The start of the race was quite a spectacle with all the different classes of boats on the water at the same time, along with all the spectator boats and 10 helicopters buzzing overhead. Unfortunately, the Australian summer decided to take a few days off and we had a typically overcast English weather start for the race. Oh well, I suppose you can’t have everything.

After we had slipped our lines the Clipper boats proceeded to parade under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the Opera House.

 

Heading up towards our start line we had the main contenders who would be chasing line honours starting ahead of us.

 

Now if I was ever to undertake the Sydney Hobart race again then this would be the way to do it, aboard one of these Formula 1 boats of the sea! They are amazing machines, built solely for speed and therefore stripped bare of any home comforts, not that you get many of those on a racing boat anyway.

As the countdown to the start began we were allocated positions on the boat to ensure we only had to focus on doing one role well and my word did we get a flyer as a result. With Matt, our Skipper, on the helm we exited the mouth to the Sydney harbour bay in 1st place amongst the Clipper yachts. So our first objective had been achieved and  now all we needed to do was ‘not **** it up!’ (our mantra as we went through the race and to be heard regularly at watch changes).

As we exited the Sydney Heads and headed out into the Tasman Sea I was first change on the helm after our marvellous start. No pressure then! With Sanya Serenity Coast hard on our heels it really was going to be a case of focussing on sailing well and doing the best we could.

The wind conditions were good and after a grey and overcast start the weather improved over the following 24 hours and the sun came out; summer had returned! It really was champagne sailing weather. The dual with Sanya was being closely fought but as the race progressed we slowly managed to pull away.

 

Now if I was ever to undertake the Sydney Hobart race again then this would be the way to do it, aboard one of these Formula 1 boats of the sea! They are amazing machines, built solely for speed and therefore stripped bare of any home comforts, not that you get many of those on a racing boat anyway.

As the countdown to the start began we were allocated positions on the boat to ensure we only had to focus on doing one role well and my word did we get a flyer as a result. With Matt, our Skipper, on the helm we exited the mouth to the Sydney harbour bay in 1st place amongst the Clipper yachts. So our first objective had been achieved and  now all we needed to do was ‘not **** it up!’ (our mantra as we went through the race and to be heard regularly at watch changes).

As we exited the Sydney Heads and headed out into the Tasman Sea I was first change on the helm after our marvellous start. No pressure then! With Sanya Serenity Coast hard on our heels it really was going to be a case of focussing on sailing well and doing the best we could.

The wind conditions were good and after a grey and overcast start the weather improved over the following 24 hours and the sun came out; summer had returned! It really was champagne sailing weather. The dual with Sanya was being closely fought but as the race progressed we slowly managed to pull away.

Pulling away from Sanya who has a spinnaker flying

Whilst life on deck was very comfortable it was like a sauna down below. Now back on a top bunk and with the boat heeled over getting in and out of bed became an Olympic sport again and with the heat it was hard to get comfortable and sleeping became very elusive. Fortunately I’d taken one of the fleece layers out of my sleeping bag; just as well as I’ve already lost a trouser size from around my waist.

After only a week in Sydney, I was surprised how hard it was to acclimatise back to life on the boat. Sea sickness hit several people and with dehydration and lack of sleep, due to the heat, the first 2 days were hard work. Because this was such a short race we were undertaking regular sail changes to maximise our speed as much as possible and the physical effort pushes the body hard. If you’re not taking on the nutrition you require then this just adds to the exhaustion, but after an initial 36 hours I was back eating properly and getting the fluids I needed.

Given that there were over 100 boats in the race it surprised me how quickly we were back on our own in the ocean with no other boats on the horizon.

On day 2 of the race we had a little bit of excitement. I was on the helm at the time and suddenly and out of nowhere 2 Humpback whales surfaced immediately in front of our port bow. A close call, but it was great to see these marvellous creatures at such close quarters. I made a slight adjustment to our course in case there were any other whales nearby but fortunately for us there was no recurrence of the whale collision suffered on Leg 2 of the race.

As the race progressed the wind strengthened behind us and our spinnaker was flying beautifully and we were making good speed. Skipper Matt was regularly on and off deck to update us on progress and by Thursday afternoon we were ideally placed with us in a good position and most of the rest of the Clipper fleet lined up behind us. We were really confident that a win was in our grasp and there’s nothing like a possible podium position to focus the mind so it was a case of never mind the sleep let’s just do what we have to do to bring this home.

