The Russians Are Coming!

• NEWS
• 08 Oct, 2010 02:08:00 PM

The Russians Are Coming!

A Russian contingent has secured a competitive boat to undertake their dream of sailing the 66th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre and past-Commodore David Fuller have loaned their recently purchased Vamp (previously Limit and Flirt) to champion Australian offshore yachtsman Roger Hickman and well known Russian Dragon sailor Mikhail Muratov.

A Russian contingent has secured a competitive boat to undertake their dream of sailing the 66th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre and past-Commodore David Fuller have loaned their recently purchased Vamp (previously Limit and Flirt) to champion Australian offshore yachtsman Roger Hickman and well known Russian Dragon sailor Mikhail Muratov.

Muratov and his wife, Olga White, are competing in the World Dragon Championships hosted by the Royal Brighton Yacht Club on Port Phillip Bay in January 2011.  Muratov and White are well known on the Dragon world circuit as a pair of formidable skippers who compete vigorously against each other and the rest of the fleet under their “Team Murka” banner.

The Russians placed 2nd (White) and 4th (Muratov) in the prestigious 2010 Prince Philip Cup hosted by the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth.

Hickman has been sailing Dragons with Wolf Breit in Australia and at international regattas in Medemblik in the Netherlands and Douarnenez in France and will compete in the Melbourne Worlds next year.

“While off the water in France, talk inevitably turned to the Worlds in Melbourne and I joked about hoping that it would be a fast Rolex Sydney Hobart this year to ensure that I made it to Melbourne in time for the Dragons,” said Hickman, who has twice won the bluewater classic on overall handicap.

Muratov realised that, as he was already coming to Australia in early January, the timing was perfect to enter a Russian contingent in the Boxing Day classic.  He asked Hickman to find a competitive 50 footer for the world renowned race.   

The two joined forces and Hickman considered that the Corby 49 Vamp was the most suitable for their purposes.  He approached old friends Linacre and Fuller who were very pleased to loan the boat to the veteran Rolex Sydney Hobart sailor.

Muratov is bringing five Russian sailing friends and the balance of the crew will be Australians who have sailed extensively with Hickman. 

“I have always dreamed about competing in a Rolex Sydney Hobart and we are all excited to be spending Christmas on Sydney Harbour preparing for the great race,” said Muratov.  “A race to Hobart is a very interesting and challenging leg in my journey from Moscow to Melbourne for the Dragon Worlds.”

No matter the outcome, the Russians are looking forward to celebrating in Hobart before taking on the international Dragon fleet in Melbourne.

By Jenifer Wells