It was a bright and windy morning today when boat owners, crews, friends and family gathered on the lawn of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in warm sunshine for the official prize-giving for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010. The races’ rich 66-year history provides for an impressive collection of race booty: intricately crafted silver trophies, hand-carved half models, and unique awards. His Excellency, the Honourable Peter Underwood, Governor of Tasmania, was on hand again this year to present the awards, along with Hobart’s Lord Mayor Rob Valentine; David O’Bryne, representing the Premier of Tasmania; the CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre; RYCT Commodore Graham Taplin; Patrick Boutellier of Rolex Australia; and Barbara McGregor, from Tasports.

This was one of the more “classic” Rolex Sydney Hobarts in recent years because of the heavy weather and rough seas that boats and their crews encountered—a hallmark of this well-known ocean race. The race started with a ‘Southerly buster’ during the first night, with the fleet of 87 starters encountering winds that reached 40 to 50 knots. Those gale-force winds and the resulting monstrous seas took their toll and saw a steady stream of boats retire due to steering damage, torn sails and engine problems, and for one unlucky yacht, a dismasting. After two days, 18 boats were forced out of the race, retiring because of the adverse weather conditions and resulting damage to boat and equipment. Following that, boats and crew had to contend with getting across the notorious 100 nautical mile wide Bass Strait. By the race end, winds lightened somewhat and boats at the back of the fleet had trouble getting enough wind to get up the ten-mile stretch of Derwent River to the finish line in Hobart. Race favourite, Robert Oatley’s 100-foot maxi Wild Oats XI picked up the line honours as expected for a fifth time. In the end, it was the medium-sized boats that had the advantage, such as the 51-footer, Geoff Boettcher’s Secret Men’s Business 3.5, which was the overall handicap winner of this year’s race. The yacht won IRC Overall and IRC Division 1 titles. About the race, Boettcher said, “It was a boyhood dream to win this race. I just can’t believe I’m here.” He also thanked his talented and dedicated crew for their help. “These boys are fantastic,” he said.

The Reichel Pugh 51 was extensively modified last year, and Boettcher attributes these modifications to helping with the win. “With the modifications we were able to point much better, and we increased the hull length while we were at it,” he said. A highlight of this morning’s presentation was when Investec Loyal maxi yacht skipper Sean Langman received the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Trophy for second overall on elapsed time. Showing true sportsmanship at its best Langman said, “I’d like to acknowledge every single competitor in this year’s race, which was more a test of the human condition than just a boat race.” Langman went on to say that, as he often does, he greeted the last boat, Wave Sweeper, when it arrived into King’s Pier Marina, “To me that boat really epitomises what this race is about. Wave Sweeper stopped off in Eden and dropped off an injured crew. They had a whole lot of damaged sails, but still pushed on.” When Langman saw them arrive, he said they looked dejected for coming in last. In a touching tribute Langman said, “But to me, they really came in first. I’d like to give the crew of the Wave Sweeper a hearty congratulations for their effort.” While their can only be one winner, Langman’s attitude—that just finishing the race makes you a winner resonated with the father and son team aboard the US entry, Dawn Star. Keen sailors and competitors Bill and Will Hubbard shared a life long dream of sailing in a Rolex Sydney Hobart, what has become known as the world’s toughest ocean going race. The 76-year old Hubbard said of the race, “I can honestly say it was the worst race and the best race I’ve ever done—and that’s the honest to God’s truth. The second day was hell on earth. I’ve never been so unhappy and thought that I made a major error in judgment.” Bill Hubbard, 26, said the race was, “Wet! It was a test of endurancem but we got here.” At one point during the race south, Dawn Star was hit by a freak wave and knocked down, sending two crew members overboard. “Their safety gear keep them from being lost,” admitted the younger Hubbard. And with a twinkle in his eye, the sunburned and unshaven elder Hubbard looked back on the adventure that was the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart and said, “The fourth day was the most fantastic day on the water we’ve ever spent. The wind was perfect. The weather was perfect and in that night every star in the sky was out. It was beautiful.” The Polish Trophy is presented to the yacht travelling from the furthest point to compete. This year’s winner was Alberto Biffignandi’s One Life, which was sailed on an extended cruise by family and friends from Santa Margherita Ligure to Sydney. Biffignandi said the name of his boat is meant to inspire others. The affable Italian said, “You only have one life; you should go now or you never will.” The entries for this the 66th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race included six international yachts from the USA, UK, Italy, France, as well as two partly crewed Russian boats, and entries from seven of the eight Australian states and territories.

RESULTS LINE HONOURS Wild Oats XI, Robert Oatley (NSW/AUS), Reichel/Pugh 100 IRC OVERALL Secret Mens Business 3.5, Geoff Boettcher (SA/AUS), Reichel/Pugh 51 DIVISION LEADERS IRC Div 0: Jazz, Chris Bull, (VIC/AUS), Cookson 50 IRC Div 1: Secret Mens Business 3.5, Geoff Boettcher IRC Div 2: Victoire, Darryl Hodgkinson (NSW/AUS), Beneteau First 45 IRC Div 3: Paca, Philippe Mengual (NSW/AUS), Beneteau First 40 IRC Div 4: Ray White Spirit of Koomooloo, Mike Freebairn (QLD/AUS), S&S 48 PHS Div 1: NSC Mahligai, Murray Owens & Jenny Kings (NSW/AUS), Sydney 46 PHS Div 2: Flying Fish Arctos, Martin Silk (NSW/AUS), McIntyre 55 Sydney 38: Eleni, Tony Levett (NSW/AUS), Sydney 38 ORCi 1: Jazz, Chris Bull ORCi 2: Victoire, Darryl Hodgkinson ORCi 3: Copernicus, Greg Zyner, (NSW/AUS), Radford 12 Cruising: OneLife, Alberto Biffignandi, Italy, Amel

