Rockall

Rockall was originally Bribon before sailing newcomer Aaron Rowe purchased her out of the US and renamed her RKO. She is now owned by Christopher Opielok and is from the same design board and same year build as Celestial Her German owner may be new to the Rolex Sydney Hobart, but he is a seasoned sailor who has twice been in winning Admiral’s Cup teams. He also contested the 2011 Geelong Week where he won Division 2 in the Passage Race with a Corby 36 also named Rockall and later that year raced that boat in the Middle Sea Race, finishing second overall. Opielok and his family relocated from Hamburg to Perth in 2011 for a time, courtesy of his shipping business in the oil and gas industry. Crew of note includes pro American skipper/tactician, Dee Smith, who sailed two Hobarts with Ray Roberts during the late nineties and Australian 49er sailor Sam Gilmour, who like his famous father Peter and brother David, is a gun match racer.

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