Sydney-Hobart won by multihull!!

[bad dog]

That would be a wonderful headline - if only the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) would allow multis into the race. I know this has been discussed by multihull sailors (in Australia at least) for decades, but even more so in recent years, with so may of the world's leading long distance records held by multis. And I guess the AC spectacular is adding to the momentum of the beer-fuelled ravings!

Official SH race site here: http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/default.asp

How would it be if one of the ORMA 60s started unofficially from behind the line, came storming through as the keel-canters cleared Sydney Heads, and shot through making Hobart (628NM south) in something less than the current record of 1 day 18 hrs 40 mins 10 sec. If the big tris can do between 800 and 900 NM in a day, it would make Wild Oats and the other maxi sinkers look like the Manly Ferry.

So how do we coax the big wings down south? Any (practical) ideas?

ps - Merry Christmas too!

[Doug Lord]

It would be spectacular!

Open a new Regatta!

Ask Breitling for a sponsorship, their watches are looking more masculine than a Rolex!

[Chris Ostlind]

Or TAG Heuer, for that matter. I'm sure that they are feeling a bit woozy right about now with the Tiger Woods issues. No better time to pick the pocket than when the mark is a bit punch drunk... ;-)

There's an Ex-ORMA boat in New Zealand that would look mighty fine with the crew taking tea in Hobart while Wild Oats and Alfa flog their way in, much much later.

Mansour Ojjeh was always a friend of challenges. I concur.

Though the watches are second class........

[CT 249]

Apart from highlighting that the powered canting-keelers aren't really all that quick for their size, what is the point of allowing a multi into a mono race?

Yes, multis are great and a multi would be faster - so who cares? Everyone knows multis are quicker, just like everyone knows if you were allowed to handle the ball, you'd score more goals in World Cup football.

The S-H is a race created by sailors of monohulls, for sailors of monohulls.

It's just like the Tour de France is a race for riders of conventional bikes, not the faster recumbent bikes or motorbikes.

It's just like the Bathurst 1000 and Indy 1000 are races for touring cars, not the faster F1 type open wheelers.

It's just like the way that the C Class is a class for catamarans, not tris with spinnakers.

It's just like the way the Texel, world's biggest beach cat race, is a race for cats and not windsurfers and kites.

If you want to enter a competition, surely you choose the gear that's allowed into the competition; you don't try to race Michael Phelps in the pool while you're on a paddleboard, you don't complain about not being allowed in the F18 worlds with a C Class, you don't turn up to a Formula One event with traction control, oversize wings and a 4 litre motor. Just about every sport has rules that limit the efficiency of the equipment....that's what makes it a sport.

The fact that the ORMA 60s are available because the class is in dire straits surely underlines that while they are fantastic boats, they struggle to attract a significant fleet. In contrast, the Hobart still attracts major sponsorship, huge crowds and big fleets... it's not as if the Hobart is a moribund event that needs a shot of ORMA glamour and excitement.

Why not actually ensure that offshore multis become popular enough to have their own big race, rather than trying to get into an event that a certain group of sailors (mono sailors) have spent several decades developing?

[bill broome]

exactly, ct.

monos have their advantages, you can park many more if them side by side at the marina, for instance. easier to organize parties that way...

[Dave Gudeman]

CT, those are all good points. I think that the problem comes down to the fact that people who are interested in the technology would like to see the rules set up in such a way that they encourage better technology, while the people who actually set the rules have much different goals. The people who set the rules have goals like: make it as much as possible a contest of skill rather than technology, protect their investments (in boats, bikes, training, etc.), keep traditions.

But even though the people on rules committees have a right to use their time and money the way that they want, it is also true that what they do in their yacht clubs has an effect on the rest of us because of how it effect manufacturers, marinas and other things.

So I don't think it's that out of line if we want to bitch and moan about how it is effecting us.

[Fanie]

monos have their advantages, you can park many more if them side by side at the marina, for instance. easier to organize parties that way...

What a lame excuse Just use one multihull to party on


If they won't allow the multi's, easy. Just organise your own little thing. As someone suggested start after they did and have the party in full swing by the time they get there.

[sabahcat]

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Could be a cheap bit of arse wooping

[Doug Lord]

Seems to me that there is another large and well known regatta that has been steeped in monohull lore for well over a century and has finally seen the light. Sydney-Hobart should see the light before long-though I think the big canting keelers are the essence of monohull technology for the time being.
Let the multihulls in-the monohulls of the future will fly right past them.....