 

1 Wild Oats XI Finished    02:07:37:20   11.3        
 Bob Oatley NSW    28 Dec, 8:37pm  
 
2 Investec LOYAL Finished    02:11:11:34   10.6        
 Sean Langman (19) NSW    29 Dec, 12:11am  
 
3 Lahana Finished    02:14:09:44   10.1        
 Peter Millard (1) NSW    29 Dec, 3:09am  
 
 
4 Ichi Ban Finished    02:16:52:55   9.7        
 Matt Allen (21) NSW    29 Dec, 5:52am  
 
5 Wild Thing Finished    02:17:15:29   9.6        
 Grant Wharington (23) VIC    29 Dec, 6:15am  
 
6 Ran Finished    02:17:22:55   9.6        
 Niklas Zennstrom (1) England    29 Dec, 6:22am  
 
 
7 Limit Finished    02:21:30:31   9.0        
 Alan Brierty (7) WA    29 Dec, 10:30am  
 
8 Loki Finished    02:21:33:16   9.0        
 Stephen Ainsworth (13) NSW    29 Dec, 10:33am  
 
9 Rodd & Gunn Wedgetail Finished    02:23:44:50   8.8        
 Bill Wild (6) QLD    29 Dec, 12:44pm  
 
 
10 Living Doll Finished    03:00:18:35   8.7        
 Michael Hiatt (5) VIC    29 Dec, 1:18pm  
 
11 Shogun Finished    03:00:18:54   8.7        
 Rob Hanna (4) VIC    29 Dec, 1:18pm  
 
12 Jazz Finished    03:00:20:19   8.7        
 Chris Bull (3) NSW    29 Dec, 1:20pm  
 
 
13 Pretty Fly III Finished    03:00:33:18   8.7        
 Colin Woods (4) NSW    29 Dec, 1:33pm  
 
14 Secret Men’s Business 3.5 Finished    03:00:42:10   8.6        
 Geoff Boettcher (21) SA    29 Dec, 1:42pm  
 
15 Terra Firma Finished    03:07:27:42   7.9        
 Nicholas Bartels (7) VIC    29 Dec, 8:27pm  
 
 
16 Ragamuffin Finished    03:07:43:15   7.9        
 Syd Fischer (41) NSW    29 Dec, 8:43pm  
 
17 Vamp Finished    03:08:36:59   7.8        
 Mikhail Muratov/Roger Hickman (33) Russia    29 Dec, 9:36pm  
 
18 Merit Finished    03:09:18:53   7.7        
 Leo Rodriguez (2) QLD    29 Dec, 10:18pm  
 
 
19 Titania of Cowes Finished    03:12:11:29   7.5        
 Richard Dobbs United Kingdom    30 Dec, 1:11am  
 
20 Chutzpah Finished    03:13:03:30   7.4        
 Bruce Taylor (29) VIC    30 Dec, 2:03am  
 
21 Victoire Finished    03:15:41:40   7.2        
 Darryl Hodgkinson NSW    30 Dec, 4:41am  
 
 
22 Ocean Affinity Finished    03:15:42:52   7.2        
 Stewart Lewis (3) QLD    30 Dec, 4:42am  
 
23 Extasea Finished    03:15:44:39   7.2        
 Paul Buchholz VIC    30 Dec, 4:44am  
 
24 AFR Midnight Rambler Finished    03:17:04:53   7.1        
 Ed Psaltis (29) NSW    30 Dec, 6:04am  
 
 
25 Cadibarra 8 Finished    03:20:46:20   6.8        
 Paul Roberts (7) VIC    30 Dec, 9:46am  
 
26 Helsal III Finished    03:23:17:17   6.6        
 Rob Fisher (17) TAS    30 Dec, 12:17pm  
 
27 St Jude Finished    03:23:31:37   6.6        
 Noel Cornish (3) NSW    30 Dec, 12:31pm  
 
 
28 Valheru Finished    03:23:42:32   6.6        
 Anthony Lyall (9) TAS    30 Dec, 12:42pm  
 
29 Patriot Finished    03:23:56:51   6.5        
 Tony Love (5) QLD    30 Dec, 12:56pm  
 
30 NSC Mahligai Finished    04:00:09:23   6.5        
 Murray Owen (4) NSW    30 Dec, 1:09pm  
 
 
31 Patrice Six Finished    04:00:17:51   6.5        
 Tony Kirby (25) NSW    30 Dec, 1:17pm  
 
32 Dodo Finished    04:00:26:32   6.5        
 Rick Christian NSW    30 Dec, 1:26pm  
 
33 Wasabi Finished    04:01:50:30   6.4        
 Bruce McKay (1) NSW    30 Dec, 2:50pm  
 
 
34 Krakatoa II Finished    04:01:57:34   6.4        
 Rod Skellet (11) NSW    30 Dec, 2:57pm  
 
35 Tevake II Finished    04:02:02:10   6.4        
 Angus Fletcher (1) VIC    30 Dec, 3:02pm  
 
36 Paca Finished    04:02:08:45   6.4        
 Philippe Mengual (1) NSW    30 Dec, 3:08pm  
 
 
37 Eleni Finished    04:02:59:17   6.3        
 Tony Levett (6) NSW    30 Dec, 3:59pm  
 
38 Another Challenge Finished    04:02:59:46   6.3        
 Chris Lewin(3) VIC    30 Dec, 3:59pm  
 
39 Zen Finished    04:03:27:06   6.3        
 Gordon Ketelbey (7) NSW    30 Dec, 4:27pm  
 
 
40 L’Ange De Milon Finished    04:03:30:58   6.3        
 Jacques Pelletier France    30 Dec, 4:30pm  
 
41 L’Altra Donna Finished    04:03:59:53   6.3        
 Andy Kearnan NSW    30 Dec, 4:59pm  
 
42 Copernicus Finished    04:04:14:22   6.3        
 Greg Zyner (3) NSW    30 Dec, 5:14pm  
 
 
43 She’s The Culprit Finished    04:04:21:29   6.3        
 Todd Leary (2) TAS    30 Dec, 5:21pm  
 
44 LMR Solar Finished    04:04:38:13   6.2        
 Michael Martin (2) NSW    30 Dec, 5:38pm  
 
45 Local Hero* Finished    04:04:46:09   6.2        
 Peter Mosely NSW    30 Dec, 5:46pm  
 
 
46 Secret Men’s Business #1 Finished    04:05:03:05   6.2        
 Ross Trembath (13), Rob Curtis (4) NSW    30 Dec, 6:03pm  
 
