Chutzpah

Although he has come so close, with second and third places overall, and an amazing 10 divisional wins, this will be Bruce Taylor’s 33^rd attempt to win the race that has thus far eluded him. He may still be wondering what could have been, after selling his Hick 35 to Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas in 1998, who went on to win that fatal race, while Taylor had to retire his new boat.

Son Drew, has sailed every one of his 21 races with Bruce, flying in from Hong Kong each year. His crew is a solid core who have stuck with Taylor and have serious Hobart cred, with three having notched up 25 races plus, and others nearing that magic milestone.

Chutzpah’s Victorian owner has 32 Hobarts to his credit, 27 with his own boats, his latest being Chutzpah number six. She is a Reichel/Pugh Caprice 40 built by Mal Hart, a builder of note from Victoria. In her first Rolex Sydney Hobart in 2007, Chutzpah won Division C and placed fourth overall. In 2008 she scored another IRC 2 Division win, and was third in division in 2009 and 2010.  

Arriving in Sydney last year and looking at the predicted weather prompted the luckless dentist to quip: “I brought the wrong boat,” referring to his Sydney 38 of the same name. He was right, as Chutzpah finished 42^nd overall and fifth in IRC Division 2. Mainstays of the race have their fingers crossed for the likeable Victorian.

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