Fresh from taking his second line honours win in a row in the Rolex Fastnet Race, Slade and his international crew, including a number of Australians, are one of five 100ft maxis competing in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart.  ICAP Leopard finished second across the line behind Wild Oats XI in the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart when both were 98-footers under the then maximum length overall limit of 30 metres. The LOA limit has since been extended to 30.48m or 100 feet with this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart the first to allow 100 foot yachts to enter, the reason Slade is back for another crack.  In a decent blow the heavier built ICAP Leopard could potentially beat the Reichel Pughs to the Hobart finish line.

Link here to interviews with Mike Slade, owner of ICAP Leopard:

Mike Slade - 27 December 2009

Mike Slade - 28 December 2009

Name Leopard Race name ICAP Leopard Launch year 2007 Sail number GBR1R Owner Mike Slade Skipper Mike Slade (3) Crew R Waddell, J Clark, Z Gills, D Clarke, E Turner, K Rawling, J Elliot, J Carrington, J Slattery, C Sherlock (3), G Salter (3) J Turner, R Davies (6) Z Gills (3), T Burnell (2), M Thomas (4), T Sellars (3), B Jackson (6), B Wylie (9), H Agnew (1), J Salter, R Greenhalgh, H Slade, N Dikmen, R. Davis, L. Sinclair. Club Royal Thames Yacht Club Country UK Type Maxi Designer Farr Builder McConachy Construction Carbon/Nomex LOA 30.48 Beam 6.8 Draft 5.5

. Sport stars thrive at sea  . Wild Oats XI does a rapid U-turn in Hobart while owner Bob Oatley plans to come back next year  . Wild Oats XI arrives in Alfa Romeo’s wake  . Alfa Gets the Gun at 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race  . Jubilant Crichton glad it’s all over  . Alfa Romeo takes line honours  . One More Hurdle  . Alfa Romeo holds on to Rolex Sydney Hobart lead