Sydney Hobart 2012 – Tony Cable successful in 47th Boxing Day race

by Danielle McKay on 30 Dec 2012 The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 was a turnaround for Tony Cable from last year’s short-lived journey as the 47-time Boxing Day race participant skippered Duende to the finish line after three days, 22 hours and nine minutes at sea.

'It wasn’t one of the easiest ones, but it wasn’t one of the hardest by far,’’ he said.

'We were working very hard - the conditions were over 30 knots - which makes it hard work, but everyone was more than capable.'

Reaching Hobart is what has kept Cable returning to the race since he first competed as a 19-year-old in 1961 on board 33-foot yacht Tarni, racing bare-foot, under the steam of cotton sails.

When Cable was forced to retire to Eden last year when Duende had engine trouble, he booked a ticket to Tasmania so he wouldn’t miss out on the revelry.

'I’ve definitely made amends now,’’ said the man they call ‘Glarke Cable’, a play on famous actor Clark Gable. 'You hate having to pull out. With all the work you put into doing a Hobart race, to pull out after half a day, a day, it’s so disappointing.'

While most are quick to say 'never again' when they’re docking at Hobart’s Constitution Dock, with battle-wounds still raw from the 628 nautical mile ocean challenge, Cable says he’ll likely be back.

Drying off dockside, after falling in to the harbour while unloading the yacht, he said he’s leaving it in the lap of the gods.

'We’ll see what Huey (the weather God) has in store,' he said. 'There’s a year to go, so who know what will happen. It will be hard to give up Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012