47 Flying Fish Arctos Finished    04:05:15:17   6.2        
 Martin Silk (1) NSW    30 Dec, 6:15pm  
 
48 Ray White Spirit of Koomooloo Finished    04:06:48:11   6.1        
 Mike Freebairn (7) QLD    30 Dec, 7:48pm  
 
 
49 Shepherd Centre Finished    04:07:44:11   6.1        
 Hugh Torode (1) NSW    30 Dec, 8:44pm  
 
50 Scarlet Ribbon* Finished    04:09:03:06   6.0        
 Richard Buxton VIC    30 Dec, 10:03pm  
 
51 Obsession Finished    04:09:06:57   6.0        
 Nikita Brilliantov NSW    30 Dec, 10:06pm  
 
 
52 Chancellor Finished    04:09:13:20   6.0        
 Ted Tooher (5) NSW    30 Dec, 10:13pm  
 
53 Geomatic Joker Finished    04:09:16:49   6.0        
 Grant Chipperfield (1) VIC    30 Dec, 10:16pm  
 
54 Onelife* Finished    04:10:26:35   5.9        
 Alberto Biffignandi Italy    30 Dec, 11:26pm  
 
 
55 Allegro Finished    05:00:54:11   5.2        
 John Taylor (15) NSW    31 Dec, 1:54pm  
 
56 Mille Sabords Finished    05:00:56:38   5.2        
 Stephane Howarth VIC    31 Dec, 1:56pm  
 
57 Wahoo Finished    05:00:56:54   5.2        
 Graham Mulligan NSW    31 Dec, 1:56pm  
 
 
58 Aurora Finished    05:00:58:56   5.2        
 Jim Holley (22) NSW    31 Dec, 1:58pm  
 
59 Crossbow Finished    05:01:07:53   5.2        
 David Stenhouse (1) & David Cutcliffe (5) NSW    31 Dec, 2:07pm  
 
60 Abracadabra Finished    05:01:18:49   5.2        
 James Murchison (6) NSW    31 Dec, 2:18pm  
 
 
61 Blunderbuss Finished    05:01:21:40   5.2        
 Tony Kinsman QLD    31 Dec, 2:21pm  
 
62 She Finished    05:01:22:34   5.2        
 Peter Rodgers (15) NSW    31 Dec, 2:22pm  
 
63 Dawn Star* Finished    05:01:47:36   5.2        
 William Hubbard III USA    31 Dec, 2:47pm  
 
 
64 CIC Secure Inca Finished    05:02:26:31   5.1        
 Noel Sneddon (5) ACT    31 Dec, 3:26pm  
 
65 Young Ones Finished    05:02:56:59   5.1        
 Ian Miller (2) VIC    31 Dec, 3:56pm  
 
66 Illusion Finished    05:03:00:36   5.1        
 Jonathan Stone NSW    31 Dec, 4:00pm  
 
 
67 Charlie’s Dream Finished    05:03:39:49   5.1        
 Peter Lewis (2) QLD    31 Dec, 4:39pm  
 
68 Polaris of Belmont Finished    05:03:42:56   5.1        
 Chris Dawe (6) NSW    31 Dec, 4:42pm  
 
69 Wave Sweeper Finished    05:06:08:30   5.0        
 Morgan Rogers (2) NSW    31 Dec, 7:08pm  
 
 
 Alchemy III* Retired – at Port           
 Jarrod Ritchie TAS      
 
 Bacardi* Retired – at Port           
 Martin Power (8) VIC      
 
 Brindabella* Retired – at Port           
 Jim Cooney NSW      
 
 
 Calm Retired – at Port           
 Jason Van der Slot (5) VIC      
 
 Exile* Retired – at Port           
 Rob Reynolds (1) NSW      
 
 Jazz Player* Retired – at Port           
 Andrew Lawrence (1) VIC      
 
 
 Nautical Circle* Retired – at Port           
 Matthew Prentice (1) NSW      
 
 Nemesis Retired – at Port           
 Jeffery Taylor USA      
 
 Pirelli Celestial* Retired – at Port           
 Sam Haynes NSW      
 
 
 Salona II* Retired – at Port           
 Phillip King (13) NSW      
 
 Scarlet Runner* Retired – at Port           
 Robert Date (2) VIC      
 
 Shamrock* Retired – at Port           
 Tony Donnellan (1) VIC      
 
 
 Shining Sea* Retired – at Port           
 Andrew Corletto (1) SA      
 
 Southern Excellence* Retired – at Port           
 Andrew Wenham (4) NSW      
 
 Swish* Retired – at Port           
 Steven Proud (3) NSW      
 
 
 Two True* Retired – at Port           
 Andrew Saies (5) SA      
 
 Wot Eva* Retired – at Port           
 David Pescud (19) NSW      
 
 Yuuzoo* Retired – at Port           
 Ludde Ingvall (7) NSW      
 
 
 

Notes
Local Hero – awarded 30 minutes redress under RRS 62.1(c) for coming to the assistance of Bacardi
Scarlet Ribbon – cruising division boat
Onelife – cruising division boat
Dawn Star – 40 minutes redress granted under RRS 62.1(c) for locating and sinking a liferaft lost from Titania of Cowes
Alchemy III – boom damage
Bacardi – broken mast
Brindabella – damaged mainsail
Exile – steering damage
Jazz Player – damaged mainsail
Nautical Circle – Engine problems
Pirelli Celestial – Sail damage
Salona II – Steering Problems
