Milestone journeys

By Rupert Guinness

Milestone participations in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race are always celebrated, and understandably so.

But ask anyone about their achievement, and many of them will say the journey towards it means more.

Australian ocean racing legends Tony Ellis and Ed Psaltis are two such examples. Between them, they have almost 100 starts!

has kept a simple “it’s that time of year again” approach. His first experience in the race just rolled over to the next.

An incredible 41 of Ellis’ Sydney Hobarts have been with sailing icon Syd Fischer, for whom he also crewed in the America’s Cup.

It is a run that Ellis cherishes. He says the only “little disappointment” of his experience in the Sydney Hobart is that “Syd and I parted ways in 2014” when “Syd wanted a smaller lightweight crew”.

What really taps into Ellis’ passion for ocean racing is the camaraderie among crew, especially in tough and unpredictable races like the Sydney Hobart, where the weather plays such a crucial role in the final result; moreso for smaller boats that, unlike the maxis, often have to sail through myriad weather patterns.

Ellis, who is nicknamed ‘Ace’ and began sailing in his early teens on 12-footers and skiffs, has crewed on Fischer’s winning Ragamuffin boats three times

“Keeping active … keeping an open mind”

Tony Ellis, a 78-year-old from Manly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, will be sailing on board David Gotze’s 63-footer No Limit in his 54th Sydney Hobart– a record number of starts by any sailor in the race.

When he sets sail for Hobart on Boxing Day, that he will have broken his own record for race starts will be the last thing on his mind.

“I don’t even think about it,” says Ellis when asked about the historic benchmark.

Since his Sydney Hobart debut in 1963 on the Arthur Byrne-built 41-foot sloop Solacia 1, Ellis

- twice for Line Honours (1988 and 1990) and once on handicap (1992) on a different boat that had the same name.

His lasting memory of his 1963 debut on board the “relatively big boat” that was Solacia 1 was of a strong south westerly blowing across Storm Bay, heavy seas and snow falling on Mount Wellington and Mount Robertson nearing the end of the race.

“I don’t know if I had any expectation, but it was fun,” he says today.

Ellis welcomes the sight of rookie Rolex Sydney Hobart sailors, believing that the event can only grow from young talent.

Although, he warns newcomers who are swept up by racing in one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious ocean races to not forget where most of them came from – sailing in small boats.

“My advice to them is keep sailing in small boats too,” he says, adding that sailing is a sport of different disciplines that offer varying skill sets, and not just one.

As for his own longevity in the Sydney Hobart?

Ellis says the answer to that question is about “keeping active and keeping an open mind.” Hence, when it comes to what expectations he has for this year’s race, Ellis, while always dreaming of another victory, says that there is “nothing special … it’s best to wait and see what happens. It’s very hard to win this race.”

For Ed Psaltis, 62, who moved to Hobart from Sydney four years ago, this year will mark his 40th race. He will sail on his Sydney 36 Midnight Rambler.

Psaltis aims to keep sailing in the Sydney Hobart “while I can … I enjoy a tough race.”

That still means “keeping the standards up … the number [of starts] isn’t why I keep doing it.”

And he is confident that Midnight Rambler can deliver on its promise shown this year from dominating the racing scene in Tasmania.

“I want to have a good campaign,” Psaltis says. “We have every race that there can be … both long and short. Okay, there is a smaller fish pond in Tasmania, but there are still some very good boats.”

Psaltis remembers his first Sydney Hobart in 1979 clearly. There was the first night when a southerly blew at 25 to 30 knots.

“People were sick on the boat … it was rough, pretty scary,” he says. “But at 4 or 5am, the sun came out and we just got into another day.”

The highlight of his 39 Sydney Hobarts so far though is his overall win in 1998, notwithstanding the tragedy of that year’s race, when six lives were lost in high seas.

“It was tragic,” Psaltis says, commending his crew’s feat “to survive that gale, get through it and be in a better position than other boats we idolised.”

However, success for Psaltis is not always marked by victory either. The 1991 race, when he sailed on the half tonner Nuzulu, was a memorable one for him.

The boat was first in division, but finished eighth overall.

“We almost won that race.” he says. “It was a good, hard race. On Bass Strait, we had a great crossing. But then it shut down on Storm Bay and the Derwent.”

Psaltis had two debutants on Midnight Rambler last year – Anne Stewart and Daniel Matzolik. Both will sail with him on the boat this year.

His advice to them was what he gives any Sydney Hobart rookie: “Don’t be overawed by the occasion. Relax and enjoy it.

“You are here because you are good enough to be. So, back yourself. Enjoy the start too … It is a unique experience. It’s huge … but don’t be afraid of it all.”