Please select your home edition
Edition
Belvedere

2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: The accidental nautical nudist

by Steve Dettre/RSHYR media 18 Dec 2024 19:15 PST 26 December 2024
Tom Robinson, ahead of the start of his first Rolex Sydney Hobart © RSHYR | Ashley Dart

Few if any sailors in the 2024 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race have a nautical story as dramatic as that of Tom Robinson.

The first time Sydney to Hobart sailor was attempting to row across the Pacific in October 2023, when one night his custom-made boat was flipped by a freak wave.

But that was just the beginning of his troubles.

As the boat bobbed in the Pacific five days west of Vanuatu, his clothes were swept into the abyss.

Asked why, he responded: "Well, I was naked for most of the trip.

"There wasn't a scrap of cotton on me there," he said.

"So the thing is that when you're rowing, salt sores are a real issue. Chafing is a real issue. All that stuff can be pretty serious, actually.

"The easiest thing to do is just to row nude. And you're wet all the time anyway, so there's no way you can keep clothes dry, and you're out there, not for days or weeks, but months. And so that the safest bet is to be in the nude," Robinson said.

Where it became an issue is when he was eventually rescued.

After spending a cold 14-hours desperately clinging to the upturned hull of his boat, daylight eventually revealed a ship on the horizon.

"As it got closer, I assumed it was some sort of cargo ship and I thought I was going to be on route to China or something like that," he said.

"But then as it approached, I realised it wasn't any ship... it was a cruise ship.

"It was only then that I really became aware of my nudity as I saw the hundreds of passengers along the decks with their photo lenses and their binoculars."

He said as he clambered up a rope ladder, the crew protected his modesty with some well appreciated towels.

Robinson's adventure started with a boyhood dream to be the youngest person ever to row across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Australia in a boat that he had built. The Guinness Book of Records recognised that achievement and the Australian Geographic recently named him Young Adventurer of the Year.

His epic adventure lasted about 14 months, 265 days at sea in total, and about six months spent in the islands, rowing 7,500 nautical miles across the Pacific until that fateful wave.

Four months later he was contacted by someone from Papua New Guinea, alerting him that his boat had washed up on the island of Panawina. While he did make the trek to examine it, there it still remains, as a memorial to his voyage.

And now Tom has turned his attention to the Sydney Hobart, where he is a crew aboard Fruit Salid 3.

"No more rowing adventures. I've done enough rowing. I think sailing is the thing for me now," he said from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

As to whether he plans to finish this race fully clothed?

"Well, I'll be fully clothed over the finish line, but who knows what's going to happen after that?"

Related Articles

Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Three
Episode Three - Greg Haines, Princess Yachts Australia - is now up and running Episode Three - Greg Haines, Princess Yachts Australia - is now up and running Posted on 24 May
Columbus Crossover 42 M/Y launching ceremony
A superyacht with compact but extremely flexible dimensions Columbus Yachts announces the launch of the new Crossover 42 named M/Y Big Naan. The joyful ceremony took place at the Savona shipyard in the presence of her Owners, their guests and local authorities. Posted on 23 May
Outer Reef Yachts launches 780 Adventure Hull 1
A 24-meter steel-hulled explorer yacht Outer Reef Yachts is proud to announce the successful completion of the all-new 780 Adventure, a 24-meter steel-hulled explorer yacht, meticulously built at the Outer Reef Netherlands shipyard. Posted on 22 May
Maritimo S60 Sedan Motor Yacht - Global launch
Enhancements to both the exterior and interior deliver great appeal Leading Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturer, Maritimo, will proudly display the first S60 Sedan Motor Yacht at the 2025 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 21 May
Maritimo M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht - Global launch
Setting the benchmark in long-range cruising motor yachts Maritimo, Australia's world-class luxury motor yacht builder, expands its next generation model line-up with the global launch of the all-new M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, May 2025. Posted on 21 May
Welcome aboard the M7
Available for private viewings at select Mediterranean locations this summer Unveiled at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in January 2025, the new M7 has already established itself as a standout in the world of multihull motor yachts. Posted on 21 May
Lazzara Yachts enters the expedition market
With sale of Lazzara EX 165 Lazzara Yachts (a part of Euro Marine Group) is proud to confirm the sale of its Lazzara EX 165, Lazzara's largest yacht to date. Posted on 20 May
Coast Guard proposes removing hundreds of buoys
Some buoys are in notoriously rocky and challenging bays and harbors on the Northern Atlantic Coast On April 15, the First Coast Guard District released an initiative proposing the removal of hundreds of navigational buoys, or Aids to Navigation (AtoNs). Posted on 20 May
Feadship Project 715 launched
The explore yacht slipped from her building hall in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands Feadship's latest entry into the genre of explorer yachts slipped from her building hall in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. Posted on 18 May
Riviera's 72 Sports Motor Yacht Series II Premiere
Part of Riviera's 12 yacht showcase at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show Riviera celebrates two World Premieres at this year's Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. The new generation 72 Sports Motor Yacht - Series II joins the exciting new 4300 Sports Express as part of Riviera's spectacular 12 yacht showcase. Posted on 18 May
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER