Hollywood Boulevard set for ocean race debut

by Lisa Ratcliff, CYCA on 11 Mar 2005 Ray Roberts’ brand new DK 46 Hollywood Boulevard will make its major ocean racing debut in the Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race next week and the event will also mark Roberts’ return to the Australian offshore racing scene having spent the last couple of years competing on the Asian circuit.

Hollywood Boulevard was designed by Irishman Mark Mills, built in Malaysia by DK yachts and launched in Melbourne in January this year, just days before the start of Skandia Geelong Week, where the boat finished eighth overall on IRC handicap.

Roberts, a Sydney businessman, has assembled an outstanding line up for the annual 469 nautical mile race, including America’s cup sailor Jamie Wilmot, Bryan Northcote, Swedish yachtsman Martin Stromberg, Mitch White, New Zealander Andy Walker, a past crewmember on Konica Minolta and international sailor Bryce Ruthenberg.

Roberts has owned many well known yachts including the Sydney 46 ABN Amro and the Farr 52 also called Hollywood Boulevard, which he campaigned in Singapore, Thailand and China before selling it last year and ordering his new racer/cruiser.

While he chose the lightest materials for the yacht’s construction, the interior is designed for comfortable cruising and racing.

‘It will be a comfortable ride for the older guys,’ laughs the young Ruthenberg.

Ruthenberg sees the toughest competition for a handicap placing coming from Geoff Ross' Judel/Vrolijk Yendys, Matt Allen’s Farr 52 Ichi Ban, his crew tuned having just completed the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship and Michael Spies’ Beneteau 44.7 First National Real Estate, named IRC overall winner of Skandia Geelong Week in January.

The crew line up on Steven David’s 60-foot canting keeled Wild Joe is equally impressive with Cameron Miles, Anthony Merrington, Sven Runow and America’s Cup sailor Glen Atrill combining into a class act for next week’s final race of the 2004-2005 offshore season.

The fleet for the Sydney Mooloolaba Race, which begins from Sydney Harbour at 1.00pm on Wednesday March 16, now stands at 39 with an application for entry arriving this afternoon for the F36 Razor White Hot, owned by Warren Cottis.

White Hot is the first F36 Razor to race in Australia, making its debut in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in December. It is a highly optimised Foundation 36 with a new keel, rudder and rig configuration designed by America’s Cup designer Brett Bakewell-White from New Zealand.

The race briefing for the Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race will be held on Monday March 14 at 7.00pm at the CYCA where skippers will be given a preliminary weather forecast.

Once again all yachts in the fleet can be tracked via the official web site: http://mooloolaba.cyca.com.au from the 1.00pm start.