Living Doll leads Hobart handicap
by Al Constable on 28 Dec 2005
Living Doll Andrea Francolini Photography
http://www.afrancolini.com/
Their distinctive pink crew shirts hidden by wet weather jackets, Michael Hiatt and his Living Doll crew are now leading the 61st Rolex Sydney to Hobart race. At 5am the Bruce Farr designed canting keeler was 66 miles east of Eddystone Light blasting south ahead of the strong northerly wind.
The brilliantly painted Cookson 50 has at last taken the 98 footers off the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Handicap Leader board.
She leads from Geoff Boettcher’s Reichel Pugh 46 Hardy’s Secret Mens Business, with the race leader, the Mark Richard helmed Wild Oats XI, in third place.
It's a step up for Living Doll's Melbourne based crew who haved sailed together over the past 30 odd months completing the last Hobart on a 47.7 Beneteau Elektra.
The Cookson is a fast reaching and running boat but needs these conditions to do well. She was sixth in the 2005 Sydney to Southport race and third in the 2005 Melbourne to Port Fairy race.
As always, the conditions on the Derwent River, when the handicap leaders sail those last 11 miles up that river, will probably decide the overall result.
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