Sydney to Hobart yacht 2021: Sailing family grounded for race after late setback.

A good Samaritan came to their aid but paperwork and other issues have grounded a family challenge in the Boxing Day race south.

Richard Grimes and his family Jess, Tom and Bec before the boat swap which will see them race the 2021 Sydney to Hobart.

Issues with paperwork and lack of time to swap equipment have grounded the campaign of a family of sailors in the Sydney to Hobart.

Tom Grimes, who was set to race in his first Sydney to Hobart with twin Jess and sister Rebecca under their father Richard’s watchful eye, have had to pull the pin on the campaign just days before the race.

“It’s a real shame,’’ said the former world match-racing champion who is now looking for a ride south with another crew.

Jess, Rebecca and Tom Grimes who were to have sailed south.

The family campaign on Hasta La Vista looked to be on track when a Sydney boat owner offered them the use of his boat when it was discovered a crack in their keel could not be repaired in time for the 1pm start on Boxing Day.

A boat swap was organised on Wednesday but by Thursday their dream of racing south was over.

“There were some paperwork issues and we just simply ran out of time to do the swap,’’ Grimes said.

The late withdrawal of their campaign has reduced the fleet to 93.

Originally 112 yachts had entered to race this year.

GOOD SAMARITIN OFFERS BOAT

Less than a week out from the Sydney to Hobart and the family campaign of veteran sailor Richard Grimes and his three children looked to have run aground due to serious keel issues with their yacht Hasta La Vista.

On Wednesday, after a barrage of emails and phone calls, the campaign is back on track thanks to the generosity of a man they didn’t even know and Sydney to Hobart race officials approving a late boat swap.

Neutral Bay builder Richard Williams has come to their aid, offering his boat Calibre to the family to race after the keel on the 38-footer they bought just over a month ago failed to pass a mandatory safety inspection and could not be repaired in time for the Boxing Day start.

Jess, Rebecca and Tom Grimes will now all make their debuts together in the Sydney to Hobart.

The Sydney 38 is a one-design class so the swap was cleared by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia which conducts the annual race.

“We were organising a spare rudder through him but don’t actually know him,” said former F18 pilot Grimes.

“But when I told him what had happened, he said take mine, take my boat, you are supporting the youth sailors and the Royal Australian Air Force.

“It’s an unbelievable offer. We wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise.’’

Williams said he was happy to help get the campaign back on water.

“When he told me the bad news I just asked ‘why aren’t you going, take my boat’,’’ he said.

“It’s a boat. I’m not giving him my left arm. It was just going to be sitting in the pen. It’s nice to make everyone happy.’’

The owner of Williams Interiors, which does fit-outs on building such as the Hydro Majestic and the Radisson Hotel in the city, said his family has a RAAF connection through an uncle.

John Williams DFC was a POW in the Stalag Luft III camp in Germany and was one of the 76 who tunnelled their way out of the camp.

The Grimes family will now beat the start with around 90 other yachts on Boxing Day.

“My sister Louise wrote a book about it, A True Story of the Great Escape,’’ he said.

“So over the years we have been to lots of RAAF memorials.’’

Grimes, from Lake Macquarie, twins Jess and Tom, 23, and their sister Rebecca 26, are doing their first race together as a family.

It will be race No. 31 for Grimes who is one of the experienced sailors in the fleet.

The family are using the final days before the 1pm race start on Sydney Harbour to transfer safety and communications gear off their original boat, change the name on the hull, organise radio checks and also head out to sea to do a 24 hour qualifier which is one of the rules of the Sydney to Hobart introduced after the 1998 storm which claimed the lives of six sailors.

“It’s a great Christmas story, this sort of generosity,’’ said Grimes, who has fellow top gun pilot Matt Hall racing with him to Hobart as well.

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