Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2021: two-handed sailors Jen Linkova, Jules Hall up for new challenge
They will be wet, cold, fatigued and pretty much alone for the best part of three to four days. So what’s the attraction for this new breed of Sydney to Hobart sailors?
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One is fluctuating between “horrified and excited”. The other happily describes it as a Covid lockdown inspired hare-brain scheme and accepts he will be wet, cold and at time very miserable for up to four days.
Meet the new breed of Sydney to Hobart sailors - women and men who will race the torrid event with just one mate by their side as double-handed sailing makes its debut in the infamous race to Tasmania.
Jen Linkova is racing her 40-foot yacht Flat White with co-skipper Jason Cummings in the two-handed division which has attracted 20 entrants and left plenty wondering why these intrepid sailors want to make an already testing race even tougher.
“I like tough things, I like a challenge,’’ said the Central Coast’s Linkova, a computer network engineer who was born in Russia but has called Australia home for more than a decade.
“I feel horrified and excited at the same time. Right now it is more horrified.
“I saw the boat and I just fell in love, because she’s really beautiful,” said Linkova, who has contested the Sydney to Hobart on four previous occasions.
“I can’t even say what I don’t like about her … except for the price.”
An attraction of two-handed sailing is it is far less expensive to campaign for a Hobart than a full crewed yacht which could carry up to 25 sailors.
On average, most yachts in the fleet will have 10-15 in their crews.
“It’s more democratic offshore racing,’’ said eastern suburbs sailor and advertising company owner Jules Hall, who is racing the 33-footer Disko Tropper - Contender Sailcloth with Sydney to Hobart veteran and fellow Laser sailor Jan Scolten.
“It will be very challenging. It is pushing me right outside my comfort zone but it is a challenge I am excited about.
“I’m clearly a glutton for punishment.’’
The father-of-two said he conceived the idea of racing the Sydney to Hobart with just one crewmate during last year’s Covid lockdown.
He expects to cover the 628 nautical miles between Sydney and Hobart in under four days and he and Scolten will survive on a diet of freeze-dried food they will consume every six hours, along with limited sleep.
The pair are still to work out their watch systems with limited overnight racing in the lead-up to the Hobart due to recent Covid restrictions but are expecting long periods on deck on their own as the other rests.
The two-handed fleet also includes Rupert Henry’s 40-footer Eora, who will sail with co-skipper Greg O’Shea, Rum Rebellion’s Shane Connelly and Graeme Dunlop, Hip-Nautic’s Jean-Pierre Ravanat and John Tanton, Maverick’s Rod Smallman and Leeton Hulley, Salt Shaker’s Peter Franki and Drew Jones and Speedwell’s Campbell Geeves and Wendy Tuck.
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