Sydney to Hobart yacht race bow one of craziest most dangerous job in world sport

It’s dangerous, physical and high pressure, requiring balance, courage and great communication. It’s one of the toughest and craziest jobs in world sport and these sailors need to take a bow.

A bowman on Scallywag hard at work during the Big Boat Challenge in the lead-up to the Sydney to Hobart where his job will be a lot wetter - and bouncier. Picture: Andrea Francolini

By day he works in insurance but the week between Christmas and New Year this sailor transforms into action man on one of the smallest, most dangerous and wettest sporting fields in the world - the bow of a Sydney to Hobart racer.

It takes precision, planning, great balance, strength, agility, lots of communication and a little bit of crazy to do the role well.

Sven Runow and fellow bowmen and women are the daredevils of the high seas, adrenaline junkies who are working one of the most dangerous jobs in world sport.

At any given moment, a buck of their yacht could fling them high, or over the side, only a safety harness and the skills of their steerers and trimmers between them and potential disaster.

It’s one of the reasons this is one of the most respected jobs on a racer of any size in the Sydney to Hobart.

The bowman aboard the Hong Kong entry Scallywag in a lead-up race to the Sydney to Hobart. Picture: David Gray/AFP.

But it’s not for the faint-hearted or those prone to sea sickness.

These men and women are backed around wildly at sea. Fire-hosed with tons of water, and often washed down the deck.

The are on call 24/7, working to ensure sails and halyard are neat and untangled.

One mistake can make the difference between a win and a result they won’t be boasting about in the pub at the end of racing.

And it’s so wet that in the past it wasn’t uncommon to see a bowman run up on deck in only his undies so he could dry off more easily before returning to his bunk.

The working area for a bowman is seriously small and slippery. Picture: Andrea Francolini

Bowman Matt Kelway aboard the Sydney to Hobart racer Beau Geste 80 during a training session on the harbour a few years ago. Picture: Andrea Francolini

At 53, Runow is the oldest bowman and foredeck hand on a line honours contender but also one of the most winning sailors in the fleet, with nine line honours wins and four overall crowns on NSW yachts Sovereign, Bumblebee V and Wild Oats X1

Despite the physicality, he wouldn’t be in any other position - dryer or not - for quids.

“You’d think I’d get wiser but I haven’t. I just love the adrenaline and being part of a team,’’ said Runow, this year running the bow of the defending champion Andoo Comanche.

"I like being part of a team but I like to be a specialist.’’

He also like co-ordinating his “department’’.

Bowmen working aboard Naval Group in a previous race. Picture: Andrea Francolini.

Sven Runow, one of the races most successful sailors. Pic: Andrea Francolini

“A lot of our work is driven by the winches but the hardest things is doing the (sail) drop, getting the sails into bags and lashing them down. Some sails can weigh 250 kilos,’’ he said.

“Especially when you are heeled over, it’s quite an effort and can take 10 guys.’’

Runow said being on an almost permanent heel makes life particularly difficult for the bow crew.

“The heeling is the hardest thing. There’s so much water coming over the boat,’’ he said.

“The water fills the sails, pushes them to leeward and you are forever trying to push them to windward.

“It’s a co-ordinated team effort and the helm needs to steer a safe course for it.’’

Runow said safety is a major issues aboard yachts like Andoo Comanche with crews putting time and effort into safety and man overboard drills.

“Comanche is alway doing 20 knots. If you go over the side it’s a major. It would be 15 minutes before the boat could turn around … you could be 10 miles away.

“Safety is paramount. We practice man overboard, we practice having a swimmer in the water, wincing them aboard.

The propensity for injury on the bow is also high, something Sydney sailor Emma May knows first had.

May is one of only a handful of women who have made the bow their own on top yachts in recent years with 2023 her eighth race to Hobart.

While on Disco Trooper this year, a yacht she will sail alongside Clipper round the world winner Weny Tiuck and owner Jules Hall, her previous rides have include Koa and Grace O’Malley.

“It’s a crazy job, a bit manic and there are hours when you do nothing and hours and hours when you do nothing but change sails,’’ May said.

“It’s hard work on a volatile platform but I think its more thrilling than hard. It’s a thrill every time it (the sail) goes up the right way. It ticks so many boxes.

Emma May has been injured on the job.

A bowman earning his pay on LawConnect

“I feel like I’ve been pretty lucky but I had one of my first concussions when a spinnaker pole got dropped on my head but that wasn’t in a Sydney to Hobart.

“I did break my ribs once trying to drop as spinnaker at night. I was clipped on but then I got washed out by 10 seconds of waves.

“I was at the hatch, got washed back to the rudder winch and broke it. At least I broke it so it I didn’t look like I was carrying on.’’

The worst thing for physiotherapist May was she had to return to work a day or so later with the painful injury because she’s used up all her holiday leave to go sailing.

Spanish sailor Simbad Quiroga is competing in his first race south and looking forward to the challenge.

The 27-year-old naval architect is recognised as a leader in the game and was bought to Australia to race on Christian Beck’s LawConnect.

“The other bowman is a good friend so we work well together,’’ he said.

“Its fun. You have moments with a lot of action and it’s hard. You move the sails, get the halyards, if you make a mess it’s an amazing problem.

“You have to be neat and tidy because the bow is always under the water.

“But I don’t mind. We are used to being wet. If we are not sailing we are surfing.’’

And there’s a very big advanatge to being on the bow on a yacht in with a change of winning the Sydney to Hobart on line or corrected time - these sailing thrill seekers get to boast they were actually the first sailors to cross the finish line of one of the toughest races in the world.