why do sydney to hobart yachts have black sails

Why Do Yachts Have Black Sails? [The Reason Explained]

One of the joys of owning a yacht is that you get to customize that baby like nobody’s business. That’s why no two yachts ever look the same, even if they’re exactly the same make and model. From the upholstery, to the console, the decking, and of course the body paint, you can do pretty much anything you want with a yacht. Oh, except for the sails.

If you’ve been hanging around yachts enough, you might have noticed that all of them have black sails. What gives? Is this some unspoken yacht owner pact? Or is it all just a grand coincidence? Why do yachts have black sails? Here’s what you need to know.

Why Do Yachts Have Black Sails?

Unbeknownst to most people, yacht sails actually have a long history of design changes and modifications. Way back when, sails were made from cotton and came in a variety of colors, but often just a basic beige.

As time went on and manufacturers discovered better ways to make sails more efficient, they tossed out the cotton in favor of Kevlar. This material had Kevlar lines woven right into them which gave the sails better strength against strong winds. This also gave the sails a yellow tinge.

Fast forward a few years, and carbon fiber became the standard for yacht sails. They provided excellent resilience, UV resistance, and just the right flexibility to accommodate changes in wind strength and speed. And while they can come in different colors, most manufacturers offer them in plain black since they’re easier to manufacture that way.

Well, that covers pretty much the basics. But if you really want to get into it, then here are some of the most common reasons why yachts have black sails:

It’s What’s Available

Manufacturers for yacht sails compete closely with one another. So whatever sails one of them offers will be the same sails that others do. And since carbon fiber sails are pretty much the standard these days, that’s what all of them have in stock.

Keep in mind that they don’t really choose to make them black. It’s just that the material is naturally black because of the carbon. These fibers are weaved into the material which is basically layers of polyester that are naturally transparent.

Can they make them in other colors? Probably. But since black has become the standard, it seems they’re not really keen on mixing up the look. What’s more, making an effort to change the colors might mean having to add other materials into the mix, changing the way the sail performs all together.

It’s the Standard

The black color has become strongly associated with performance sails. It’s kind of like the marker of a quality sail. Yacht owners and even regular boat enthusiasts know that a black sail is the standard of top performance because it’s made from premium materials.

That said, changing the color might distance the product from that image. And since manufacturers don’t want to dissociate from being ‘top quality’ brands, there’s really no reason to try to change things up by offering other sail colors that might not be recognized as top tier.

It’s Sleek and Aesthetically Pleasing

Let’s be honest -- a black sail definitely adds a sporty look to a yacht. These high performance sails are intended to make your yacht operate optimally even in the face of strong winds and waves. And to match this competitive performance, they offer a distinct, athletic look.

No doubt, going for a spin in a yacht with black sails can make your vessel look like a true-blue, competition worthy boat. In fact, most boats that use these black carbon fiber sails actually compete in various water sports and racing events, which has associated the black color with supreme performance.

It’s a Mark of Quality

If you’re familiar with black sails for yachts, then you know from just a glance that these dark sails are the mark of quality. Actually anyone who wants to get a quality sail for their yacht will likely go for the black ones first since they’re developed for optimal performance in various wind conditions.

In essence, a black sail is like a seal of quality and durability. So if you want to showcase your yacht and demonstrate your superiority without having to say a word, all you really need is a black sail.

Are There Other Colors for Yacht Sails?

Absolutely -- sails still come in a variety of colors. In fact, you can get them in virtually any color you want. The trade-off though is that you probably won’t find carbon fiber sails in any other color but a dark gray or black. But that’s okay especially if you’re not really interested in using your boat competitively.

Unless you’re into competitive sailing or racing, you probably won’t need a carbon fiber sail. There are lots of other sails on the market that use various other materials, like Dacron sails which are still in use today. These were popular before Kevlar, but still find their place on the market because of their so-so performance and affordable prices.

Keep in mind though that when you buy a sail just to change up the color, you also sacrifice the durability and performance of the sail. As of writing, there is no other type of material that matches the level of performance, resilience, and quality of carbon fiber sails . So naturally, sails that come in other colors (and thus use different materials) will likely produce substandard performance.

