As an avid New Zealand sailor Ralph has been sailing for many years around Auckland. He has competed in most of the Coastal Classic races, the SSANZ Two-Handed races, the White Island races, the Gisbourne race and the Coffs Harbour race.

Ralph has owned and sailed several offshore boats including:

• Charlie Brown - Cav 32
• Witchy Woman - Young 11
• Hejira - Frers 39
• Aureo - Reactor 45

When not racing he has found time for extensive cruising - completing several ocean passages and logging over 50,000 miles of blue water experience. Some of these passages were delivery trips, some were seasonal cruises and some were part of a recent circumnavigation. Significant ocean passages are:

• Auckland - Mooloolaba (1982)
• Tonga - Fiji (1989, 1995)
• Auckland - Noumea (1990, 1992, 1999)
• Auckland - Tonga (1990, 1995)
• Noumea - Vila (1992)
• Vila - Auckland (1992, 1995)
• Auckland - Fiji (1997)
• Auckland - Sydney (1999)
• Auckland - Brisbane (2000)
• Sydney - Auckland (2000)
• Coffs Harbour - Sydney (2000)
• Auckland - Tahiti (2001)
• Brisbane - Cocos Keeling (2001)
• Reunion - South Africa (2001)
• South Africa - St Helena (2002)
• St Helena - Martinique (2002)
• Martinique - Panama (2002)
• Panama - Galapagos (2002)
• Galapagos - French Polynesia (2002)
• French Polynesia - Tonga (2002)
• Tonga - Auckland (2002)
• Tahiti - Opua (2003)
• Opua - Fiji (2003)