Hobart contender set to build on last year's success with some support

by Alana Hosking on 19 Dec 2014 While sturdy concrete structures and swift racing yachts generally share little in common, in the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race a well-known name in Australian construction will also be the name behind – and, in fact, on – one of the contenders.

Owner/skipper Ian Creak’s Beneteau 47.7, Caliban II, which sailed to the podium last year in its first tilt at the Sydney to Hobart when it placed second in the ORCi Division three, will this year be sailing as Ausreo in tribute to their new corporate sponsor.

A highly regarded company in its field, Ausreo has been a trusted supplier of concrete reinforcing products to the building and construction industry for over a decade and recently signed a one-year sponsorship deal to support Ian Creak and his crew in their racing endeavours.

Ausreo’s CEO, Dennis Crestani, said the company is extremely pleased with the partnership and feels it is actually an extremely good fit.

'Members of our management team, including myself, have already had the opportunity to sail with Ian, his Sailing Master Jim Lelliott and the crew and we were extremely impressed with the camaraderie, spirit and drive of the Ausreo crew and excited to be part of the powerful team experience,' Dennis Crestani stated.

'We know how important that is in our business; we may be in steel reinforcement, but there are strong similarities between crewing a yacht and running a business because in both instances it takes a real team effort, with everyone pulling together, to achieve success.'

And while it may be just one yacht among one of the largest fleets to have vied for victory in the world-renowned offshore yacht race, with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia receiving 119 entries for the 70th running of the epic event, Ausreo will certainly stand out from the crowd with its unique crew attire.

'As we did in the 23rd annual Sydney Beneteau Cup in November, our first race as Ausreo, we will all be donning hard hats and matching fluorescent orange high-visibility work shirts in recognition of our sponsor’s important role in the construction industry,' Jim Lelliott explained.

'We certainly stood out in the Beneteau Cup, with some comics pointing out we should be heading down to the Barangaroo construction site, and we expect we’ll stand out from the crowd as we set out for Hobart.

'The high-vis gear is also a reflection of the fact that the Ausreo team really are average people; we’re not an elite, high-budget operation – just everyday people who love sailing – which is why we were so thrilled with our success last year.'

In another exciting turn for the 'Men of Steel' on Ausreo, the crew for the Hobart will also include a true man of steel - Andrew Lock OAM, the most accomplished high-altitude mountaineer in Australian history.

The only Australian, the first person in the Commonwealth, and just the 18th man in the world to climb all 14 of the world’s 8000 metre mountains, Andrew Lock’s achievements encompass 18 summits of those 8000 metre peaks, including Mt Everest (twice) - three times that of any other Australian and placing him in a select group of the world’s best alpinists. Additionally, Andrew accomplished the first Australian ascent of six of those mountains, a record that can never be broken.

'It’s extremely exciting to have Andrew Lock onboard for the Sydney to Hobart; having mastered the towering peaks of the world it will be interesting to see what he makes of the towering seas so often faced in the race,' Jim Lelliott said.

'His courage and strength will certainly be tested on the journey, as it is for everyone who sails in the Sydney to Hobart, but we’re sure his fortitude will make him a definite asset on Ausreo.'

Wishing the Ausreo crew a swift, safe and victorious race, Dennis Crestani said he and the team at Ausreo will be eagerly awaiting their arrival in Hobart and are looking forward to collaborating with Ian Creak and his team in many races to come and also in the Ausreo business.

'Once the challenge of the Sydney to Hobart has been met, Ian and I are planning to have crew members come in to Ausreo to deliver what I know will be some seriously inspiring and highly motivational talks with our team,' he explained.

'We both want the sponsorship to go beyond mere financial support to be something of value for the Ausreo crew and the Ausreo business team – that’s what makes this the perfect partnership.'