Once You Go Black

So, why do yachts have black sails? It’s really a matter of material. Carbon fiber sails are all the rage these days for boat owners who want to get the best performance out of their yacht. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a sail in a different color. There are lots of sails available on the market -- many of them offered in a variety of hues. Just remember that if they’re not carbon-fiber, they may not be as reliable as performance grade sails.

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2023 guide: history, start time, black sails, favourites, distance, tracker

It starts on a harbour, finishes on a river and in-between sailors will ride a wave of emotion. How to follow the Sydney to Hobart, its history, drama, favourites, when it starts and expert guide.

Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.

It starts on a harbour, finishes on a river and in-between sailors will ride a wave of emotion.

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is one of the most famous sporting events in Australia and one of the most respected ocean races internationally.

It is steeped in history, mystique and famous competitors.

It is also a revered sporting event contested by the best of the best in the world of sailing and racing and boats “one of the most spectacular starts of any sporting event in the world” according to our sailing expert Amanda Lulham

We’ve put together a guide to the famous bluewater yacht race covering everything from its history, disasters and past winners to how to follow the race and links to in-depth news and colour.

SYDNEY TO HOBART HISTORY, DRAMA, WEATHER, FAVOURITES AND MORE

How long is the Sydney to Hobart ? It’s 628 nautical miles long.

How big is the fleet in 2023 ? At the close of entry there were 120 entrants. This has since decreased to around 100 which will include international entrants, 18 two-handed boats, four supermaxis and a number of minnows.

What was the worst Sydney to Hobart storm? In 1998 six men lost their lives at sea and a massive search and rescue mission was galvanised when the fleet was smashed by an intense low which caused wild winds and monstrous seas.

MORE SYDNEY TO HOBART NEWS

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What is the history of the Sydney to Hobart? It started in 1945 as a cruise to Hobart and was contested by just nine yachts.

What is the best weather? That’s easy. Sailors love surfing. So any wind from behind or even on the side of their yacht will work. Upwind sailing is a real slog and can cause damage to boats and crew.

What happened to the Sydney to Hobart during Covid ? The race was cancelled for the first time in history in 2020 but returned a year later.

What is the Sydney to Hobart race record? The race record is well under two days which is quite extraordinary. Comanche, now racing as Andoo Comanche, set the race record of one day nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 second back in 2017 when skippered south by Jim Cooney.

Sydney to Hobart start time : 1pm on Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour off multiple start lines.

Sydney to Hobart arrival: On a finish line on the Derwent River off Battery Point. Usually around two days after the Boxing Day start for the fastest but it can also be as fast as the race record of just over one day and nine hours.

CAT WALK : Sydney to Hobart history

WHAT A FINISH: 2022 Sydney to Hobart wrap

Can anyone enter the Sydney to Hobart yacht race? Yes, but ever crew does need a certain amount of experience. Boats must also have the appropriate paper work for their rating, safety certificates, radio licences and other checks.

Sydney top Hobart prize money . There is none. There are however trophies for winners.

Sydney to Hobart favourite: The defending line honours and overall winners are back in 2023 in Andoo Comanche and Celestial.

Women in the Sydney to Hobart: Women have been racing the Sydney to Hobart since the second edition of the race when two set sail.

One made it to Hobart and there is a trophy named in her honour - the Jane Tait Trophy for the first female skipper.

What year was the worst Sydney to Hobart yacht race? 1998. That year 115 started but only 44 finished.

Why are there black sails in the Sydney to Hobart race? Many of the black sails are made of carbon filaments and glued together. This allowed for variation in strength across the sail

Some are also strong synthetics coloured black to keep the sun from rotting the sails.

Do sailors sleep Sydney to Hobart? Yes, Usually on a watch system where half are on deck and half before. Each boat has its own system but many use the four hours on, four hours off system.

Who is the favourite for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race? That would be Andoo Comanche for the line honours. Defending champion Celestial and URM are among the contenders for the overall but this is very weather dependent.

How big are the yachts? The biggest allowed is 100 foot and the smallest is 30 foot.

How do you follow the race? News Corp will be on the ground in Sydney and Hobart for extensive news and behind the scenes coverage form the first to the very last boat. There is also a tracker on the official website that can be ultilised to find the position of yachts and their projected results during the race.

What is the Sydney to Hobart race record? It was set by LDV Comanche back in 2017 and is one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race line honours go to Black Jack in crawling overnight finish

Topic: Sport

Supermaxi Black Jack has taken out line honours in the 2021 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, in an incident-packed event. 

