After a great Rolex Rating Series Limit was prepared for the Hobart Race and a deep low over the West Coast of Australia kept changing the forecast every day - from good - to bad - then worse - then good again!

With most of the team arriving on Christmas Day, Alan extended a warm welcome and put on a sensational Christmas Day Lunch...while we watched to wind howl from the South and the rain pour!

Come start time we got away cleanly and in great shape behind the maxi yachts, leading our nearest rivals out of the heads. Whilst peeling jibs a problem arose and we broke a jib halyard (which fell into the lock), forcing us to bear away and sail downwind through the fleet with Dan up the mast trying to spike the halyard free. By the time we recovered, tried to make repairs and dealt with a tack bar failure the race was slipping away from us until finally the call was made, having discovered it was to be a race of infinite headsail changes, and our inability to perform these tasks withour issues, we retired and headed back to Sydney.

While the team was understandably dissappointed, the focus turned to having the repairs done quickly and setting the boat up for the delivery accross the Tasman, ready for our next event - Bay of Islands Race Week in New Zealand.


Christmas lunch at Alan's....while the Southerly blows....