Sydney to Hobart yacht race family tradition continues for Maddie, Alex Lyons on rival boats

Their boat designer father has already won a Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Now his siblings are on rival boats trying to match his feat and to honour a loved one.

Siblings Maddie and Alex Lyons are ready to race. Pic: Sam Ruttyn

It’s taken a while for Maddie Lyons to catch the sailing bug.

While father David is a well-known yacht designer and former winner of the Sydney to Hobart on Micropay Cuckoos Nest back in 1993, she only began sailing in earnest two years ago to make new friends and meet people after a move from Sydney to the Gold Coast.

“It helped me join a new community and I’m loving it,’’ she said.

“I’m doing the yacht racing but also doing a bit of dinghy sailing on a Laser as well.’’

Now Lyons is part of the Yeah Baby crew heading south while her older brother Alex is on rival boat XS Moment in this year‘s race.

David Lyons and his daughter Maddie. Pic: Supplied.

“It will be so exciting to share this experience with him,’’ said the 24-year-old naturopath.

“Our mum’s dad (Peter Flannigan) was a sailor as well. He did the Hobart in 1982 as the skipper of Patineur the smallest boat in the fleet and built in 1935 and it’s now 40 years since then.

Siblings Maddie and Alex Lyons are competing in the Sydney to Hobart on separate boats. Pic: Sam Ruttyn

“We lost grandad this year in May so this is a bit of a tribute for him. We are racing for him.

“We spoke to him a lot about the race and he was very excited that we were doing it.”

The 2022 race is the first Sydney to Hobart for both for the brothers and sisters.

Maddie is racing with a Queensland crew and Alex, 29, has joined forces with a Sydney crew.

“He was meant to do the race last year but they had everything damage and had to withdraw,“ line said.

Back: Alex and Maddie Lyons. Front: Denise and Peter Flannigan. Their grandfather Peter passed away earlier this year.

“We grew up watching the start of this race. Alex was actually there on the dock in 1993 when dad won. He was with mum but was only three months old.’’

A fleet of 100 plus yachts will line up on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day waiting for the 1pm canon to start the 2022 event.

Included in this field are numerous brothers and sisters, including twins Tom and Jess Grimes on Hasta La Vista.

There are also numerous father and son combinations with veteran sailor Steve “Mothballs” Jarvin on URM and his son Seve a helmsman on the line honours contender Andoo Comanche.

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