who won launceston to hobart yacht race

Home-state entries dominate field for Launceston to Hobart yacht race

The crew of Patrick Clarke's Yolla is all that stands in the way of a home-state victory in the 17th running of the Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race.

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The Victorian entry is the only non-Tasmanian crew among the 20 boats entered for the annual 285-nautical-mile dash down the state.

The entry list promises the full spectrum of race experience with traditional favourite Fork in the Road plus last year's winners Sundowner (overall, IRC and ORC) and Big Pup (PHS) heading the seasoned campaigners taking on a host of youngsters.

The L2H is the only offshore race in Australia that accepts entries with crew under 18 years old enabling Ross Clippingdale, 17 (aboard Mako), Chloe, 17, and Damon, 16, White (both Sassy), Ben Coad, 16 (The Dog House) and 15-year-olds Craig Leto (The Dog House) and Fletcher Lumb (Wings Three) to get a taste of the action.

The crew must demonstrate offshore experience, have completed a safety and sea survival course and wear a lifejacket and PLB at all times to meet the requirements.

For the first time in 17 years the event also has an all-girl team with Orla Gray taking control of Lawless, representing the Derwent Sailing Squadron. .

The race begins from Inspection Head at Beauty Point at 11.30am on Wednesday and is expected to finish in Hobart on December 29.

Unfortunately, Excalibur was a scratching on Tuesday as a few teams also made 11th-hour crew changes enforced by COVID-19.

Race website is: https://l2h-dssinc.org.au

• BIG PUP (Swarbrick S111, Tasmania) Teresa Badrock, Anton Bezemer, Paul Badcock, Peter Brooks, Samuel Benson, William Rostron
• FOOTLOOSE (Young 88, Tasmania) Adrian Hallam, Christine McMinn, Katie Nawrath, Libby Masters, Lisa Mcphee, Stewart Geeves, Wayne Wagg
• FORK IN THE ROAD (Bakewell-White, Tasmania) Abbey Calvert, Adrian Herrington, David Furmage, Gary Smith, Grant Sutton, Jacob Wise, James Rawson, Peter Alexander, Rowan Trappes, Scott Sutton, Sean Carey, Steve Walker
• HEATWAVE FISH FRENZY (Mumm 36, Tasmania) Anthony Ozols, Chris Bidgood, Dan Followes, Grant Cooper, John Wearne, Joshua Ey, Matthew Keal, Stuart Griggs
• HELSAL 6 (Bavaria Cruiser 50, Tasmania) Cameron Atkins, Peter Chadwick, Robert Smith, Robert Woehler, Sally Smith, Shane Mcindoe, Shane Powell
• INVINCIBLE (Farr 1104, Tasmania) Ailsa Bennell, Alan Champion, Alison Merridew, Allan Wood, Bryan Walpole, Dana Elphinstone, Duncan Farquhar, Grace Walpole
• JAZZ PLAYER (Bakewell-White Z39, Tasmania) Adam Roberts, Alec Bailey, Brent McKay, Dimitrios Mois, Gus Mckay, James Cowmeadow, Nelson Brown, Oliver McKay, Solomon Foster, Will Armstrong
• JUST FARR LOVE (Farr 51, Tasmania) Mandy Barden, Mitchell Ranson, Murat Djakic, Narissa Mcelwee, Robert Brunning, Ross Smith, Scott Lovell, Vanessa Teahan
• KRAKEN 42S (Cookson 12, Tasmania) Andrew Sinclair, Brett Smith, Courtney Howard, Dave Macgill, Kristen Anderson, Sam Dobie, Tadgh Williams, Ty Dobie, Will Geysing
• LAWLESS (Green 31, Tasmania) Anna Cottrell-Davies, Jodie Sullivan, Laura Donaldson, Mckeira Cumming, Orla Gray, Tess Van geelen
• MAKO 77 (Farr D54, Tasmania) Douglas Reid, John Widdowson, Joshua Baker, Ross Clippingdale, Tim Ferguson, Tristan Henderson
• PLANET X (Huon 10.5 Mod, Tasmania) Dylan Reid, Kate Ward, Kate Wilson, Michael Burrows, Rob Cawthorn, Steve Reid
• PORCO ROSSO (Cookson 50, Tasmania) Alastair Sayers, Bernie Mccartney, Edward Snowball, Elliott Noye, Jack McCullum, Lewis Noye, Luke Watkins, Oliver Nicholas, Paul McCartney, Paul Nanscawen, Rowan Clark, Stewart Gray
• PRION (Mount Gay 30 Lyons, Tasmania) Angus Calvert, Donovan Oak, Elliott Salter, Jory Linscott, Tim Jones, Timothy Edwards
• SASSY (Delphia 37, Tasmania) Callum Osign, Chloe White, Damon White, Ian White, Kirsten Seaver, Tim White
• SUNDOWNER (Adams 12, Tasmania) Alice Grubb, Grace Stearnes, Jeremy Coles, Lisa Guy, Nathan Oshea, Patrick Hyman, Thomas Kennedy, Tom Stearnes
• THE DOG HOUSE (Austral 30, Tasmania) Benjamin Coad, Charlotte Frankcombe, Craig Leto, Jimmy Dodd, Peter Coad, Sophie Kelly, Stephan Duggan
• WINGS THREE (Northshore 38, Tasmania) David Haros, Derek Inglis, Fletcher Lumb, Glen Jeffery, Glenn Phillips, Matthew Denholm, Peter Haros, Tony Van de Vusse
• Y (Mount Gay 30 Mod, Tasmania) David Belbin, Dustan Belbin, Ian Marshall, Jonathon Lord, Shane Salter, Stuart McGuinness
• YOLLA (Jpk 1030, Victoria) Patrick Clarke, Stephen Barker, Steve Standen, Tim Metherall

