Black Jack

Peter Harburg purchased the former 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race entrant Telefonica, which Spaniard Iker Martinez won the first three legs of the race with, but ultimately finished the VOR fourth overall. Shipping his new Black Jack to Australia earlier this year, Harburg ordered modifications to bring the yacht up to Australian standards. She made her Australian ocean racing debut in the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in July and finished third on line and in IRC Division 0 following a tight tussle with the top two, Wild Thing and Lahana.

Hoping to give the super maxis a run for their money in the upcoming Hobart, Harburg and his long-term sailing master, Mark ‘Squark’ Bradford, think the boat rates well enough under IRC to do some damage overall if conditions tend to be off the wind, which is what the boat was predominantly built for.

Harburg has continued the Black Jack name for his friend and Formula One legend, Sir Jack Brabham. The previous Black Jack, a RP66, won line honours in the 2008 and 2009 Brisbane to Gladstone races. In August last year, was second on line and recorded the second fastest time ever in the history of the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, breaking Brindabella’s (a conventionally ballasted yacht) 13 year-old record.

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