Mundle - Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Contents

Sir James Hardy

R ob Mundle has certainly earned the right to author this excellent book celebrating the first 75 years of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Robs early days as a cadet journalist were spent in Canberra and Sydney when Rupert Murdoch launched his great newspaper enterprise, The Australian, in 1964.

He has successfully participated in every aspect of sailing, whether afloat or ashore, and over the last 25 years has thoroughly researched and written countless best-selling books, primarily on maritime subjects.

For my own part, I have sailed in twelve Sydney Hobart races. My first, in 1955, was aboard Norm Howards 42-foot sloop, Southern Myth, from the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron. My last, in the 50th Anniversary race in 1994, was aboard my own yacht, Nerida, under the burgee of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

First impressions are always lasting and before the start of the Sydney-Hobart race on Boxing Day in 1955, while we were warming up on Sydney Harbour in a building north-easterly breeze, we witnessed the two beautiful, large and historic racing yachts, Kurrewa IV (ex-Morna) and Even, sailing up the harbour, close-hauled and side-by-side on port tack. Both of these classic and majestic yachts had brand new sails made of cream coloured Egyptian cotton, and Kurrewas crew were all wearing white while the crew on Even were in red. It was a breathtaking sight to behold one that has stayed with me ever since.

My experience aboard Southern Myth that year taught me one thing that I have never forgotten; the Hobart Race is never lost or won until it is finished. We had been well ahead of that years eventual winner, Moonbi, and runner-up Cooroyba all the way across Bass Strait, but after that, they sailed a closer course to the Tasmanian coast and found a favourable wind while we were becalmed with the other yachts well offshore.

Tasman Island, at the entrance to Storm Bay, is often another big hurdle. On many occasions over the years, yachts that appeared destined to be the handicap winner when they rounded the island including yours truly in 1980 with my yacht Police Car have been all-too-often hobbled by the weather between there and the finish.

Regardless, every yacht receives a grand reception when it reaches Hobart, and there is always great excitement, and eager anticipation, during the long wait for the handicap winner, the recipient of the Tattersall Cup, to be announced.

For me, it is also the camaraderie and sportsmanship among shipmates in ocean racing that is unique. I clearly remember an incident when I was racing my 42-foot yacht, Nyamba, during the 1979 Hobart when we were running downwind across Bass Strait in a fresh north-northeast breeze. Suddenly we lost control of the yacht bang our large spinnaker blew out! Not long afterwards we were flattened again when the second spinnaker blew apart. The yacht was knocked flat on its side with the top half around the top of the mast and we stayed that way for what seemed like ages while we tried to get the yacht back upright.

During this time, I noticed Ray Kirby in his yacht Patrice, which was ahead of us, had his crew lower their spinnaker so they could turn back and make sure we were okay. It was a wonderful gesture that I have never forgotten.

The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race is a unique event that has contributed enormously to the development of the sport of ocean racing in Australia and around the world, especially when it comes to yacht design, construction and materials.

On the safety side, great strides have been made since the 1998 race tragedy. For example, the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Trust has contributed greatly to this cause through the significant improvement of safety equipment and introduction of mandatory regulations for participating sailors and their yachts.

Each year great credit is due to the many people behind the scenes at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia who organise the rules for each years Hobart race especially when it comes to crew experience, the standard of safety equipment and the inspection and measurement of each yacht.

No matter if I am competing, or ashore and following the race, my hope always is for a fair contest where the winner is a well-prepared and well-sailed yacht.

For me, the great Australian poet Adam Lindsay Gordon probably said it best:

No game was ever yet worth a rap

For a rational man [person] to play

Into which no accident, no mishap

Could possibly find its way.

Sir James (Jim) Hardy

Sydney September 2019

Commodore Paul Billingham

O n 7 October 2019, I was at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania preparing to launch the 75th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was the first time the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia had organised a media launch for the race from Hobart, and, perhaps suitably, it was a blustery, moody day in Sandy Bay the sun occasionally came out, but there was the promise of a storm.

As I prepared to speak I thought about what suitable words I might say to mark the anniversary, and as I did I was drawn to Captain John Illingworths simple response when asked by founders of the CYCA to join them in a cruise to Hobart in 1945, that first year: If you make a race of it, Ill come.

Of course, they did make a race of it and, ever since the story of the CYCA has been entwined with that of the Great Race.

Over the years, I have realised that the Sydney Hobart race is a story with many different players.

It is a story of yachting evolution from pre-war wooden classics to carbon fibre supermaxis, and at the same time been, and always will be, a proving ground for boat building innovation.

It is a story of the people who make the race happen, strive to make it as safe as possible, as fair as possible and as exciting as possible.

It is a story of two beautiful cities, 628 nautical miles apart, but tied together in the eyes of the world each Christmas time.

Most importantly though, the Hobart is a story of the characters who sail in the race some make the pilgrimage annually, while for others it is a once in a lifetime bucket list adventure. But whatever their personal reasons for racing might be, all have been united by the unique challenge which is doing a Hobart. Consequently, they are entitled to join that elite group of sailors who can already make that proud boast.

In this book Rob Mundle tells their stories spanning 75 years as individuals; as crew, and by being part of a blue water community. Rob does this in a way that helps us understand why people feel that inexorable draw to the challenge of the ocean, year in, year out, and for little more than bragging rights.

At the CYCA we are proud of every one of them and proud of a race that started by a chance conversation and has gone on to become a sporting icon in the eyes of Australia and the World.

Paul Billingham

Commodore

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

October 2019

I n late December 1998, four long-time mates were standing at the first tee on a picturesque golf course on the Gold Coast, 70 kilometres south of Brisbane. This was the start of their regular weekly round of eighteen holes, an outing where they would laugh a lot, grab every possible opportunity to take the mickey out of each other, then enjoy a few frosty beers in the clubhouse after the game.

When it came time to hit off, the first of the foursome stepped up, placed a ball on the tee, took a couple of practice swings then contemplated driving the small, white sphere on a long and straight trajectory down the fairway.