Time, food and water - the problems for Sydney Hobart fleet

7:01 PM Tue 29 Dec 2009 GMT

'Tasman Island - guards the entrance to Storm Bay' Rolex

Yesterday afternoon strong southerly gusts of 40 knots bounced off the towering 300 metre dolerite cliffs of Tasman Island. But this morning around 3am the wind flicked around from the south to north east and now it's gradually building, but not fast enough for the racing fleet still at sea.

It's the fifth day of the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart race and three critical things, time food and water are starting to run light for the 40 footers still in with an overall handicap chance in this blue water classic.

This light weather race has proven every bit as tough for the 100 boat fleet, as the other 64 race with patience tested more than anything else. Most of the mid and smaller boats have provisions for a race a day shorter than this one has been.

Overnight the 50 footers mid fleet racing crews endured the light winds of the Derwent and devoured pies and optimistically re-hydrated with beer dockside.

Stephen Ainsworths Reichel Pugh 63 Loki finished in sunlight at 19:41, then Geelong sailor Rob Hanna's Shogun led the 50 footers at 21:16, Geoff Ross' Yendys 21:47, Ray Roberts Evolution Racing 22:27, Michael Hiatt's living Doll 23:28, Matt Short and family aboard the first of the TP52's Shortwave 23:36, Sydney Fischers Ragamuffin 11:56, last years overall winner Bob Steel's Quest at 12:45, then Brook Lenfest's super cruiser Farr 100 Rapture at 12:48, Alan Whitley's Cougar II at 01:43, Leo Rodriguez and the Airlie Beach bunch on the aged Volvo 60 Merit at 2am, Geoff Boettcher and his much improved Reichel Pugh 51 Secret Mens Business 3.5, ahead of Jason Van der Slot's Calm at 3:45am

Now the bulk of the 40 footers are approaching Tasman Light, Anthony Patersons Ker 37 is already around Tasman Light.

Light it is too with 3-5 knots of breeze not providing the power needed to blast any of the current prospects the miles across storm Bay, past the Iron Pot and up the Derwent in time to win the Tattersalls Cup, the overall IRC handicap victory.

Possibly James Connell and his Zephyr Hamilton Elevators may yet find the winning elevator, now 38 miles south east of St Helens, 140 miles from Hobart.

But the music coming from the Organ Pipes at Cape Raoull, at the entrance to storm bay is Rhaaan - it seems even nature has its money on the 72 footer British entry R?n who crossed the finished line yesterday at 9:27am yesterday morning.

The Judel Vroljik 72 (pronounced Rhaan), owned by Nicklas Zennstr?m, the 43 year old Swedish Internet billionaire cofounder of Kazaa, Skype and Juust, won the 2009 Rolex Fastnet race and was a convincing winner in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 in Costa Smeralda, well ahead of Roger Sturgeon's STP 65 the winner of the 2007 Sydney Hobart.

Time will tell but right now, it seems that R?n is running away with the Hobart race.

by Rob Kothe

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Time, food and water - the problems for Sydney Hobart fleet

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