New 'Sword of Orion' - For Hobart Race Survivor

by Peter Campbell on 8 Mar 1999 Rob Kothe, rescued from his sinking yacht Sword of Orion in the tragic Telstra Sydney to Hobart, is returning to ocean racing with a new Sword of Orion.

The yacht, the Sydney AC 40 which previously raced as Sharp Hawke 5, will make its debut under Kothe's ownership in this month's Sydney - Mooloolaba race.

However, Kothe will not be aboard because he is still suffering from leg injuries received when the original Sword of Orion was rolled, dismasted and abandoned at the height of the violent storm. Kothe was among the crew lifted off by a rescue helicopter.

Skipper for the Mooloolaba race will be Ian Potter with a strong crew that also will include Andrew Parkes, Carl Watson, Decclan Brennan, Lindsey Marwood and Adam Brown.

'We have three weeks of intensive tuning to bring the boat up to scratch, including a new Fraser D4 mainsail, but unfortunately I am not yet up to returning to ocean racing,' Kothe said.

Sword of Orion will be one of three Sydney AC 40s racing to Mooloolaba, the others being the well-performed Sledgehammer (Ron Jones) and Loco (David Coe and David Lowe).

Newest boats in the fleet will be the first Australian-built Farr 40s, Victorian yachtsman Laurie Shannon's Young Australia which was launched in Sydney last Friday, and the yet to be launched Corinthian Doors which will be campaigned by Richard Perini.

Entries for the Sydney - Mooloolaba close with Middle Harbour Yacht Club this coming Friday, March 12, with the club expecting between 60 and 70 entries from New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Apart from the Victorian entry Young Australia, other interstate entries already received include Maglieri Wines (Brian Graves) and The Last Picasso (Bob Robertson) from Queensland, further entries expected from the northern state.

Further information: Peter Campbell - 0419 385 028