Our sailing journey started in 1999.
Annette & Sophie at Lady Musgrave Island.
Get to know the Crew
Annette
Annette (Netty/Skipper) is an experienced and passionate offshore sailor, a RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Yachtmaster Offshore and Instructor, owner/ founder of Paper Sailors Rock and Mum to co-skipper, Sophie. Annette started her life aboard motor cruisers where she fell in love with the ocean and discovered the tranquillity of sailing yachts. After cruising the Western Pacific in her early twenties, then the East Coast of Australia with a young family, Annette successfully skippered sailing yacht Red Jacket in the Melbourne to Osaka double-handed, non-stop yacht race and the return voyage in 2018; as well as multiple Melbourne to Hobart Westercoaster yacht races both short-handed and fully crewed. With the opening registrations for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup, Annette couldn’t help but go again, this time competing as part of the first-ever mother & daughter team to tackle the 5,500 nautical miles.
Sophie
Sophie (Soph/CoSkipper) has followed closely in the footsteps of her mother. Sophie grew up aboard sailing yachts, sailing the East Coast of Australia as a toddler, Tasmania and Bass Strait as a child. But the dream was hatched as a teenager. At 19 Soph bought her own sailing yacht, Nakama and now, a few years on Sophie is well into completing a slow but thorough circumnavigation of Australia. Whilst cruising around Australia, Sophie attends university, studying a Bachelor of Digital Media, and puts these skills into creating videos for the YouTube channel Slim & Soph - Sailing Nakama. Soph has joined forces with her mother to tackle the Melbourne to Osaka Cup as this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity couldn’t be missed.
What the crew do
Slim & Soph - Sailing Nakama
Soph works as a creator and editor for the YouTube channel Slim & Soph - Sailing Nakama documenting the travels of Sophie and her partner Simon (Slim) who are currently completing a circumnavigation of Australia aboard Nakama, a Duncanson 34. Both Sophie & Simon are at university.
The YouTube channel showcases Slim & Soph’s journey sailing to some of the most remote reaches of the country, living minimally and off-grid. Slim & Soph chase the wilderness which no human can drive to by car, escaping the regular comforts of society. Slim & Soph want to prove that you don’t need the fanciest boat or a squillion bucks, just a whole lot of ambition and a willingness to make mistakes and learn.
While sailing, filming and editing, Soph is studying a Bachelor of Digital Media, which she attends entirely online while sailing.
Paper Sailors Rock
Paper Sailors Rock was born out of a desire to share a passion for sailing, the ocean and spectacular places with others.
Paper Sailors Rock is a recognised Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centre and an Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival training centre.
Paper Sailors Rock offers something for everyone including sailing adventures, sail training and shore based learning.
You will find Annette as the face of Paper Sailor Rock, either in the classroom or as Fika’s cool, calm and collected Skipper.
Get to know to know the vessel
Fika [fee-ka]. Swedish
A moment to slow down and appreciate the good things in life.
Fika is a Najad 490, built in Sweden, 2001. She has sailed from Europe via the Pacific, New Zealand and Asia.
Specifications:
Length 15m
Beam 4.5m
Draft 2.0m