Sam Haynes, announced the provisional Overall winner of the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart, never dreamed he would hold the Tattersall Cup in his hands again, after selling his TP52 Celestial late this year.
But a mid-December charter of Willow, a Volvo Open 70 owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, made his target a reality.
Commodore Haynes had won the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart after finishing runner-up in 2021, on the losing end of a protest.
What he didn’t know at the time he chartered Willow this year, was that the weather would play right into the hands of the yacht and his dedicated crew for the 2024 race.
“I always wanted to sail a Volvo 70 and I wanted to do the race as a Commodore, so when the chance came up, I took it,” Commodore Haynes said.
“I am as pleased that I chartered this boat, not knowing what the weather would be at the time,” Commodore Haynes said.
“It was the perfect weather for this boat,” he said of the design that was built for the then named Volvo Ocean Race, a race that features significant downwind and reaching conditions.
Commodore Haynes conceded: “It was a tough race, plenty of wind, plenty of waves.”
On winning for a second time – and with just one race in between – the Sydney veterinarian admitted: “It does have a different feel about it, this race. The loss of life of two competitors – we are mindful of that – my thoughts are with the families.
“And those yachts that suffered damage and had to retire, among them URM Group (Anthony and David Johnston) – they would have been one of our main rivals in the conditions we received, along with Wild Thing 100,” he said.
“The weather was right for those boats, and I know Wild Thing had things go wrong in the race, but they still finished top three.”
Haynes, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, said the 2022 had been a “life changing moment”.
“So, to be able to back it up (in 2024) and to have the wonderful achievement of sailing with my crew, it is an achievement. Most of crew from 2022 were with me – and the rest have sailed with me in other races,” he said.
Di Pearson/RSHYR media
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