Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD

SW Asia newsletter - the dash to Hobart

by Guy Nowell, Asia Editor 28 Dec 2018 10:51 GMT 26-30 Decenber 2019
Bruce Taylor, Chutzpah. RSHR 2005. Are we there yet? © Guy Nowell

At 16.35 Hong Kong time today 28 December 2018, Bruce Taylor’s Chutzpah is leading IRC Overall for the Tatersalls Cup in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Again. They were in front, then they were behind, then... It’s been a roller coaster of a ride and I would guess has provoked more armchair interest in the race than ever before. The General Public (bless ‘em) think that Wild Oats XI has ‘won’ the race because they finished first, but the rest of us know that the handicap win of worth a ton more than the Line Honours.

Mind you, with no fewer than five 100ft supermaxis on the start line (and four remaining at the end), even the scrap for Line Honours was a nail-biter. Comanche, Wild Oats XI, Black Jack and Infotrack were all just a couple of miles apart on the outside of Tasman Island, and then the wily foxes on WOXI, with Juan Vila calling the shots from the navigator’s seat, eased into a lead and just never looked back.

The next fight was between sister ships Alive (Phil Turner) and Wild Oats X, the all-ladies crew skippered by Stacey Jackson and packed to the gunnels with top names from all over the world. In the end it was Alive by 13 mins, but skipper Duncan Hine now has his neck in a brace having been looking over his shoulder for the last 638 nm.

The more you know, and the more people you know, the more interesting the game. Bruce Taylor has turned right out of The Heads 38 times now, and his son Drew, a Hong Kong resident (think Ambush) 26 times. They’ve been second overall, and they have won their division, but never laid hands on the big one. The previous Chutzpah won the Tattersalls Cup the year after Taylor sold it, and if that isn’t miserable luck I don’t know what is. As per usual they have ‘Fletch’ on board, fresh from a squeaky victory at the Raja Muda on Mandrake III.

Matt Allen was a perennial Asia regatta competitior for several years – Ichiban. Ray Roberts (Hollywood Boulevard) won the Phuket King’s Cup earlier this month. Larry Jamieson has collected more Asia Miles this last year delivering various Scallywags around the region, and is racing on Koa. Larry has the distinction of having won the Sydney Hobart Race under IOR, CHS, IMS and IRC – but he’s had 33 goes at it, and this is number 34. Jonno Rankine (HKG) is sailing on Envy Scooters, and Jason Rowed is on Patrice. There are two mainland China entries out there – Apsaras (Li Jian, registered HKG but representing Seven Star Yacht Club, Shenzhen) and Noahs II (Ting Lee) skippered by another familiar face, Steve McConaghy. It’s good to see so many ‘Asian’ names popping up in connection with one of the world’s top races.

And now (18.20) Alive has finished and is IRC Leader, and Chutzpah is relegated to 12th overall. The roller coaster continues.

In other news… oh, sorry, the dash to Hobart seems to have taken over just about all the news space in the sailing world!

Wishing the RSHR competitors, and sailors everywhere, fair winds and sunny skies for 2019. And, as usual, standing by on 72.

Related Articles

Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
Understanding sMRT Alert with Jack Sharland
Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years with more features packed into smaller devices, but with all these features it can sometimes be difficult to understand what they all do. Posted on 9 Jul
The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted on 7 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
An evening with the Scaramouche Sailing Trust
Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy (GCA). But they've shown it can be accessible to everyone, with amazing results. Posted on 2 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
Project FEAR is in the final few days
Charity circumnavigation almost over, in record time, with a record total raised Jazz Turner is expected to reach home (Brighton Marina) on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July. She has sailed round the British Isles - all round Ireland and the Shetland Islands - without any assistance in 27 days so far. Posted on 28 Jun
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun