Outimage Publications - Helsal III retires at Triabunna

The outimage dot net ocean yacht racing banner is an image of Roger Sturgeon's Transpac 65 Rosbud from the United States, working up Hobart's Derwent River into the late afternoon to take out an overall win of the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The photograph was taken by Peter Andrews.

Helsal III retires at Triabunna

Rolex Sydney Hobart - News Update
14:30 AEDT December 29, 2008

Article By Bruce Montgomery, Rolex Sydney Hobart Media Team

December 29, 2008.

The Tasmanian retiree in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Helsal III, has reached Triabunna despite a damaged rudder and will not resume racing.

Skipper Rob Fisher told the Rolex Sydney Hobart Media team this afternoon that he had taken the prudent course to withdraw from the race after problems with the rudder compounded after the first night.

"We dropped a spinnaker in order to reduce sail. It went in the drink and wrapped itself around the rudder," Fisher said.

"One of the crew, John Davis, went over the side to cut the spinnaker free, but there was obviously some damage to the rudder mounting. As the race progressed, the top plate housing the rudder post began to move by four and five inches. We got to 50 miles east of Bicheno and I thought the prudent course was to retire."

Part of the cost will be a bottle of Bollinger champagne for his sister, Sally Smith, who is skippering the family’s other boat Helsal IV. That was the bet for the first of them to finish.

"She rang me: first to make sure we were OK. Then to ask ‘where’s my bottle’?" Fisher said.

The Fisher family's other race entry Helsal IV skippered by Rob Fisher's sister Sally Smith, outside the heads off Sydney after the start of the 2008 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Photo © Peter Andrews.

It is the first time in the Rolex Sydney Hobart’s 63-year history that boats have been skippered by a brother and sister.

Rob and Sally’s father, Dr Tony Fisher, originally owned Helsal III, a 20 metre pocket maxi, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He chose to sail this race with his son, not his daughter.

For more information about the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2008 including the entry list, yacht tracker and results please visit the event website at: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

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