Magic Miles

Magic Miles is a beautifully crafted and impeccably maintained luxury cruiser/racer sloop hailing from Tasmania, the finish port of the 628 nautical mile race to Hobart. From the drawing board of renowned French designer, Philippe Briand, she was built in 1985 and underwent a major refit in 2007-2008.

Owner Mike Crew owns the Theatre Royal Hotel in Hobart. He is a Qantas captain, but is preparing to fly for Qatar Airways and has assembled a good mix of experienced sailors and novices for what will hopefully be a relatively comfortable sail on his 62 footer. Aboard is a good representation of Tasmania’s burgeoning whiskey industry, such as Bill Lark and Pat Maguire and quasi novice, Peter Gee, who interestingly has not competed in the race before, but did do the distance on the radio relay vessel four times in the 1980’s.

Primarily used for corporate match racing on the Derwent River in Hobart and for select private charters in the southern waters of Tasmania, Magic Miles is the same design as another Hobart based yacht, Dr Tony Fisher’s Helsal IV, which last raced to Hobart in 2008. The heavy yacht, more designed for creature comforts and cruising, finished 67^th out of 92 on line. Expect a similar result for Magic Miles, whose crew will enjoy a relatively comfortable ride.   

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