On Thursday afternoon we had great sailing conditions and because of the warm weather most of us were in shorts and tee shirts. There was a little high cloud but nothing to threaten or concern us. Suddenly, a few hundred metres ahead Matt spotted a change in the sea state and out of nowhere the weather quickly went from 15 – 20 knots of wind to a complete wind shift and we were up to 30 knots and the wind had moved 90 degrees, from behind us to off our starboard beam. I’ve never seen anything like this and the change in weather and subsequent strength of the wind took us all by surprise.

Now it was all hands to the pumps and Matt took the wheel from me and it was a case of getting the spinnaker down and new headsails up. In record time we got the job done and the spinnaker was despatched down below to be repacked. I went down below to help with this and whilst this is being done it is very evident that the wind was getting stronger. So it was a case of reducing the main sail area by putting a reef in the sail and taking down one of the head sails. Still in a tee shirt and shorts I threw on a jacket and went on deck to help out.

With the evolutions complete and the boat sailing under more control we spotted that one of the headsails was trying to break free of its lashings. I went up to the bow with Mike and secure the sail and with he boat now crashing into waves and without the appropriate clothing there is only one outcome for me.  Water crashes over me and finds every gap in my clothing. I return to the cockpit area absolutely soaked through and looking like a drowned rat! That’ll teach me. At least the sea was warm though!!

With the change in weather we hope that this might work in our favour as we’ve come through it quite unscathed. Just after midnight on Friday morning the sea state and wind has settled and in gloomy inky dark conditions the Skipper takes a turn on the helm for a few hours to help keep us on course as we close in on Tasmania.

However, as the sun comes up and as we round the Tasmanian headland to head up towards Hobart we’re joined by an old favourite of ours…..a wind hole! With hardly a breath we’re now bobbing around and the rest of the fleet is taking the opportunity to catch us up. Here we go again and all that hard work we’ve been putting in is disappearing to nought.

For several hours the frustration grows as we lose our lead and then half way up Storm Bay we finally pick up wind. At last we’re off again and a quick change of sail plan sees us surging off. However we have 2 boats close on our heels; Liverpool and Unicef. They don’t seem to be ready for the change in wind state and are still flying their spinnakers. We watch as they pick up speed and sure enough after a little while Unicef ‘pop’ their spinnaker and we can see it shred itself. Liverpool get a wrap on their spinnaker and struggle to get it down.

So now we’re finally charging up the Derwent river and into Hobart and we’re enjoying the spectacle.

 

Just ahead of us is one of two of the old Clipper boats which have now been rebranded as Invictus Games boats. We’re chasing the UK boat which has Sir Robin Knox-Johnson on board. Now there is no way we want to finish behind him….we’ll never hear the end of it

 

With just enough river left before the finish line comes into sight we pass the Invictus boat on the inside.

So with the end of the race in sight, once again it’s so close and yet so far for PSP Logistics! Our final position is downgraded to 6th as Hotel Planner get redress for helping with a man overboard recovery earlier in the race.

My only consolation….we’ll I’m sitting in the pulpit at the bow end, unhanking a sail, as we cross the finish line and so technically I’m the first on our boat to finish the race…haha!

 

Crossing the finish line.

 

The end of the race and still smiling……..now where are those beers??

 

Sydney to Hobart race 2017……..done!

 

So my thoughts on this iconic race. Well I’m really pleased to have taken part in such a prestigious event. Yes the ultimate result was frustrating but we gave it our best effort and ultimately our efforts were scuppered by our fickle old friend, the weather. My sailing capability is definitely improving and I’m pleased with this. The other teams in the fleet are commenting  that we are real contenders and I think it’s only a matter of time before we gain the results we deserve. There’s still a long way to go in the overall event and so we’ll be starting our campaign again in 2018 with lots of pride with the way we are sailing as a team and expectation for the future. Let’s hope we can continue to keep up the pressure and perhaps that elusive gold pennant will finally end up in our hands. Here’s to a successful campaign in 2018.

 

Some of the formula 1 boats of the yacht racing world moored up in Hobart harbour.