Captain’s Quarters with Antony Sweetapple

• NEWS
• 23 Dec, 2018 01:04:00 PM

Captain’s Quarters with Antony Sweetapple

The co-owner and skipper of possibly the most instantly-recognizable boat in the fleet shares all

It’s fair to say that anyone strolling through the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s marina, or who may have cast an eye to a yacht race in Sydney Harbour would, at some point, have seen and recognised Anthony Bruce, James Lee Warner and Antony Sweetapple’s Jones 40 Quetzalcoatl.

Indeed, those seeing her for the first time will surely remember her the next. Her bright mustard topsides are only broken in yellow solidarity by the bold figurehead of a flying eagle clutching a feathered serpent – an homage to the Aztec god of wind that is her namesake.

Now in her 17^th year of active competition, her seemingly unending desire for getting out there and having fun has given her a special place in the hearts of many ocean racing fans, who, while being able to instantly recognise her, may admittedly sometimes struggle with the pronunciation of her almost-interminable Mesoamerican name.

We caught up with one of the men responsible for her years of racing for his thoughts going into to this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Q: What’s your aim in the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart?

SWEETAPPLE: We’re really focussed on PHS Division and aiming for a top five placing there. Corinthian Division is another focus of ours and we’re also looking for a top five placing in the 20-strong class.

Q: How are you feeling entering the race?

SWEETAPPLE: We’re very confident, Quetzalcoatl is well-prepared, and the crew very positive. There’s great work being done even as we speak, and the finishing touches are coming into place. We’re constantly monitoring the weather systems and can see it will be a challenging race with some firm breeze sections as well as a few soft patches to avoid.

Q: Who’s the biggest threat – if not you, who’ll take the Tattersall Cup?

SWEETAPPLE: We’ll be keeping a sharp eye on Kevin Whelan’s Beneteau 45F5 Reve and Phil Malony’s Archambault 45RC Papillion. We always have great racing against these two, and this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart will be no different.

Q: How did you get into sailing?

SWEETAPPLE: I was fortunate to have two grandfathers and a father who were into competitive sailing and I was introduced to the sport at a young age. I competed regularly, including in four Sydney Hobarts before the age of 23 when work and other life events kept me away from the sport.

 In 2007 I purchased Quetzalcoatl with my two best friends, Anthony Bruce and James Lee Warner, and we have campaigned her actively since then.

Q: Your favourite sailing memory?

SWEETAPPLE: Well, there’s two. Firstly, being handed Quetzalcoatl’s tiller in a 25-30 knot nor ‘easter heading to Hobart under spinnaker and surfing her at 26 knots in the middle of the night. Let me tell you, that experience was frightening and rewarding at the same time!

Secondly, our win in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart PHS Division – with a very fine crew on board – is something I’ll never forget.

Q: Describe your team’s ethos…

SWEETAPPLE: It’s simple really, but it’s at the heart of everything we do: ‘look after each other, look after the boat’.

Q: Apart from your on-board crew, who else are you racing for?

SWEETAPPLE: All of us have different motivations at different times and on different years – most of us have spouses and family who allow us to indulge in our passion of ocean racing. My wife and two daughters always provide great support and motivation.

This year is our second Hobart with a woman on our crew – Lexi Silver, who runs the pit, is very fit, motivated and keeps the rest of us in line. All of us enjoy the camaraderie of each other’s company and feel we are better people for competing and working together.

On a more personal note, my father died earlier this year and we’ll be scattering some ashes on the start line in his memory, and I’ll be asking him to watch over us on the trip south. 

Q: What’s the best thing about the Rolex Sydney Hobart?

SWEETAPPLE: For us it is really four races combined: the start and out of harbour; the NSW coast and Bass Strait; the Tasmanian Coast and finally Tasman Island to the finish.

Each are races within themselves and each one a challenge to do well in.  If you can get all four right, you will be in a good place.

Q: In 2019 the Rolex Sydney Hobart celebrates its 75^th race – will you be entering?

SWEETAPPLE: Absolutely. Myself and the crew are very much looking forward to the 75^th year.

Make sure to use and follow #RolexSydneyHobart to keep up with Quetzalcoatl and all competitors during this year’s Great Race. Yacht Tracker technology will also once again be used to follow the race in real-time, with the Standings page providing projected outcomes race-long. Stay locked right here for all the latest news and information, and visit the Yachts page to see all the entrants making up what is touted as the toughest fleet in Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race history.  

Interviewed by DJ MUNRO