Telstra Sydney to Hobart Race - Yendys wins IMS Overall

Geoffrey Ross salutes an ancestor in winning 1999 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The sail number for Yendys - IMS Overall winner of the 1999 Telstra Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - is 1836, representing a year of significance to the family of Yendys owner and skipper Geoffrey Ross.

This was the year the family matriach – Geoffrey’s great-great-great grandmother, Isabella Urquhart – sailed into Hobart with 186 other female convicts aboard the HMS Westmoreland, as a 22 year-old banished to the colonies for seven years.

One hundred and sixty three years later, her descendant voluntarily headed for Hobart carrying the 1836 sail number with the idea of taking some silver back home.

Ross’ quest has born fruit with Yendys today being confirmed as Overall IMS race winner of the 1999 Telstra Sydney to Hobart yacht race, the 55th annual race to Tasmania conducted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

"It’’s a bit spooky isn’t it, but still it’s a great feeling,"said Bendigo-born Ross, nursing three broken ribs courtesy of being thrown overboard on Tuesday from Yendys, a state-of-the-art carbon fibre Farr 49 as conditions switched from ‘surfing’ north-easterlies to struggling southerlies.

In a colourful ceremony on the Telstra Barge, moored alongside Hobart’s Constitution Dock, and not far from where Isabella Urquhart, and her husband-to-be Frederick Ross, first landed, the Vice Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Hans Sommer, and the Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, John Sharman, today named Yendys as the winner of the prestigious Tattersalls Cup for the first placed yacht on corrected time in the grand prix IMS handicap category.

Runners up in the IMS Overall category were George Snow’s Brindabella, a 75-foot Scott Jutson design and which finished second on line honours, with third placing to the South Australian entry, Ausmaid, a past winner of this race in 1996 and now sailed by Kevan Pearce.

Ross, a Hong Kong-based successful Australian businessman, operates SecureNet, a leading edge telecommunications and information technology security providor, specialising in e-commerce.

His winning journey south in the Telstra Sydney to Hobart race, was his most successful of six races to Hobart. He steered Yendys across the line in seventh place behind line honours winner Nokia, to be eight hours inside the race record set by the German 80-foot maxi Morning Glory in 1996.

Vice-Commodore Sommer acclaimed the efforts of Ross and his crew, and their continued support of the Telstra Sydney to Hobart race.

"Conditions this year have delivered trials and tribulation for all the 80 skippers and crews which started this year and after such a dream run south who could have foreseen the tough conditions that at least a third of the fleet is negotiating its way through now.

"Crews which have already reached Hobart, and the competitors still at sea have seen the best, and for some, the hardest, sailing there is in ocean racing today.

"The spirit of Geoffrey Ross and his crew aboard Yendys as overall race winners reflects the spirit of all sailors and competitors in this great Australian and international bluewater event. In addition to the congratulations the organisers of this event and the sponsor, Telstra, extend to them, the people of Australia who have watched this race unfold in recent days, would pay tribute to their efforts and those of fellow competitors,"he said.

As at midday, there were 25 yachts still sailing and competing for divisional handicap honours, with a total of 24 retirements.

More Information: www.syd-hob.telstra.com.au