The
resurrection of Valheru
Rolex Sydney Hobart - News Update
14:58 AEDT December 30, 2008
14:58 AEDT December 30, 2008
Article By Greg Peart, Rolex Sydney Hobart Media
Team
December
30, 2008.
| Tony Lyall sailed his beloved Valheru to Sydney to compete in the 2002 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race expecting to put in a top performance. But within minutes of the start their race was done. Peugot Racing collided with Valheru, forcing her to retire with severe hull damage. Lyall and his crew were devastated as they limped Valheru back to the marina. Returning to Hobart by air had not been on their agenda. |
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| For several years the battered hull of Valheru was parked in her skipper’s backyard while insurance companies were involved in protracted negotiations. It was a long and frustrating wait for Lyall who did little ocean racing during this time. Time was spent carefully planned the rebuilding of the yacht, with Fred Barrett designing modifications to both hull and rigging. Lyall immediately started work on the restoration of his Elliott 13 once insurance claims had been resolved. In October 2008 Valheru set sail from its home town of Beaconsfield, in northern Tasmania, for Hobart where he and his crew competed successfully in all events, including the Maria Island race. |
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| Valheru was now well prepared for their return to the Rolex Sydney Hobart. It was a poignant moment as they sailed through the heads into Sydney Harbour on the delivery journey. Crew raised their glasses in a toast to Tony Lyall, his vision and sheer determination to again compete in this great ocean racing classic. Eight of the yacht’s crew of ten had sailed on Valheru at the start of the 2002 race. For them it had also been a long wait, but also a demonstration of the loyalty and camaraderie that ocean racing can engender. According to one crew member, Ian Ross, "it was extremely important for us to get out of the harbour without incident and to finish the race for Tony. We have now erased some bitter memories." |
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| After crossing the line at 7.39pm on Monday evening, skipper and crew celebrated being the first Tasmanian yacht to finish this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart. In fact, Lyall believes that just finishing the race is the biggest challenge. "If you win anything then that is a bonus," said the weather-beaten skipper. Like most of the fleet, Valheru relished the hard running conditions. Skipper Lyall rated the first 24 hours of the race as "...simply superb, champagne sailing," but Bass Strait was "...pretty ordinary with 15 knot northeasterly winds." |
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| Again, like most of the fleet, it was not until they rounded Cape Raoul that Valheru experienced strong northerly winds gusting 35 to 40 knots. "Storm Bay certainly lived up to its reputation and we had a slow, frustrating beat to the finish," Lyall said. Official race website: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com |
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