Living Doll retired with broken rudder

• NEWS
• 27 Dec, 2012 08:00:00 PM

Living Doll retired with broken rudder

The Victorian Farr 55, Living Doll, owned and skippered by Michael Hiatt, has become the first casualty of the 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Living Doll has retired from the race with a broken rudder. The incident occurred while the yacht was in Bass Strait, 90 nautical miles south-east of Gabo Island and 90 nautical miles north-east of Flinders Island.

The Race Committee has been advised that the crew are all in good shape and that they are managing by themselves. They have not asked any other yacht to stand by. Living Doll reports that she is currently in a 25 knot north-easterly breeze.

They have not yet decided where they will go, but assistance is on its way from Eden, and is expected to take seven hours to reach the yacht.

The yacht will contact the Race Committee every two hours to update progress.  All of the crew's families have been informed. It is believed the boat was sailing in a 25 knot nor-easter at the time of losing its rudder.

Seventy five of the original 76 yachts remain racing.

By Jim Gale, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team