Sydney Hobart Race – Is there a Yiddish Sailing Manual?
by John Curnow on 1 Dec 2015
Honestly, I have no idea. Let alone if there are ones in Spanish, German or Mandarin. I expect so, and would fumble my way through all of those, in about the same order as that list is written. Declining degrees of accuracy are a given. No doubt they would cover off parts of the boat and sails, trimming, helming, weather and so on.
I am sure pictures would help, and thankfully there are friends to help me with the first mentioned language, Yiddish, because it is not exactly in wide use these days! When was the last time you heard anyone say shmoiger, shmooz, shtup, schmalz or shiksa with any true conviction or real relevance?
So as we slide ever so gently, and yet completely inexorably, into Australia’s blue water classic, the Sydney Hobart Race, there is one guy who knows plenty about the Sydney Hobart Race, and no doubt about the same as I do concerning Yiddish (not a lot).
At sea, he and his crew have just about seen it all. They have had long enough to check it out, too, having started all this craziness back in the 80s. Oy vey! So maybe the blame should lie with the decade? Hhhhmmmm. At any rate, there is a great story to tell.
Something to sink your teeth into
Commenting as his 35th Sydney Hobart Race looms ever larger, Bruce Taylor said, “Saying that makes me feel old. It’s been a long journey, but we still enjoy it. We are a bunch of weekend warriors, true Corinthians, if you will. Back then we were one of the youngest owner/skipper and crews out there, and now we are one of the oldest!”
“I suppose one of the most outstanding aspects of it all is that I have done 32 of my 34 Hobarts on my own boats, which have all been named Chutzpah (Hooooots-pah, with a heavy, heavy roll in the back of your throat for the first syllable).
Also, of the current 10-person crew, more than 50% have done 20+ Hobarts as part of a Chutzpah crew! One of the reasons we keep going is the enjoyment derived and that we really know everyone. There is great camaraderie on board, great faith and we certainly now comprehend who we choose to go to war with.”
“A lot of our guys have hit 25 Hobarts now and the inspiration to keep going South at Christmas certainly is becoming more and more about getting everyone to the magic 25 and their name on the board at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Members Bar.”
“Another reason is to enjoy the connection I have with my son Drew, who sails with us. He’s an ex-pat in Hong Kong these days, but comes to join us for Sydney-Southport and the Hobart. He’s up to 24 Hobarts this year, so I think I may already be committed to 2016’s race as well…”, Taylor added.
As it turns out, Drew Taylor, with Joachim Isler, just launched the new Mills 41, Ambush, which showed well in the recent Hong Kong Vietnam race, despite it being very heavily favoured to the larger vessels. Bruce did partake in that and enjoyed the event immensely.
Just make it quick
Talking of the current Chutzpah, Taylor said, “Back in 2007 I went to Reichel-Pugh and asked for the fastest off-the-breeze 40-footer you can do. It was interesting to sail Ambush, for in the in right conditions, our boat is still competitive. In light airs we need it to be past 70/80? AWA, but if it is blowing and at 110?, well Chutzpah is like a bullet!”
The Sydney Southport and Sydney Hobart are the only races the sleek and wide round of silver ammunition gets an outing in. The rest of the time, Taylor and the crew keep their eyes honed in on board a displacement craft. “We just did two days and six hours for the delivery – Port Phillip to Port Jackson – heads to heads. She may not be an all-rounder, but it is a beautiful boat to sail. By the way, this is the longest I have ever kept a boat.”
Chutzpah was second overall last year, behind another 40-something, Wild Rose, and also fourth overall in the launch year, 2007. He has been a class winner 12 times in the different Chutzpahs. “If you win your division, you have sailed pretty well. Where that places you overall is at the mercy of the prevailing weather patterns. I have done 22 of my Hobarts on boats under 35 feet and remember my first on a Holland ¾ tonner and all the early ones on Davidson ¾ tonners.”
With such a rich history, you can imagine there are many ‘fond’ memories. Taylor details them for us, “Yes. ‘98 was certainly bittersweet. We were doing very well until the Mayday and then our old boat beat us. Not all that great looking back on it now... In the late 80s we were second overall in one of the Davidson ¾ tonners, so we went close early in the piece, too.”
Almost did not happen at all…
“Somewhere in the middle 80s we were ahead of Sovereign, who got the double in the end, and David Kellett thought we had them. We probably did until a six-hour layover at the Iron Pot put paid to that. Quite possibly chief amongst the memories, however, is 1984 on Challenge 2. The late Lou Abrahams and the gang had won the year before. We ended up in Ulladulla and it just about cured me of the need to do Hobarts ever again!”
Now five times during Chutzpah’s long history with the iconic event they have dropped the rig, all of which were in the old IOR boats. Of the cost implications for heading out into the big blue, Taylor says, “It is a big undertaking to bring the boats up from Melbourne, and this is forgotten a bit. Cost is always an obstacle. Sails are expensive and once used they are not quite the same as when purchased. It is a bit like motor racing, where there are lots of consumables that need constant replacing. We don’t have sponsors and I have often been tempted to buy a bigger vessel, but we want to ensure we go to sea in a fully prepared craft.”
Taylor turns 66 this year and adds, “The small boats bounce around and it is taking me longer to recover now; physically, mentally, emotionally and financially! These days, the modern planing boats have a violent motion that jumps them all over the ocean, so you crawl around the craft and the bangs to the body do hurt somewhat.”
On the way to finishing up, a self-effacing Taylor says, “I enjoying sailing on other peoples’ boats. To sail with my son and his mates up in Asia is very special and I also get to take in time up in Queensland. I don’t have to be at the helm, for I am happy to be doing tactics or trimming the leeward runner. As for a Christmas present, just dial me in 25 knots from the Nor’east for three days and I’m laughing!”
Shot at the top.
When it is all said and done, you do get the feeling that he would also not mind going one better than second overall. Personally, I do wish him and the crew the very best with that. In a way, it could be full circle, for I have always wanted to know how he got to chose a Yiddish word for the name of what over time has become six boats. This is especially so, for it is one that has no direct translation into English, with ‘gall’ probably being the best fit.
Taylor detailed, “The first boat was in partnership with an old mate, the late Hank Schilte. He returned from a business trip to New York with two suggestions. ‘Brouhaha’, which I rejected, for it sounded too much like Bruce and Hank. So by default it was, ‘Chutzpah’. Back then it seemed quite fitting, as the first boat was very small, and it was somewhat audacious to take on the Hobart fleet in that. We kept the name for subsequent boats, as it saved on T-shirts.”
In the end, sailing could well be the other international language. So do not get caught shtupping at the wrong time. Think about it. A few hand gestures, the volume goes up in heightened times and down when it is all laid back! Still, on Boxing Day it won’t matter too much whether English is your first language or not. You’ll be able to see the great race unfold here on Sail-World in all its glory and colour.
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