Sydney to Hobart 2019: Timber yacht Fidelis causing a stir
Age has not wearied this beautiful former line honours winner of the Sydney to Hobart now on course to taste success again in the great race.
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More than half a century after a beautiful timber yacht claimed line honours in the Sydney to Hobart the ageing beauty is on track to taste success on the high seas again.
Now owned by Sydney’s Nigel Stroke, the Kauri pine slimline yacht was on Friday leading the Grand Veterans division of the 75th Sydney to Hobart.
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Known as one of the prettiest yachts on Sydney Harbour and based out of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron at Kirribilli, Fidelis took line honours in the 1966 Sydney to Hobart under a different owner by a whopping 17 hours and 27 minutes.
This is in contrast to the closest race finish in 1982 when Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo across the line by a measly seven seconds.
Bough by Stoke in 1994 she was race in the 50th Sydney to Hobart and again in 2006 to celebrate 50 years since her line honours win.
Now 55 years on she is contesting the 75th Sydney to Hobart.
Late Friday the 60-footer was leading another former winner, Kialoa II which won the race in 1971, with the oldest yacht ever to contest the race, the 105-year-old Katwinchar, third.
The three-time overall winner, Simon Kurt’s timber yacht Love & War was fourth.