‘Hobart Heroes’ honoured at Q.L.D.

• NEWS
• 06 Dec, 2002 08:32:00 AM

‘Hobart Heroes’ honoured at Q.L.D.

Four yachtsmen were honoured as ‘Hobart Heroes’ at the 2002 Quiet Little Drink Celebration & Reunion of Hobart Race Veterans at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Four yachtsmen were honoured as ‘Hobart Heroes’ at the 2002 Quiet Little Drink Celebration & Reunion of Hobart Race Veterans at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Arguably the toughest ocean race in the world, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is not for the faint-hearted.  While many thousands have achieved their dream of ‘doing a Hobart race’, very few will ever have the distinction of having 25 races on their CV. 

At the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s “Quiet Little Drink”, organised by Tony Cable, four well-known Australian yachtsmen’s names were added to the elite 49 achievers who had already reached this great milestone.

A further six yachtsmen will sail their 25^th in this year’s race,  receiving special medallions from the Tasmanian Government to mark their achievement,  as have the others at past trophy presentations in Hobart.

Of the ‘new boys’ officially inducted at the “QLD”, Michael Spies has grabbed a couple of records of his own, one, which is unlikely to be broken, while the other will take some breaking.  Spies is the youngest ever to attain 25 races.  Now 43 years old, Spies, from Sydney, was 17 when he raced to Hobart in 1976 aboard Matika III. 

In 1999, as co-skipper of Nokia, he shattered the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race  record in the time of one day 19 hours 48 minutes and 2seconds – the first yacht in the history of the event to complete the race in less than two days.

This year, the multi-talented Spies will skipper the Beneteau 40.7, P&O Nedlloyd in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, staying on to compete in the Mirror National and World Championships.

Joining Spies to receive his medallion, Ian ‘Bomber’ Treharne said many of his 25 races had been completed with brother Hugh, most of which were aboard Bright Morning Star.  Hugh has completed 27 races himself.

Toby Richardson, a Sydneysider now living in Tasmania, has had some major highlights in his 25 races, winning line honours in 1983 and 1986 on Condor and 1985 on Apollo.  His overall wins include 1990 on Sagacious V, 1996 on Ausmaid and last year on Bumblebee 5.

Ex-Taswegian, CYCA Rear Commodore Roger ‘Hicko’ Hickman, also attained his 25 in the 2001 Race.  His best Hobart results have been an overall win in the IOR division  in 1993 as co-owner of Wild Oats,  with a second victory  in 2000 as sailing master aboard Kevan Pearce’s SAP Ausmaid.

Amongst those present at the ceremony were many other 25 plus Hobart veterans.  One of those, Peter Shipway, had organised a ’25 Hobart Reunion’ to coincide with the main event.  It was so well attended that it will remain a feature of the QLD.

Two of those present have gone beyond the call of duty.  John ‘The Fish’ Bennetto from Tasmania holds the record, having competed in 41 races.  He will sail again this year with his faithful yacht Mirrabooka, on its 16th race to Hobart.  His first Hobart was in 1947 (the third running of the race) aboard Kintail.

Joining ‘The Fish’ was Sydneysider Richard ‘Sighty’ Hammond, a navigator who set the record for being the first man to achieve 40 races.  His first was aboard Wanderer in 1953, but due to failing eyesight, ‘Sighty’ called it a day after the 1998 race.

FOR THE RECORD

Leading Yachtsmen

Yachtsmen who have competed in 25 or more Sydney to Hobarts up to the 57^th annual race in 2000, according to the Quiet Little Drink committee, are:

·        John “the Fish” Bennetto (Tas) – 41 races since 1947.

·        Richard “Sightie” Hammond (NSW)  - 40 races since 1953.

·        Lou Abrahams (Vic) – 39 races since 1963.

·        Tony Cable (NSW) – 38 races since 1961.

·        Bernie Case (Vic) – 37 races since 1962.

·        Bill Ratcliff (NSW) – 36 races since 1955.

·        The late Peter Green (NSW) – 35 races, 1947-1989.

·        Richard Norman (NSW) 35 races since 1955.

·        Don Mickleborough (NSW) – 34  races since 1958

·        Colin Betts (NSW) – 34 races since 1955.

·        Tony Ellis (NSW) – 34 races since 1963.

·        Syd Fischer (NSW) – 33 races since 1962.

·        Colin Wildman (NSW) – 33 races since 1963.

·        Don Lang (Vic) – 32 races since 1963.

·        Bruce Gould (NSW) – 32 races since 1963.

·        Albert Mitchell (NSW) – 30 races since 1954.

·        Magnus Halvorsen (NSW)  - 30 races since 1946.

·        Lester Nibbs (Tas) – 30 races since 1960.

·        Max Crafoord (NSW) – 30 races since 1953.

·        Roger Howlett (Tas) – 30 races since 1969.

·        Bruce Jackson (NSW) – 29 races since 1952.

·        David Lawson (NSW) – 29 races since 1961.

·        Fraser Johnston (NSW) – 29 races since 1963.

·        Peter Kurts (NSW) – 29 races since 1954.

·        Lindsay May (NSW) – 29 races since 1973.

·        John Solomon (Tas) – 29 races since 1967.

·        The late TWT (Bill) Thompson (NSW) – 28 races 1956-1988.

·        David Kellett (NSW) – 28 races since 1968.

·        Josko Grubic (SA) – 27 races since 1966.

·        Alby Burgin (NSW) – 27 races since 1951.

·        Stan Darling (NSW) – 27 races since 1947.

·        Geoff Rouvray (NSW) – 27 races since 1967.

·        Des O’Connell (NSW) – 27 races since 1947.

·        Peter Shipway (NSW) – 27 races since 1968.

·        Rolfe Mische (NSW) – 27 races since 1963.

·        Richard Bearman (NSW) – 27 races since 1969.

·        Peter Joubert (Vic) – 27 races since 1968.

·        John Mooney (Vic) – 27 races since 1969.

·        Lew Carter (NSW) – 27 races since 1973.

·        Simon Firth (Tas) – 27 races since 1973.

·        Maurice Cameron (NSW) – 27 races since 1974.

·        Alan Butler (Vic) – 26 races since 1946.

·        The late Russell Evans (Vic) – 26 races from 1968-1985.

·        Warren Anderson (NSW) – 26 races since 1970.

·        Peter Duffield (NSW) 26 races since 1968.

·        Hugh Treharne (NSW) – 26 races since 1968.

·        George “Hagar” Barter (NSW) – 26 races since 1974.

·        Rod Jackman (Tas) – 26 races since 1971.

·        Graeme Freeman (Tas/NSW) – 25 races since 1970.

·        Roger Hickman (NSW) – 25 races since 1974.

·        Toby Richardson (Tas) – 25 races since 1973.

·        Michael Spies (NSW) – 25 races since 1976.

·        Ian “Bomber” Treharne (NSW) – 25 races since 1970.

Leading yachtswomen

Yachtswomen have been sailing in the Sydney to Hobart since the very early days of the bluewater classic,  but none has achieved the record of their male counterparts.  However, eight have competed in 10 or more races:

·        Amanda Wilmot (NSW) – 12 races.

·        Jan Howard (NSW) – 12 races.

·        Vanessa Dudley (NSW) – 11 races.

·        Andrienne Cahalan (NSW) – 11 races.

·        Kerry Goudge (NSW) – 10  races.

·        Audrey Brown (NSW) – 10 races.

·        Lea Meyer (NSW) – 10 races.

·        Gail Harland (NSW) – 10 races.