I was pleased that the overall handicap winner of the Sydney-Hobart yacht race, Two True, is not one of the motor boat brigade. In fact, she’s a brand new Farr-designed Beneteau 40, that doesn’t have a canting keel, water ballast or button-controlled winches. In other words, the crew have to use their muscle power to work the boat. The engine is only used to replenish the batteries and keep the navigation and other lighting powered up and the refrigeration down.
It’s probably just as well that conditions did not deteriorate to match those in the 1993 or 1998 race. The Beneteau I sailed on in 1993, also designed by Bruce Farr, took such a pounding that all the furniture in the forward cabin came free. Luckily, no one wanted to sleep there, forward of the mast, as the boat’s motion was far too uncomfortable but we did have to tie the fittings down so that no further damage occurred.
As the picture shows, we slept on the floor and, just for the records, we made it to Hobart.
