwave crew certainly race in style. Chef Chris (Short, that is) served up beef casserole, tandoori chicken, dim sims and bacon and eggs amongst other gourmet fare. And all produced on the galley’s two burner stove, or at least reheated. And best of all, no one got seasick and fed their tucker to the fishes.

Meantime, brother Andrew is currently sailing his recent purchase, Shockwave 5, home from Newport, Rhode Island. He raced her successfully in the Newport Bermuda Yacht Race on the first leg home. Although Shockwave 5 was the fourth boat to cross the finish line, she took line honours in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division, the largest division in the regatta, representing 123 of the 198 yachts entered in the race. Not a bad effort for most of the crew who had only met her 48 hours before the race.

Now the Reichel/Pugh 80 has reportedly crossed the equator via the Panama Canal. And in another connection with Sydney Gold Coast race, she sailed from Bermuda with Doug Ross-Munro on board for a short Caribbean delivery leg, before he flew home to Sydney to sail to Southport in Cockatoo Ridge ‘The Goat’.

Shockwave 5 is coming home to compete in Hamilton Island Race Week (unless Andrew ends up short on time, and doesn’t make it!). During her career, she has been owned and sailed as Alfa Romeo Shockwave by Neville Crichton.

In Short, this story is nothing short of a wonderful family saga of how a family that sails together stays together! And there is little doubt that the family businesses will always be Short staffed.