Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: "Alive" wins, "Rockall VIII" crosses the finish line after a last-ditch effort

Christopher Opielok and his "Rockall VIII" crew went all out once again on the final leg of the 628 nautical mile Christmas classic. In heavy swell and winds of up to 48 knots, the team fought their way towards the finish line off Hobart. "The boat was barely steerable. It was bitter, it got worse and worse," Christopher Opielok reported on the final challenges at sea shortly after happily arriving in Hobart.

"Rockall VIII": 14th place in the IRC overall standings, second place in Division 4

For Christopher Opielok, crossing the finish line successfully closed a six-year chapter in his sailing history: in 2017, the Hamburg native from the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, who now lives on Lake Tegernsee, took part in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for the first time. Back then, he was the first team to have to abandon the race after breaking a rudder. Now the "unfinished business" has been settled with the completed race.

While the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race continued on the Saturday before New Year's Eve, the "Rockall VIII" crew could not only celebrate their arrival in Hobart. Their 49th place in terms of time sailed (4 days, 3 hours, 47 minutes and 30 seconds) was worth a strong 14th place in the overall IRC rankings, where the JPK 10.80, acquired especially for this 78th edition of the legendary long-distance race from Sydney to Hobart, finished.

"Alive" wins the Tattersall Cup for the second time after 2018

In their IRC Division 4, the 10.80 metre long "Rockall VIII" with sail number R62 was even worth second place. Skipper Christopher Opielok, co-skipper Felix Oehme, navigator Chris Frost, sailmaker Klaas Simon, Mark Lovelady, Stu Lee and Tom Swift celebrated briefly and happily in Hobart before falling into bed exhausted.

Early in the morning of 29 December Australian time, the "Alive" was the fourth boat to arrive in Hobart after just 2 days, 2 hours, 7 minutes and 19 seconds at sea. But it was not until 30 December that the Reichel Pugh 66 was declared the overall IRC winner of the legendary long-distance race by owner Philip Turner. Skipper Duncan Hine, Sailing Master Gavin Brady, top Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan and their crew won the Tattersall Cup for the second time since 2018.

It was a cliffhanger to the bloody end, wasn't it? The Derwent River always pulls something out of its hat" (Duncan Hine)

Skipper Duncan Hine said in Hobart about the second victory of the "Alive" (ex-"Black Jack") in five years: "This is proof that 2018 was not a flash in the pan. I'm really very happy. Phil has such a great boat for regatta sailing. We have a really good crew. And the weather was good for us."

When asked what the key points of the winning race were for the Alive, Duncan Hine named the final stretch up the Derwent River to the finish and the thrilling battle with the URM Group. The skipper said: "It was a cliffhanger to the bloody end, wasn't it? The Derwent River always pulls something out of the hat."

ORC World Champion Gavin Brady successful again, top navigator Adrienne Cahalan with an impressive record

Duncan Hine and his crew had to be patient for two days after their arrival in Hobart. It wasn't until the day before New Year's Eve that the organising Cruising Yacht Club of Australia announced "Alive" as the IRC winner of the prestigious Tattersall Cup. However, Hine said he felt more comfortable waiting for this confirmation than he did in 2018: "I felt a lot more confident than I did in 2018. I thought it was going to be hard to knock us off where we were. If anyone else had managed that, they would have deserved it."

Hine particularly praised his 14-strong crew, including the extremely experienced navigator and circumnavigator Adrienne Cahalan, for whom this was her 31st participation in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - a record for female participants. New Zealand Sailing Master Gavin Brady, whom sailors in this country got to know in August as the tactician on Karl Kwok's ORC World Champion "Beau Geste" in Kiel, as well as Stu Bannatyne and an outstanding international crew are responsible for the "Alive" victory.

Three Reichel-Pugh yachts complete the IRC podium

"We worked hard throughout the race. Everyone gave 100 per cent," said Hine, whose boat came out on top ahead of the two other IRC podium yachts "URM Group" (Reichel Pugh Maxi 72) and "Moneypenny" (Reichel Pugh 69). This meant that the designers from Reichel Pugh were also able to enjoy a full IRC podium.

Click here for the latest video update from the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, which was broadcast in the early morning of 30 December German time - from minute 24:30 you can see "Rockall VIII" arriving in Hobart:

Click here for the overall standings in the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which is still ongoing.