Key points:

• It was the slowest line honours win since 2004, finishing in 2 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes
• Comanche still holds the line honours record, set in 2017, with 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds
• Dozens of yachts were forced to retire early in the race due to bad conditions

The Mark Bradford-skippered, Monaco-flagged yacht crossed the line after 2 days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes, arriving just after 1:30am AEDT.

It was the slowest line honours time since 2004.

Black Jack held and extended its lead over LawConnect and SHK Scallywag in the final hours of racing but up until then it was a three-way tussle.

Bradford said he and yacht owner Peter Harburg had been working on the win for 14 years.

"We'll both be in tears at any time," Harburg said.

"It is very, very emotional … for me it's the first time I've been involved in the winning team. Mark has done it before but it's very special.

"We came to win, we can win the race. So yeah, we gave it everything."

Bradford said the first 30 hours of the race were "tough" but he knew straight away that they would have a good race.

"Pretty much after the start gun went, we had a pretty good feeling," he said.

"It's a long race and we had a tough race.

Black Jack skipper Mark Bradford (left) and owner Peter Harburg (right) have a lot to smile about. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

"We had a couple of minor things went wrong but this is a professional sailing team and this is a well-prepared boat."

Bradford said getting through the first night was a combination of good luck, good management and a good boat.

"These are really complicated boats and it's hard to keep on the water … the preparation, the time that we put into this project really shines through in those conditions," he said. 

Black Jack crossed the finish at Hobart in the early hours of the morning. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

The skipper spent the first 20 hours below deck.

"I just had internal problems, mostly my stomach was coming out of my mouth," he said. 

"Maybe it's in my DNA. But yeah, certainly I'll put it down to the conditions today."

Black Jack owner Peter Harburg (left) and skipper Mark Bradford (right) hoist the line honours cup at an early morning presentation. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden  )

He praised the efforts of rivals.

"With both the other boats, we dropped Scallywag near the end for a bit but she came back and then LawConnect was right there the whole way.

"They [LawConnect] led us for a bit, then we clawed it back at the end."

LawConnect finished less than three hours later with a time of 2 days, 15 hours and 11 minutes.

SHK Scallywag crossed third with 2 days, 15 hours and 30 minutes.

It was Black Jack's 14th attempt at the Sydney to Hobart. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

LawConnect hit by computer woes 

LawConnect skipper Ty Oxley said the team faced issues apart from the tough first night conditions.

"The first night was pretty tough we had a few issues, but we got through it," he said.

"We actually didn't know where we were because our computer got wet so we did the majority of the race not knowing whether we were in the lead or not."

LawConnect skipper Ty Oxley says one of the sailors is an IT expert and helped out when the computer broke down. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

One crew member who is not a professional sailor was able to help with the computer problems.

"One of them is an IT genius he works in the IT team, so when our computer went down we were able to reconfigure some networks and get back online," he said.

"Second day it got pretty light [wind], and it's pretty tough in this old girl, so against some of the lighter boats … but it is what it is.

"We got through but it was pretty tough the last 24 hours."

Oxley is now taking the boat straight back to Sydney.

"My goal is to be back in Sydney by New Year's Eve as we have a function on the boat … makes me crazy or stupid, I don't know which one," he laughed.

'Never give up'

Skipper of third-placed Scallywag, David Witt, said the crew was disappointed after a tough race but were happy to make it to Hobart at all.

"The crew did an amazing job, we probably don't deserve to have a 100-footer here in the condition the boat ended up in the first night so it was a credit to the team that the boat got here," he said.

"We broke the J2 tack coming out of the harbour, and then we broke it again. The two times cost us about 20 miles.

SHK Scallywag was third across the line. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

"Then we lost all electronics and then we sailed three quarters of the race with no instruments at all on a 100 footer so that's a pretty difficult thing to do. 

"The boat was fast enough this time but we just couldn't keep it together.

"Scallywags never give up and to win you first have to finish, so we finished, we just didn't win."

Witt said coronavirus had affected the preparations for the Hong Kong team and on a personal level he and his wife had almost died from COVID this year after catching the disease while stuck in the Philippines for 10 months.

Dozens of teams retire

The race fleet took a battering on the first day , with dozens of teams forced to retire due to sail and rigging damage, with one crew member injured on the New South Wales yacht Zen.

