Gary Appleby, one of Australia’s most outstanding international yachtsmen of the eighties and nineties, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning in hospital on the Gold Coast following a long illness. He was 84.
Nicknamed Kenny Rogers, shortened to Kenny, by sailing mates (the photos tell why) Gary joined the CYCA in 1980 and made a name for himself in offshore racing. He was a lovely and generous man who loved to celebrate his victories with the crew, friends and his wife Shirley, his lucky charm who went everywhere with him.
Gary and Shirley Appleby at the Kenwood Cup - Photo courtesy Bob Fraser
In 1980 Gary came onto the offshore scene with Sagacious, a Peter Cole 43-foot yacht he had launched in November and raced in the 1980 and 1981 Sydney Hobarts.
In 1982, Gary updated with Sagacious II, a later version of Sagacious, carrying the sail number 4000, which she still wears today. She competed in a CYCA team at the Clipper Cup (it later became the Kenwood Cup) in Hawaii, but retired from the Hobart. In 1983 he raced it as a charter partnership with Tasmanian Cedric Lockley and represented Tasmania in the Southern Cross Cup, a prestigious biennial event that concluded with the Sydney Hobart.
It was with his next yacht, though, Sagacious IV (formerly Huon Spirit), a one-tonner, that Gary started to make a name for himself, the year he assembled a crew from Sydney’s best yachties as he aimed to win against the best at home and in international competition.
Gary had purchased the yacht just before the 1985 Australian Admiral’s Cup trials. He missed out on representing Australia by one place, so chartered Sagacious IV to the Americans for the event and the boat finished top point scorer and top one-tonner.
Gary said the highlight of his career with any boat, was winning the San Francisco Big Boat Series in 1985, facing off against 17 other one-tonners. He was also awarded a new trophy ‘Outstanding Yacht of the Series’.
There was one incident/’win’ that year that spoiled things for Gary and the boat. Sagacious IV placed second overall in the 1985 Sydney Hobart, but one of his crew lodged a contentious third party protest against the provisional winner, Drakes Prayer.
The protest was over a minor start line incident (quite a few occurred without protest) in a fleet of 179 yachts on one start line (the second largest fleet in the history of the race). Sagacious IV won the protest. And although she sits at the top of the leaderboard, she did not move up a place because of wording in the Notice of Race.
Drakes Prayer was penalised and dropped to 36th. The incident prompted the CYCA to extend one start line to two and more in future years.
Gary also represented NSW in the Southern Cross Cup that year, winning a race, but not the series. However, he did win the CYCA’s 1985-1986 Blue Water Pointscore against a large and classy field.
In 1987, Gary launched his most successful yacht, the Farr 40, Sagacious V. He affectionally called her ‘Little Blackie’ and she was the top-scoring Australian yacht in the third-placed team at the 1987 Admiral's Cup that year. She sailed as Swan Premium II, as the team sponsored by the Swan brewery and Appleby and crew did their best in Cowes to finish 10th in the individual standings.
Gary was chosen Offshore 1987–88 Australian Ocean Racer of the Year for his successes with this boat, including the 1987 Admiral's Cup, Southern Cross Cup (winning team) and member of the victorious Australian team at the 1988 Kenwood Cup.
Sagacious V was highly regarded as the best one tonner in the world and an American syndicate chartered her for the 1989 Admirals Cup where she finished top one tonner in the Fastnet Race.
Back home, Gary took her to second overall in the 1989 Sydney Hobart and anchored the Aussie team to victory in the Southern Cross Cup before going on to win the 1990 Hobart.
Sagacious V crew after winning 1990 Sydney to Hobart, Gary 2nd right red hat - photo courtesy Bob Fraser
In between the majors, Sagacious V won other races on home turf. She was the most successful one-tonner of her time.
In early 1991, Gary decided to go out on a high note and sold Sagacious V. He raced her for the final time in the Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race.
Although the boat was sold, the Admiral’s Cup 50th reunion regatta on Sydney Harbour in 2017 beckoned, so some of the old team came together one more time: Gary, his helmsman and sailmaker Bob Fraser, Toby Richardson, Phil Morgan, Brad Stephens and Greg Johnson. They won the short offshore race and Gary was thrilled that the yacht is kept in as new condition and owned by David Hundt, still races on Sydney Harbour.
When the best of sailing was over, Gary and Shirley moved to Queensland and eventually settled on a property named Rosehill Park in Allora, where they became renowned breeders and trainers of quality Percheron draft horses, which they both loved. Gary said it was important to be in business with things you enjoyed doing and he maintained that throughout his working life.
Gary lost Shirley, his precious wife of 63 years, in 2021 after losing his daughter Kimberley in 2016. And his health in decline when cancer came calling, Gary and his son Darren moved to the Gold Coast to be near medical care.
Throughout the years, Gary held Sagacious reunions around every five years, travelling down from Queensland to be with his tight-knit crew. They have stayed friends throughout.
 at his last Sagacious reunion on 13.12.24- Di Pearson pic smaller.jpg?timestamp=1781834728980)
Gary standing left (beard) at his last Sagacious reunion on 13.12.24- Photo: Di Pearson
Gary will be missed. A great competitor and a good man and friend.
Our sympathies go to Gary’s son Darren, granddaughter Clementine and his brother Ron.
By Di Pearson