Four left at sea in fastest Rolex Sydney Hobart in memory

• NEWS
• 30 Dec, 2016 07:35:00 AM

Four left at sea in fastest Rolex Sydney Hobart in memory

Just four yachts remain at sea in the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart and all are expected into dock by midday in the fastest Sydney Hobart in memory – all well and truly tucked up in good time for New Year’s Eve celebrations tomorrow night.

Sean Langman’s Maluka of Kermandie (Tas), the smallest (9 metres/or 30ft) and oldest (built 1932) is due in after 9am, followed by Stephen Hughes’ On Tap (Qld), Clipper Ventures 5 and Michael Strong’s beautiful S&S Design 54, Landfall from Tasmania.

Strong’s Landfall was built in 1935 and contested the 1952 and 1954 Sydney Hobarts. She did not finish the 2014 and 2015 races, so will be a real achievement when she crosses the Castray Esplanade finish around midday and proudly taken into dock by officials from the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania where Strong is a member.

Philip Bell’s reliable She is the latest arrival into Constitution Dock, arriving in the deluge of rain that hit Hobart at 6am. Bell, from Queensland, purchased the modified Olsen 40 and the 35 year-old boat has just sailed her 19^th Sydney Hobart.

The boat’s navigator and sailing master, Mark ‘Moddy’ O’Dea, clambered off the boat and commented: “That’s definitely the fastest ride to Hobart I’ve ever had on this boat (he’s done nine on She) and the wettest arrival I’ve ever had

“It was downhill all the way, except for the last miles in the Derwent. We used every kite on the boat – we’ll be doing a lot of packing today.”

Did they have the inevitable park up like most others did?  “Yep, for about 40 minutes in the Derwent. It was painful,” said O’Dea who was shocked to be told that CQS and others had 10 hour parks in the same river.   

“I guess 40 minutes is nothing after all,” he responded.

By Di Pearson, RSHYR media