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Last year one of the boats heading off on the 628 nautical mile yacht race to Hobart from Sydney left, we should hope, somewhat better stocked with provisions than the others.

After arrival in Hobart on the 2 January 2005 most of the crew of 6 were released and the owner/skipper Alex Whitworth and Peter Crozier, both in their sixties, set off to the east. The 33’ sloop (10.2 metres) Berrimilla was on its way to England, via Cape Horn, to compete in the summer series of races there, including the Fastnet race.

Berrimilla has competed in every Sydney/Hobart ocean race since 1994, often as the smallest yacht, and has enjoyed mixed results. During one race a few years ago Alex smashed his face into the pulpit at the bow and Berrimilla anchored in a bay off the Tasmanian east coast for a day or two – allowed for within the rules, while free of outside interference – then continued; finishing the race, though coming last, not too surprisingly. In contrast, during the notorious 1998 race that was hit by a storm that left 6 sailors dead and decimated the fleet, Berrimilla won its division.

Berrimilla, an Australian Brolga design, was built nearly 30 years ago and is somewhat cramped inside:

“… about the size of one and a half (Toyota) Taragos in there" according to Whitworth. What he didn’t say, but I can, having sailed in Berrimilla as crew on harbour races, is that the interior is more than usually Spartan. They carried 160 litres of water, augmented by a desalination plant, mostly freeze dried and tinned food, and a stationary bicycle to help in the production of power. They also carried a supply of Guinness and “plenty” of Crozier's home brew.

They arrived in Falmouth, England, in early June nearly six months later, and competed in the Fastnet race as planned, achieving a second in the two-handed division and were awarded the RORC’s Seamanship Trophy.

Then it was time to head home, in order to compete in this year’s Sydney/Hobart.

The latest news is that they have just arrived in Hobart, after a 34,000 mile circumnavigation, although running a little late to get back to Sydney and ready to sail south again on the 26 December. Because of this they asked permission to restock and refuel at Bruny Island, which was denied by Australian Immigration, so without fuel they had to sail up the Derwent River to Hobart for the formalities, and a cold beer.

“Apart from family and friends, we’ve missed bacon sandwiches and, as a keen runner, I’m missing being able to stretch my legs on a run” said Alex Whitworth on the dock at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.

“The trip went almost exactly as planned and we never had any real problems. It’s been an amazing experience and I think the best parts have been our success in the Rolex Fastnet where we beat the bigger, newer, faster boats and also the great support we’ve had from people wherever we went.”

Lots more information can be found at www.berrimilla.com