sydney hobart yacht race currawong

After five days at sea, two retirees end Sydney to Hobart yacht race minutes before the New Year

After five days at sea, the last arrivals in the 2022 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race timed their finish to perfection.

Key points:

• Sailors Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham had set the goal of completing the race before year's end
• Their yacht Currawong's journey was keenly watched by many throughout the five days
• Ms Veel bought the 48-year-old yacht and sailed it from Melbourne to Sydney in preparation for the race

Huge crowds of New Year's revellers on Hobart's waterfront gave New South Wales sailors Kathy Veel, 70, and Bridget Canham, 62, a raucous reception as they crossed the line at 11:42pm.

And then, the midnight fireworks topped it off, as they made their way around the dock in their 9.1-metre yacht, Currawong— the second-smallest in the fleet — to crowds chanting the boat's name.

"I expected there'd be a bunch of our friends to welcome us, [but] then the fireworks, and this roar … I didn't know what it was, then I worked out they were saying 'Currawong, Currawong'," Ms Veel said.

As the sun started to set on New Year's Eve, cruise ship passengers followed their journey and other boats joined them as they made their long-awaited approach to Hobart, rounding the Iron Pot lighthouse.

The earlier, 9:30pm fireworks suggested to them the scene they might encounter upon their arrival.

"I did see the fireworks from way down the river, I could see it in the distance, and that was a nice little cheer-on as well," Ms Canham said.

They had set the goal of completing the race before year's end.

"Our race was to get here before midnight, and that's what really kept us pushing so hard to get to that stage," Ms Canham said.

"We couldn't have had a better entry."

And they achieved their goal, celebrating with New Year's revellers and friends, before getting a well-earned four hours' sleep.

A long journey reaches perfect finish

Currawong's journey was keenly watched by many throughout the five days, particularly when the smaller vessels encountered challenging conditions ahead of the second night.

Strong down-winds were predicted, which spelled danger.

Ms Veel said she had found her limit, and decided to pull into Eden before attempting the Bass Strait crossing.

But retiring from the race was never a consideration.

"We're finishers," Ms Veel said.

"We've already shown in other races that we've done, that we'll see something through.

"That's what's hardwired into each of us, that once we commit to something we'll commit to it and just do it."

The pair were only able to get a few hours' sleep at a time, but they quickly became accustomed to the gruelling workload.

"The race itself, [is] certainly right up there with the most exciting and enjoyable sailing in my whole life," Ms Veel said.

"We carried our spinnaker for 21 hours non-stop in the first two days.

"You're basically alternating sailing the boat single-handed with the kite up and the breeze building, and that's why we were so tired at the end of day two.

"I feel fantastic now, I had four hours' sleep last night. I can run forever on that."

Sailing a labour of love for duo

The duo knew the race would be a challenge, attempting it on a tight budget and using a crowdfunding campaign.

Ms Veel — a retired teacher — had bought the 48-year-old yacht and sailed it, two-handed, from Melbourne to Sydney in preparation for the race.

With Ms Canham — a retired nurse — they completed the Bird Island Race in November when others chose to pull out.

"The whole enterprise of preparing your own boat, and doing it yourselves, we just did every single thing on the boat — we've made gear, we've repaired gear, we've serviced it, we've solved lots and lots of problems and set stuff up," Ms Veel said.

The pair have had a celebrated history in sailing.

They met on Kerry Goudge's all-women's crew in the 1993 Sydney to Hobart, one of the toughest editions of the 628-nautical mile race.

This was where they were taught their guiding principle of sailing: that finishing the race is a must.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Celestial almost didn't sail in the 2022 sydney to hobart — now, it has been declared overall winner.

• Human Interest

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

Currawong (th).

Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham will return for their second Roles Sydney Hobart together in the two-handed division onboard Kathy’s 30ft Currawong.  The team won the hearts of the entire Australian sailing community when they battled their way down to Hobart in 2022, finishing last year’s race and disembarking at Constitution Dock just before midnight on New Years Eve to the cheers from thousands of spectators who celebrated their remarkable achievement of being the first all female two-handed entry in the race.  Nominated as a Finalist for the Australian Sailing NSW Sailing Awards, Kathy and Bridget really represent the true spirit of the race. 

Competitor Details

Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

At the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, a Female Crew of Two

Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham, competing in the two-handed division, will also be on the race’s second-smallest boat.

By John Clarke

Kathy Veel has come a long way since 1989, when she first sailed in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with an all-female crew on the Belles Long Ranger.

