The 2021 Sydney Hobart Classic Yacht Regatta was a memorable one, as a fleet of beautiful classics battled strong winds over two races in a celebration of the Great Race’s history.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – 29 boats launched prior to 1976, that had all competed in at least one Sydney Hobart, took to Sydney Harbour for the annual regatta.
Inclement weather led to the unfortunate cancellation of Friday’s invitational race, but the sky cleared for the Pursuit start in Race 1 on Saturday.
That certainly didn’t mean smooth sailing, with 20-30 knots of breeze on Sydney Harbour, and stronger gusts, testing the fleet.
Steven Capell’s Swan 65 Eve, Samuel Hunt’s S&S 3/4 tonne IOR Nike and Carl Sriber’s S&S 37 Suraya successfully navigated the difficult conditions to claim respective wins in Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
VIEW THE INCREDIBLE RACE 1 PHOTOS FROM ANDREA FRANCOLINI
Race 2 on Sunday was a Scratch start off Cannae Point, the original startling line for the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945.
Though conditions were lighter than Saturday, a southerly of 17-20 knots rolled in to provide more entertaining racing.
Eve claimed back-to-back wins in Division 1, while Philip Brown’s Halvorsen 38 Anitra V won Division 2 and John Newcomb’s Alden Cutter Rig Sloop Nirvana 1 won Division 3, which was non-spinnaker.
VIEW RACE 2 PHOTOS
The overall pointscore winners were presented with perpetual trophies which honoured three champion Australian offshore racing boats.
DIVISION 1 – THE KOOMOOLOO TROPHY
Steven Capell steered Eve to the overall win in Division 1 after winning both races.
He was presented with the Koomooloo Trophy, a beautiful vintage model of the 1968 Tattersall Cup winner, Koomooloo, generously donated to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia by Norman Rydge.
Simon Kurts’ S&S 47 Love & War was second overall in Division 1 after consecutive podium finishes, while Nigel Stoke’s Classic Knud Reimers 61 Fidelis finished third.
DIVISION 2 – THE BALANDRA PLATE
John Griffin’s Cheoy Lee 47ft Ketch Zara took home overall honours in Division 2, after finishing fourth in Race 1 and second in Race 2.
Griffin lifted the Balandra Plate, a tribute to another of the Sydney Hobart’s historic boats, Balandra, built in Tasmania by Jock Muir for Robert Crichton-Brown, the Admiral’s Cup winner.
Race 1 winner Nike clinched second overall after finishing sixth in Race 2, while David Salter’s Swanson Mister Christian was third.
DIVISION 3 – THE SOLO TROPHY
Victory in Race 2 handed John Newcomb’s Nirvana 1 the overall win in Division 3 and the Solo Trophy as a result.
Vic Meyer’s Solo won Sydney Hobart Line Honours twice (1956 & 1962), as well as two Tattersall Cups (1958 & 1959).
Nirvana 1 was level with Suraya on five points, as Carl Sriber took home the second place trophy.
Bruce Gould’s Phillip Rhodes Classic Yawl Margaret Rintoul was third overall in Division 3 after finishing second in Race 2.
VIEW THE FULL RESULTS FROM THE 2021 SYDNEY HOBART CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA