'This is the boat' that could win Sean Langman his first Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Sean Langman, Managing Director of Australian Marine company Noakes Group, believes his yacht has what it takes to help him secure his first-ever win in a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Langman, whose involvement in the celebrated event spans 33 races, will sail Back 2 Black (formerly Khumbu) in the race’s 80th edition. The GP42 is the 100th entry in this milestone anniversary edition of the 628 nautical mile epic.
The name Back 2 Black pays homage to the multitalented musician, the late Amy Winehouse, who co-wrote the song with producer Mark Ronson in 2006.
Langman has sailed on many different yachts in the Sydney Hobart fleet - the Reichel/Pugh 69 Moneypenny, the Open 66 Grundig and the Illingworth/Penrose 30 Kismet, to name only a few.
“The wonderful thing about ocean racing is everyone has an opportunity [to win], from maxis down to Maluka [a 9.5m Huon pine, gaff-rigged yacht]. But I do feel this is the boat,” Langman said.
Langman said Back 2 Black has the potential to race its way to the podium and the coveted Tattersall Cup. He said the yacht has the capability to capitalise on its competitors in the moments that matter.
“To race against much larger boats is to pick your battles and to know when to push and know when to pace yourself,” Langman said. “So, with a race like the Sydney Hobart, if the weather gets rough we just have to keep the mast pointing to the sky, keep the crew safe, and then when we get our moment, really go for it.”
Sean Langman - owner and skipper of Back 2 Black. Photo: Ashley Dart
The king of boat restoration
Langman has a knack for boat restoration and for finding the right boat to restore.
“I've got a bit of a habit of boats finding me,” Langman said. “I see something special in them, and that just comes out with the way that we go about the redesign process.”
He restored the 1950s yacht Kismet after he found her half-submerged in Sydney Harbour. He went on to sail her double-handed in the 2024 Sydney Hobart. It’s a similar story for Back 2 Black. When Langman first saw the yacht in a shed in the UK, he knew she had the potential to become a speed machine.
Langman at the bow of Kismet in the 2024 Sydney Hobart. Photo: Ashley Dart
Langman and his team took six months to transform the yacht from a day racer to an offshore powerhouse. It was a tight turnaround to ensure that the yacht was ready for the Admiral’s Cup, which took place in the Solent, UK, in July. The final race of the Admiral’s Cup was the 100th Fastnet Race (695 nautical miles).
Back 2 Black placed eighth in the Admiral’s Cup class results. Langman ended that campaign with the feeling that Back 2 Black had more to prove.
“After that event I went, well what’s next?” Langman said.
The Back 2 Black crew racing hard in the Solent Photo: RORC
The crew
Joining Langman for the ride south this year are a mix of old friends and family members. Many of the crew have come across from Langman's Moneypenny program. And majority of his Back 2 Black crew are amateur sailors who have 'regular' day jobs.
“I'm really looking forward to racing with old mates,” Langman said.
Back 2 Black rounds County Cork's Fastnet Rock in the 2025 Fastnet Race. Photo: RORC
All guns blazing for the Sydney Hobart win
The yacht is currently on a ship en route to Australia, along with maxi and fellow Sydney Hobart entry SHK Scallywag.
It will be all guns blazing for Langman and his team once that yacht arrives on home shores. Boat work to be done includes more waterproofing and minor adjustments to improve the yacht’s IRC rating.
Back 2 Black’s Sydney Hobart campaign will involve plenty of training sessions in addition to the Cabbage Tree Island Race on 5 December, where Langman looks forward to seeing how Back 2 Black shapes up against the other 40 footers.
The closest Langman came to winning the Sydney Hobart Overall was in 2023, when Moneypenny placed third.
“I'm eyeing the prize now,” he said.
To win the Sydney Hobart is a life-long dream for Langman, who first competed when he was a 20-year-old. Although he’s competed in 33 Sydney Hobarts, he said he gets a “buzz” every time he sees the Organ Pipes and rounds Tasman Island.
“This will be my 34th race and it feels exactly the same as the first time,” Langman said. “I get the same level of butterflies as when I was a kid.”
Back 2 Black racing in the Solent. Photo: RORC
