Skippers start to plan Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race tactics

With the arrival of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet into Australia after a dramatic Southern Ocean crossing, skippers are starting to plan tactics for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (RSHYR) which gets underway exactly a month today.

Having just tackled some of the toughest conditions on the planet during the 5000 mile leg across part of the Southern Ocean, the 628 mile historic Boxing Day race is still a daunting prospect for skippers and their crews.

The Clipper Race yachts are entering the race for the first time and the teams are looking forward to taking on the challenge of this racing classic.

Simon Talbot, skipper of the GREAT Britain entry, which has won the last two legs, is looking forward to continuing his good form. He said: “We may have just lost the first series of the Ashes in appalling fashion, but I’m relishing the prospect of GREAT Britain taking on the big names associated with the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and putting in a respectable performance.

“Having already got more than 15,000 miles of ocean racing under their belts these crews are far from amateur and should not be underestimated,” added Talbot.

In addition to the new Clipper 70 yachts, two former Clipper Race 68 foot yachts, which will be permanently based in a new training base in Sydney, will also participate; Clipper Race founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston will race aboard one of the Clipper 68s in the RSHYR.