Allusive and others line up again for Launceston to Hobart Race

by Peter Campbell on 26 Dec 2012 The Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race is becoming addictive to many Tasmanian yacht owners, as have longer ocean races such as the Sydney Hobart and Melbourne to Hobart events.

The Good Guys Launceston to Hobart is a newcomer to ocean races, but at 11am on Thursday, 27 December a record fleet of 35 yachts, including three from Victoria, will set sail on the 285 nautical mile, two-day race around the North East Coast and East Coast of Tasmania.

Among the fleet are several boats and many yachties who have competed in all five L2H races since Derwent Sailing Squadron and the Tamar Yacht Club introduced the innovative offshore race in 2006.

The L2H race was, in fact, the concept of the then Commodore of another Hobart club, the Geilston Bay Boating Club, Ian Marshall, and he has sailed his Farr 1104 Hot Prospect in all six races so far.

So too has first race line and overall handicap winner Host Plus Executive, Jeff Cordell’s Mumm 36 from Bellerive Yacht Club, along with Allusive, John Joyce’s comfortable pilot house cruiser Allusive, a David Lyons design that won the PHS division of last year’s race, and Kaiulani, Malcolm Cooper’s Snook 30.

For John Joyce, a retired Launceston real estate agent, Allusive has been a wonderful investment as a racing and a cruising yacht. 'He has done every L2H race with the boat but mostly Allusive has been a comfortable cruising boat,' his son Andrew said this week. 'However, she has a handy turn of speed in a fresh breeze.'

Andrew, who lives in Sydney, has flown to Launceston to join the racing crew, said that while Allusive had done so well last year 'we were fortunate that a group of boats waited five hours for us at Tasman Island.'

Andrew Joyce not only enjoys the L2H race, but now has a unique double – sailing aboard winners of both the Rolex Sydney Hobart and The Good Guys Launceston to Hobart. He crewed for Michael Spies when the Beneteau 40.7 First National Real Estate won the 2003 Sydney Hobart and was aboard Allusive last year in her L2H win.