Scarlet Runner – Sail damage
Shamrock – damage to rudder bearing
Shining Sea – Broken Rudder
Southern Excellence – At Sydney
Swish – radio damage – heading to Sydney
Two True – Engine problems
Wot Eva – engine problem
Yuuzoo – torn headsail

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In the end, smaller production yachts topped the podium. Two of the new Farr-designed Beneteau First 40s, Two True (Andrew Saies) and Wicked (Mike Welsh) placed first and second.

Third and fourth were two of the Murray, Burns & Dovell Sydney 38 one-designs, Next (Ian Mason/Jay Krehbiel), and Swish (Steven Proud).

These first four boats followed a similar strategy; heading well out to sea from the start, staying mainly east of the rhumb line and chasing the current eddies. And they pushed each other hard, racing one-design.

The two Sydney 38s ended their 628nm match race with a gybing duel over the last 11 miles in the River Derwent. Next crossed half a boat length in front to win the Sydney 38 One Design division ahead of Swish, but placed fourth behind Swish on IRC overall because she has a slightly higher IRC overall handicap for carrying a masthead spinnaker.

Next’s skipper Ian Mason said: “It was a very tough race. It was just match-racing for nearly 400 miles with Swish. We were never more than about 800 metres apart and then she beat us by five seconds.”

Two True also won the ORCi division, introduced into the race for the first time this year in response to a growing push among Australian owners for a more measurement-based, transparent rule than IRC.

Ragamuffin’s veteran skipper Syd Fischer, strongly behind the move towards ORCi was surprised and gratified that 33 boats in the 100-boat fleet, raced under ORCi as well as IRC. “I think it will be a great rule because it’s fully measured, transparent and we don’t have anyone’s input into it other than the measurements,” he said.

“It’s fair. I can’t stand anything that isn’t fair because people spend a lot of money on these boats. If you look around the world there’s billions of dollars spent on them and they’ve come into what’s a club rule.”

At the presentation, Matt Allen, Commodore of the race organizer, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, who sailed his first Hobart race in 1976 and the 21st this year on his own modified Volvo 70 Ichi Ban, said: “The race to Hobart has certainly captured my imagination. Now it has never been in better health and I’m convinced that the best years are ahead.”

Matteo Mazzanti from Rolex SA presented overall winning skipper Andrew Saies from Two True with a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece, and the Tatersall’s Cup for the overall handicap winner in IRC.

Sailes, sailing in his fifth Rolex Sydney Hobart, but on a brand-new boat this year, was clearly touched and said, “You can’t win without a great boat, a great team and an ounce of Hobart luck..This is an iconic race, if you’re a yachtie in Australia, you want to win this race.”

RESULTS

LINE HONOURS
Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton, (NZ), Reichel Pugh 100

IRC OVERALL
1. Two True, Andrew Saies (AUS), Beneteau First 40
2. Wicked, Mark/Mike Welsh (AUS), Beneteau First 40
3. Next, Ian Mason (AUS), Sydney 38

DIVISION LEADERS
IRC Div 0: Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton, (NZ), Reichel Pugh 100
IRC Div 1: Ran, Niklas Zennstrom, (UK), Judel-Vrolijk 72
IRC Div 2: Tow Truck, Anthony Paterson (AUS), Ker 11.3
IRC Div 3: Next, Ian Mason (AUS), Sydney 38
IRC Div 4: Two True, Andrew Saies (AUS), Beneteau First 40
PHS Div 1: Wasabi, Bruce McKay, (AUS), Sayer 12
PHS Div 2: She, Peter Rodgers, (AUS), Olsen 40 MOD
Sydney 38: Swish, Steven Proud, (AUS), Sydney 38
ORCi: Two True, Andrew Saies (AUS), Beneteau First 40
Cruising: Holy Cow!, John Clinton (AUS), Oceanis 50

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Andy Saies’ Two True survived a protest this afternoon to be confirmed as overall winner of the Tattersall’s Cup, the major prize in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for the overall IRC handicap winner.

