Sydney-Hobart 2013

I agree that there are some challenges to integrating multihulls into existing monohull racing events but they are mostly organizational and not intractable. The recent invitation for multihulls to compete in their own division as part of the Pittwater to Coffs for example is encouraging.

I remember reading something that catsketcher/Phil wrote years ago for the Multihulls World magazine that has really resonated with me. That is that cruising multihulls not racing multihulls have led to more acceptance. I find myself often talking multihulls with people who own a monohull but chartered a cat in the Whitsundays or have sailed on friends multis. It's all pretty easy to take and miles away from the perceived multi/mono conflict that mostly seems to be an internet phenomenon now.

 

Great comment!

Maybe organized races for cruising multihulls alongside the racing monos? Real people racing instead of just big names would be good for everyone, I would think.

 

From Scuttlebutt Europe:

Ninety Seven Signed On For 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart

One year out from the 70th anniversary race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is pleased to announce that 97 entries have been received for the 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, including five super maxis, 22 international entries, 15 new boats, 36 first timers, previous overall and line honours winners and the many supportive regulars, the 'meat' of the fleet.

At the pointy end of the fleet, one of the most compelling in years, is defending triple crown holder Wild Oats XI (Bob Oatley) taking on what is allegedly the fastest racing super maxi in the world, Loyal (Anthony Bell). It is purported the former Speedboat/Rambler is capable of making 45 knots downwind.

That knowledge alone will have Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards and his crew working even harder than ever, as they did when George David was ready to head this way for the 2011 race when he owned Rambler. Then its keel snapped off in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race.

There are 22 international entries, a record of sorts. The 50th anniversary race in 1994 produced 25 internationals from its 371 entries. During the 1970's and '80's, the numbers came close in the odd numbered years when the Southern Cross Cup was in vogue and fleet numbers were well over 100.

More here: http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/

 

Bit of a faux pas there.

 

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Right!---That would make a shorter leadbelly faster than the longer(and much faster) BP5(Spindrift)-I just don't believe it-not for a second.

 

Sydney-Hobart 2013 / Big Boat Challenge

From front page SA:
Tuesday December 10th the CYCA's SOLAS Big Boat Chalenge will be sailed around Sydney Harbor.
In a much anticipated event, this will be the first time Bob Oatley’s super maxi Wild Oats XI will line up against Anthony Bell’s new Perpetual LOYAL, the former Rambler, and the rivalry between the two will be fierce. However, the two will also have to deal with Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing.

This will be the seventh year that the fleet will race to raise awareness and money for the CYCA’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Trusts, which have donated just on $900,000 to search and rescue organisations Australia-wide and provide assistance (financial and other) to immediate families of those lost at sea during Yachting Australia sanctioned races.

Can't wait to see how this turns out!

 

Doug have you ever sailed in Sydney? Because sailing inside of Sydney Harbor - particularly for such large slow tacking and draft limited beasts as this, is not really racing. They are too constrained.

 

Sydney Harbour is pretty deep on the whole. They wont have much trouble with depth of water. The main problem will be other traffic (which there is stacks of). But yes, they really do need more space to get going.

 

Yeah except they keep putting rounding marks near Sow and Pigs. An then there's the Wedding Cake and Shark Island and all the commercial traffic they have to dodge. So its not really that great a venue for this big boys, plus DSS works best in steady state where you want to pile on canvas as you go in a straight line

 

They should make a rule that you can't run your engine during the race. Keep the motor sailers under control.

 

That works for me

But then some poor set of schlubs will get to sit on stationary bicycles down in the pit pumping hydraulics the whole time WOXI is sailing.

 

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Old and tired. Best get over it-nothing you say or do will change the exceptional value of a canting keel to these spectacular 100 foot racing sailboats.

 

In case you haven't noticed, 100 foot racing yachts have always been spectacular, even back in gaff rig days when canting keels were unheard of.

And what about your beloved DSS? (FOILZZZZ!!!!!!!!) They could still have that even without being a motor sailer.

 

Doug.

The lastest 05-12-2013


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Plus


Australia and home, Tony Kirby has sailed his brand new McConaghy Ker 46, Patrice, to victory, stealing the show from Darryl Hodgkinson’s Victoire for a second time in the Sydney Short Ocean Racing Championship (SSORC) hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club.

Tony Kirby was ecstatic with his new yacht’s performance and his first regatta win. “Coming into the SSORC, we had only done the Cabbage Tree Island Race, so we’re really excited to win our first race (today) and the regatta”

It was very light in the second race (a two lap windward/leeward course), and swinging 20-30 degrees. If Patrice was going to have a weak point, I thought light air would be it, but no, she handled it so well. I’m so happy with the boat and feeling confident with the Southern Cross Cup and Hobart coming up.”



OC

 

Worse than that - they'd be on the windward rail...