FINAL COUNTDOWN TO TELSTRA SYDNEY TO HOBART RACE NOMINATIONS

by Peter Campbell on 24 Oct 2000 Boat owners intending to enter this year's Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht
Race have just over week - 1700 hours on Wednesday, November 1 to be exact -
to lodge their 'Application For Entry Form' with race organisers, The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

The CYCA is predicting a fleet of between 80 and 100 yachts, but so far only
30 or so owners have lodged their application to entry, a requirement before
yachts are accepted as entries for the tough 627 nautical mile ocean
classic.

None of the applications received to date include the expected record
line-up of big boats - three 80-footers, Shockwave, Nicorette and Wild
Thing, the 76-footer Brindabella, the Open 60 Xena, the new Sydney 60,
Eureka, and now at least six Volvo Ocean 60s from Sweden, Denmark, Germany,
New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.

The CYCA today received confirmation that last year's record-slashing VO 60,
Nokia, is returning from Denmark to defend its line honours win and its
phenomenal race record time of 1 day 19 hours 48 minutes 2 seconds.

Sailing in hard reaching conditions, Nokia's time bettered the previous
record by 18 hours.

The Volvo Ocean 60 syndicates are using the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart as
part of the their crew training for the 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race which
includes the 2001 Sydney to Hobart as a leg of the round the world race.

The CYCA will not accept any late applications under new race management
rules, but is confident that all these yachts will lodge their paperwork
over the next week.

Application For Entry Forms are available from CYCA sailing administrator,
Mark Robinson, email: sailingoffice@cyca.com.au

While the big boats are being tardy with their paperwork, applications have
already been lodged with the Club from the IMS overall handicap winners of
the two previous Telstra Sydney to Hobart races, the 1998 winner AFR
Midnight Rambler, a Hick 35 owned by Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas, and last
year's winner, Yendys, a Farr 49 owned by Hong Kong-based Australian Geoff
Ross.