Another Sydney Hobart - Another family affair
by Greta Quealy | RSHYR Media 21 Dec 19:51 NZDT
26 December 2024
Oroton Drumfire in Sydney Harbour © RSHYR | Ashley Dart
Sailing isn't as easy as it might look to some - and add the complexities of family dynamics and the whole adventure has the capacity to go pear-shaped.
But every year, sailors related by blood, who share a passion for the sport, enter the Rolex Sydney Hobart - some sailing together and others (arguably, more wisely) on separate boats. This year is no different.
Father and son reunite on Midnight Rambler
In 2014, 18-year-old Ben Psaltis' did his first Hobart with Dad, Sydney Hobart veteran Ed Psaltis on Ed's Ker 40, St George Midnight Rambler. It was Ed's 33rd, which he claimed at the time to be his last.
Ten years have passed since that race and Ed is about to embark on his 42nd Hobart on his Sydney 36, Midnight Rambler.
Ben, who has now done six Sydney Hobarts, is sailing the race for just the second time with Ed. In between, he took the faster option south, crewing on yachts such as Triton and Gweilo.
When asked if he could ever top his father's 42 Sydney Hobarts, the 29-year-old professional sailor turned law graduate, laughed: "I'm already well behind.
"He is one of those guys that truly loves the sport. I guess it's the purity of it."
Ben, who lives in Sydney, has had little time to train on Ed's now Tasmanian-based yacht, but looks forward to sailing again with his dad again.
"It is nice to do things together," Ben said. "That's the one thing everyone looks back on, is doing more with your dad. So, I'm happy to be here and it'll mean a lot to him."
Sailing - a shared passion for father and daughter
Jan 'Clogs' Scholten will sail in his 20th Sydney Hobart this year, his second as a Double Handed competitor on the J/99 Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth, co-skippered by the boat's owner, Jules Hall. Jan's daughter, Anneliese, is sailing in her second on the Farr 45, Pretty Woman.
Jan couldn't be prouder of his 25-year-old daughter. He said when Anneliese was little and starting out, along with other kids, he and the other parents bribed them with the promise of sausage rolls, eggs, hot soup: "Whatever it took", to get them on the water.
Twenty years on, both are competing in one of the most challenging events on the yachting calendar, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's (CYCA) annual race.
"It's a special moment in a parent's life to see their children follow your passion," Jan said. "To hold your own in a Hobart race is scary. Scary for me every year - and so scary for them. I admire her doing the race for her own reasons."
While Jan and his co-skipper are aiming to top the Double Handed division for a second time since they won it in 2021, Anneliese and the Pretty Woman crew are looking to win the Corinthian IRC for a second year running.
Jan has provided Anneliese with a few words of wisdom and tips on sailing etiquette (for example, always offer to do the delivery home), but his main role is to provide support - like pay for the pre-race coffee.
"Yes, that's always what I do. Can I get you a coffee?"
As to whether he would compete with his daughter one day, Jan says, "Our relationship could manage it easily. I would grab that opportunity with both hands for sure."
Three's a ball on Oroton Drumfire
Joining his parents, Will and Jane Vicars, for his first Sydney Hobart is 24-year-old Johnny Vicars. It's Jane and Will's fifth Sydney Hobart and they have only ever sailed the race on Will's glamour of the fleet, the Hoek TC78, Oroton Drumfire,
Johnny's position is at the mast, assisting the bow crew. Will and Jane, on different watches for the race, will take turns at the helm. Jane also deals with "anything else in the middle of the yacht" and "makes sure everyone eats well".
She is thrilled to have her son on board but is also nervous for him.
"I feel responsible for everybody on the boat. I just want everyone to get there safely and have a great time."
She looks forward to helping the star-studded Oroton Drumfire crew (including Jessica Watson, Stacey Jackson and Carolijn Brouwer) defend their 2023 Sydney Hobart PHS overall win.
"I always look forward to it," Jane said. "I cannot wait to sail out of the Harbour and turn right on Boxing Day. It's my favourite part of the race."
Active Again aims for third Jane Tate Memorial Trophy
Another husband and wife team are Stephanie and Stephen Kerin on the Humphreys 54 Active Again. Like the Vicars on Oroton Drumfire, sailing has always been a shared interest.
In around 2011, the couple, who now live in Queensland but grew up in Hobart, bought their first yacht - a Bavaria 38 - with the purpose of cruising. But their competitive natures led them to an upgrade to a DK46, Dekadence and then to Active Again for theirs and the boat's first Sydney Hobart since 2019.
It is also the Kerins' fourth Sydney Hobart, but only their second together. Stephanie is the steerer on the yacht and Stephen (who will be on the opposite watch) shifts) is her 2IC (second in charge).
This year, Stephanie's main goal is to win the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy, for first female skipper across the finish line, for a record third time in her Sydney Hobart career. Only two other women have won the Trophy twice before.
Stephanie first won it in 2016 and again in 2019. She's hoping for upwind conditions, which should give Active Again an edge over the TP52 Ocean Crusaders J-Bird co-skippered by Annika Thomson, who has also won two Jane Tate Memorial Trophies. There are others she will need to watch, such as Awen, an IMOCA 60 with gun sailor, Sharon Ferris-Choat, skippering.