The Variety Cycle to Hobart – it’s tougher than the yacht race

by Rob Mundle on 10 Mar 2015 Steve 'Mothy' Jarvin, a veteran of 27 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht races, went close to meeting his match yesterday as he pushed his way south towards Hobart.

'This is tougher than any Hobart race,' he said as he puffed, panted and pedalled his way towards the top of the 1545 metre high Cradle Mountain, in Northern Tasmania.

'Mothy', who has crewed aboard Bob Oatley’s record breaking supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, for all of her 10 starts in the Hobart race, wasn’t off course this time by being some 50 nautical miles inland from Bass Strait. Instead, he and two other Wild Oats XI team members, Nathan Ellis and Bryce Rutherford, were pedaling hard over 2167 kilometres between Sydney and Hobart to help raise funds for sick and disadvantaged children in Australia.

They are among more than 100 cyclists taking part in the Variety Cycle, a 15-day adventure which will end in Hobart this weekend.

'It’s worth every moment, but it’s a hard way to get to Hobart, especially through the mountains,' Jarvin said. 'One hill up to Cradle Mountain had an incline of 22 degrees. By the time I reached the top I was convinced the Hobart race was a much easier challenge.'

However, 'Mothy' had to admit the crossing of Bass Strait the previous night aboard the car-carrying ferry, Spirit of Tasmania, was a lot easier than what he’s previously experienced in the Hobart race. 'The bed was big and comfortable, and the breakfast much better than the freeze-dried food we get aboard Wild Oats XI,' he said. However, 'Mothy' and his teammates did pedal for some of the way across the strait: they spent time on their bikes in training mode, just to keep their aching muscles limber.

Already near $500,000 has been raised through the event, and the Wild Oats XI crew currently stands as the leading team in the fundraising effort. The trio will be reinforced for the final stage into Hobart when five more of the yacht’s crew, including skipper, Mark Richards, and tactician, Iain Murray, join them.

Anyone wishing to support the Wild Oats XI team with a donation click here.