Entries reach 50 for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

by Lauren Hopper on 12 Sep 2016 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has received its 50th entry for the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart from Tasmanian first-timer Richard Grant, owner of the Knoop 39, Cromarty Magellan.

Neither Grant nor his yacht have taken part in the 628 nautical mile race before, and he is looking forward to joining the rest of the fleet when it crosses the Sydney Harbour start line on Boxing Day, 26 December.

“It’s an all-Tassie effort. A Tasmanian designed and built boat and a Tasmanian crew,” a proud Grant confirmed today.

Three years ago the Taswegian bought the yacht from Dick Knoop, brother of the yacht’s designer Walter Knoop, who himself contested the Sydney Hobart with his self-designed Quintal, back in the late seventies.

“The Sydney Hobart has been on the bucket list for a while. We’ve done lots of local races with the boat, which was designed to the IMS Rule in 2000. We’ve done other races such as the Melbourne Launceston race. Now we’ve decided to give it a crack with the big boys.

“We’re absolutely looking forward to it after first talking about it a year ago,” the Tasmanian yachtsman explained of his yacht, sponsored by Cromarty Magellan, his and a partner’s Australian electrical engineering group with interests in Tasmania, Melbourne and Brisbane.

“Two of the crew have done the race before. Dave Cromarty did the race on Whistler (owned by David Rees) and my brother Tim sailed on Screw Loose,” he said of the 1979 Sydney Hobart overall winner then owned by Bob Cumming, the last Tasmanian yacht to win the famous race.

Just over six weeks out from the Close of Entries on Friday 28 October, the CYCA’s Sailing Manager, Justine Kirkjian said today, “We expect the final number of entries to be in the early 90’s and are really pleased with the entry list to date.”

Other Australian entries represent NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. A good cross section also includes yachts from Mainland China, New Zealand, Sweden, England, Hong Kong, two from the USA and a first ever entry from Slovenia in Miran Tepes’ 12 metre boat Skokica.

Scallywag, the rebadged Ragamuffin 100 recently purchased by Hong Kong businessman, Seng Huang Lee, is the first 100 foot super maxi to sign on the dotted line.

The start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be broadcast live on the Seven Network throughout Australia.

Online entry and Notice of Race in English and Mandarin are available online.