Day two saw further carnage , with yachts limping back to ports on the New South Wales coast.

One skipper who pulled into Eden said he was gutted after hitting "something hard" in the water and damaging the hull.

As of this morning, 36 yachts had retired, the largest number since 2015 when 25 of 84 starting yachts failed to finish.

COVID has also played havoc after forcing the cancellation of last year's race and constant testing of competitors this year.

Biosecurity Tasmania checks rapid antigen tests on board LawConnect. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

"COVID has been a real feature of this whole campaign for everyone and I think it's great that the CYCA [Cruising Yacht Club of Australia] could get this race away," winning skipper Mark Bradford said.

"We're probably the most COVID-tested people in yachting. We've been going hard for a month now."

The battle for line honours had become a battle between Black Jack, LawConnect and SHK Scallywag, with the three supermaxis making it through difficult conditions before entering Bass Strait.

The line honours victory is well behind the record set by Comanche in 2017 (1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds).

Black Jack previously claimed line honours in the Bluewater Classic in 2009 under the name Alfa Romeo.

Race run: LawConnect (left) and Black Jack (right) at rest in Kings Pier, Hobart. ( ABC News: Luke Bowden )

It finished fifth in the last Sydney to Hobart in 2019 and was second to Wild Oats XI by just 28 minutes in the 2018 thriller.

Black Jack navigator Alex Nolan told media early on Tuesday that the crew had decided to sail outside the rhumb line, the line on the course representing the shortest distance, and were "pushing it hard".

The focus now shifts to the overall winner — the Tattersall Cup — a handicap prize determined by a number of factors including the size and weight of the competing craft.

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Sydney-Hobart yacht race fleet sails into stormy seas

SYDNEY – More than 100 yachts set off on the annual Sydney-Hobart race on Dec 26, with storms and hail threatening to lash sailors in one of the world’s most gruelling ocean events.

Thunder and rain lifted just minutes before the start at a slightly misty Sydney Harbour as spectators lined the waterfront or crowded onto boats to get a better view of the dramatic opening moments.

At the sound of the starting gun, 103 yachts tacked in light winds in search of the best line out of the harbour and an early lead in the punishing, 628-nautical-mile (1,200km) crossing to the Tasmanian state capital.

Four hours into the race, the favourite for line honours, 100-foot supermaxi Andoo Comanche, had taken a lead of less than one nautical mile.

Andoo Comanche, which was first across the line in 2022, holds the 2017 race record of one day, 9hr, 15min and 24sec.

“We back our boat in any conditions to win the race,” Andoo Comanche skipper John Winning told a news conference ahead of the event, widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world.

While preferring weather that favours the quickest possible race, Winning insisted his yacht was “fast in all conditions”.

In second place was rival supermaxi LawConnect, runner-up in the previous edition of the race.

“I always want to win the race and to actually, finally win it would be a dream come true,” LawConnect skipper Christian Beck told Channel Nine news ahead of the race.

“The start is awesome and the pub at the end is awesome, so I like the whole event.”

Wild Thing 100, skippered by Grant Wharington, was in third place.

Weather is pivotal in the blue water classic, first held in 1945 on Boxing Day.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of a fatal storm that tore into the 1998 race fleet, whipping up mountainous seas and wild winds in which six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued.

For the 2023 edition, weather forecasters are predicting storms, lightning, hail and strong winds as the boats sail southwards down the New South Wales coast on their way to Hobart.

Sailors face a risk of “severe” thunderstorms, said the Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse.

In a final briefing on race morning, Woodhouse predicted easterly but “very erratic” winds in the early stages as a low pressure system creates strong winds, heavy downpours and possible hail, hindering visibility.

Vessels still on the water on Dec 29 could face a south-easterly swell with waves of three to five metres, she said.

David Witt, skipper of the Hong Kong-owned SHK Scallywag, said the forecast looked “very exciting” for his crew.

“So it’s all or nothing for the Scallywags yet again,” he said in a social media message to supporters before the race.

In 2022, Andoo Comanche crossed the finish line first with a time of one day, 11 hours, 56min and 48sec.

But the overall winner of the race under a handicap system was 52-foot Celestial, which claimed the coveted Tattersall Cup.