[waikikin]

Originally Posted by bad dog

That would be a wonderful headline - if only the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) would allow multis into the race. I know this has been discussed by multihull sailors (in Australia at least) for decades, but even more so in recent years, with so may of the world's leading long distance records held by multis. And I guess the AC spectacular is adding to the momentum of the beer-fuelled ravings!

Official SH race site here: http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/default.asp

How would it be if one of the ORMA 60s started unofficially from behind the line, came storming through as the keel-canters cleared Sydney Heads, and shot through making Hobart (628NM south) in something less than the current record of 1 day 18 hrs 40 mins 10 sec. If the big tris can do between 800 and 900 NM in a day, it would make Wild Oats and the other maxi sinkers look like the Manly Ferry.

So how do we coax the big wings down south? Any (practical) ideas?

ps - Merry Christmas too!

There was a similar stunt a couple of decades or so ago, not too many paid attention, even in mixed events like Brisbane-Gladstone the big monos get the news glory, its not worth worrying about, just have fun & a terrific new year. All the best from Jeff

[catsketcher]

As much as I understand the quizzical nature of a sailing boat totally dependent on an engine (like the current canters) I predict that multis will never race to Hobart in any numbers.

Arthur Piver (in a Stilleto) and Lock Crowther (in Bandersnatch) raced to Hobart in a parallel event in 1966 but didn't beat Fidelis. Cathy and Ian Johnston raced against the fleet twice - once in Twiggy and once in Verbatim and didn't win although they did well. There even was a Hobie 16 that did the event for a while in about 1985.

There is not enough multi racing to support the idea. Even if the CYC let multis in I think the multi division would struggle to achieve any worthwhile numbers.

I have been around multis and raced monos for a long time. The reason there are no multis going to Hobart is because not enough multi sailors want to do it - organise it - make rules for it - train for it - build boats tough enough for it. Let us not begrudge the mono racers their hard work. They staff the clubs, train new sailors, buy committee boats etc. If multi sailors want to do the race enough they will do the same.

As a sailor with feet in both camps I have to say there is no organised conspiracy anymore. The bad old days are gone. The fact that monos are better recognised in the media is not a fault of the media or the mono racers. It is just a simple fact of effort. Mono racers develop better media contacts. If multihullers want to have the same they should copy their tactics.

cheers

Phil Thompson

[bad dog]

CT - those are all good arguments. But the SH is put about as the premier blue water event - no limitations, qualifications or class - just 'The Event'. Bathurst was a real race once - then they banned the really quick cars like the Skyline GTR, and then things devolved further to the point where they now race V8 Stupidcars (sorry - "Supercars") which are a laughing stock in Europe - a bit like the old AC 12m Rule (see other thread still going here!). 'The Event' should be open to all comers that satisfy the necessary sea safety rules - an event for sailors of any stripe.

Dave - yes there is a flow-on effect in that society tends toward the Monkey See Monkey Do: if enough TV time etc is dedicated to the keel-canters or any other thing, that is what the media will continue to demand - it becomes self-perpetuating.

Phil - The multis that pitted themselves against the SH fleet in the past were in a totally different class to the big yachts, even allowing for the relative speed increase. Verbatum might have gone close, but Twiggy? - David & Goliath squared!

But your point about the media is spot on! The maxi owners and promoters have long standing relationships there which they work at very hard. Some of the European ORMAS appear to have similar relationships, but their branding is of little use down this end of the planet. I mean - "Banque Populaire"??? (Whoever heard of a popular bank anyway?) "VB" or "Aeroguard" would be more useful here (much as I try to avoid both, seeing as the best beer in the world comes from either Tasmania or Fremantle, and Rid works better than the other stuff).

I'm not sure the bad old days have gone completely. Certainly in smaller less formal clubs like RMYC in Pittwater the barriers have shrunk, but even there there is more camaraderie between mono classes - there is still a bit of "oh you're on a multi, how unfortunate..." From the little bit of inside info I have in the CYCA, it looks like its an ideological decision. I mean, what logical reason could they have for not allowing multis in the SH? ...except that the existing maxi owners would get their noses out of joint? Have you read Uffa Fox's biography? - strong parallels with Royal Cowes.

Looks like Alfa Romeo is going to win. That car maker's share of the Aussie market is what - 0.006%? Yet someone at Alfa thinks spending mega-bucks on a yacht is good value. Must be an opportunity for a big tri or cat somewhere...

[rayaldridge]

If it's a monohull race, then in all fairness, shouldn't the name be changed to reflect this fact?