Mountaineering skills come to the rescue

• NEWS
• 31 Dec, 2024 05:00:00 PM

Mountaineering skills come to the rescue

A crew member with mountaineering skills came to the rescue of Tasmanian boat Tilting at Windmills as it approached the finish line of the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Monday.

Skipper, John Alexander, said after a “typical Sydney Hobart race” without any serious equipment damage, they were entering the final hours when they had a sail issue at 0130 hrs today.

“We got a major wrap on the spinnaker in 8 knots of wind,” he said.

“We tried for an hour to unwrap it, we couldn’t, and the wind started to build and build … to 20 knots,” he said.

He said they had to send a crew member to the top of the mast to try and sort it out.

“It was really pitching and pulling,” Alexander said.

The volunteer was Chris Rebbechi, the navigator who is also a mountaineer.

Tilting at Windmills en route to Hobart.    Image: ROLEX | Andrea Francolini

"He just walked straight up the mast. He did a sterling job,” Alexander said.

And as befitting the location of the incident, in Pirates Bay, some 23 nautical miles north of Tasman Island, after climbing the mast, Rebecchi slid down the forestay with a razor sharp knife to cut away the problem.

“He was a hero, because he was going this way, that way, this way, that way, and saved the day,” Alexander said.

“I’m very happy with the crew and the boat,” he said.

“There was a bit of drama, a lot of focus, but a fantastic race.”

Steve Dettre/RSHYR medi