Expat Tasmanian returns to win PHS Division

• NEWS
• 30 Dec, 2005 10:05:00 AM

Expat Tasmanian returns to win PHS Division

For three generations, the Ferrall family of Launceston have had a close association with things maritime, especially the meandering Tamar River that links Tasmania’s second city to the sea.

For three generations, the Ferrall family of Launceston have had a close association with things maritime, especially the meandering Tamar River that links Tasmania’s second city to the sea.

Appropriately, David Ferrall returned to Tasmania by sea last evening at the helm of his yacht Pekljus to become provisional winner of  the PHS Division of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Ferrall and four other crewmembers are all Tasmanians - Scott Newton, Will Reynolds, Rohan Robertson and John Saul, while the sixth crewman is Bill Finlay from NSW.  

Ferrall worked until recently in Hong Kong and is now with a Japanese investment bank in Tokyo, with Pekljus kept on Pittwater north of Sydney where he is a member of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

Yacht Tracker had Pekljus at the top of the provisional corrected time standings in the PHD division for much of the 628 nautical mile race although her win was no means certain as she battled a strong westerly across Storm Bay.

“If we can get up the Derwent before the breeze dies away this evening, I think we have a good chance of winning the PHS division,” David said by satellite phone from Pekljus earlier yesterday afternoon. Well they did and Pekljus crossed the finish line at 7.26pm to consolidate its victory in the PHS Division.

David Ferrall’s grandfather, Sir Raymond Ferrall, was a prominent Launceston businessman and Master Warden of the Launceston Marine Board for many years. He was also a first class cricketer who played for Tasmania against a topline Australia IX in 1934, scoring 47 in the first innings before being bowled by the legendary Clarrie Grimmett.

David’s father John, a keen yachtsman with the Tamar Yacht Club who followed in his father’s footsteps as Master Warden of the Marine Board, taught David to sail on his Duncanson 35.  “Dad sailed with us on our first Sydney Hobart with Pekljus last year in which we retired, and this time he will meet us in Hobart,” David said as the yacht neared the Iron Pot.

Pekljus, a 50-footer designed by Graham Radford, was originally designed for a round-the-world race but when this did not eventuate David finished building the boat at Taree on the NSW Mid-North Coast. 

The PHS Division of the Rolex Sydney Hobart this year has attracted a most competitive fleet of 23 boats, although two, Conergy and Icefire, have retired.

First PHS Division boat to cross the line was the former Volvo 60, Seriously Ten, skippered by John Woodruff, which finished sixth in the fleet at 01:59 yesterday morning, followed by rival ABN AMRO, skippered by Andrew Short at 02:34 hours.

On provisional corrected times, Pekljus is first on PHS from the Geelong boat Prowler (Chris Jackson) and ABN AMRO, the ex Volvo 60 skippered by Andrew Short from Sydney. – Peter Campbell