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From Russia with love

From Russia with love
Mikhail Muratov and Roger Hickman, Co-skippers Vamp

From Russia with love

They are sailing in foreign waters with crew who barely know each other aboard yachts they’ve never stepped foot on.

They are sailing in foreign waters with crew who barely know each other aboard yachts they’ve never stepped foot on.

But the Russian crews taking on the Rolex Sydney Hobart aboard yachts Obsession and Vamp say they are not afraid.

In fact, not even the forecast gale force winds, peaking Bass Strait swell or two southerly-busters in just 48 hours is worrying the battle-ready sailors.

And why should it, when they’re used to sailing in less than 3 degrees Celsius on lakes with ice that is still melting.

“We like tough weather,’’ Vamp co-skipper Mikhail Muratov said.

Muratov, a decorated International Dragon sailor from Moscow, is joining forces with Australian sailing legend Roger Hickman aboard the Corby 49, which they’ve borrowed from CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre and co-owner David Fuller.

They will have a couple of meters waterline length advantage over the other Russians, who will be racing on David Allan’s Sydney 38 Obsession, which has raced south six times previously.

Experienced Russian sailor Nikita Brilliantov will lead a team of seven sailors from St Petersburg, who will be joined by Tasmanian yachtsman Callum Cecil.

Any suggestion of rivalry between the two Russian yachts is quickly shrugged off by Muratov: “There’s only two of us, that would be crazy.”

Like so many good sailing ideas the thought of taking on the 628 nautical mile ocean classic struck Muratov and Hickman, who are usually foes on the Dragon circuit, over a drink after a regatta.

“We were talking about how tough it was and Mikhail said ‘I’d like to do one’, “Hickman said.

“I said ‘done, let’s go next year’ and he looked at his wife and she nodded, he got permission.”

The men have pulled together a mixed team Australians and Russians, five of each, to ease the strain of the language barrier and for the cross cultural experience.

While the Russian crew can speak fluent English, Hickman said none of the Aussies could speak Russian, except one simple phrase: “All we know is ‘ease the sheet’!”

It’s a much more fluent situation than that facing Callum Cecil, who is the sole Aussie aboard Obsession. But he’s confident that a fast-tracked crew bonding session coupled with a solid understanding of yachting, which crosses international boundaries, will ensure the crew meld.

“We’ve been out practicing in some pretty heavy breeze, so I have no doubt in these guys,’’ he said.

“I think they might be a bit surprised once they get down to the paddock [Bass Strait] but they’ll handle it I’m sure.”

Obsession crewman Dmitry Filatov admits that the weather in Australia is somewhat different to home, but that’s why he’s here.

“It’s one of the most important races and that’s why all of us are excited to be here,’’ he said.

By Danielle McKay, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team