Photo: TOUCAN, Sail No: 3322 Skipper: Edward Curry-Hyde/Lincoln Dews, Club: RPAYC/CYCA, NSW, Design: Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300. photo ©Rolex/Andrea Francolini
Jeanneau Sun Fasts Rewrite Hobart History
by Lee Condell, Performance Boating Sales Director
The 80th Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest 628 nautical mile ocean races in the world. As is so often the case, it was the smaller yachts that bore the brunt of the punishment, particularly the 18 boats in the double-handed division. Among them were three Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300s, Toucan, Borderline and Hip-Nautic, along with the Sun Fast 3600 Beautemps. All were amateur-crewed, with the sole exception of Toucan, whose co-skipper is a professional.
From the very first gun it was clear this was going to be brutal. The fleet charged south into 25-30 knots of southerly wind, 3-4 metre seas and a two-knot counter current hugging the coast. The forecast suggested the first 36 hours would be punishing, but as it turned out the fleet endured nearly 48 hours of it, with some yachts reporting gusts up to 38 knots. The second night was described by many as particularly savage, and the retirements began to mount due to seasickness, injuries and breakages.
That is a tough opening to a four-day race for double-handers, yet all four Sun Fasts emerged unscathed and very much in the hunt. Early on, the lead battle was between the JPK 10.80 BNC – my::Net and the Lombard 34 Mistral. Sadly, Mistral was forced to withdraw after one crew member suffered an injury. Lurking as another favourite was the JPK 10.40 Min River, co-skippered by Alex Raison, often described as the Max Verstappen of small-boat double-handed racing, fresh from winning the Fastnet overall for the second time in the double-handed division earlier in the year.
Crews spoke of just how physically demanding the conditions were. Dropping a headsail meant wrestling it down on a bucking foredeck, getting sail ties on, bagging it and dragging it below, before hauling a smaller headsail on deck, attaching sheets and making the hoist, all while being thrown around and taking green water over the head. It is a difficult, exhausting process at the best of times, and even more so for two-person crews in these conditions. Strategically, teams faced a constant dilemma: stay offshore in a rougher sea state with favourable current beneath you, or duck inshore into flatter water but fight a counter current. More often than not, preserving both boat and crew dictated the call.
Just over 48 hours into the race the wind finally backed, allowing competitors to crack sheets and begin the crossing of Bass Strait. As the smaller yachts approached the Tasmanian east coast the breeze swung further to the north east, and boats began to accelerate south. For many crews, this was the first real chance to eat a warm meal and get some meaningful sleep. Behind BNC, there was virtually nothing between the next eight yachts on handicap as they gybed their way down the coast.
Near Tasman Island, just before the turn into Storm Bay, BNC extended their advantage, while behind them positions continued to shuffle. Hip-Nautic enjoyed a standout night, edging into the lead among the 3300s, initially flying a symmetric spinnaker. Meanwhile, Borderline reported rudder damage after striking a UFO. The crew stopped to inspect the situation, found things seemed serviceable, and pressed on cautiously, although it later became clear the rudder was bent.
Each of the three Sun Fast 3300s was configured differently, leading to varying ratings based largely on sail inventories. Hip-Nautic carried the highest rating at 1.026, followed by Borderline at 1.018, with Toucan at 1.012 without water ballast. In gusts touching 25 knots they all changed down to smaller A sails and were still absolutely flying. These are conditions the 3300s thrive in, and at least one boat reported sitting on 16 knots for several hours. At one point, in the middle of the fourth night, all three 3300s were sailing side by side, with the 3600 Beautemps not far astern.
As the fleet entered Storm Bay, some of the slower, older-style yachts began to look threatening overall, including the famous S&S 47 Love & War and the double-handed S&S 34 Crux. However, once into the bay, the 3300s made strong progress across to the final phase of the race, the notoriously unpredictable Derwent River, where history shows that anything can, and often does, happen.
This time, with the race already four days old, the boats entered the Derwent with 15 miles to run in the middle of the day. The breeze was relatively stable, and the fleet enjoyed a clean run to the finish. Hip-Nautic crossed the line just two and a half minutes ahead of Toucan, with Borderline finishing an hour and a half later.
Although a protest later swapped first and second place, the results have now been finalised. For the first time in the race’s history, a double-handed yacht has claimed the overall Tattersalls Trophy, and for the first time in many years small boats have dominated the overall results. Three Jeanneau Sun Fasts finished in the top ten overall, a remarkable and well-earned achievement.
© Performance Boating Sales
Results
Double-Handed IRC
3rd Toucan (SF3300)
6th Borderline (SF3300)
7th Hip-Nautic (SF3300)
11th Beautemps (SF3600)
Overall IRC
4th Toucan
9th Borderline
10th Hip-Nautic
Division 5 IRC
5th Gizmo (SF3600 – fully crewed)
11th Wyuna (SF3600 – fully crewed)
15th Beautemps
Division 6 IRC
3rd Toucan
6th Borderline
7th Hip-Nautic
Full results at the official RSHYR website here…
Great pics and interviews with Borderline crew (Andy Offord and Ian Hoddle) and Toucan crew (Lincoln Dews and Edward Curry Hyde) on the Bow Caddy Facebook page here…
Photo: TOUCAN, Sail No: 3322, Owner: Edward Curry-Hyde, Skipper: Edward Curry-Hyde/Lincoln Dews, Club: RPAYC/CYCA, NSW, Design: Sun Fast 3300, LOA (m): 9.99, Year: 2023 Protected by copyright. photo ©Rolex/Andrea Francolini