Flight Level Zero · video

What this video covers

A Beneteau 57 owner in Southern California fulfils a promise made to Sue, the widow of the boat's previous owner Gary Criddle, by installing a memorial plaque aboard the vessel.4:38 Steve, a longtime friend of Criddle's from their Royal Australian Navy days, visits the boat in Newport Beach and sees the plaque for the first time.5:14 The visit prompts a detailed account of Criddle's career: he served as a navigator and weapons officer, commanded a patrol boat, trained on the Grumman S2 tracker, and later flew as an airline pilot with Qantas before dying in an aircraft accident roughly a year before the visit.6:05 The boat itself has a documented racing history — original owner Bill Wheeler raced it in the Sydney to Hobart, finishing sixth in class, and also entered the Sydney to Gold Coast race.12:17 Steve previously owned a Beneteau 461 and a Beneteau 473, the latter purchased in Italy and kept in Croatia and Sicily for twelve years combined.10:36 Separately, Chris and Karmen are mid-refit, cutting carpet templates for the salon, hallway, and master stateroom of the 57 and offering to share those templates with other Beneteau 57 owners.1:46 Their planned cruising route runs from Southern California to La Paz, down the Mexican coast, through the Sea of Cortez, and across to French Polynesia, with a long-term goal of returning the boat to Brisbane.11:08

Boats in this video

More from Flight Level Zero

Why we’re leaving it all behind for the oceanAug 2026Back to our roots at AirVenture 2026!Aug 2026Climbing the Mast and Diving a Ship Wreck!!Aug 2026We're finally back on the water after boat repairs!Jul 2026

From Flight Level Zero — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.