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12:06 AM Fri 2 Jan 2009 GMT
 | | 'Shortwave enjoyed the reaching conditions at the race start - Heemskirk Consolidated Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Races 2008'
Teri Dodds
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Not far from the Sydney to Hobart hoopla at Constitution Dock, the Melbourne to Hobart winner cut a lonely, less glamorous figure at the adjacent Watermans Dock.
But that was mostly because line-honours winner Shortwave was waiting for its competition to catch up after it smashed the race record by 5? hours.
It was the Sydney-based Shortwave's skipper Matthew Short and his crew who were standouts in Hobart, not just because of their dominant line-honours title.
The Shortwave crew consists of skipper Short, his wife Christine, and their four daughters, Kylie, 26, Nikki, 24, Caitlin, 19, and Sarah, 17. Kylie's fiance Matt Smejlis, Christine's brothers Peter and Greg Keighery and cousin Ryan Short son of a Sydney race skipper were also along for the record ride.
Elated with the achievement, Short said sailing together as a family, was of paramount importance in his approach to the sport.
'We place a high emphasis and value on having a good, strong family unit,' Short said. 'We can trust and depend on each member of the family and they work extremely well under pressure and as a team and that pays dividends in sailing.
'It's one of the few sports tailor-made for this sort of thing.'
Nikki sailed an 'easy' Sydney race in 2002.
'I couldn't say it was fun, but it was an experience,' she said. 'The good thing about this race is we can do it with our family and stay up all night talking with these guys; they just keep you entertained.
'I like this race better because my family is here.'
Short has sailed five Sydney and Melbourne races.
His brother Andrew, owns Sydney race yachts ASM Shockwave 5 and Brindabella and his other sibling Ian is sailing the Sydney Hobart race on Mr Beakes Ribs.
Short said in some ways the Melbourne race is its Sydney counterpart's poorer cousin.
'However, the Melbourne to Hobart is in many ways a far more challenging and exciting race,' he said. 'I also consider it fairer because the winds don't seem to get as fickle as coming down the east coast of Tasmania.'
Sarah said the Melbourne race was more challenging.
'It doesn't get recognised as much as it should,' she said.
'There's nowhere to stop in (on Tasmania's west coast) so that makes you more challenged and aware of the need to be stronger and more prepared.
'It's a true ocean race because it's not like you can pull out anywhere.'
by Greg Keighery
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Lord Howe Island Windy Point, NSW
