LITTLE OLD YACHTS CHASE HOBART RACE HONOURS.

by Ian Grant on 25 Dec 2000 Age and a short waterline length is not considered as a handicap for the crews standing watch on the ‘Vintage’ designed sloops Southerly, Zeus 11 and Boomaroo Morse Fans.

They will certainly be a sea for a longer period covering the 630 nautical miles between Sydney and Hobart but have every chance to upset the more modern yachts.

Winning a yacht race is not about how fast the maxi’s race over the course but which crew can sail above their handicap rated speed to finish with the fastest corrected time.

Jim Dunstan, Commodore of the prestigious Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and a 22 race veteran has a proven performer in the 9m Peter Joubert designed Currawong 30 Zeus 11which claimed a deserved Sydney-Hobart race win 18 years ago.

There is no doubt the crew need to have a special type of character to share the below deck space on a 30 footer and the team on Zeus 11 have that special desire to press a claim for overall and class honours in IMS division 3.

The same desire exists in the helming cockpit of the 62 year old sloop Southerly skippered by the remarkable ‘Old Salt’ 76 year old Don Mickleborough.

Skipper Mickleborough a veteran of 35 races and his long term sailing mate Tony Cable who has raced over the physically demanding rhumbline on 36 occasions have the collective experience to sail the course with a few tricks up their sleeve.

Then there is the small Queensland ‘old timer’ Boomaroo Morse Fans which sails down each year from the Sunshine State to fly her battle flag in the major International classic.

Her skipper John McIntosh like Jim Dunstan (Zeus 11) and Don Mickleborough (Southerly) expect to be weathering the elements for close on 100 hours and despite this extended time at sea have the potential to cause an upset.

All they need is a favourable wind change to blow them home over the final part of the course to spoil the celebrations for the crews of the more modern yachts.