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| One week left for 2009 Sydney Hobart applications |
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Photos By Peter Andrews and Exercise Transglobe.
Story edited from press release by Peter Andrews. |
| October 26, 2009. |
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You’ve got to be in it to win it! Those wanting to conquer the Mount Everest of ocean racing, the 2009 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, have just one week left to submit an application for entry.
So far, a fleet of 78 have been nominated for the 65th Sydney Hobart, including five 100 and two 98 foot maxis vying for line honours. There are also plenty of race regulars, such as AFR Midnight Rambler, Ragamuffin, Yendys and last year’s overall winner Quest. Then, there are several first timers that are ready to try their luck in the blue water classic that starts at 1pm on Saturday December 26. |
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Ed Psaltis' modified Farr 40 AFR Midnight Rambler, traveling north after the start of the 2008 Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
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| Robert Oatley’s Reichel Pugh designed Wild Oats XI, which claimed an historic fourth successive line honours win last year, has today emerged from its shed at Woolwich Dock. The yacht has been lengthened to the maximum length overall limit of 100 feet and has undergone other top secret modifications that put her in pole position to claim a fifth successive line honours win. Wild Oats XI will make her 100 foot racing debut in the CYCA’s Cabbage Tree Island Race on Friday November 7, starting at 8pm AEST. |
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Geoff Ross' Reichel Pugh 55 Yendys, outside the heads after the start of the 2008 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
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| International interest is again high with a total of 12 overseas yachts representing the United Kingdom, USA, New Zealand, Spain, New Caledonia and the Netherlands. Last year’s race attracted 13 overseas entries. Five yachts will represent the United Kingdom, including three yachts crewed by members of Her Majesty’s British armed forces. |
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Syd Fischer's TP52 Ragamuffin, during the 2008 Trophy Ratings Series
outside Sydney Heads.
Photo © Peter Andrews, Outimage.
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Adventurer of Hornet (Navy), Challenger of Hornet (Army) and Discoverer of Hornet (Air Force) are Challenge 67 foot yachts that were manufactured in the early 1990s, for Chay Blyth’s British Steel Challenge and the BT Global Challenge ocean racing events. The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence acquired four of the Challenge 67 yachts, to enable the Services to undertake ocean voyages. The Rolex Sydney Hobart is the sixth race in a thirteen stage sail training ‘Exercise TRANSGLOBE’, that commenced back in July.
Either Adventurer, Challenger or Discoverer of Hornet will take home some special race silverware this year, the Oggin Cup. This trophy is awarded to any armed services crew which finishes first on corrected time, in the Sydney Hobart. It has been won by United Kingdom servicemen twice before, and with no entry received from any other defence force crewed yacht, the Oggin Cup looks set to be claimed by the British again. The only thing left to determine is which division of the United Kingdom’s armed forces is the strongest. |
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Exercise TRANSGLOBE Sydney Hobart crews with skippers in foreground L-R
Richard Tarr, Skipper of Adventurer of Hornet (Navy); Becky Walford,
Skipper of Discoverer
of Hornet (Air Force), and Darren ‘Windy’ Gale, Skipper Challenger
of Hornet (Army).
Photo © Exercise TRANSGLOBE.
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Every Australian state is represented on the application for entry list with the number of Tasmanian entries up on last year, with currently seven from the Apple Isle. Applications for entry close next Monday November 2, 2009 at 17:00 hours AEST.
The final fleet for this year’s Sydney Hobart will be announced at the organising club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, on the morning of Tuesday 24 November.
Further information about Exercise Transglobe can be found on their website at:www.exercisetransglobe.com.
For further information about the Sydney Hobart, the official race website can be found at: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com. |
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| Outimage © 2009 |
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