Matthew Flinders achieved it more than two centuries ago, 40 cruising yachts are currently doing it – circumnavigating Australia’s island State of Tasmania. Now the challenge is for maxi yachts to race around Tasmania in January, 2012!
Sailing yacht Terra Firma passes Tasmanias beautiful rugged coastline - Peter Campbell ©
Flinders confirmed that Van Diemen’s Land, as Tasmania was then called, was indeed an island, and a fleet of cruising yachts and motor cruisers are following in his wake in the biennial Van Diemen’s Circumnavigation Cruise.
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania is now seeking expressions of interest from owner/skippers of the world’s fastest maxi yachts to compete in a race around Tasmania to follow shortly after the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.
The 670 nautical mile circumnavigation, from Hobart to Hobart, will take the fleet past the most spectacular coastline in Australia and, at times, into the toughest sailing waters around the continent.
Depending on which way the fleet is sent, the yachts will sail past the towering cliffs and colourful bays of Tasman Island, along the East Coast, through the ripping tidal waters of Banks Strait, across Bass Strait, along the exposed and lonely shores of the West Coast and into the ‘Roaring Forties’ to round the southern coast of Tasmania, then past historic Bruny Island, explored by so many great navigators.
The start and finish would be at Hobart, capital city of Tasmania, 11 nautical miles up the River Derwent from well-named Storm Bay.
“Maxi yacht skipper Sean Langman has already shown keen interest and we hope that visiting maxi yachts Leopard of London and Rambler will be among the maxi yachts that take up the challenge before leaving Tasmania,” RYCT sailing manager Richard Scarr said.
The Around Tasmania Challenge will be from Hobart to Hobart and will start in early January 2012, allowing maxi yacht and their crews’ time to recuperate after the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
Scarr says a decision on whether to leave the island of Tasmania to port or starboard probably will be made on the day of the race, adding a further challenge to the event.
“We have not yet decided on some of the small islands they will have to pass, including the passage inside or outside Bruny Island, or we may leave that decision to the yachts’ navigators, as we did with the Mewstone Race,” Scarr added.
“This is going to be a unique race for line honours between some of the fastest 90-footers to 100-footers in the world and an exciting follow-up to the Rolex Sydney Hobart,” he added.
Peter Campbell, Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
