South Australian yacht Rager for Sydney Hobart
Ten years after surviving the fatal storm of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race and finishing 12th on line in that race, top South Australian offshore yacht 'Rager' is preparing for yet another Hobart race.
'Rager'
Daryl Krasu
Owner and Skipper Dr Gary Shanks says the time is right for a ninth family-based race campaign for the legendary 628 mile race on Boxing Day. Rager is the most prolific race entrant from SA in the Hobart as a single boat.
The Shanks family has an impressive record for the famous event - touted as one of the recognised high challenge 'tick boxes' for global adventurers.
This is a genuine family activity. Gary has sailed in eight Hobart races.
Once again the team includes daughter Catherine Shanks and son David Shanks, who between them have sailed a total of 12 Hobarts. These two completed the '98 race aged 16 and 15 respectively - after which the rules were changed to disallow sailors under 18 in following races. Oldest sibling Victoria, who has competed in two Hobart's, will be shore-based this year caring for her 11 month old son while her husband Matt Young is again a member of the crew.
Rager is a notable performer in Australian ocean racing records. This will be the 14th Sydney to Hobart race for the Elliott (NZ) design 56 footer - and the sixth Hobart campaign since a major rebuild in 2000 that added a new keel and rudder design.
Since then the boat has featured in strong placings in the Hobart and achieved line honours wins in the Port Lincoln Classic and multiple local SA Offshore Series competitions, including a win in the '07 Haystack Island 200 mile race, SA's longest offshore event. Rager still holds the race record for the Haystack Island race.
This year Rager raced to second place across the line behind maxi yacht 98ft Skandia Wild Thing in the storm ravaged Adelaide to Port Lincoln Bluewater Classic in which half the fleet withdrew during the first five hours.
'The way we performed in the rough Adelaide to Lincoln race this year told me the time was right to take another trip to Hobart via Sydney,' said Gary Shanks.
'We have a good balanced crew with old heads and young hands with Hobart experience, as well as a few regular South Australian crew who are first timers to the Hobart and all its unknowns.'
'This promises to be a very special race. For those of us who competed in the '98 race it will be a chance to honour the memory of the six sailors who died in that race. On top of that, the world's current unstable weather patterns suggest that this year's race may well be another tough race.'
The 'Rager' team is preparing with races and test trials over the next months in SA offshore races, held in open waters between Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. She will be sailed to Sydney in early December by crew for several corporate sailing events on Sydney Harbour prior to Christmas and the big race.
The CYCA has confirmed that Rager is the first SA yacht to lodge its 'Application for Entry' in the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the formal process by which yachts seek to achieve entry.
by Mike O'Reilly 
Nth Narrabeen, NSW
