Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - Sunstone wins IMS C

British cruising couple win division in Telstra Sydney to Hobart

British couple, Tom and Vicky Jackson, have climaxed sailing 30,000 nautical miles around the world in their classic 35-year-old yacht, Sunstone, by winning IMS Division C of the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Sunstone, a varnished timber hulled Sparkman & Stephens-designed 28-footer launched in 1965, crossed the finish line on the River Derwent late yesterday afternoon, 40th in the fleet of 58 expected finishers.

Although seven boats were still racing at 12 noon today, 1 January 2000, the Cruising Yacht of Australia has confirmed the overall and division winners in the IMS and IRC handicap categories, with PHS results hinging on the final finishers.

Sunstone has placed first in IMS Division C and 14th in IMS overall results, with second place in IMS Division C going to the Victorian boat, BOOTS, a Davidson 36 owned by Rex Billings and John Porter from Victoria, and third place going to the Tasmanian boat, Hot Property, a Farr 37 skippered by David Hansen.

As co-skipper of Sunstone, Vicky Jackson also wins the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy for the first placed woman skipper, a trophy that commemorates the first woman to sail in the Sydney to Hobart, back in 1946.

Although this is the first Sydney to Hobart race for Tom and Vicky, both are widely experienced ocean-racing sailors, Tom having sailed in 11 Fastnet Races and Vicky in 10. Both are members of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in England.

Vicky’s father was in the crew of the original Margaret Rintoul when it took line honours in the 1950 Sydney to Hobart – as a result he gave his daughter a middle name of d’Entrecasteaux after the well-known cruising waters to the south of Hobart.

Sunstone, a successful ocean racing yacht in England, has been the floating home for the Jacksons since 1981 and just a few days before the start of the Telstra Sydney to Hobart they celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary.

They hope to compete in Sydney to Hobart Races in the future, as long as it remains an event for yachts of all sizes. “We would love to do another Hobart,” said Tom Jackson. “In the future, I hope it will still be a race for small boats and amateur crews, not just a race for professionals,” said Tom Jackson.

Another British success has been second place Overall and second in IMS Division A by RORC committee member Chris Bull, who skippered the chartered Nelson/Marek 46, Quest.

Bull recently won the Round Britain and Ireland Race with his UK-based yacht.

Smallest yacht arrives in Hobart

The smallest yacht in the 2000 Telstra Sydney to Hobart fleet, Urban Guerrilla, owned and skippered by Chris Bowling from Sydney, crossed the finish line just before midday today, picking up four places in the final miles of the 630 nautical mile journey.

When the skipper of the line honours winner Nicorette, Ludde Ingvall spoke to awaiting crowd in the early hours of Friday morning, he said his admiration went to the crews sailing the 30 footers to Hobart.

Almost four days later and seven days from the Boxing Day start on Sydney Harbour, those 30 and 40 footers are still making their way to Hobart.

The last yacht in the fleet, Kemenys (Gabor Kemeny) with Tasmanian yachtsman Barry Simpson and three members of the Ratcliff family of sailors on board, is due at 10.00pm tonight.

The remaining seven yachts still racing are currently enjoying 10-knot south-easterly breezes as they make their way across Storm Bay and up the Derwent River.

Trophies for this year’s Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race will be presented at an official ceremony tomorrow morning at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania starting at 11.00am.