STEVE Taylor is a Tea Gardens resident and crewman on Sebastian Bohm’s TP52 ‘Smuggler’.

On the weekend of Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December Steve participated in the 172 Nautical Mile 2021 Sydney to Cabbage Tree Island, a prerequisite race for the 2021 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which begins on 26 December 2021.

“A fleet of 65 yachts left from Shark Island in Sydney Harbour at 7PM on Friday 5 December night and sailed north to Port Stephens.

“This was the first overnight race for the Sydney fleet in a year as last year’s Sydney to Hobart was cancelled due to Covid-19,

“The fleet raced up the coast with a 25 knot southerly behind them but the southerly eased off north of Newcastle,” Steve’s father Chris Taylor told News Of The Area.

Christian Beck’s ‘LawConnect’, the 100 foot long former Sydney to Hobart winner ‘Infotrack’ and ‘Perpetual Loyal’, took line honours in the 2021 Sydney to Cabbage Tree Island Race with a race time of 15 hours, 20 minutes and 21 seconds.

‘LawConnect’ has just had an extended new bowsprit fitted to increase forward sail areas and give greater power
The IRC overall handicap result was won by Gordon Ketelby’s TP52 ‘Zen’, skippered by Shane Guanaria.

Steve and his fellow crew of ‘Smuggler’ sailed well, coming fifth overall up to Stockton Beach when the wind died away.

“The yacht sailed slowly up to Cabbage Tree Island but were stuck for four hours getting around Cabbage Tree Island, off Bennett’s Beach at Hawks Nest.

“It picked up on the wind again around 9AM on Saturday morning south of Port Stephens and arrived back at Shark Island at 7PM on Saturday evening, 34th overall on handicap,” Chris said.

Steve is looking forward to sailing his fifth Sydney to Hobart this year.

Good luck to Steve with his sailing.

 

By Tara CAMPBELL