After a two-hour hearing, the International Jury dismissed the protest entered by the Inglis 39 She’s the Culprit (Todd Leary), the Hobart yacht damaged in a crush of boats approaching the first rounding mark after the race start on Sydney Harbour.

Two True, one of the first new Farr-designed Beneteau First 40 stock production racer/cruiser to be imported into Australia, won IRC overall by 42 minutes from another new First 40, (Mike Welsh) after a close race-long duel in which they followed a similar strategy – stay well east of the rhumbline.

Ian Mason’s Sydney 38 Next, in third place, another 1hr 19min behind, was similarly pushed by close competition in the six-boat Sydney 38 fleet racing one-design, as well as on IRC handicap. Another Sydney 38, Swish (Steven Proud) from the strong Sydney fleet, was fourth and Tony Kirby’s Jeppersen X-41 Patrice Six, fifth.

In sixth place was the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race winner Ran (Niklas Zennstrom), from the UK.

Two True, from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, is the first yacht from South Australia to win the Tattersall’s Cup since Kevan Pearce’s win with SAP Ausmaid in 2000. The South Australians continue to be strongly committed to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, sailing 1000 nautical miles just to get to the start.

Owner-skipper Saies said he was absolutely elated at the win after being in the surreal situation of not knowing the outcome until after the protest hearing. “Obviously we are very happy with the jury’s decision. We believe we did everything in the circumstances to avoid significant damage to the other boat. We gave our intention to protest, we did a 720 (degree penalty turn), though the damage to the other boat was minor and superficial.”

“I respect the decision of the skipper of She’s the Culprit not to continue racing in those circumstances, but obviously we are very happy and delighted with the outcome.”

He thanked his crew, which raced the two prior Sydney Hobart Races on his previous boat True North, a Beneteau First 40. “The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race cannot be won without a great team, a great boat and an ounce of Sydney Hobart luck. Our team are fabulous guys. We have worked together for the past three years on my previous boat True North.” Saies particularly thanked Brett Young, his team and boat manager. “Energetic, tireless work ethic, great understanding of the rules.”

He said the race was a physical endurance event over 628 miles. “The wind was in, the wind was out, we drifted, we went backwards, we lost internet access, we didn’t know what was going on until the last few minutes. It was a classic Rolex Sydney Hobart event and we were in it up to our back teeth and it came our way in the end.

“Great boat, this new Beneteau it just jumps out of the water, jumped a bit too hard in the last day or so in those big short waves. It’s a fast boat, we had belief that this boat was going to rate well and do okay in this event, if the weather conditions allowed a small boat event.

“We may be privileged enough to have a boat and a team that gets to this position as people have in the past. But in yacht racing to have everything going right in one event at the right time is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“So it meant so much to get this right this time. So celebrations, back to normal, business as usual, great boat, great team looking forward to the next regatta in Melbourne, the next Sydney Hobart.”

The last boat to finish, Chris Dawe’s Polaris of Belmont (AUS/NSW) was due to cross the finish line at 0830pm tonight.

The 100-boat fleet that started the 65th Rolex Sydney Hobart had crews representing the USA, UK, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia, as well as every Australian state.

Results:

IRC overall: 1, Two True (Andy Saies, SA), Beneteau First 40, corrected time 04 days 07hr 57min 43sec; 2, Wicked (Mike Welsh, Vic), Beneteau First 40, 04:08:39:08; 3, Next (Ian Mason, NSW), MBD Sydney 38, 04:09:48:54.

IRC 0: 1, Alfa Romeo (Neville Crichton, NZ), Reichel Pugh 100, corrected time 04 days, 12hr, 11min, 51sec; 2, Evolution Racing (Ray Roberts, NSW), Farr Cookson 50, 04:14:32:46; 3, Ichi Ban (Matt Allen, NSW), Jones Volvo 70, 04:16:27:22.

IRC 1: 1, Ran (Niklas Zennstrom, UK), Judel/Vrolijk 72, 04:10:48:21; 2, Shogun (Rob Hanna, Vic), J/V 52, 04:13:09:50; 3, Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer, NSW), Farr TP52, 04:15:18:43.

IRC 2: 1, Tow Truck (Anthony Paterson, NSW), Ker 11.3, 04:11:16:18; 2, AFR Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis/Bob Thomas), modified Farr 40, 04:11:26:24; 3, Chutzpah (Bruce Taylor, Vic), Reichel/Pugh IRC 40, 04:14:06:32.

IRC 3: 1, Next Ian Mason, NSW), 04:09:48:54; 2, Swish (Steven Proud, NSW), 04:10:17:42; 3, Patrice Six (Tony Kirby) Jeppersen X-41, 04:10:24:32.

Sydney 38 One Design: 1, Swish, 04:00:16:54; 2, Next, 04:00:16:59; 3, Subzero Goat (Bruce Foye, NSW), 04:06:37:59.

ORCi (ORC International): 1, Two True (Andrew Saies, SA), Beneteau First 40, 04:07:57:43; 2, Wicked (Mike Welsh, Vic), Beneteau First 40, 04:08:39:08; 3, Zephyr Hamilton Elevators (James Connell/Alex Brandon, NSW), Farr 1020, 04:10:52:17.

Performance handicap:

PHS 1: 1, Wasabi (Bruce McKay, NSW), Sayer 12m, 04:19:02:33; 2, Sailors with disAbilities (David Pescud, NSW), Lyons 54, 04:21:26:15; 3, Mahligai (Murray Owen/Jenny Kings, New Zealand), Sydney 46, 04:21:26:15.

PHS 2: 1, She (Peter Rodgers, NSW), Olsen 40; 2, Flying Fish Arctos (A.Fairclough, NSW), McIntyre 55, 04:13:41:02; 3, Namadgi (Canberra Ocean Racing Club, ACT), Bavaria 44, 04:16:12:30.

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 The smallest boat in the fleet, Zephyr Hamilton Elevators, was as of this evening, still well in the running to win the IRC overall handicap division of the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Zephyr is a Sea Nymph 33 co-owned by James Connell and Alex Braddon from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. She won division E in the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

The Sea Nymph 33 design is extremely fast downwind and is well-suited to the strong northerly wind prevailing on the lower Tasmanian east coast, forecast to reach 20-30 knots by evening.

The final 40 nautical miles of the 628nm course, with the northerly forecast to blow at 15-25 knots with gusts to 30 knots, which will put Zephyr on the wind, and will certainly slow and may end her chances of winning the Tattersall’s Cup for IRC overall handicap.

At 1550, Zephyr had 46 miles to go, and was doing 9.7 knots for an estimated finish at 2311, well inside the time she needed to take first place (0131 on Dec 31).

Second and third on corrected time standings were two of Beneteau’s new First 40s, which have already finished: Two True (Andrew Saies) from the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia and Wicked (Mike Welsh) from Sandringham Yacht Club.

The Farr-designed First 40 is a replacement for the successful Beneteau 40.7. A Beneteau 40.7, First National Real Estate skippered by Michael Spies, was the overall handicap winner of the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Two True, in second spot, still has to face a protest by the Tasmanian Inglis 39, She’s the Culprit (Todd Leary), which was badly damaged after the race start in a jam of boats converging on the first rounding mark at Sydney Heads and had to retire.

With some of the boats named in the protest documents still racing, the International Jury has deferred the protest until tomorrow morning (Dec 31).

Zephyr has also signaled by radio to the race committee that she will lodge protests against three boats, without specifying who they are, after finishing. That protest could also arise from the crush of boats in the 100-boat fleet converging to leave Sydney Harbour.

Two True and Wicked finished fast under spinnakers before a moderate southeasterly sea breeze early this afternoon, with Two True crossing 22 minutes ahead of Wicked.

Saies said: “It was a very difficult and frustrating race. Having had a couple of light patches on the way down, we thought we were through it and then we got a third one, 25 miles from Tasman Light last night; around 3:00am we were flapping around for three hours.”

Tactician Brett Young said Two True had followed a strategy of always being well east of the rhumbline and had received a favourable push from the current in two major eddies.

“Our routing was always east of the rhumbline,” said Young. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done that. And we had really good competition from Wicked. They sailed hard, but we got through them. We really stuck to our game plan, even with the weather not being anything like what it was originally forecast. We only came into Tasmania when we could lay Tasman Island.”

Young said the First 40 had performed well in the bumpy seaway following the southerly front. “Last night was a tough night, but that’s when this boat comes into its own. In a seaway, it just goes faster.”

Mark Welsh, boat manager and tactician on Wicked for his owner-skipper father Mike Welsh, said: “We chose the design after a lot of searching around the world for one that would be very competitive in IRC racing and it looks like we might have chosen successfully.”

A third new First 40 was racing, Paca (Philippe Mengual) from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. “So our race really depended on watching the other two boats, said Mark. “All credit to Two True, they sailed an absolutely sensational race.

“On the second night out, even though we were with them off Gabo Island, we couldn’t hold them. They sailed very, very well that night, got through us and from there we were just playing catch-up and we couldn’t catch them. They did a great job.”

The only IRC division decided, with all boats finished, is Division 0 for canting-keeled boats. The line honours winner Alfa Romeo (Neville Crichton), a Reichel Pugh100, won from the Cookson 50 Evolution Racing (Ray Roberts), with the modified Jones Volvo 70 Ichi Ban (Matt Allen) third.

With 48 yachts finished, and five yachts retired, there are 47 yachts still racing to the finish in Hobart.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has entries representing the USA, UK, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia as well as every Australian state.

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A strong southerly to southwesterly change sweeping up the Tasmanian coast this afternoon slowed the 87 yachts still at sea in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

At 1600, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a strong wind warning for the lower east coast, from Wineglass Bay to Tasman Island for southwest to southerly winds of 30 knots in open waters at first, easing to 5 to 15 kn by late evening, with two to three metre seas and a southwest swell of 2.5 to 3.5 metres.

The winds would then tend northeast to northerly at 10 – 20kn during tomorrow morning before increasing during the afternoon to 20 – 30kn by evening.

For the yachts covering the remaining miles of the 628 nautical mile race, the forecast meant a bumpy, wet night of tacking upwind before the strong northerly picks up the fleet still at sea and propels them towards Tasman Island at a very fast pace on a wild spinnaker ride.

That scenario removes any certainty about the computer calculations of the likely winner of the Tattersall’s Cup for the overall IRC handicap winner.

But it is comforting for a leading contender for the Tattersall’s Cup, already tied up at the Kings Pier Marina in Hobart. At 1800, Niklas Zennstrom’s Judel/Vrolijk 72 Ran (UK), was showing up in 15th position on corrected time calculations.

Ran’s tactician, Adrian Stead, said: “We’re in good shape; we got Neville (Alfa Romeo) by 50 minutes or so, which is good and we sailed really well. All we can do now is wait and see how we shape up.”

Also at 1800, Tony Kirby’s X41 Patrice 6 was calculated to be leading IRC overall handicap from an eclectic mix of designs and sizes. She was 12nm east of Cape Sonnerat, between the coastal villages of Swansea and Triabunna, making seven knots with 96nm to sail.

Second was Andrew Saies’ Beneteau First 40 Two True, followed by Wicked (Mike Welsh), another Beneteau First 40. Then came the Spanish entry Charisma (Alejandro Perez Calzada), a 1970 Sparkman & Stephens IOR rule design that should revel in the strong upwind conditions.

One IRC handicap result that is certain is the win of Neville Crichton’s 100ft super-maxi Alfa Romeo, the line honours winner, in IRC division 0 for canting keel-powered boats and the second place in that division for Matt Allen’s modified Jones-design Volvo 70, unbeatable in second place on current position reports.

Allen said the Volvo 70 was a very good boat for upwind and in high-wind pressure sailing. In the sou’-wester of up to 25 knots on the first night, she worked up to within a half mile behind Wild Oats XI.

“We were not overly surprised to see that, but we knew the next night in the lighter airs and with the bigger sails the maxis carry, giving away rating, they would get through that first light-air gate. Only the three boats got through and the next morning we were there with all our fellow-sized boats stuck for five or six hours.”

Allen said that every night there were challenges. “You’d sail through the day, with quite a few wind shifts, but generally the night-time sailing was tricky. Every night we parked up. Tactically it was a very interesting race, because you had to work out where you were going to get through in the next transition.

“Last night we’d had a 30-knot nor’-westerly and we were doing 25 knots, white water coming over the boat. It lasted for an hour and-a-half and within minutes it went down really quickly: to ten knots, to five and then zero. So we went from having 30 knots to being in no wind with leftover swell and you could only go in one direction, with the waves.

“The big transition zones had the navigators really on their toes, playing the angles and trying to work out how to handle the next transition.”

With eight yachts finished, and five yachts retired, there are 87 yachts still racing to the finish in Hobart.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet has crews representing the USA, UK, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia as well as every Australian state.

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Fifth home, at 0927, was Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran from the UK, a Judel/Volijk-designed 72-footer that was overall handicap winner in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race.

Ran has a chance of winning the race’s major trophy, the Tattersall’s Cup, for the first yacht on IRC corrected time. She has certainly beaten Alfa Romeo, which led the IRC overall standings for a time yesterday, denying Crichton the rare handicap/line honours double.

Wild Oats’ Mark Richards was gracious in defeat. “It was a tactical race and we never got a look in really,” Richards said. “They had a little edge on us on the first night and the next morning we were in a big parking lot together. They got out first and put 30 miles on us before we knew what had happened.”

Mike Slade had an historical perspective of the close three-way battle of the maxis: “When Napoleon turned up at Waterloo he knew he was in for a bad day, he had a bad day at the office didn’t he? I’ve been a bit like that. It was a fantastic race and well done Alfa, bloody marvellous.”

Slade said that Leopard had gambled by sailing farther offshore than Alfa and Oats down the east coast of Australia rather than sailing in Alfa’s wake. “We went offshore because there was no point in covering Alfa’s tracks; she had about 20 miles on us and we just got locked out. We had about four shut-downs and it was as frustrating as hell. We sat there for hours, watching them go away. That cost us. We got punished.”

Rounding Tasman Island was the worst Slade had experienced. “There was no wind and appalling seas; really nasty because it’s a lee shore, you’ve got no steerage because there’s no wind, but the seas were huge and that took us a couple of hours.

“Alfa and Oats had already gone round. The rich get rich and the poor get poorer, that’s what the game’s all about. So it was a shocker but we loved every minute of it. We will be back to do another one I think – the boat’s a glutton for punishment.”

Ran, after performing well in the fresh upwind work on the first night, parked in calms before zooming back into handicap contention with a blistering run on the new nor’-west breeze off Flinders Island.

Ran’s owner/skipper Niklas Zennstrom said: ” “The race at times was frustrating, we got parked up. Yesterday afternoon we had a fantastic run, we were reaching at up to 24 knots of boat speed, averaging 18 and 19 knots. It was excellent sailing.

“This morning was also very good; last night we had a few stops and goes. But we are happy with how the boat performed on corrected time and we will have to wait and see how the other boats are going on handicap.

“At times it looked really, really bad for us and really good for the small boats, but that’s how it is. All you can do is sail as good as you can and avoid making as many mistakes as possible. I don’t think we made too many mistakes.”
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Ran’s tactician Adrian Stead said that after riding the nor’-wester fast, Ran hit a light spot last evening, 20 miles northeast of Maria Island. “We got through that and sailed the last bit up here pretty well, very conscious that 10:20 was our deadline to beat Alfa,” he said.

With six yachts finished, and five yachts retired, there are 89 yachts still racing.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet has crews representing the USA, UK, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia as well as every Australian state.

