Eclectic fleet for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

• NEWS
• 30 Nov, 2016 12:00:00 PM

Eclectic fleet for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Four super maxis, including a radical reshaping of a former line honours winner, head the 93-boat fleet for next month’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The 72^nd running of the race will also be a milestone for one of the world’s most respected navigators, Adrienne Cahalan, who will become the first woman to sail in 25 Hobarts. She will navigate the TP52 Ragamuffin, the name made famous by the retired Syd Fischer and this version skippered by his grandson, Brenton Fischer.

In Sydney today, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore John Markos, launched this year’s 628-nautical mile race that starts in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.

“Each year, each technological advance and each enveloping drama enhances the Rolex Sydney Hobart’s reputation as the most challenging and prestigious ocean race in the world,” Commodore Markos said. “This year we maintain that reputation.”

This year’s fleet includes 12 international entries and multiple former winners and line honours winners.

Always an exercise in strategy, secrecy and intrigue, the 2016 Hobart is no exception. There is a dark horse to challenge the domination of eight-time line honours winner Wild Oats XI.

In 2000 and 2004, Scandinavian Ludde Ingvall won line honours with two versions of his super maxi, Nicorette. His 2004 winner has been completely redesigned in New Zealand and rebadged CQS after its British hedge fund sponsor. It is radical.

It is longer forward, with huge wings, which are wide shroud bases either side of the mast to secure wider spaced rigging, allowing CQS to carry massive headsails deployable from the end of an elongated bowsprit that sits atop a reverse curve bow. It is a most unusual design.

Plus, it has an adjustable plank hydrofoil that works in tandem with the canting keel to balance the boat. AND it has a Kiwi brains trust of Chris Dickson, Chris Main and Rodney Keenan. Dickson, a former America’s Cup skipper, took line honours in the ravaged 1998 Hobart race on Larry Ellison’s Sayonara among his many accolades.

There has been tweaking aboard record holder Wild Oats XI and her regular rivals, Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal and Scallywag, the former Ragamuffin 100 now owned by Hong Kong businessman Seng Huang Lee and skippered by Fischer’s sailing master David Witt.

Since Bob Oatley’s death early this year, son Sandy and skipper Mark Richards decided to remove her horizontal hydrofoil, saying that the new, 11m long forward section of the hull added in 2015 negated the need for the foil. It will also make the boat 300 kg lighter.

Speaking at the CYCA this morning, Richards said, “It’s been an interesting year, retiring and then the loss of Bob was a big deal, not to mention our rushed preparation. The whole attitude is very positive this year.

“Scallywag is very well prepared and has travelled a lot of miles but we have learnt a lot about our boat and we’re ready.”

Asked if he was sorry that Comanche was not back to race, Richards said, “We’re not sorry about Comanche, you have to be in it to win it.”

Joining the fleet are 12 from overseas: the Ker 56 Varuna VI (Germany); the TP52 Ark323 and Cookson 50 UBOX (China); Scallywag (Hong Kong); the Beneteau 47.7 Samskara (UK); the Elliott 44 Matador (Sweden); the Humphreys 54 KLC Bengal 7(Japan); the Botin 80 Beau Geste and the V70 Giacomo (New Zealand), the Sydney 46 Simplesail Mahligai (Russia) and the Swan 44 MK II, Triple Lindy (USA) and the TP52 Sonic entered by Korea, which makes its debut in the race.

Germany’s Jens Kellinghusen had great success in 2013 with his Ker 51 Varuna winning Division 1 after finishing fourth overall. He is back with his latest, Varuna VI, featuring a canting keel, double rudders and daggerboards. 

For admirers of well-found, comfortable, ocean-going yachts, the CYCA’s Ervin Vidor brings his 2015 CNB76 Charlotte to the race. It is a beautiful, luxurious boat.

“We sailed from Bordeaux to Kefallinia in Greece, then cruised in Greece and Turkey before Charlotte was shipped to Sydney, arriving in January 2016,” Vidor explained.

Unless it’s a downwind drag race, history suggests that the race should be won on corrected time, by a 50-footer or 40-footer, sailing a day behind the super maxis.

That brings the TP52 fleet into focus and their frontrunners: Paul Clitheroe’s overall winner from last year Balance, Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban, Peter Wrigley and Andrew Kearnan’s Koa, Sam Haynes’ Celestial, the West Australian M3 andRagamuffin.

“My boat would go a lot better if I didn’t steer it,” said Clitheroe, on being asked if he could win the race two years running.

“Actually it all comes down to the right weather pattern, and you still have to be the best boat, and the best TP52 and 50 footer,” Clitheroe ended.

China’s Dong Qing, will also sail a TP52, and is happy to be back for his second Hobart Race.

“We experienced 50 knots of wind last year, but we had a good boat, so I just had to come back. We have been training since October and have had a lot of help from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, and from Damien Parkes (a fellow competitor with Duende) who has been coaching us and training with us. We will just go out there and do our best.”

Joining Adrienne Cahalan in the record books, Bruce and Drew Taylor from Victoria (Chutzpah) become the first father and son to sail 25 together.

The Boxing Day start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be broadcast live on the Seven Network throughout Australia.

By Bruce Montgomery, RSHYR media