Ocean-Yachting - Hobart Race 2004 http://rolexsydneyhobart.com - zur Übersicht 23. Dezember 2004 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 60th Anniversary Sydney/Hobart, AUS Whipping a storm for the 60th anniversary A forecast of gale-force winds could hardly be more appropriate for the 60th anniversary of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Ever since Royal Navy officer John Illingworth won the inaugural race in 1945 by battling through a 36-hour gale, the 628-mile race to Tasmania has become established as a classic that sailors love and fear in equal measure. When the fleet of 117 yachts cross the start line in Sydney Harbour at 1pm this Sunday, they can look forward to a typically rough ride across the notorious Bass Strait. Grant Wharington's Maxi yacht Skandia is back to defend her line honours victory from last year, but measurement problems in the lead-up to the race have distracted the Melbourne sailor from his preparations. And the other 98-foot Maxi that Wharington beat to Hobart by just 14 minutes last year is back with a different name and a radically different keel. Kiwi Stewart Thwaites has changed Zana's name to Konica Minolta, and he has ditched his fixed keel for a canting-keel arrangement to rival Skandia's. Canting keel technology is very much in vogue, and line honours winner in 2000 Ludde Ingvall returns to the event with a brand new Nicorette, a 90-foot swing-keeled yacht that has yet to be raced in anger. Further down the size scale, British entry Aera shows much promise after finishing third in the Rolex Trophy, the inshore racing series which finished in Sydney last weekend. Nick Lykiardopulo has brought together a strong team including Volvo Ocean Race veterans Jason Carrington and Jez Fanstone. Fanstone is one of the world's most experienced ocean racers, but he is not underestimating the task ahead. "This is my fourth Sydney Hobart. They've been three of the most miserable races I've ever done, and I'm not expecting this one to be any different. We did the '98 race on the old Aera, a Swan 46. We did 2000 in the old generation Whitbread 60, and then in 2001 on News Corp as part of the Volvo Ocean Race. "The last three races have all been pretty uncomfortable. It's a love-hate relationship, but you do it because you're competitive and because you love yacht racing, and the build-up to it, the preparation and getting the crew together. But there are times out there when it's not a very pleasant place to be. There's no point in getting upset about it, though. If you've got a good boat with a good chance of winning then you want to get out there and give it a good crack." One of the unique aspects of the Rolex Sydney Hobart is that it always starts on Boxing Day, which means that for any overseas competitor Christmas at home with the family is impossible. For Fanstone, the wrench from home has been particularly difficult as his wife gave birth to a baby daughter just five weeks ago. He is trying to be philosophical about it. "When you come over here, you've made that decision to miss Christmas. When you go racing you can't whinge about it. Yes, you're away from family, and yes, I've got a five-week-old daughter at home and a 22-month son who's going to be loving Christmas. But they're all well, their mother's well, and my role is to get to Hobart as fast and as safely as I can." While Fanstone has experienced the worst that this race can throw at a sailor, others are about to experience it for the first time. Philipp Kadelbach is member of a German crew racing Felix Scheder-Bieschin's 49-foot cruiser/racer Vineta. Kadelbach comes from a strong dinghy racing background, but the prospect of 628 miles through rough seas is entirely different. His lack of experience does not mean he is unaware of the risks. "The danger is what makes it so special - that things have happened in the past, and that things could quite easily happen this time. So our first expectation is to arrive safely in Hobart, but the second expectation is to deliver a strong performance. The boat is brand new and we should be able to finish in the top quarter of the fleet." It is hard to pigeonhole the Rolex Sydney Hobart as either a race or an adventure, because it is certainly a bit of both. It attracts Olympic sailors and explorers alike. Three-time World Champion in the Olympic 49er skiff, Chris Nicholson, is crew member of Sean Langman's Open 66 AAPT. Nicholson will be expected to get to grips with AAPT's pioneering use of kite-flying technology to harness the wind from above mast height. They are pushing the boundaries of high technology and very much treating the Rolex Sydney Hobart as a Grand Prix race. For Robert Swan, skipper of The Active Factor, he is pioneering an entirely different technology for very different reasons. The British explorer, the first person ever to walk to both the North and South Poles, is using sails that at the conclusion of the race will be recycled into 13,000 600ml Coke bottles. People have very different reasons for competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, but anyone that has the courage to take part earns the respect of the entire sailing community. The Rolex Sydney Hobart starts from Sydney Harbour, off Nielson Park, at 1310 on Boxing Day, 26th December 2004. A live telecast on Network Ten (Australia) will screen from 1300 until 1400. POSITION REPORTING Website: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com featuring Yacht Tracker which charts 10 minute position updates from each competing yacht. 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