Owner Laurence Pidgeon has wanted  to own and skipper a yacht in the bluewater classic and this ambition was realised when he signed up to buy Sweethart from Tony Love.  This will be Laurence’s first Hobart as skipper, but he has spent a great deal of time preparing the yacht for the Hobart race.

This will be Sweethart’s fifth Rolex Sydney Hobart, having competed in her first three with the original boat owner Doug Curlewis who raced her as Liberator.  The boat was built for Curlewis and made her Hobart debut in 1993 and she finished fourth under IMS.