Rolex Sydney to Hobart - The A-team lining up for Hobart

by Mark Rothfield on 30 Oct 2010 The Beneteau First 40s may have had it their own way in last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Race but there’s a new sheriff in town … two, in fact. The new Sydney-based Archambault A40RC Papillon and sistership Avante Garde from Hong Kong will be pulling out all the stops in this years Blue Water Classic.
Seasoned offshore campaigner Phil Molony has traded his 2005-model A40 Papillon on a new A40RC, equipped it with a full suite of Norths sails, and is hellbent on winning the bluewater classic. It will be Phil’s 21st trek to the Tassie capital and he has a vastly experienced crew accompanying him.

He’s thrilled with the performance of the RC over the previous A40, not to mention a vastly superior rating potential, and has appreciated the more efficient cockpit arrangement and comfortable interior. The Hong Kong based A40RC Avante Garde is also being brought here for the race, with Hong Kong's Archambault dealer Olivier Decamps sailing aboard.

These guys are good yachties, judging from results in Asia, and the flashy black-and-red livery will stand out like a beacon. Olivier says the expat Aussie owner will contest Audi Victoria Week in January then put the boat on the market.

In Western Australia, meanwhile, the demo A40RC Aardvark had barely hit the water before it managed to win its maiden race, the 39nm Cape Vlamingh Race on both IRC and YAH handicapping systems!

The victory was against the odds and the crew’s realistic expectations, as they faced a strong fleet that included a very competitive BW Foundation 36, an IRC’d Farr 40 called The Next Factor that has won everything for the past two years, and a near-new full-carbon flying machine called Al Fresco.

Owner Laurie Flynne, who’s also the principal of Archambault WA, said conditions suited the smaller entries but Aardvark proved an absolute weapon straight out of the box. With epoxy hull construction, tee-keel and carbon 'go-fasts' (rig, rudder, wheels, bowsprit), its spec surpasses that of the A40RC Alegria, which won the Audi IRC Australian Championship in 2009.

We’d go as far to say Aardvark has the potential to be the best racing yacht in WA, if not Australia. In Europe, too, the A40RCs are killing ’ em, placing first, second and fifth on IRC in the testing Round Corsica race this month.

First placed was the interestingly-named Geranium Killer, which incidentally is a T-keeled version of the A40RC like Aardvark.

For more information, please go to: www.aardvarkyachting.net.au