Ninety-seven entries for Hobart race
More yachts than expected to start the ocean classicOne year out from the 70th anniversary race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that 97 entries have been received for the 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, including five super maxis, 22 international entries, 15 new boats, 36 first timers, previous overall and line honours winners and the many supportive regulars, the ‘meat’ of the fleet.
"We’re excited about the increased number of entries for the 69th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race” CYCA Commodore, Howard Piggott said of the variety and number of yachts that went well beyond the Club’s initial expectations of 80, some of which will be crewed by the biggest names in sailing.
At the pointy end of the fleet, one of the most compelling in years, is defending triple crown holder Wild Oats XI (Bob Oatley) taking on what is allegedly the fastest racing super maxi in the world, Loyal (Anthony Bell). It is purported the former Speedboat/Rambler is capable of making 45 knots downwind.
Ragamuffin 100 (Syd Fischer) and Wild Thing (Grant Wharington) are as capable. The former, in the hands of Anthony Bell, took line honours from Wild Oats XI in spectacular fashion in 2011, when the two clashed from start to end and Bell survived a protest. Fischer sailed it to second on line last year and took monohull honours in July’s Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
There are 22 international entries, a record of sorts. The 50th anniversary race in 1994 produced 25 internationals from its 371 entries. During the 1970s and ‘80s, the numbers came close in the odd-numbered years when the Southern Cross Cup was in vogue and fleet numbers were well over 100.
This time, boats from New Zealand, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Caledonia, Germany and Cyprus will take their places on the start line.
Zefiro, a 100ft cruiser/racer is the first ever entry from Cyprus. A crew member warns that this elegant yacht “is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and should not be dismissed. Pushed hard upwind, Zefiro can do 13 knots, so that is the dream -- a hard upwind Hobart race.
German born Gerhard Ruether, who has called Cyprus home for the past 30 years, owns Zefiro and sails every mile on her. He can lay claim to having the first ever crew members in the race from Myanmar (Burma) where he has business; there will be two aboard.
The brand new Clipper Round the World Race fleet of a dozen identical 70ft yachts joins the Rolex Sydney Hobart for the first time too, as a leg of its own race and bolster the entries. Each yacht has a designated professional skipper, but is crewed by individuals who pay to take up the challenge of one or more legs.
Not only will the Clipper yachts be racing the rest of the fleet, they will also race against each other for the leg win and will be trying to beat Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the Clipper Race’s creator, who will be aboard one of two previous edition 68ft Clipper yachts.
This will be the first time Sir Robin, the first person to sail non-stop singlehanded around the world will sail against the Clipper fleet and it is guaranteed to provoke some hot competition.
Sir Robin was aboard the British entry, Titania of Cowes, in the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart, which is entered again this year. Australian winning skipper of the 2011/2012 Clipper Race (Gold Coast Australia), Richard Hewson and his sisters Gina and Amanda, who were aboard in 2010, join the crew again. Hewson is currently taking part in the Mini-Transat Race.
Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok is back with a new Beau Geste to attempt to claim the race he won overall in 1997 with the Farr 49, Beau Geste. His new Botin 80 comes in the wake of learning all Kwok could from his Farr 80, Beau Geste, which sustained a major crack to the hull in the Auckland Noumea Race. Being built by Cooksons in New Zealand, it will leave the shed in late November.
Previous overall winners up for the challenge include Kim Jaggar/Travis Read’s Illusion (1988), Roger Hickman’s Wild Rose (1993), James Cameron’s Luna Sea (as AFR Midnight Rambler in 1998), Philip Child’s Knee Deep (as Yendys in 1999) and John Newbold’s Primitive Cool (as Secret Mens Business 3.5 in 2010).
Wild Rose, which was originally Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats, catches the eye immediately. Hickman, with two partners, skippered the yacht to win the race under IOR in 1993. It was the last time the IOR rule decided the winner and the same year an IMS winner was also declared.
For the first time, two of the Volvo 70’s from the 2011-2012 will be on the start line. Both were designed by Argentinean, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Groupama 4, skippered by Frank Cammas, won the VOR. New Zealand winery owner Jim Delegat now has the yacht.
Delegat will tough it out with the former Telefonica, which Iker Martinez skippered to win the first three legs of the VOR. Peter Harburg (Qld) has the yacht now and renamed it Black Jack. Predominantly designed for downwind and off the wind conditions, both have undergone modifications and their form will become evident soon enough.
Jens Kellinghausen is bringing his Ker 51, Varuna all the way from Germany. He is on a mission to do all the great ocean races around the globe and results have been promising.
The start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be broadcast live on the Seven Network throughout Australia, webcast live to a global audience on Yahoo!7 and the Australia Network throughout the Asia Pacific Region.
The final fleet for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart will be announced at the CYCA on the morning of Tuesday November 26.
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