After campaigning the iconic maxi Brindabella for seven years, Jim Cooney purchased Maserati having raced against her in the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart (skippered by feted Italian single-handed sailor, Giovani Soldini). The VO70 was originally Ericsson 3. In 2015 she proved quick, but found a hole in Bass Strait, but still finished fourth on line. Cooney brought the boat to Sydney in May, not in time to IRC rate in time for the Gold Coast race, so sailed PHS and finished 11th on line.

Maserati has since taken line honours in the 2016 Botany Bay, Port Hacking and Cabbage Tree Island races. Crew are a mix of Cooney’s longstanding team from Brindabella who have been training hard to match it with the more experienced V70s Black Jack and Giacomo. The addition of race veteran Michael Coxon will add experience. This year two of Cooney’s children, Julia and James, join him in the race for their second and first Hobarts respectively.