Skip to main content
Time to race start
00 days
:
00 hrs
:
00 min
:
00 sec

‘Grumpy’ Ellis racks up record 55th Hobart on Midnight Rambler

Home 2025 ‘Grumpy’ Ellis racks up record 55th Hobart on Midnight Rambler

Article Image

Numbers mean nothing to Tony Ellis - known in sailing circles as both ‘Grumpy’ and ‘Ace’ - his age, the year of his first Hobart and the number he has racked up, because he’s a yachtie through and through who loves to go ocean racing, and the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart on Midnight Rambler was no different.

news
—

To explain the nicknames, it was 1968 on Syd Fischer’s first Ragamuffin and as Ellis tells it, “We all had nicknames to make it easy. I was given ‘Ace’ for being what they said was the ace bowman on the boat.  

“Then at the 1977 Admiral’s Cup, again with Syd, somehow the crew decided we’d be known as ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. Syd was Snow White, because of his snow white hair. I got Grumpy, because it was the last name left.”  

Psaltis and Ellis are two of the best offshore racers around. Psaltis learned at his father’s knee and won the fatal 1998 Sydney Hobart as the co-owner and skipper of the Hick 35, AFR Midnight Rambler. Ellis did a huge proportion of his Hobarts, 41 of them, with the tough as nails Fischer.  

At 81 “I’ll be 82 in February,”  Ellis defies his age – still fit, agile and sharp as a tack.  

Ellis’ 55th race has translated to fifth place overall, second in Division 5 and third in the IRC Corinthian division. It is the best result for this boat after its seven Sydney Hobarts.  

Midnight Rambler is tiny by comparison to the yachts Ace is used to sailing on. His last ride was 2022 on the Reichel/Pugh 63, No Limit. But a better combination of her owner, Ed Psaltis and Ellis and crew would be hard to find.  

“Yes, it’s good that we had such a great combination of results for my 55th and on such a small boat. And to sail with such a good well-rounded crew. I’m so glad Ed rang me and asked me if I’d like to race with him.” 

One of those crew was Adam Schlipalius, someone who has done five of his Hobarts with Ellis. He said, “The only reason I did this race was “to sail Grumpy’s 55th with him. It (the boat) is only 36 feet and I can’t even stand up in it!” 

Ellis says of his 55. “I always thought I’d like to do the 55th, because I’ve done the 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 75th and now the 80th. It’s a nice round number.”  

On the race: “The first 48 hours was one of the most confused large seas, particularly for the amount of breeze. The breeze wasn’t that strong, but the sea state was terrible. It was worse in some respects than 1993, because at least then the seas were from a similar direction as the wind. This year, it was crossed seas. It was like a washing machine. It was horrible. 

“I had something happen that has never happened before. I got wet through, completely drowned and was a bit hyperthermic. I had to borrow clothes from other crew members. Everyone on board was a bit off.” 

The easiest race, Ellis says, was 1975 when Kialoa broke the race record that held for 21 years. It was a long downwind race – the worst thing that happened was my feet got wet!” 

Ellis He also has finished the most Hobarts of anyone – 48. And his knowledge came in handy this year, the conditions were what we call a ‘traditional’ Sydney Hobart. Lots of hard on the nose wind, periods of calm, a bit of hard running, more periods of calm and another dose of heavy upwind and a bit more downwind.  

Psaltis said, “Ace made all the difference emotionally. He’s a tough old bloke with great experience, so I was happy to have him aboard, especially for this race, the way it was.” 

The Sydney born yachtie who moved to Tassie a few years ago, said they made just one mistake.  

“I guess most of us make one or two. Ours was through Bass Strait. We went too high. Love & War and others passed us, so that was a bit disappointing. Having said that, it was the boat’s and my best Hobart start for a while.” 

In the past, Psaltis has decreed he would retire from the race. I asked would he go again, as in his own words, “I am getting too old and my back plays up.” The response was surprising: “I won’t go fully crewed again, but maybe, ever so slightly, a two hander campaign could be on the cards.” 

So take note, all you young, fit sailors who fancy an adventure with this 43-Sydney Hobarts race veteran, because Psaltis is on the lookout for the right person. 

Back to Ellis, who did his first Hobart on Salacia in 1963. Will he do the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical mile race again?  

“I won’t get to 60, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t know. Maybe. I wouldn’t mind doing two more - to say I have finished 50…” 

Di Pearson/RSHYR media 
 

Featured image: ROLEX/Andrea Francolini