“It started off with four of us women — we figured, let’s give it a shot,” said Veel, 70, a retired teacher who lives in Bullaburra, about 60 miles west of Sydney, Australia. “We didn’t have a boat. We didn’t have any money. It was a real start from scratch. No one took us seriously.”

Not anymore. Veel is now back for her third Sydney Hobart, which starts on Monday, this time also breaking ground. She will be part of the only all-female crew competing in the race’s two-handed division on the Currawong , at 30 feet long the second smallest boat in the fleet. She will be sailing with Bridget Canham, 62, of Sydney, a veteran of several Sydney Hobart races.

Veel said that in 1989, there were doubts the crew of women could handle the grueling conditions of the race.

“We were kind of a token gesture,” she said. “There were a lot of people who didn’t think we were up to it. They would ask, what we were going to do when it’s blowing 30 knots and the boat is swamped? We’ll be doing pretty much what they’ll be doing — putting up sails and racing the boat.”

Their goal was to simply finish the race, which they did. “It opened the door for us,” Veel said.

“Women in sailing have come so far,” she said. “Most boats these days have got women on them. And that’s great.”

Canham, a retired nurse who volunteers as an emergency boat pilot, said sailing had indeed changed.

“Sailing is more of an integrated sport now,” she said. “Now, it’s just by coincidence that we are just two women on a boat. We’re just sailors. We don’t think of ourselves as anything different.”

The two-handed division, where a boat is raced by two sailors — as opposed to a large crew ranging from 6 to 25 — is now in its second year at the Sydney Hobart. For Veel and Canham, the draw of two-handed racing is access.

“Having a fully crewed racing yacht was way outside of my resources,” Veel said. “I’m retired. But now that they have the two-handed, we can do the race. It gives people the opportunity to sail in the race who aren’t on a fully crewed yacht.” Yearly maintenance on two-handed boats might be $10,000, while much larger yachts require millions of dollars to maintain.

Canham also said the sailors in the two-handed division were a tightknit group. “The two-handed community is just so supportive; it’s like we are all on the same team,” she said.

Veel and Canham generally split duties on the boat, taking turns on the sails and at the wheel, with Canham focusing on sails and Veel on navigation and race tactics.

“Bridget knows the wind and is good at getting the best out of the boat,” Veel said. “She’ll have every sail tweaked and tuned. She never takes her eye off the ball. She’s also extremely gutsy and strong-minded and determined.”

Veel and Canham have prepared for the event by sailing in four other races this year. Over that time, they realized the boat, a Currawong 30, built in 1974 with beaten 20-year-old sails, needed upgrades, but they’ve accepted its limits.

“We’ve been able to test out our boat in these previous races, but it really has felt that 90 percent of this race has been just getting to the start line,” Veel said. “We’ve just been focused on getting the boat ready. Now that we are there, and there are no more obstacles between us and the race, that’s when I’m starting to wonder what have I got myself into. Now it’s real.”

Canham heads into the race committed, but knows their limitations.

“No one is expecting us to do anything,” she said. “But I don’t think they realize just how determined we are.”

• Currawong 30
• Description
• Virtual Tour

'Olive' is that yacht you always wanted to own...and now you can!

Finally this stunning Currawong 30 is on the market and looking for a new owner and family to love and look after her.

The Currawong 30's are great weekend yachts and proven racers with one even winning the 1981 Sydney to Hobart Race -  'Zeus II' also almost won again 23 years later in the early 2000's missing out by less than an astonishing 5 minutes!

These great yachts have a beautifully shaped hull and perform exceptionally well at sea. 'Olive' has been moored here at the RPAYC on Pittwater with her current and previous owners and has been very well looked after and maintained. She features some great additions including:

• Fully Battened Mainsail and Furling Headsail
• New B&G wind Instruments
• 6 Berth configuration, plenty of room for the team
• 2 Burner Metho Stove
• Anti fouled in October 2019

This awesome yacht has been priced to sell and will not last long on the market, so if you think you could be this 'Olive's Popeye, don't wait and miss out on this gorgeous little yacht.

For further information or to organise a viewing please don't hesitate to contact us today.

Boat Listing Details

Get in touch.

Giant creature washes up on popular beach

An enormous sea creature measuring 2.7 metres has gone viral online after it washed up on a popular Aussie beach.

‘Cruel’: Fury over ‘pointless’ pelican act

Monster ‘black cat’ spotted in Aussie field

‘Beast boy’: Alleged animal abuser arrested

A giant creature washed up on a South Australian beach has gone viral online, sparking a mixed reaction.