Another 52-footer, Caro, and the 72-foot URM Group, are also among the favourites for overall race honours in 2023.

Ten international yachts are competing, with three from New Zealand (Allegresse, Caro and Niksen), two from Hong Kong (Antipodes and SHK Scallywag) and other entrants from France (Teasing Machine), Germany (Rockall 8), Ireland (Cinnamon Girl – Eden Capital), New Caledonia (Eye Candy) and the United States (Lenny).

Nine-time line honours-winning supermaxi Wild Oats XI did not enter. AFP

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Black Jack sails to line honours victory in Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

Fleet set to fly south for Rolex Sydney Hobart

• 26 Dec, 2022 10:27:00 AM

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race could become the platform on which the sailing world discovers which maxi yacht is the fastest in the world if a predicted favourable downwind run prevails.

Comanche’s   Line Honours race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds is still up for grabs with north/north-easterly winds forecast for today’s race start at 1pm. The winds are expected to freshen and continue to Wednesday.   The NSW Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed its forecast of a north/north-easterly for the 1pm start on Sydney Harbour with winds of 10-15 knots increasing to 20 knots outside the Heads. A southerly change is forecast for late Wednesday, but in the meantime, the yachts can expect strong running conditions. Hamilton Island Wild Oats   skipper, Mark Richards, was thrilled about the nine-time Line Honours champion’s prospects in the 628 nautical mile race, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which has a fleet of 109 lining up on four start lines off Nielsen Park.   "We've got 628 miles between that and three other very good boats," said Richards today.   "It's going to be a really great race to watch. I think the world's about to find out which is actually the fastest downwind boat in the world.   "Is it   Comanche ? Is it   Black Jack ? Is it   LawConnect?  Or is it   Hamilton Island Wild Oats ?   "The weather is fantastic and we couldn't have asked for a better forecast."   Sailing legend, Iain Murray, who switched from   Hamilton Island Wild Oats   to the John Winning Jr-skippered   Andoo Comanche , believes the forecast will suit   Hamilton Island Wild Oats   best.   The other maxis are Peter Harburg’s defending Line Honours champion,   Black Jack,  skippered by Mark Bradford, and   LawConnect , owned and skippered by Christian Beck.   "It's a really good forecast for   Hamilton Island Wild Oats...  the skinny boat with a big A2 spinnaker - a lot of area up there - and being able to sail the boat under the spinnaker," Murray said.   "I know that boat well. If you're on  Oats , it's a forecast you would wish for."   As he spoke, Murray was wearing a black arm band. He and the rest of the   Andoo Comanche   crew are wearing them in respect of Murray’s mother, who died this past week. Despite his prediction for   Hamilton Island Wild Oats , there is no shortage of confidence on board   Andoo Comanche,   which has been the pace setter in the lead-up races this year.   "We're happy to be the favourites in any conditions... also happy to be the underdog in any conditions," Winning Jr quipped.   "We always think we're going to be the best boat out there and do as well as we can.   "We'll just take whatever comes and the forecast looks pretty even. We'll just try and outsail the others and win it on that."   Black Jack   skipper Mark Bradford shared Winning Jr's enthusiasm for how the race may pan out, although he is uncertain about a record due to the southerly forecast for Wednesday.   "There could be a race record," Bradford said. "Right now, we are just a bit outside that, but certainly it will be a fast race and the 27th is going to be a great day for sailing."   Bradford is embracing the pressure of   Black Jack   being the defending champions, saying: "We put most of that pressure on ourselves regardless of the position we're in now.   "But it's a great opportunity to go back to back and there's certainly a plan."   Less optimistic was Christian Beck, whose   LawConnect   sails better in harder upwind conditions.   "I think we've got as much chance as Steven Bradbury did in the Winter Olympics all those years ago," he said, with a smile.   "You never know what will happen, but I think that the narrow boats just do so well in the predicted conditions."  

Rupert Guinness/RSHYR media

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

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PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

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VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

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AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

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Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

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You, Too, Could Be Sailing in the Sydney Hobart

Nonprofessional sailors, with some training, can land berths. Or pay for them.

By Kimball Livingston

Sailing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race might seem like an impossible dream to novices. It’s not. It’s a dangerous event for experienced sailors, but rookies who want the adventure and who are willing to undergo the training can buy their way onto a boat.

