Close, 41, and his Victorian crew sailed Fade 2 Grey, which he bought in 2006, to three wins in six races, collecting line honours on four occasions in the biggest class at the prestigious Queensland regatta.

No stranger to sporting success, Close represented Australia in the 4.2-metre skiff sailing in 1989 after starting at Chelsea Yacht Club as a nine year old. He has won several races, including the 2007 Queenscliff to Port Fairy race and a divisional win in the 2008 Queenscliff to Hastings race, and played with distinction for Chelsea Football Club in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.

The 150-game Chelsea veteran captained the Chelsea Seagulls in 1997-98, played in three grand finals and was a member of the 1990 premiership team.

Today, Close still finds time for footy while owning and operating a commercial roofing company based in Carrum Downs.

These days he runs around with Super Rules club Carrum Cowboys, premiers in 2006 and 2007.

The former Bonbeach High student was delighted with his unexpected win at Hamilton Island. "No one saw us coming. At best we were just hoping to get a few high places.

"The result came down to the final race; we had to put four boats between ourselves and the nearest rival and we ended up 10 boats in front," said the skipper, who has already received offers of sponsorship from sailmakers.

Fade 2 Grey won the first race with another local football star aboard: three-time Chelsea premiership player Richard Howlett crewed in the opener, but then had to fly home.

Crewing for Close in the other races was Melbourne-Osaka race veteran Alistair Greenwood of Bonbeach and Royal Yacht Club of Victoria members Greg Cameron and Rick Pacey. Close, his father-in-law Theo Vandeligt, and Greenwood spent more than three weeks sailing from Melbourne to Queensland for the race week.