Sailors lend a hand
Kuttabul goes to the dogs

BEST FRIENDS: LSPT Corinne Williams and WO Ian Sutton get to know some of the sled dogs they helped to organise during a recent Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) event in the Hunter Valley.

Volume 49, No. 13, July 27, 2006

A small group of adventurous HMAS Kuttabul (CMDR Brett Chandler) sailors went to the dogs recently when they participated in a Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) activity.

The sailors came out in support of the annual Hunter Valley sled dog races in NSW.
This local minor assistance exposed the sailors to a unique sporting event in which they assisted in the successful conduct of the event.

From humble beginnings in Australia in 1981, sled dog racing has grown considerably in this country.

There are now 21 official races held at various venues in Queensland, NSW, ACT and South Australia.

The 2006 Hunter Valley event attracted 77 dog teams, which were categorised from one to six-dog classes. This equates to a total of approximately 250 sled dogs most of which were Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and the very fast Alaskan Huskies.

With a couple of hundred dogs in the campsite, the cold and quiet nights under the stars were periodically interrupted by a crescendo of howling dogs as they enjoyed their time together. To a beginner to the sport this was an amazing and eerie sound.

The Hunter Valley event is one most respected races on the racing calendar and the additional support from the Kuttabul personnel helped to increase the professional profile and quality of the event.

The sailors were required to complete a number of tasks including timekeeping, trail crew, start line assistants, dog handlers, and to also facilitate the Saturday night auction and trivia.
Their willingness to learn and good humour ensured that they quickly became very popular with the dog sledding fraternity.

To show their appreciation of the sailors support, the co-founder of the Hunter Valley sled dog club, Donal McIntyre, took LSPT Corinne Williams on a seven kilometre eight-dog sled dog ride.
“It was truly amazing to see how all the eight dogs worked so well as a team, and how they really love to run. It was fantastic,” she said with a big smile.

Judging by the number of positive comments the sailors received after completion of the races, the profile of Kuttabul and the RAN within this small sector of the civilian community has increased dramatically.
The DACC was a great success for both parties concerned, and one that a few lucky sailors will never forget.

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