Mother and daughter, Annette Hesselmans and Sophie Snijders, crossed the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race finish line late last evening on Fika, the only one of the three female double handed crews to finish the tough 628 nautical mile race.
The crew of Fika, a 14.9 metre Najad 1490, did what they came to do, qualify for the 5500 nautical mile Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race which starts in March 2025.
Hesselmans and Snijders were leading the PHS double handed division, with two of their contemporaries yet to finish the race and two others retired, including another female pairing.
On docking and learning they were leading their Double Handed division in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s race, Hesselmans said: “That’s really exciting. We don't wish Rumchaser any bad luck, but I hope we keep our first place, because it's a real honour and we feel really excited to have come first - if that is the case.
Snijders added, I don't think we were expecting any place on any leaderboard. If we come away with a win, that would be so incredible.”
Hesselmans continued, “I'm really proud of the two of us and Fika, we just had an excellent race. We tried to push as hard as we could, as safely as we could as well.”
“Going across Bass Strait,” Hesselmans said was her favourite part of the race. “We started the day with a beautiful sunny morning. Fika was just gliding along and the colours were just beautiful. We felt like we were powering along.
“I probably pushed Fika more than I normally would, because we just wanted to do the best we possibly could, so she was just powering along and that was a really beautiful day.”
This was a first Sydney Hobart for Snijders, who said, “I have a lot of respect for how challenging it is. So many different conditions thrown at you. You’re going into a tricky area where you have these fronts coming through, so you can really have everything.
Kismet leaving Sydney Harbour Photo: Salty Dingo
This was a first Sydney Hobart for Snijders, who said, “I have a lot of respect for how challenging it is. So many different conditions thrown at you. You’re going into a tricky area where you have these fronts coming through, so you can really have everything.
“It was really great and challenging. Overall, we had a really great race. I think we did really well. We made good miles and good speeds.”
As preparation for the Melbourne Osaka Cup, Hesselmans said, “I think the conditions we had for this Sydney Hobart are pretty well everything we're going to experience in the Osaka. We're going to have doldrums where we're just going to be days drifting helplessly and quite strong conditions as well.
“I thought we worked really well as a team. We don't yell at each other. It's just very harmonious. So bring it on – I couldn't ask for a better co skipper.”
Behind Fika, there were six yachts left on the race course. Two double handed entries, Rumchaser (Andrew Butler/Peter Just) and Inukshuk (Robert Large/Stuart Watson) were the next home, well in time for the New Year.
Down at Kings Pier, revellers were getting read to see the New Year in when David Hows’ Silver Fern, skippered by John Chambers, crossed the Royal Tasmania Yacht Club manned finish line at 11:11:46pm.
Silver Fern was followed by Tasmanian father and son double handers, Ken and Tristan Gourlay at 11:23:01pm. By the time both had dropped sails and glided into the marina, both crews received a resounding welcome from onlookers amid the New Years Eve fireworks. It couldn’t be a better way to finish on a beautiful still night in Hobart.
That left just two at sea after midnight. Sean Langman and Peter Inchbold missed the New Years Eve celebrations, but did notch up their 33rd Sydney Hobarts together on Langman’s 1955 built Kismet. The two finished the race on the beautifully restored 1955 built Illingworth/Penrose 30 at 05:05:23 on New Years Day.
Finally, Matthew Harvey’s Shipwright 70, Salt Lines (NSW), hampered by lack of wind on the Derwent, is still to finish. She has 3.6 nautical miles left to the finish.
The last two to finishers are expected later today.
