Mark Drobitko sailed Fruit Salid 3 to 50^th overall last year after last competing in 2022 when they placed 76^th after finishing 22^nd in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart. Drobitko bought this Beneteau 40 in the UK in 2016 and sailed it to Australia, arriving in late 2017. Passage highlights included first place in the 2016 ARC+ Atlantic Crossing, Caribbean Sea cruising, Grenada Race Week, Panama Canal transit, Pacific Ocean, and time enjoying life at sea.

The boat’s intended name was ‘Fruit Salad’, but a few drinks later and the paint brush out, the spelling changed, but they have somehow lived it down… Fruit Salid also races out of home waters and takes on the northern circuit of races where the emphasis is on good team work and a happy crew.