Sydney to Hobart Yacht race 1945
I was a youthful 19.5 year old when I had my pic taken on the Rani in Hobart 1945. It is a pity being as I lost most of the contents in my personal locker in 1948 while on leave from HMS Duke of York which included said photo and many more stolen or destroyed.
It was on a Sunday January 6, 1945 in Sydney that the ship I was serving on The HMS KING George V was returning home to the UK months after the end of WW2 due to the lengthy repairs which took place in Sydney.Then finally on our way home Via Hobart Tasmania at a breakneck speed of eight knots (due to a steering defect we arrived in Portsmouth UK on March 13 , A bit bedraggled but pleased to be home after the mayhem of the Pacific war and the following months of love-ins in Sydney(Another story)
It must be dreadful to believe that the poms won the inaugural race.
The 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the inaugural running of the annual "blue water classic", the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales. The race was initially planned to be a cruise planned by Peter Luke and some friends who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing. The plan was changed, however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, Captain John Illingworth, famously suggested, "Why don’t we make a race of it?"[1][2]
The inaugural race,[3] like all those that have followed, began on Sydney Harbour, at noon on Boxing Day (26 December), before heading south for 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) through the Tasman Sea, past Bass Strait, into Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, to cross the finish line in Hobart, Tasmania.
The 1945 fleet comprised 9 starters.[4] Of the 9 starters, 8 yachts completed the race. Illingworth's own vessel, Rani, won the inaugural race in a time of 6 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes.[5]
Peter Luke's record for longest-ever time to finish the course stands to this day: 11 days, 6hours, and 20 minutes.[6]
It was on a Sunday January 6, 1945 in Sydney that the ship I was serving on The HMS KING George V was returning home to the UK months after the end of WW2 due to the lengthy repairs which took place in Sydney.Then finally on our way home Via Hobart Tasmania at a breakneck speed of eight knots (due to a steering defect we arrived in Portsmouth UK on March 13 , A bit bedraggled but pleased to be home after the mayhem of the Pacific war and the following months of love-ins in Sydney(Another story)
It must be dreadful to believe that the poms won the inaugural race.
1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 1st Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race | |
|---|---|
| Date | 26 December 1945 – 3 January 1946 |
| Defender | Inaugural Race |
| Number of Yachts | 9 |
| Coordinates | 33°51.35′S 151°12.40′E / 33.85583°S 151.20667°ECoordinates: 33°51.35′S 151°12.40′E / 33.85583°S 151.20667°E- 42°52.7′S 147°19.58′E / 42.8783°S 147.32633°E |
| Winner | Rani |
The inaugural race,[3] like all those that have followed, began on Sydney Harbour, at noon on Boxing Day (26 December), before heading south for 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) through the Tasman Sea, past Bass Strait, into Storm Bay and up the Derwent River, to cross the finish line in Hobart, Tasmania.
The 1945 fleet comprised 9 starters.[4] Of the 9 starters, 8 yachts completed the race. Illingworth's own vessel, Rani, won the inaugural race in a time of 6 days, 14 hours and 22 minutes.[5]
Peter Luke's record for longest-ever time to finish the course stands to this day: 11 days, 6hours, and 20 minutes.[6]
Contents
[hide]1945 Fleet[edit]
9 yachts registered to begin the 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. They are:| Yacht | Nation | Skipper | Previous Starts | LH (Elapsed) Time d:hh:mm:ss | HW (Corrected) Time d:hh:mm:ss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambermerle |  (NSW) | J Colquhoun, C Kiel | NA | ||
| Archina | (NSW) | P Goldstein | NA | RETIRED | RETIRED |
| Horizon | (NSW) | J R Bartlett | NA | ||
| Kathleen | | Jack Earl | NA | ||
| Mistral II | (NSW) | Robert Evans | NA | ||
| Rani |  | Captain John Illingworth, RN | NA | 6:14:22:00 | 4:9:38:00 |
| Saltair | | A E and R M Walker | NA | ||
| Wayfairer | (NSW) | Peter Luke | NA | ||
| Winston Churchill | | P Coverdale | NA |
Results[edit]
| Line Honours | LH (Elapsed) Time d:hh:mm:ss | Handicap Winner | HW (Corrected) Time d:hh:mm:ss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rani | 6:14:22:00 | Rani | 4:9:38:00 |
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