Etihad Stadium motoring towards Eden after being dismasted. Image copyright Etihad Stadium/Wild Thing Yachting.
by Lisa Ratcliff
Tuesday morning representatives from seven of the eight maxis lining up for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart became mini boat skippers, racing two feet long model boats in the inaugural Little Boat Challenge.
The event, held in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia marina, was a preview to tomorrow’s SOLAS Big Boat Challenge and the highly anticipated Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours contest which will play out for real in a week and a half.
Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo, represented by Kiwi helmsman Erle Williams, won the best of three series with two wins while Wild Oats XI’s skipper Mark Richards picked up one victory.
Etihad Stadium dismasted. Image copyright Etihad Stadium/Wild Thing Yachting.
Following the model boat race the seven skippers and boat reps faced the press with the first question directed at Neville Crichton, whose spare mast may end up being cut in half and transported from Europe to Sydney as the replacement mast for Grant Wharington’s Etihad Stadium (Wild Thing).
Crichton acknowledged that Wharington is a fighter but admitted his gut feeling is that Wharington is going to need “a hell of a lot of luck”.
Speaking on the impending battle for line honours in Australia’s premier yacht race, Crichton added: “I don’t think there’s been a race like this, ever.”
Mark Richards gave Wild Oats XI a 30% chance of repeating their remarkable success over the past four races adding, “It’s an honour to be racing against these guys”.
He said he really enjoyed today’s model boat races because he had the opportunity to “elbow the other guys out of the way”, unlike the approaching ocean classic when it will be take no prisoners - each skipper hands at the wheel of their 90 to 100 footers as they power down the coast following the 1pm start on Boxing Day, 26 December.
Ludde Ingvall’s 90 footer Tokolosh was renamed today, the boat now called YuuZoo.
Etihad Stadium/Wild Thing Yachting
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
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