The Yachts

White Bay 6 Azzurro

White Bay 6 Azzurro

 

Another name change for Azzurro, now sponsored by award-winning boatyard, White Bay 6 Marine Park, located at Balmain, where White Bay 6 Azzurro is dry stored. Shane Kearns sailed his S&S 34, then named Komatsu Azzurro, to 52nd to win Division 7 of the 2019 Rolex Sydney Hobart. He finished the previous two races in 53rd overall in consistent performances. In the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart, the ‘little boat that could’ finished 13th for second in Division 4. The year prior, she nearly snatched overall victory from Balance, but lack of breeze on rounding Tasman Island pushed her down to third for second in Division 4, but with wins in the ORCi and Corinthian divisions.

Kearns sailed his first Rolex Sydney Hobart with her (as Quickpoint Azzurro), in 2014 and finished 33rd. He won Division 2 in the December 2020 180nm Cabbage Tree Island Race. In the same race this year, White Bay 6 Azzurro claimed eighth overall and won ORCI – the little S&S34 the only small boat among the TP52s and maxis that dominated the top ten. This was yet another case of Kearns being on the brink of an upset. Maybe this is the year…

 

Competitor Details

Yacht Name White Bay 6 Azzurro
Sail Number 3430
Owner Shane Kearns
Skipper Shane Kearns (16)
Sailing Master Jim Nixon (26)
Navigator Duncan McRae (18)
Crew Adrian Herington (5), Aaron McKibben (2), Michael Rowe (1)
State NSW
Club CYCA
Type S & S 34
Designer Sparkman & Stephens (USA)
Builder Swarbrick Bros
Construction GRP
LOA 10.1
Beam 3.1
Draft 1.9