The animal, estimated to be 2.7m wide and pictured first by Fish SA Magazin e, was spotted lying dead on the sand at Petrel Cove near Encounter Bay along the state’s south coast last weekend.

The South Australia Museum has since confirmed the creature was “almost certainly a bump-head sunfish, Mola alexandrini”.

“You can tell it’s a bump-head sunfish rather than one of the other two types (Mola tecta, the Hoodwinker sunfish and Mola mola, the Ocean sunfish) because of the prominent chin you can see in the photo,” a museum spokesman told Yahoo News.

Sunfish, which can grow to over three metres and over 2000kg, are found worldwide, with the species found at Petrel Cove one of the most often encountered in South Australia.

In recent days, curious locals have flocked to the beach to take photos of the carcasses, despite its reportedly strong odour.

The creature has been met with a mixed reaction online, with some expressing their awe over the “amazing” sight, while others shared their sadness over the death of the “gentle” animal.

“Amazing. I wonder how prolific they are,” one person wrote.

“What a shame. They are beautiful. This makes me feel really sad,” said another.

“Beautiful – seen one that big snorkelling. Gentle creatures,” another wrote.

“That’s sad to see,” another shared.

Another social media user, Dani Brown, shared a photo of herself lying next to the fish for a size comparison.

“This is me with it today – for reference, I’m 164cm tall!” she captioned the photo.

It’s not known what led to the sunfish’s death.

Danish marine biologist Dr Marianne Nyegaard previously told Yahoo News it can be impossible to determine what kills the creatures.

“Stranded sunfish typically appear to have been healthy with no obvious cause of death, or impairment to explain why they ended up on the beach,” Dr Nyegaard told the outlet.

The sighting comes years after a Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, made international headlines when it washed up near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia in 2019.

At the time, Linette Grzelak, shared a photo of the creature to social media after her partner spotted the fish, which had already died, while out fishing.

“A sunfish found by my partner along the Coorong a couple nights ago … I thought it was fake,” the post read.

The Mola mola has a reputation for damaging boats and there have been instances where the aniaml has been blamed for sinking yachts.

More Coverage

A yacht competing in the Sydney to Hobart race in 2019 went down off Flinders Island after it hit a sunfish “as big as two 44-gallon drums”, The Mercury reported.

The yacht lost its rudder in the impact with the fish and started taking on water while returning to the mainland after competing in the race.

Another yacht damaged in the Sydney to Hobart race last year was also suspected to have been hit by a sunfish.

A move to install spikes on light poles to stop pelicans from perching on them has been slammed by residents in this coastal area.

A prospector has filmed a mysterious black cat-like animal bounding across a field in rural Victoria. The footage has sent the internet into a frenzy.

A man police allege is one of the state’s most prolific animal abusers has been arrested.

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Eastern Europe
• Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

Information

Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu.

• Update data

Elektrostal Demography

Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Geography

Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal .

Elektrostal Distance

Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia.

Elektrostal Map

Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city.

Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages

Elektrostal weather.

Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset

Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Hotel

Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price.

Elektrostal Nearby

Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings.

Elektrostal Page

• Information /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#info
• Demography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#demo
• Geography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#geo
• Distance /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist1
• Map /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#map
• Nearby cities and villages /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist2
• Weather /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#weather
• Sunrise and sunset /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#sun
• Hotel /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#hotel
• Nearby /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#around
• Page /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#page
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2024 DB-City - All rights reserved
• Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data

BETA GIDA, OOO

• / BUSINESS DIRECTORY
• / MANUFACTURING
• / FOOD MANUFACTURING
• / OTHER FOOD MANUFACTURING
• / RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• / MOSCOW REGION
• / ELEKTROSTAL
• / BETA GIDA, OOO
• Ozench Avdzhy Director-General

Dynamic search and list-building capabilities

Real-time trigger alerts

Comprehensive company profiles

Valuable research and technology reports

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

Fairytale finish for two-handed Currawong

• 01 Jan, 2023 08:22:00 AM

After pulling into Eden to get some much needed rest and await more forgiving conditions in Bass Strait, the two-handed Currawong resumed racing with a clear goal in mind - get across the line before the new year.

Arriving at 11:42pm on New Year's Eve, co-skippers Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham were treated to raucous cheers and a spectacular fireworks display.

A fitting way to close out a memorable 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A Race for the Ages

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

Elektrostal

City in moscow oblast, russia / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about Elektrostal?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old