3:01 AM Fri 16 Apr 2010 GMT
Just one month after returning home from his second circumnavigation, Alex Whitworth and his Brolga 33 Berrimilla, will join eighteen other Sydney Hobart veterans on Sydney Harbour this Sunday 18 April for the Great Veterans Race.
No other yacht has sailed in both the Rolex Sydney Hobart in Australia and the Rolex Fastnet Race in England in the one year and then sailed back to contest the Rolex?Sydney Hobart. The second circumnavigation has been a voyage from Australia to England through the daunting North West Passage across the top of Canada to again contest the Rolex Fastnet Race, and a delayed return voyage that took Whitworth and Peter Crozier in Berrimilla down to the French-owned Antarctic Kergelen islands before reaching their home port of Sydney in early March.
Berrimilla is also the first yacht to circumnavigate the world under sail via the North West Passage and the first to circumnavigate via both Cape Horn and the North-West Passage - opposite ends of the Americas. She is also the first Australian yacht to sail through the North-West Passage unassisted and in a single season.
The non-spinnaker Great Veterans race marks the opening of the Audi Winter Series 2010 and is sailed in a relaxed but competitive environment for the historic Windward Trophy. The morning often starts at the CYCA clubhouse with many 'old salt' stories relived and friendships re-juvenated. Then it's off to the start line, for a lively and noisy race with tactics being called from the helm and old rivalries coming to the surface.
|
|
Nick-Cassim's-Lolita (Photo: Andrew Hawkins) - Mainsheet Media
|
Last year's winner Nick Cassim's wooden sloop Lolita is back to defend her title with Don Micklebourough's Peel 35 Southerly giving Lolita a run for the overall win. Other famous Sydney Hobart Veteran yachts include The Rum Consortium's Davidson 42 Phillips Foote Witchdoctor, a veteran of 27 Hobarts, Chris Dawe's Cole 43 Polaris of Belmont (25 Hobarts), Nigel Stokes' Fidelis and David Champtaloup's Caprice of Huon.
'Tig' Thomas returns to the Great Veteran's Race with Highland Ghost, a Carter 33 that sailed in the 1976 and 1983 (ret) Sydney Hobart races. 'Tig' has recently sold his previous Hobart veteran Plum Crazy, a boat that still holds the record for the fastest race time for a yacht less than 9.5 metres LOA of 4 days, 1 hr, 18 mins and 16 seconds, set in 1975.
The opening Ladies Day race for the Jill McLay trophy will also be sailed on Sunday, with 60 entrants across four divisions - two spinnaker and two non-spinnaker. Stephen Ainsworth has entrusted the helm of his RP63 Loki to wife Nanette for the day, with Julia Cooney sailing her & husband Jim's newly acquired Brindabella, a yacht that needs no introduction, and Dinah Eagle skippering Gerard Kesby's Murray 48 Nocturne in the spinnaker division.
Competing in the non-spinnaker division, last year's Division 1 winner Vivenne Macmahon returns aboard George Girdis' Jarkan 12.5 Marloo and Division 2 winner Tess Heiligers aboard Herman Heiligers Oceanis 40 Hubcap II. Joining them will be Jackie Sapir on Paul Billingham's Bavaria 42 Elusive, Roberta Easton on her & husband Patrick's Beneteau 40 In Cahoots and Jean Cane on the historic 60 year old International 8 metre class yacht Erica J, owned by Les Goodridge.
Racing commences at 11:30 hrs on Sunday 18 April and the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting 5-10 knots westerlies in the morning, tending easterly 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon with the possibility of light showers.
www.cyca.com.au
by Jennifer Crooks
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
|
Sailing
