Always in the mix

By Rupert Guinness

The smaller boats in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race are perennial challengers for the Tattersall Cup.

Year in, year out, their presence on the start line against the maxis, TP52s and other larger and faster racing yachts stands as a reminder of the opportunity this race provides for boats of all sizes.

Here’s a look at some of the smaller boats that will no doubt make their mark in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart.

A Reichel/Pugh-designed Caprice 40, Chutzpah is owned by Bruce Taylor. This will be Chutzpah’s 15th Sydney Hobart start and Taylor will be hoping for the downwind conditions that favour her chances of Overall victory. However, so often that has not been the case, even though Chutzpah has been a regular high-placed finisher in Division 2 with previous overall bests of fourth in 2007 and fifth in 2013. Last year, Chutzpah was the 12th boat to finish over the line, to take 11th position on handicap. Cinquante is a Sydney 38 owned by Kim Jaggar, for whom this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart will his 36th start. Cinquante has been a regular player in the Sydney 38 and Corinthian divisions, since Jaggar bought her in 2018, when she placed second in the Corinthian division. Cinquante came to Jaggar with pedigree. When owned previously by Ian Murray, the boat won the Sydney 38 Division in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Last year, Cinquante placed ninth overall, sixth on ORCi, third in the Corinthian IRC division and second in the Corinthian PHS division.

The Ed Psaltis-owned Midnight Rambler is a Sydney 36 registered with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania. This is the seventh iteration of Midnight Rambler, which will make her third start in the Rolex

Sydney Hobart. Last year, Midnight Rambler finished an impressive seventh Overall, and second in the Corinthian IRC division. Psaltis, who won the 1998 Sydney Hobart on his Hick 35 AFR Midnight Rambler, is excited about his prospects after a strong season of racing in Tasmania. Another Sydney 36, Supernova is co-owned by Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson. Nelson and Seja are both experienced ocean racers. Their experience in the Sydney Hobart had been built from crewing on other boats like Azzurro and Arch Rival They made their debut as owners last year when they sailed Supernova, after buying it from Matthew Hanning; and they fared very well as first time owners. On handicap, Supernova placed 13th, also finishing fourth in the Corinthian IRC division.

The Shane Kearns-owned White Bay 6 Azzurro is a Sparkman & Stephens 34. It is one of the most popular boats and almost always in the fray for handicap victory, as she was last year, having led until conditions shifted on her final day at sea. White Bay 6 Azzurro settled for a brilliant fourth place on handicap, third on ORCi, first in the Corinthian IRC division and fourth in the Corinthian PHS division.

The

43 is owned by Brett Eagle, and

Skjellerup. Wild Oats placed 26th on handicap last year, however the boat is a proven winner. When owned by the late Roger Hickman, named Wild Rose and crewed by male and female amateurs, she won the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart, as well as many other premier offshore races in Australia.

Other boats to keep an eye out for include the Rodney Jones-owned Alegria Republic, a Ker

Sydney Gts43 registered with the CYCA that has been faring well in this year’s Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races; Sail Exchange, a Cookson 12 owned by Carl Crafoord; and the Botin Carkreek GP42, Enterprise Next Generation, a Western Australia entry from the Fremantle Sailing Club that is co-skippered by owners Anthony Kirke and Andrew Nuttman and has been performing well in home state races.