The Lure of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

• NEWS
• 31 Dec, 2010 05:43:00 PM

The Lure of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Such is the lure of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race that six international crews conquered a snow storm, endured a haphazard cargo ship transfer and sailed as many as 20,000 nautical miles just to line up on Sydney Harbour for the Boxing Day challenge.

Such is the lure of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race that six international crews conquered a snow storm, endured a haphazard cargo ship transfer and sailed as many as 20,000 nautical miles just to line up on Sydney Harbour for the Boxing Day challenge.

Stowed away with the US, Italian, French, Russian and UK competitors were itty-bits of international flare, from the homemade gnocchi aboard Italian skipper Alberto Biffignandi’s cruiser Onelife to champagne chilling on Frenchman Jacques Pelletier’s X43 L’Ange De Milon.

While the powerhouse professional crew aboard the UK 72-footer Rán packed something even better, some irrefutable international class that kept the local big-boats honest, finishing sixth across the line and becoming the first international yacht to arrive in Hobart.

Rán owner and Skype inventor Niklas Zennstrom’s brought his former Rolex Fastnet overall race winner back to take on the race, after placing fifth over the line in 2009 and claiming a win on IRC Division 1 and sixth overall.

It was a rough start after a record winter freeze in the UK shut down Heathrow airport, stranding seven crew and placing the team’s race in jeopardy before it had even began.

But on Christmas Eve the remaining crew touched down in Australia, just in the nick of time for the handicap favourite to make it to the start line.

Rán crewman William Beavis, 34 from Lymington, said the crew knew they had to come back after experiencing almost champagne sailing conditions in 2009.

Their timing couldn’t have been better, with Huey the weather God dishing up a healthy serve of southerly fronts with up to 50 knot gusts and a boat-shuddering five metre Bass Strait swell that hasn’t been seen since 2004.

“Last year we were sitting to leeward, sunning ourselves across the Strait, comparatively this year it was more a race that was packed with conditions we expect from a Sydney Hobart,’’ Beavis said.

“We really felt the force of Bass Strait, it was tough going, and probably the longest we’ve endured such conditions in a race before.’’

But the boat fared the brutal southerly buster well, and relished an anti-clockwise wind-shift allowing the team to pop a chute and race at speeds nearing 30 knots, keeping up with the charge of the four leading super-maxis.

However their dream and a sunrise finish at 6.20am on December 29 was quickly overshadowed when the Race Committee lodged a protest over HF radio use, which also threatened line honours champion Wild Oats XI.

Much to the relief of the Rán clan both protests were dismissed by the International Jury after an afternoon hearing on Wednesday at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

“We were confident that everything was in check, and it was, so the celebrations were just as sweet,’’ Beavis said.

Fellow UK contender Richard Dobbs’ Titania of Cowes, which had internationally renowned yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston skippering, was next across the line in 19th position, having sailed more than 20,000 nautical miles to compete.

But its race was not without incident, after a five-person life raft was lost overboard from the Swan 68, forcing it to dock at Eden and drop-off five crew, before it could continue its race south.

Next across the line was one relieved Frenchman, Jacques Pelletier with his X43 L'Ange de Milon, that  crossed the finish line at 4.50pm on December 30 in 40th position.

The champion yachtsman’s race debut looked over before it began when his yacht’s scheduled Australian arrival was delayed by weeks after an un-planned shipping transfer in the US left the yacht spending a month sitting in the sun.

However, after nervously pacing the planks at a Newcastle marina Pelletier’s yacht finally arrived on December 22 and was sailed to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney with just days to spare.

“It seems like so long ago now, it was concerning, but now we’re just celebrating and we have champagne to help,’’ Pelletier said at the docks today.

The six Italians aboard cruising competitor Onelife didn’t wait for their arrival at Constitution Dock in Hobart to enjoy a tipple, skipper Biffignandi said his crew stowed a couple of bottles of red and white wine aboard to wash down their gnocchi and spaghetti during the race.

“We have a very good cruising boat with a lot of automatic (operations),’’ he said.

“We’re relaxed, not work so hard like racing boats, and enjoyed good food, good wine and good sailing.”

The US contingent had a tough time and was halved when Jeffrey Taylor’s yacht Nemesis retired to Eden in the early hours of December 28.

However the father and son combination of Will and Bill Hubbard aboard Dawn Star continued to fly the star spangled banner and finished today at 4pm, just in time to enjoy the traditional fireworks display at midnight over the Derwent River.

There was also a distinct Russian influence this year with Russian sailors racing with Aussie sailing legend Roger Hickman aboard Vamp and another crew chartering Sydney 38 Obsession, placing 17th and 51st respectively.

And if most sailors from abroad are anywhere near as enthused as Pelletier then an international invasion could soon grip the 628 nautical mile blue-water classic.

“I’ll tell everyone to come and race here, it’s just beautiful,’’ the elated Frenchman said.

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

By Danielle McKay, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team