Win for handicapping system in Hobart race

by Lisa Ratcliff on 30 Dec 2006 The old salts are claiming the Corinthian spirit has returned to ocean racing with the provisional success of Love & War in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The boat that the late Peter Kurts took to handicap wins in 1974 and 1978 crossed the finish line off Hobart’s Castray Esplanade at 9.17am today to take likely handicap honours and the coveted Tattersalls Cup for overall handicap victory.

This time she was in the hands of Lindsay May on his 34th Hobart race and in charge of a crew made up of former Brindabella sailors. The maxi’s skipper George Snow was down below on this trip, as ship’s cook, but offering tactical advice to May, who has won three previous Hobart races over the line and on handicap.

'The core of this crew is Brindabella and we have always done it by committee,' May said.

The first two boats provisionally leading on handicap – Love & War and Bacardi – are part of the 'old stock' that took part in this race and which have shown their mettle with the hard, windward sailing conditions that broke boats of more recent years.

'We wanted a third Hobart for Peter,' May said this morning.

'It was something the Halvorsen’s had done with Freya and it was done with all the help of the Kurts family (his son Simon was on the phone as Love and War crossed the line).

'It was very emotional I can tell you,' May said.

Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen made history when they recorded a hat trick of overall wins from 1963-1965 with Freya. They also won on handicap in 1954 with Freya and in 1957 with Anitra V. Trygve was part of the official starting party which sent the 78 boat fleet on its way on Boxing Day this year.

Simon Kurts was in Melbourne overseeing the third generation of Kurts sailors, his sons Michael and Phillip, competing in a Sabot championship.

'We know Peter is up there watching. We’re sorry he’s not here, but we know he’s there,' Simon said.

Peter Kurts died in January 2005, just as Love & War was returning to Sydney after finishing seventh in the 2004 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Lindsay May said the result was an encouragement to all sailors who were not cashed up to take on new boats in downwind sailing conditions.

'It is now the opportunity for sailors to get here and win this race. You can win it. The handicap rule allows for boats, if they are well sailed, to be able to win the Sydney Hobart. The little boats have a chance.

'The handicappers have got it right. I always said to Peter and to Simon that this boat could win the Hobart race again. She just had to be on the start line on the right day when the conditions were right and she’ll win the race and that’s exactly what happened.

'It was a difficult race but not tough, per se.'

'This was important to me,' May said. 'I did seven [Hobart] races with Peter, the Admiral’s Cup with Peter, yes it was important to me, for him.'

The Victorian boat Bacardi appears to have finished a close second behind Love & War on corrected time in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and co-owner Graeme Ainley is over the moon.

He says the success of the two boats shows that the handicap system in the race has finally evolved to the extent that traditional boats can race against maxis and boats using the latest construction technology.

'We tried for three days to get rid of her but she was always there,' he said of Love & War.

'It’s getting to a level where everybody can compete on an equal basis. Just because a person does not have the greatest and latest boat it does not preclude them from competing.

'As long as I sail my boat well, maintain my boat properly, get a good crew and the get the crew enthusiastic then I’ve got an opportunity.'

This was Bacardi’s 22nd Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Lou Abrahams sailing his 44th consecutive Rolex Sydney Hobart is provisionally third on overall handicap with his Sydney 38 Challenge.