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TasPorts Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race - All in the Sassy Family

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TasPorts Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race 2020

The 2020 TasPorts Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race (L2H) has attracted the biggest fleet since 2016, with 33 contenders including one Victorian and 32 Tasmanian teams including four teams from the north of the state.

Derwent Sailing Squadron Race Director Ron Bugg is expecting a fierce battle for line honours from four boats. Victorian entry Dream (Robert Green), a

Pacific 50, finished second across the line by less than ten minutes to winner Fork in the Road (Gary Smith) in the 2019 race and will be looking to capitalise on every opportunity to make it to Hobart first. Greensees his strongest competition coming from Oskana (MikePritchard) while Tilt (Peter Cretan), is also a strong chance for line honours.

Green is looking forward to the delivery trip and the race after being locked down in Melbourne during the pandemic. “We feel at a significant disadvantage as we haven’t even stepped on the boat during the pandemic, but we will be watching the weather maps closely to make sure we are ready for the race,” said Green.

Bugg describes the L2H as a tactical, close-shore race in which the winner will be the boat that best navigates the tides and peculiar weather patterns of Banks Strait, the holes around Friendly Beaches should a strong westerly blow, the big swells and currents of Tasman Island, and the unpredictable River Derwent. “This is a homegrown Tassie race and the key to winning is being in the right place at the right time on the journey south,” said Bugg.

Several teams are using this year’s race as a starting point for more offshore sailing campaigns. John Dryden, sailing his modified Bakewell-White Z 39, Jazz Player, is looking to upskill new crew before entering the 2021 Sydney to Hobart Race (S2H), with his longer-term plan to sail in the re-scheduled Melbourne to Osaka Race in 2025. Mark Bayles and Andrew Sinclair, co-skippers of Kraken 42S , are taking the opportunity to build the experience of their crew before campaigning the Cookson 12 in the 2021 S2H as well as a future Hamilton Island Race Week.

Skippers are working hard to get their boats ready for the race including Launceston-based team, Advantedge, which is sailing for the first time since 2012. Skipper Andrew Jones has had the Inglis 47 completely revamped with the crew, including brother Michael and nephew Samuel, working around the clock to have the boat ready for the race.

The team at Salter Marine are relieved to have beaten the clock with Royce Salter launching his Hick 35, Prima Donna , only a few days ago after a complete makeover.

Matthew Keal’s Mumm 36, Heatwave, which finished second on IRC and third on AMS handicaps in 2019 will be a strong contender once again, while Richard Boult and Jean-Pierre Ravanat will be putting their Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 Hip-Nautic to the test, sailing the boat two-handed in their first race.

The race starts on Sunday 27 December and is expected to be decided in Hobart on Tuesday 29 December.

The 285 nautical mile race usually starts at Inspection Head at Beauty Point and tracks down the Tamar River to Low Head before heading into Banks Strait, however this year’s Notice of Race permits Tamar Yacht Club Race Officer Tom Bain to start the large fleet outside the Tamar River to ensure manoeuvrability for the 50-footers and to avoid boats running aground if there’s little wind and a strong tide.  

To review all race entries, results and follow the live trackers, go to  www.l2h-dssinc.org.au

Words / Images: Jane Austin

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This years 18th Willie Smith’s Launceston to Hobart is open to all boats over 8.5 metres, meeting category 3 racing safety requirements, including a life raft. With a range of handicap categories on offer you are sure to find one that suits you be it the hotly contested rating and PHS divisions.

Those who are unsure of entering can be put in touch with a previous L2H competitor with a similar boat to discuss their experience from pre race organisation to the fun had at the Docks…

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