Tasmanian Premier launches Sydney Hobart book

by Peter Campbell on 14 Jul 2009 Tasmania’s Premier David Bartlett last week launched Michael Ludeke’s second edition of his book ‘Sydney Hobart’, the most comprehensive publication compiled and written specifically about the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

More than sixty people attending the launch at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania in Hobart heard the Premier describe the importance of the Rolex Sydney Hobart to the history of Hobart and its significant role in establishing the international identify of Tasmania.

He said the arrival of the yachts at Constitution Dock was part of the fabric of the life of Hobartians, naming some of the famous boats his parents had taken him down to see as the fleet finished the ocean race.

In a foreword to ‘Sydney Hobart’, the Premier captures the unique character of the race: ‘Like the climbing of Everest, or the winning of the Tour de France, the challenge is never finished, but rather reinvents itself for each new batch of hungry sailors who join the leather-faced veterans in their determination to once again make the journey to Hobart.’

Also speaking at the launch, Offshore Yachting’s editor at large, Peter Campbell, revealed that the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia this year was expecting up the six maxi and super maxi yachts to contest the 65th Rolex Sydney Hobart, headed by record-holder Wild Oats XI and another 100-footer, Alfa Romeo, the champion super maxi that was now literally racing back from Europe by competing in the TransPac Race currently underway from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

Michael Ludeke’s second edition expands on what originally was basically a book that collated the results and statistics of the Sydney Hobart Race, including the now only complete set of printed results for each race from 1945 to 2008.

The new book uncovers the race’s origins, followed by an analysis of each race with updated results and statistics up to the 64th blue water classic in 2008.

It also includes fascinating stories of some of the individual legends and remarkable events in the history of the blue water classic.

There are stories about sailing greats as the late Peter Luke (co-founder of the race with the late Captain John Illingworth RN), Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen (triple handicap winners with Freya), Vic Meyer and Solo, and the Rooklyn family dynasty of Jack and son Warwick in their maxi boats.

The mystery of the Tasmanian yacht Charleston which vanished with all hands on a delivery voyage from Hobart to Sydney in 1979 makes chilling reading, as does the story of the ‘miracle man’ of the 1993 race and his dramatic night time rescue from a galeswept Tasman Sea. Then there is the extraordinary encounter of Ludde Ingvall and his maxi yacht Nicorette with a frightening ‘twister’ south of Sydney as bushfires raged along the coast.

Lastly, Ludeke gives appropriate space and a title to the chapter ‘Lest We Forget’ in recalling the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart, recalling for us in hour-by-hour, day-by-day detail the effect of that horrendous storm that took the lives of six sailors and sank five yachts. It is sad but important reading for anyone involved with ocean racing.

His statistical chapters, compiled with extensive input from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Lisa Ratclif, Tony Cable and Peter Campbell, list a whole host of race records, not just those elapsed time records established and then broken by the maxis and supermaxis, but also corrected time records and other little known (or at least, seldom printed) records of personal and boat performances.

Some interesting facts include:

A total of 5,158 yachts have started in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race from 1945 to 2008 of which 4,226 completed the 628 nautical mile course
Only Rani (1945) and Wild Oats XI (2005) have won line and handicap honours and set a race record in the same year, although six boats have won the line/handicap double in the same year.

Only two yachts have so far scored back-to-back handicap honours – Freya in 1963,1964 and 1965 and Westward in 1947 and 1948,

Since 1945 yachts from ten different countries have taken line honours while yachts from seven countries have won the Tattersalls Trophy for first place on handicap. Yachts representing New South Wales have got the gun 31 times while yachts from that State has taken handicap honours 43 times.

Ludeke also dispels the long-believed sailing myth that Victoria had never been home to a Sydney Hobart line honours winner until Grant Wharington sailed Skandia to victory in 2003.

His research shows that the Livingston brothers’ Kurrewa IV (originally Morna) was definitely entered as a Victorian yacht when she took line honours in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1960. Racing as Morna and then Kurrewa IV, this classic timber boat still holds the record with seven line honours victories although Wild Oats XI achieved a record fourth successive line honours win in 2008.

‘The Sydney to Hobart, Second Edition’, is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of every ocean racing sailor, yachting journalist and commentator, and, in fact, an excellent reference for every yacht club that conducts racing at sea.

Michael Ludeke’s dedication to compiling the race’s extensive statistics and race results for the past 64 years and publishing them in this excellent book deserves praise and support.

‘The Sydney to Hobart, Second Edition’ by Michael Ludeke is available from nautical bookshops, major yacht chandlers and leading general bookshops, priced $39.95.