Worldwide, there are distance races free of crew-experience requirements, but today’s Sydney Hobart was forged in 1998, when a storm killed six people and sank five boats . The standards for participation are now considered the most rigorous anywhere. What you need to know is this: There are people eager to welcome you into the game. Some of them want your money. Others just want to share the sport they love. If you want in, you can get there.

“I have models of boats in my office,” said Dr. Raymond Schwartz, a Sydney neurologist, who was a harbor, not open-water, sailor. “Guys would come in and remark that I must like sailing. I would say yes. Then they’d ask if I’d ever done a Hobart. I’d say no. Their eyes would glaze over, and they’d change the topic. Apparently, I wasn’t a real sailor.”

Dr. Schwartz become “a real sailor” in the 2019 race with his two sons on the Eve, a ketch-rigged Swan 65 with a crew that trains aspiring ocean sailors for a fee. When three friends joined, the skipper capped the nonprofessional crew at that, and Eve became their boat for the race. With a group discount, the fee was 48,000 Australian dollars, or about $34,000.

Eve is owned by Steve Capell, a lifetime sailor who bought the boat to sail it around the world and who manages it as a business, Swanning Around . For this year’s Hobart race, Capell offered nine positions to crew members who would pay, alongside seven professionals. “We’re all looking after each other out there,” he said.

Anyone who doesn’t measure up in Eve’s regimen of skills training, safety training and team-fitness evaluation is not aboard for the race, and no amount of waving money in Capell’s face will change that. But most candidates pass muster, and it’s not all about the money.

Paying-crew positions partly offset the cost of keeping a big yacht ocean ready, but along with the revenue comes the satisfaction of watching people grow.

“Few people recognize at the time how they’re developing as a team,” said Benjamin Roulant, the skipper of Eve. “By the end, after outdoing themselves and pushing each other out of the comfort zone, they’ve formed bonds, and those bonds endure.”

On the fully amateur side, that dimension is dear to Ted Tooher, who is known around the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organizes the race, for welcoming qualified first-time Hobart racers aboard his 40-foot Chancellor and for helping others develop the skills that might eventually make them qualified.

“I get a kick out of watching people sail into Hobart with tears in their eyes,” he said. “They’ve achieved something. Maybe the race was a bucket-list item, and for some people it strikes even deeper chords.”

Being female might be an advantage to landing a position, Tooher said. “As a teacher and project manager, and as a skipper, I find that mixed-gender teams work best. The language is cleaner, and there is a flow of positive attitude and respect.”

One woman who is racing in her first Hobart race on Sunday is Greta Quealy, a website editor who is stepping beyond her old habit of “going out to South Head above the harbor to catch the view of the fleet setting off.”

Quealy was an accomplished sailor, so when she approached the yacht club’s sailing concierge, which matches people, even novices, with boats, she was connected to Les Goodridge, skipper of the 50-foot Wax Lyrical. Newcomers are generally introduced to boat owners for the more casual races of the off season, giving seasoned sailors and novices an opportunity to prove themselves and develop. Goodridge tested Quealy in short races, liked what he saw, and kept her on for the Sydney Hobart.

“The introduction between a prospective crew member and a boat owner might be all it takes to build a lasting relationship,” said Noel Cornish, the commodore of the yacht club. “Many crew members have gone on to progress to offshore racing.”

Looking further into commercial products, there is Flying Fish Sailing , a Sydney-based sailing and adventure company that can shape up a beginner and build the experience to qualify for a Sydney Hobart crew. The company provides berths aboard its 55-foot Arctos, a veteran of 13 Hobart races, including two wins in its division.

Flying Fish offers a fuller curriculum than Eve, which plans to soon leave Australia to circle the globe, taking paying crew through ocean crossings and the Northwest Passage.

There can be more to the training than racing. For Dean Jagger, who trained on Eve but never raced, time on the water once meant fishing from a small boat. A crossing aboard Eve, from Australia to New Zealand, galvanized him. Now he explores the coastline of New Zealand on a boat of his own.

For Kate Troup, the normal path to a Sydney Hobart berth would have meant working hard to become an experienced offshore sailor “committed to a lot of racing beforehand, and I was never going to do it,” she said. “Then I learned that Eve is racing this year, and I could bypass most of that effort and sail on that very safe boat that will be comfortable, or as close to comfortable as it comes on the ocean.” She is sailing aboard Eve in Sunday’s race.

