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  • Rolex Sydney Hobart entrants in qualifying race

Rolex Sydney Hobart entrants in qualifying race

Rolex Sydney Hobart entrants in qualifying race
Ragamuffin under jury rig

Rolex Sydney Hobart entrants in qualifying race

Applications for Entry to this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race today reached 95 yachts as many of the boats in the fleet prepared to head out to sea this evening in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Cabbage Tree Island race.

Applications for Entry to this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race today reached 95 yachts as many of the boats in the fleet prepared to head out to sea this evening in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Cabbage Tree Island race. 

The 180 nautical mile race from Sydney to Cabbage Tree Island, north of Port Stephens on the NSW Central Coast, and return,  is the CYCA’s final long ocean race before the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Of the fleet of 25 boats, 19 have been entered for the blue water classic at the end of December.

Sailing her first race out of Sydney since being launched earlier this year is Neville Crichton’s Reichel/Pugh-designed 98-footer Alfa Romeo, which recently returned from New Zealand.

Alfa Romeo will be the biggest boat ever to contest the Cabbage Tree Island race and with fresh breezes forecast overnight and tomorrow she could challenge Brindabella’s record of  18 hours 57 minutes 37 seconds set last year.

Also racing   are Michael Spies with his latest Beneteau 44.7 Sirromet Lifestyle Wine, Stephen Ainsworth with his new Loki, a Reichel/Pugh 60,Geoff Ross’ Jodel/Vrolijk 52 Yendys and Syd Fischer’s Farr 50 Ragamuffin.

Ragamuffin's crew showed great seamanship in sailing back back to shelter after being dismasted in Bass Strait during last year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. (See photo)

Among the smaller Rolex Sydney Hobart entrants also racing to Cabbage Tree Island and back are Kevin O’Shea’s Stormy Petrel, Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas’ AFR Midnight Rambler and Impeccable, skippered by 83-year-old John Walker.

The major trophy for the Cabbage Tree Island Race is the Halvorsen Brothers’s Trophy,  donated by the famous yacht designers, builders and yachtsmen, Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen who will be in the official starting team for the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht Race.

 

Applications to Enter the Rolex Sydney Hobart lodged since last Tuesday’s official launch at the CYCA are:
 
§         Addiction, Victoria
§         Bacardi , Victoria
§         Chikara, Victoria
§         Mr Beaks, NSW
§         Yeah Baby, NSW
 
Addiction, Bacardi and Yeah Baby all competed in the landmark 60th Rolex Sydney Hobart race last year.  This will be Addiction’s sixth Rolex Sydney Hobart, Yeah Baby’s second trip south while Bacardi will notch up its 25th Boxing Day start.  Bacardi, along with another veteran yacht, Phillip’s Foote Witchdoctor will equal the record of the now retired Mark Twain for the number of races by individual boats.

Mr Beaks, sailing under the sponsor name First National Real Estate, was the Overall IRC winner of the 2003 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race when skippered by Michael Spies.  A syndicate has been formed to race the boat as Mr Beaks in this race.

This year, Spies has entered his Beneteau 44.7 Sirromet Life Style Wines, which raced as First National Real Estate in 2004.
Hailing from Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC), Chikara has been extensively raced offshore and knows the southern waters well.  The boat has competed in two Melbourne-Hobarts, a Gosford to Lord Howe Island and races from Queenscliff to Port Fairy, including honours for line & handicap winner in the 2003 Queenscliff-Port Fairy. 

Chikara was also the winner on handicap in this year’s Queenscliff- Apollo Bay race.  During the winter,  the Dibley 38 finished second in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s Bavaria Winter Series and was again second in the RGYC's winter series.
 
 Applications for entry to the Rolex Sydney Hobart have now officially closed.  Late applications for entry will be accepted until November 18, however a late fee will apply.