Grand 'old lady' wins Lord Howe Island Yacht Race

4:44 AM Tue 28 Oct 2008 GMT

'Sanyo Maris soon after the start of the Gosford Lord Howe Race' Peter Campbell &copy Click Here to view large photo

The classic timber yawl Sanyo Maris is provisional winner of the IRC rating division of the Hempel 35th Gosford - Lord Howe Island Yacht Race - at the remarkable age of 50!/b>

Skjippered by Clean Up Australia founder Ian Kiernan, the 12m yawl crossed the finish line under spinnaker at 11.01.52 this morning and comfortable take top handicap honours. She is believed to be the oldest yacht to win a major long ocean race in Australian waters, certainly in modern times.

Designed by the late Alan Payne and originally owned by marine artist the late Jack Earl, Maris has been owned by Kiernan for 38 years and he plans to continue the yacht's 50th celebrations by competing in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Among her crew and now a part-owner of the winning boat is Tiare Tomaszewski, a grand daughter of Jack Earl who named the boat Maris after his daughter, Tiare's mother.

Sanyo Maris finished the 414 nautical mile race across the norhtern Tasman Sea with more than two and a half hours up here sleeve on handicap to win the IRC division from Occasional Coarse Language from Sydney and the Newcastle boat One for the Road.

by Pter Campbell

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Grand 'old lady' wins Lord Howe Island Yacht Race

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