All in the Family

• NEWS
• 31 Dec, 2010 04:00:00 PM

All in the Family

The crew aboard Queensland Beneteau 40.7 Blunderbuss experienced the biggest seas and strongest winds they have ever sailed in as they raced south in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The crew aboard Queensland Beneteau 40.7 Blunderbuss experienced the biggest seas and strongest winds they have ever sailed in as they raced south in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Yet just minutes after crossing the finishing line today they said one of the toughest challenges they faced was the stench oozing from the stinky shoes of a crewmember, which were sent to a watery grave mid-race after it all became too much.

It is just the kind of comment that you would expect after four family members have been cooped up for five days in a pressure-cooker situation with challenges as tough as anyone could expect from the infamous race.

Unlike any other competitor in the 66th edition of the blue-water classic, eight of the nine crew aboard Blunderbuss are related to at least one other crewmember, including owner Tony Kinsman and his three son’s Harry, 24, George, 21, and Fred, 19.

The crew also included the Smith Brothers, Duane and Keryn,  and Tasmanian cousins Matt and Chris Williams.

Conquering the 628 nautical mile challenge with his boys by his side made crossing the line at Castray Esplanade in Hobart in 61st position at 2.20pm today all the more overwhelming for Tony.

Not to mention having taken on wind gusts over 45 knots and seas about 5m which sent Blunderbuss on her fastest run ever, clocking up 17 knots boat speed in Bass Strait with just a reefed mainsail up, well above her previous record speed of 14 knots.

“It was a race with all of the makings of a Sydney Hobart; we had the gales, we had the light winds, we had the tricky navigation and the real tactical decision making,’’ he said.

“It was exhilarating and a long race for us, it was five days, that was a test of our endurance, but I’m pleased to say the crew are in good spirits now.

“We’ve sailed in waters and seas higher than we’ve ever sailed in before and in winds higher than we’ve ever sailed in before, so it had all those things that make a Hobart one of the premier races to compete in.”

The 40 footer is Tony’s first big racing keelboat, though he is no newcomer to ocean racing, having been a keen offshore sailor when he was young. 

He was, quite literally, one of the survivors of the catastrophic 1979 Fastnet race when he was winched from the stricken Tide Race IV and taken to Cork hospital to be stitched up after a 360-degree roll that broke the mast and cracked the middle of the hull. 

Although he admits that sailing with his three sons is a crowning moment in his sailing career.

“There is a lot of pride when you see your boys do what they did during the race, it’s a pretty special experience that I think I’m pretty lucky to have,’’ he said.

“I might not be as fit and quick as them, but I’m sure they’re proud of their old man too.’’

Pacing the planks at Kings Pier was one particularly sleep-deprived woman, Tony’s wife and mother of the three lads, Jane Kinsley.

Jane said she’d become obsessed with tracking the movement of the yacht on-line and had had plenty of broken sleep, but it was all worthwhile once she had hugged them on arrival in Hobart.

“I don’t think they told me the full story, and I don’t think I wanted to know the full story either, I’m a bit of a panic merchant,’’ she said.

“But I felt they’d done everything they could to prepare the boat and themselves, although it is great to have them all back in one piece.’’

Despite spending more consecutive days together aboard the boat than they have in more than five years, the close-knit family dynamic was evident with the in-jokes flowing as quickly as the beer.

And if you believe jokester Fred then he was a flawless performer, Harry’s feet stunk and George took the “Golden Pillow” award for spending too much time in the bunk.

The eldest Harry said while it had been tough living in each others’ pocket, it was also a great achievement to look back on.

“It’s really tough being so close together for so long,’’ Harry said. "But I reckon in hindsight we’ll look back and realise just how much it means to have done this together.’’

Now that the racing is over Tony and Jane are preparing to slip into cruising mode and spend two weeks checking out Tasmania’s iconic coast.

In their younger days Tony, 55, and Jane, 53, also cruised the UK, France and the Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic to cruise in the US and the Caribbean.

For current standings go to http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/standings_ext.asp?key=524

By Danielle McKay & Jim Gale, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team