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Vale John
Gettens 1939 to 2009.
Getto or Long John, as he use to be known, enjoyed a lifetime of
sailing and competition. To the many people who knew him Getto
was one of the most innovative and imaginative of sailors,
whose philosophy to the sport was speed and improvement.
Getto started in VJ’s in the middle 50’s. It was in this class
he started building boats for himself and for others to race. In
both cases with a great deal of success. He even gave John
Bertrand a run for his money in one championship.
If you were built like Getto, VJ’s were not a long term venture
and he graduated to the new Skate class. It was in these high
speed dinghies that his true genius emerged. He won two National
Championships filled minor places in a number of others. But
along the way he developed and perfected the use of the “six
foot swing plank”.
For those of us who knew him in those days the sight of six foot
two Getto suspended three foot off the gunwale of his skate
going like a “bat out of hell” with his good mate Phantom (Keith
Cole) up the
front will last for ever.
Getto’s love of these “snake boxes” even extended to joining the
50 year Anniversary of the class and sailing one in the
celebration regatta at age 69.
As with a lot of guys his age Getto retired from competitive
sailing and with his devoted wife Wendy, raised a family and
supported his children in their chosen sports. Dean and Grant
in BMX racing and stunting and Melinda as a swimmer with state
qualifications.
For quite a number of years his sailing was confined to crewing
and boat delivery.
In the early eighties sailboards emerged as a racing craft and
along with mates Blatchy and Quince, Getto went about mastering
this class. Never satisfied with the performance of factory
built boards he built his own. Light weight wooden craft always
on the fringe of the class rules. He developed boards which
allowed him to become the Master Class State Champion and gain
innumerable minor placings over the years he competed. Not bad
for an old guy in his 50’s. During his 10 years with the
Sailboards he regularly competed on the sailboard circuit and
raced against at least three Olympians. As with all the previous
sailing classes he left the sailboards with many friends and
very much stronger racing for his presence.
One of Getto’s great talents was the restoration of wooden
boats. In this regard he purchased a broken down Diamond yacht
and renovated it sufficiently to race it at Cronulla Sailing
Club. It was only the lack of a crew game enough to go with him
that prevented him from achieving greater success.
About 10 years ago Getto joined “his band of brothers” to race a
battered Adams 10 now named Yebisu. This was a wild ride on a
shoestring budget this boat proved highly competitive against
all it raced against. Getto’s sailing genius and never say die
spirit inspired the old guys and the young ones who sailed with
him to push the Yebisu way beyond its normal comfort zone.
If you asked Getto to nominate his favourite sailing experience
no doubt he would say in Yebisu with his great mate Blatchy
when they blitzed the field in the Short Handed series to win
both the R.M.Y.C and the combined event. Their crazy spinnaker
run in 20 to 30 knot winds to set up this win will be remembered
and talked about for many years.
During his lifetime Getto has sailed on many boats and with many
crews. He always offered good fellowship and a desire to give of
his best. I know there would not be one of those skippers he
sailed with who would not love to have him back.
There is a quote on the R.M.Y.C Sailing web which sums up Getto
perfectly; “The art of racing is not winning. But winning so the
rest of the fleet are pleased you have won and the only way they
can be pleased is for you to have shown not only better sailing
than they but perfect sportsmanship.”
8 bells sound the changing of the watch, Getto you did it your
way and you did it well.
G. Pallister. |
