Winning the Sydney to Hobart on Balance - by Dave Taylor
Boxing Day started with a clear sunny sky
and the forecast of a strong Noreaster for
the first afternoon of the race before a
southerly change later the first evening.
The boat was all prepared and ready to go.
Battens were tensioned and spinnakers
wooled. On the way out to the start line
we had our team briefing in the cockpit.
Our Navigator advised us of the southerly
front due to peak at 40 – 45 knots and
Around 8-9pm that evening, signs of the
front were arriving and the land wind
stations were showing that the front
was through Green Cape. As the front
approached we put two reefs in the
mainsail and the number 4 headsail while
still sailing with the A2 up. The transition
between the Noreaster and the Southerly
was very quick, we were in 30 knots of
wind within 2-3 minutes.
that we would be in this front and a
second slightly harder front for at least
24 hours, so mentally we had to prepare
ourselves for a very uncomfortable first
night and second day of the race.
After the start we managed to make
some ground following a bad start and
were the second TP52 of nine out of the
Harbour. The A4 running spinnaker and
spinnaker staysail was set and we were
off down the coast doing between 15
and 22 knots through the water. As the
wind dropped a little we peeled to the A2
running spinnaker and continued south.
Mid-afternoon our Tactician called for an
early gybe and we gybed onto port and
headed back into the coast to await the
front which was due.
The southerly at around 35 knots was with
us all night, and early the next morning
we sailed inside Montague Island.
Midmorning on the second day the wind
increased again with the second front to
40-45 knots and went south west slightly.
We spent all day on starboard tack in
very uncomfortable weather and with the
whole crew on the rail. By the next evening
the wind was abating and we started our
official watch system for the race at 6pm
on the second night of the race.
By the morning of the third day we were
well in Bass Straight but the wind had
dropped to 2-3 knots and we were drifting
towards Hobart. This is where we decided
to sticky back the main that had shredded
from being reefed on the first night.
Eventually a third softer front arrived from
the S-SW and at around 20-25 knots
and we were on a layline to intersect the
Tasmanian coast around Freycinet. At the
coast the wind went further to the west
and we were able to lay Tasman Light on
starboard tack.
After rounding Tasman Light around
1230pm we had to make a few tacks to get
around Cape Raoul and we were waiting
on a small southerly to arrive which would
help us down the Derwent. The southerly
arrived as we approached the Iron Pot and
we were under a masthead Zero doing
15-18 knots down the Derwent towards
the finish line. A small turn left with the
headsail back up and MH0 furled had us
cross the finish line at 4:50pm for 7th on
line honours and first of the 50 footers.
When we finished we were advised that
we had won Division 1 on IRC and were
placed 3rd Overall on IRC. Then began the
waiting game…in the early hours on the
morning of the 31st December Balance
was declared overall winner on IRC and
winner of the Tattersalls Cup.
Image: Balance on her way to overall
honours Credit-ROLEX-Studio Borlenghi
Stefano Gattini
Below: Dave Taylor and his Crew Medal