Rosebud Leads in Rolex Sydney Hobart

Former Northern California computer whiz — Vallejo, Berkeley, the Peninsula —  Roger Sturgeon and his nearly new and first-ever STP 65 Rosebud have put in an impressive performance, having finished fourth and being the corrected time leader in the 605-mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. For those looking for context, the Sydney to Hobart, along with England’s Fastnet Race, are the two great middle distance races in the world.

Here’s the latest from the Rolex Sydney Hobart website (www.rolexsydneyhobart.com): "When owner Roger Sturgeon was told he is the clubhouse leader (the boat others will have to beat), he was elated. “Wow, that’s the first I’ve heard. There were a lot of things going on out there. We used every sail, and probably used up half of them. We saw one of everything except your famous 40 knots. Upwind, downwind, no wind, strong wind, planing, surfing . . . we had it all. We must have done a hundred sail changes, there was always something going on.”

Sturgeon hopes his success in his first Rolex Sydney Hobart will boost interest in the STP 65 class. “We proved that you can take these boats anywhere, and be top of the game. Hopefully when I come back, we’ll bring a lot of 65s with us. That would be a lot of fun.”

Rosebud‘s chances of holding on to corrected time honors were hurt badly by being nearly becalmed for hours a short distance from the finish. Nonetheless, she still averaged 11.6 knots for the course. Major players on the boat are Northern Californians Jack Halterman and Malcom Park.

First to finish honors in the race went to Bob Oately’s 98-ft Wild Oats XI, which took first to finish honors for a record-tying third year in a row. Mike Slade’s new Farr 98, City Index Leopard, which recently broke the Fastest record, pulled to within four miles of Oats at the finish, but still crossed second.