2024 RSHYR: Legendary crew deliver Chutzpah to Hobart
by Di Pearson/RSHYR Media 29 Dec 2024 00:01 PST
29 December 2024
Bruce Taylor and the crew of the 40-footer, Chutzpah, crossed the line in 11th place on Sunday in the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
"My whole team was brilliant, except me, I wasn't well," the 75-year-old skipper said dockside.
"I'm older so it's getting harder to move around the boat, it bucks a lot in the weather we had, and I can't react as quickly as I used to," he said.
Indeed the 40-footer has been his largest boat, so it is of no surprise when asked about the time to move up to a larger or cruiser boat.
The suggestion was met with derision: Taylor, a Melbourne orthodontist, is a small boat sailor through and through and nothing is going to change that.
Taylor was doing his 43rd Hobart and son Drew's 31st - they have done 31 together now, the most by any father son - and that number is unlikely to be beaten.
"In a way, it was typical hard running on the first night, which suits us - but we blew up a spinnaker," Taylor said.
"Going into Bass Strait, we blew up a jib top. We thought it was going to be a sprung sheets reach across the Strait, which would have suited us, but it turned into a beat, so we went offshore to pick up current, which was harder work than we thought."
He said halfway down the Tasmanian coast "we found a near hole and struggled to keep moving". "Then Kings (Kingsley Piesse, the navigator) picked a great course into Tasman Island," he said.
"We've often had trouble with that part, but it was perfect this time and we came into Garrow Light doing 13 knots - and then found no wind."
Looking haggard and unshaven, prompting son, Drew to ask if we wanted a before and after photo, Taylor was happy with the fact that they were the first 40-footer into Hobart. The other 10 finishers in front of them are upwards of 52 feet.
Cocody, Richard Fromentin's French JPK 11.80, was 16th to finish the race at 05:52:58pm. She was the closest in size to Chutzpah to finish, over two and a half hours behind Chutzpah.
Today, Chutzpah overall position is undecided, as there are still so many boats racing, however, she is currently 13th.
Taylor and his crew are likely to win Division 2 though, adding to their already incredible tally of 25 top three divisional placings since 1987 with his various Chutzpahs.
Over the years, Taylor has also produced some notable overall results, starting with sixth in 1987, second in 1990, fifth in 1992, second in IMS in 1994, sixth in 2001, fifth in 2002, fourth in 2003, fourth in 2007, fifth in 2013 and second in 2014, missing the win by just 38 minutes 18 seconds.
He and his stalwart crew, who have racked up 305 Sydney Hobarts between them, remain hopeful of that elusive Overall win.