Dr. Schwartz and company had a lot to learn before the 2019 race. They did the requisite man-overboard drills, life-raft training, 1,000-offshore miles and the 24-hour overnight passage within six months of the race. They ate salt spray practicing in bad weather, then in the race had a relatively easy trip down the coast. They passed towering rock spires and crossed the exposed waters of Bass Strait to a morning finish in wisps of wind.

Before the race, Dr. Schwartz had asked to steer Eve across the finish line, but the thrill was more than he had imagined, even though Eve finished last in its division.

“There were people everywhere,” he said. “Crowds were cheering. Our families were waving welcome banners. It was loud. It was emotional.”

SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE PREVIEW

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race may be one of Australia’s greatest Boxing Day traditions, so the news that the 2020 race is going ahead is welcomed by an entire marine industry, with the Sydney waterfront now all action stations as sailors prepare for the 76th edition of this iconic race.

Final preparations are now being made for 85 owners and crew as they complete their job lists in time for their 628 nautical mile race south to Hobart on Saturday, with  Doyle Sails Sydney ,  Melbourne  and  Tasmania  working with a significant part of the fleet on sail preparations.

Shane Guanaria from Doyle Sails Sydney, who competed in his first Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2004 and has been south 14 times since on boats ranging from Sydney 38s right up to the 100 foot supermaxis will be racing aboard TP52 Zen “People need the race to happen, not just in Australia but the world over” says Guanaria leading up to the Boxing Day start. “After the year that 2020 has been, finishing it off with such an iconic race that gains so much attention is the best possible way we could end the year”.

Doyle Sails CEO Mike Sanderson is not taking part in this year’s race due to travel restrictions but gives an insight into the intense concentration required of the top professional crews when he says the focus is calibrated in metres, not miles.

The Sydney Hobart is notorious for dishing up a wide range of conditions, from fast running and reaching down the New South Wales coast, to heavy upwind slogs across Bass Strait, to drifting up the Derwent River towards the finish line – demanding a sail inventory for all situations.

“The reality is that you have to be fully prepared to handle everything,” says Sanderson. “You can outsmart yourself pretty quickly if you start leaving gaps in your sail wardrobe. You need to set off with a well-rounded inventory and a team that can sail at maximum speed 24 hours a day for a couple of days. That is what we all focus on.

“If it is 30 knots upwind, or 30 knots downwind, or all stops in between, you need to be going for it. Winning or losing will be down to how the boats wriggle through the light-air transitions and going up the Derwent River.

“In the best conditions, you need to bank every metre you can, because you never know how many metres you will need in the Derwent River.

Sanderson was aboard Jim Cooney’s supermaxi Comanche as Tactitian last year when the yacht finished the bluewater classic to win line honors, but not before some nervous moments on a windless River Derwent. This year, Cooney returns with ex VOR, Ericsson 3, Maserati which will be sailed by a star cast including Doyle Sails NZ Grand Prix sailing legend Stu Bannatyne, along with Cooney’s sons, James and Douglas. With only two supermaxis on the start line this year, Maserati will be one to watch for line honours – and overall.

The other supermaxi racing for line honours is InfoTrack, owned by Christian Beck and Doyle Sails’ Chris Nicholson in the crew. Nicholson is a two-time Australian Olympic sailor and three-time world champion in the 49er class and has accumulated thousands of offshore miles competing in five Volvo Ocean Races.

This will be Nicholson’s eighth Sydney Hobart race, but he regards himself as a rookie compared with several of his crewmates on InfoTrack, some of whom are in double figures with two having more than 20 Hobarts under their belt. Chris will be joined by Doyle Sails Sydney’s Alan Turner who is looking forward to a return to big boat sailing after a few years racing South onboard smaller boats.

InfoTrack finished second over the line after a protracted battle with Comanche last year. She was lauded by the other supermaxi owners, as conditions did not suit this heavier boat, but she gave the top three a run for their money.

InfoTrack sits at the wider end of the spectrum compared with the likes of Black Jack. “The result will be very weather dependent,” says Nicholson.

On sail inventories, Nicholson says InfoTrack has some very powerful set-ups with triple headsail combinations such as a J0 and two large staysails. “We built a new J1 for the race last year, which is quite a bit bigger than our previous one. It is very powerful and suits this boat nicely, so in the right conditions it should give us some big gains. I am almost hoping for lots of upwind sailing in this race,” he adds, expressing a wish not often heard with a 628-mile race in prospect.

Another one of the big boats to watch out for is Money Penny (competed as Naval Group last year), led by Sean Langman. The 69-foot mini maxi overcame very light winds throughout last year’s race to secure a spot in the top 10. This year the crew has built three new sails for the race sporting Doyle Sails’ revolutionary Structured Luff technology including a STRATIS J2 and J4 along with a furling jib top.

Battling it out in the same division is Alive, a 66-foot canting keel Reichel Pugh. In 2018, owner Phil Turner and his crew won the 74th Rolex Sydney Hobart. July 2019 saw them finish 2nd over the line in the Transpac as well as 2nd overall in division 1. Alive has arrived in Sydney from Brisbane with Doyle Sails’ NZ sailor Will Tiller aboard ready for another run at the title in 2020.

While the larger supermaxis and mini maxis battle for glory at the front of the fleet, not far behind will be the highly competitive next division comprising the TP52s along with very fast 55-62 footers.

Statistically, this is the division that has produced the most winners of the coveted Tattersall Cup for the fastest boat on handicap. “Within a tight rating band, we will have 8-10 very competitive boats,” says Guanaria.

Guanaria will be in amongst it on board the TP52 Zen, owned by 11-time Sydney-Hobart veteran Gordon Ketelbey.

“The TP52s are very competitive boats and they attract very competitive people,” says Guanaria. “Some of the best sailors in the country will be racing in this division. There is a lot of banter and good cheer between the boats along the dock, but it is all pretty serious on the water”.

“We have just added a Structured Luff furling jib top to the inventory, and we are spending as much time as possible learning how best to set it up and at what angles to carry it, it is a very potent sail and in testing so far we have been left asking ourselves why we didn’t put one on the boat earlier”.

In the always hotly contested 40-foot fleet is Toybox 2, owned by long-time Doyle Sails customer and past commodore of Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Ian Box. This will be the first Sydney to Hobart Box has contested since 2012, and he will be making it a family affair no less, with his son and son-in-law onboard along with Doyle Sails Sydney’s Tom Hogan. Box has added a new offshore main, STRATIS Structured Luff Code Zero and J3+ to his inventory for the race this year. After mixed results with furling sails previously the new code zero has blown him away with its ease of furling coupled with performance that he has never seen from his boat previously. Hogan has previously topped the 40-foot fleet in the race winning his division in 2018 onboard the Cookson 12 Grace O’Malley and is looking forward to this year’s race with Ian and his team.

The inter-Loft competition in the 40-foot field this year will be hotly contested with Doyle Sails Tasmania’s Nick Dineen onboard the current IRC Australian Champion Greg “Enzo” Prescott’s very competitive and highly modified Farr 40 2 Unlimited. After a close race and long battle last year Enzo had to settle for second in division 4 th  and is determined to go one better this year.

After an extended period of lockdown due to COVID-19, the Doyle Sails Melbourne team can’t wait to get out on the water with their respective boats. They will be well represented with Blake Anderson taking on his 11 th  trip south onboard Daniel Edwards Mills designed Mat 1245 White Noise which was launched just before the 2019 Sydney to Hobart. Lawson Shaw will be enjoying his 4 th  race south onboard the Jones 42 Cadibarra 8.

With 21 yachts carrying Doyle sails, extending the full range of sizes and types is represented from the supermaxis to the smallest entries. “It is a testament to the work our lofts have done, the Australian and New Zealand lofts in particular, and it is great to see such a wide spread of representation” says CEO Sanderson.

75th SYDNEY HOBART REWIND >>

Last year’s Sydney Hobart saw an impressive 157 boats power off from Sydney Harbour. Outside of the top two supermaxis ( Comanche  and  InfoTrack ), Doyle Sails was proud to have a total 37 yachts in last year’s race.

Be sure to check in to our  Instagram  and  Facebook  pages over the coming weeks where we will be providing coverage of all the action.

Doyle Sails  has become a world-leader in  racing sails  through a combination of practical on-the-water experience and continual product development. Whether rum racing on a Friday after work or racing around the world non-stop; Doyle can give you the edge you need to win.