Rolex Sydney Hobart: There’s more to it than racing!

• NEWS
• 26 Dec, 2009 10:08:00 AM

Rolex Sydney Hobart: There’s more to it than racing!

The start is less than three hours away and it’s not just the crews on the 100 yachts participating in the 65th Rolex Sydney Hobart who are making their final preparations – those from the organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), the Principal Race Officer and his team, the International Jury and those on the Radio Relay vessel which accompanies the fleet to Hobart are all busy too.

The start is less than three hours away and it’s not just the crews on the 100 yachts participating in the 65th Rolex Sydney Hobart who are making their final preparations – those from the organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), the Principal Race Officer and his team, the International Jury and those on the Radio Relay vessel which accompanies the fleet to Hobart are all busy too.

As the CYCA Commodore, Matt Allen has the dual role of race and media commitments and competing in the race aboard his Jones 70, Ichi Ban, meaning No. 1 in Japanese.

“It’s all about having two very good teams around you; it wouldn’t be easy to do otherwise,” the Commodore categorically states. “There are issues that come with both roles, but the race committee runs the race and I have a good team making sure the yacht is ready to go.”

Commodore Allen said: “I always look forward to doing the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The lead-up is exciting, but it’s nothing like getting out there and making it happen.”

One of those helping the Commodore get his yacht ready is 33-race veteran and previous co-record holder Michael Spies. “I can’t wait to get out of the Harbour.  There are 27 big boats on the front line (there are two start lines this year) and hopefully nobody will try to win the race at the start and then we’ll all get out safely,” Spies said.

David Kellett, a former CYCA Commodore, is the chief radio operator aboard the Radio Relay vessel, the JBW, owned and skippered by John ‘Woody’ Winning, said this morning: “A safe race is the number one priority.”

Kellett, who was sailing master on Bernard Lewis’ Sovereign (CYCA) when it won “the double” line and overall victory in the 1987 race, will tick off his 36th voyage to Hobart when the JBW docks in Hobart at the end of the race.  “It’s a little hard to predict what weather the fleet will actually get, but we’d like to see smoother water because we’re sailing to Hobart on a power boat,” he said, laughing.   

“In my years of being involved in this race, it will be the hardest to predict, which will make it interesting,” he said.

Denis Thompson will be responsible for the on-water race management team that will start today’s 628 nautical mile race.  This is the first time the experienced Principal Race Officer will undertake these duties, but he is unfazed.  “I have the same group of experienced regulars with me that I do all the other CYCA races with, so it’s really just another start,” he said.

“It will be a great start under spinnaker and that’s something to look forward to seeing up close,” says Thompson, who feels the breeze for the start might be a little different to that predicted.  “I think there will be more east in it (the Bureau of Meteorology’s Rob Webb told competitors the start breeze would be from the south-east), I think it will be between 150-160 degrees; we’ll see,” he deduced.

On the other side of the fence sits the International Jury who will hear any protests from competitors in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which finishes on the River Derwent in Hobart.  John Rountree, was a newcomer to the international jury for the race last year. “We’re just hoping for a clean race,” says the New Zealander, echoing the thoughts of everyone involved in the race.

“I am particularly remembering the redress hearings after race competitors went to the aid of the sinking yacht Georgia,” said Rountree.

A lot of excitement this morning over the weather report which has something for everyone; south, south-east, north-east and even around to the west as the big boats leave Bass Strait and make their way into Tasmanian waters.

The last word comes from Mike Slade, the effervescent owner/skipper of the 100ft ICAP Leopard, which comes fresh from taking line honours in the Rolex Fastnet Race.

Slade has one aim in mind – two win his own double – a line honours victory in the Rolex Sydney Hobart to match his Fastnet win: “I can’t wait to get started; it’ll be lovely, wonderful,” said the British businessman, who confessed: “We bashed the hell out of Nielsen Park (in Vaucluse) yesterday.  We took over the restaurant and did a mini-production of the Pirates of Penzance operetta – I think it was bit overpowering for some of the staff,” he quipped.

On a more serious note, Slade was rather pleased with the mixed weather report. His yacht is nearly double the weight of the same-sized line honours favourites; Wild Oats XI, Bob Oatley’s four consecutive line honours winner and Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo from New Zealand.  “If the going gets tough, we’re are relatively better off.

“At the end of the day, as this race has already shown, anything can happen.  If Wild Oats XI could win a record fifth line honours victory - that would be great – they would be the Phar Lap of sailing - and then I’d like to come back and win it next year. “

By Di Pearson/Rolex Sydney Hobart media team