Father and son total 61 races in 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart

• NEWS
• 31 Dec, 2005 01:07:00 PM

Father and son total 61 races in 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart

Victorian yachtsman Bernie Case tomorrow will be honoured with a specially struck medallion to mark his 40th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, joining only four others who have achieved this remarkable total since the race began 61 years ago.

Victorian yachtsman Bernie Case tomorrow will be honoured with a specially struck medallion to mark his 40th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, joining only four others who have achieved this remarkable total since the race began 61 years ago.

Case, 65, sailed to Hobart aboard Roger Hickman’s Farr 43 Wild Rose, and among the crew was Bernie’s eldest son Robert, 37, who also notched up his 21st race.  Wild Rose finished 2nd in IRC Division E.

“To total 61 races between Dad and I in the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart is quite something,” Rob Case said in Hobart today.  “I’ve sailed about 10 Hobarts with Dad and this was one was exceptional.

“My Mother, Lee, my sister Elizabeth and her husband Tony Bell, and two of my brothers, Christopher and Marcus, were at the CYCA in Sydney to farewell us on Boxing Day and Mum was here when we came into Constitution Dock yesterday.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a great celebration after Dad receives his medallion tomorrow at the trophy presentation,” Rob added.

A notable big boat helmsman, Bernie Case has sailed to Hobart on a variety of yachts since 1962, including Condor II when she took line honours in 1986.  He has also sailed in the America’s Cup, Admiral’s Cup, Kenwood Cup and other international events, including the Fastnet Race in England.

He sailed in many Rolex Sydney Hobarts with fellow Victorian Lou Abrahams who celebrated his 43rd race this week by winning IRC Division C and the Sydney 38 One Design Division of the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The only other father-and-son yachtsmen to have achieved such are record are the late Peter Green who sailed in 35 Hobart races and his son Michael who this year completed this year sailed in 27th race,  as skipper of Graeme Wood’s Wot’s Next, winner of IRC Division D, making their combined total 62 Hobarts. 

The Tasmanian Government has struck special medallions to honours the five yachtsmen have now sailed 40 Rolex Sydney Hobarts – Victorians Bernie Case (40) and Lou Abrahams (43), Tony Cable (42) and Richard “Sightie” Hammond (4) from Sydney, and the late John Bennetto who last year completed his 44th race.  The Tasmanian veteran died on the eve of this year’s ocean classic.

The 40-year medallions will be presented to Abrahams, Cable, Hammond and Case at the Trophy Presentation for the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart tomorrow morning.  Tony Nicholas, who skippered John Bennetto’s yacht Quest in the race, will accept the medallion.

In addition, four yachtsmen will be presented with traditional medallions to mark their 25th Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Two are owner/skippers, Ed Psaltis from Sydney who skippered his modified Farr 40 OD AFR Midnight Rambler, and Victorian Bruce Taylor, who skippered his Sydney 38 OD Chutzpah. 

Hugh O’Neill raced south aboard the Peterson 51 Flying Fish BMS of which he is a part-owner, while Tony Hearder achieved his 25th Hobart  aboard Coogans Stores,

The four yachtsmen will join 68 others who have competed in 25 or more Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races since the first event in 1945. 

A special medallion will also be presented the Rum Consortium, the owners of Phillips Foote Witchdoctor which completed her 25th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to equal the record of another Sydney yacht Mark Twain which has been retired from ocean racing.

· The Trophy Presentation for the 61st Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be held at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Marieville Esplanade, Sandy Bay, starting at 12 noon.