Geoff Hill has made the first entry for the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s inaugural Lord Howe Ocean Race with his Santa Cruz 72, Antipodes. The race is set to commence on the Friday of the October long weekend this year.
Hill, an experienced sailor, has accumulated significant ocean miles with Antipodes, which previously set a record in the RPAYC’s inaugural Sydney to Auckland Race in 2023. Although that record was later broken by Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky, Antipodes managed to secure a commendable position in the race.
Reflecting on the new race, Hill expressed enthusiasm for the format, highlighting its potential to put NSW on the sailing map. “It’s a genuine ocean race – and it’s purely a NSW race,” he remarked. Hill appreciates the challenge of sailing 450 miles to Lord Howe Island and back without any stops, likening it to the Sydney to Auckland race.
Hill believes that hosting the race biennially in even years, alongside the Sydney to Auckland event in odd years, is a strategic move that avoids scheduling conflicts with other major Australian sailing events. He views the Lord Howe Ocean Race as excellent preparation for competitors eyeing the Sydney Hobart race.
At 890 nautical miles, the new Category 1 Lord Howe Ocean Race is slightly shorter than the Sydney to Auckland race but promises equally challenging conditions. The race will start from Broken Bay on Pittwater, pass around Balls Pyramid off Lord Howe Island, and return to the finish at Pittwater.
In addition to the race’s competitive aspects, a special perpetual trophy will be created in honour of the inaugural event, ensuring that the first winner’s achievement is commemorated. The race is open to fully crewed monohulls, double-handed monohulls, and fully crewed multihulls, all subject to compliance.
Antipodes, which has clocked over 100,000 nautical miles, is currently for sale, with Hill confirming it will be available after the Sydney Hobart race. He intends to use the same crew for both the Lord Howe and Sydney Hobart races to foster teamwork among them.
For more information and to enter the race, refer to the Notice of Race available at: https://rpayc.com.au/lord-howe-ocean-race/
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