Maritimo officially launches 2022 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race campaign

Maritimo 11 is a 15.85-metre TP52, based on the design that sits under iconic Sydney-Hobart boats including three-time line honours winner Ichi Ban, one-time handicap winner Balance, as well as Celestial, Secret Men’s Business and Hooligan. It will join 12 other TP52s – two of them international entries – that will spear out of Sydney Heads on December 26 and turn south to Hobart along 630 nautical miles of Australia’s eastern coastline.

The boat bumped out of the Gold Coast on Friday, heading south to Sydney to join the growing race fleet.

Maritimo 11 is is a meticulously refurbished, Reichel Pugh-designed racing yacht brought to Australia from Mexico ahead of last year's Sydney Hobart race.

The class was originally designed for the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race, a gruelling 2255nm transit that runs from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Since 2001, around 80 carbonfibre TP52s have been built, with a number of them remaining highly competitive in events such as the Sydney Hobart.

Maritimo’s TP52 was found in Fiji and brought back to Australia specifically for this race.

Maritimo 11’s refit included new sails and a full suite of electronics to bring it up to the latest ocean racing and offshore safety standards.

The boat is capable of a top speed of about 30 knots, and in ideal conditions can cover an average of 320nm a day.

The boat will be skippered by Michel Spies, a veteran of 44 Sydney Hobart races, with the crew of 14 including Maritimo owner Bill Barry-Cotter’s brother, Kendal, several champion sailors and navigator Murray Spence.

Between them, the crew represents 198 Sydney Hobart races.

Among the crew on the delivery run to Sydney was 14-year-old Addison Newlan, who is part of Maritimo’s yacht racing program and still too young to join the official race crew.

The 2022 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race start is scheduled for 1pm on Boxing Day, with Maritimo 11’s progress updated live on the official race tracker.

Maritimo 11 finished 12th in last year’s event, completing the race in a corrected time of four days, 23 hours, seven minutes and 29 seconds.

Fellow TP52 and 2021 race winner, Ichi Ban, completed the course in a corrected time of four days, 10 hours, 17 minutes and 39 seconds.