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Alfa, with good speed and crew work, as well as tactics, led from the start, holding off all challenges from her arch-rival Bob Oatley’s R/P 100 Wild Oats XI, a very similar design from the same builder, McConaghy Boats in Sydney, launched only a few months apart in 2005, and Mike Slade’s (UK) Farr 100, ICAP Leopard.

At 0015, ICAP Leopard was 35.6nm from the finish making 8.6 kn. There were 93 yachts still to finish from a fleet of 100 starters, with five retired.

 

 

Wild Oats XI won their first line honours battle with Alfa in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race by an hour and 16 minutes. Crichton then took Alfa Romeo to the northern hemisphere for the Mediterranean regattas in 2006 and 2007 where Alfa and Oats swapped line honours wins until Wild Oats XI broke her mast in the 2007 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo and was shipped back to Australia. This year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart was their first encounter since in a major offshore race.

Crichton’s fears of slowing in a southwest headwind in calms in the River Derwent over the last 11 nautical miles to the finish were unfounded. She stalled only once in a light patch and finally steamed home to get the finishing gun at Battery Point just after 2200, with Wild Oats XI 17nm behind (Wild Oats eventually finished just over two hours later.)

A crowd of several hundred people crowded the Constitution Wharf marina to watch the finish and cheer Alfa in to the dock. Asked, as Alfa Romeo berthed, how he was feeling, Crichton said:”It’s fantastic and the welcome here in Tasmania is unbelievable”.

He praised his crew, half of them New Zealanders and half Australian: “The 22 guys I have are the best crew in the world. The two days coming down the coast was hard work and it was good; the boys did a helluva job on the boat and it was very, very close racing.”

Was the lack of wind frustrating? “Oh no, we were very busy the whole race.”

After sailing a near perfect tactical race in extremely difficult conditions, with extremes from a testing 25-knot southerly, with a bumpy seaway through the first night, to a calm in the notoriously rough and windy Bass Strait, Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo was first to finish in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, with an elapsed time of two days, 9hrs, 2mins, 10secs for the 628nm course.

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The Rolex Sydney-Hobart race fleet leaders stalled and stopped in calms off the far south coast of New South Wales earlier today. The smaller boats came up on a developing coastal sea breeze while the maxi leaders and 50-60-footers were stuck inshore this morning, trying to struggle around Green Cape and Gabo Island at the entrance to Bass Strait

 

 

 

Neville Crichton’s Reichel/Pugh 100 Alfa Romeo, which had led the race from Sydney Heads, was first of the three leading maxis to struggle into new pressure to pass Green Cape and sail to the west of the rhumb line (straight distance) course from Sydney to Tasman Island.

Alfa Romeo took off on a two-sail reach in a freshening east-northeaster and by 1800 was well into Bass Strait, 58 nautical miles south of Gabo Island with 330nm to go to the finish.

The three leading maxis were achieving extraordinary speeds in only 10-12 knots of breeze and on course for Tasman Island, the last major rounding landmark on the 628nm course.

Alfa Romeo, making 16.7 knots, was 16nm ahead of ICAP Leopard, the British Farr 100-footer owned by Mike Slade, with Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI, a very similar Reichel/Pugh 100, another 2nm behind Leopard and closing the distance. Wild Oats XI was making 16.7 kn to Leopard’s 16.2kn.

While these are very respectable speeds, the weather forecasting models are in agreement there will be more calms and light patches ahead. Respected yachting forecaster Roger Badham, who provides pre-race weather predictions to many top boats in the fleet, says: “The big guys will have some running in Bass Strait this afternoon, but there are still a lot of potholes between that and the finish,” Badham said. “Anyone of the three could finish first.”

One certainty is that Wild Oats XI’s race record, set at one day, 18hrs, 40mins, and 10secs in 2006, is in no danger. Given the calculations of speeds so far, Alfa would be expected to finish at 2030 Monday night, with Leopard and Wild Oats XI finishing after midnight.

But a westerly change turning moderate southwesterly is predicted for Tasmanian waters tomorrow – and that could still create those potholes of calm and light patches off the east coast under the wind shadow of Tasmanian’s high interior.

From Alfa Romeo, Murray Spence reported, as she picked up the light nor’easter, “We are now enjoying the sunshine; not the usual way to cross Bass Strait.” He said the crew was driving the boat hard today, although they were keen to get some rest after reefing most of the night had meant “intense work from all on board”.

Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said Oats had been within three or four miles of Alfa Romeo in the morning calm before Alfa accelerated out of sight in the first of the new breeze.. He said the attitude on the boat remained very positive. “We have a fantastic bunch of guys on board here; we won’t give up ’til the death.”

Adrian Stead, tactician on the British Jude/Vrolijk 72 Ran, the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race winner, was upbeat even though the light conditions are not expected to suit this powerful boat. “We are just past Green Cape and the breeze is filling back in. We have done okay with the current but had a light morning. It’s nice to still see the maxis, but we are conscious of boats behind using the sea breeze this afternoon.”

The concertina effect completely scrambled the IRC corrected time calculations. The new IRC overall leader is reckoned to be Noel Cornish’s Sydney 47 Jude, crewed by a group of friends from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

The Sydney 38, Mondo, retired today with rigging problems and was heading to Eden, bringing the number of retired yachts to five, with 95 yachts still racing. The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet has crews representing the USA, UK, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Caledonia as well as every Australian state.

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