The Yacht

"Knee Deep" is a 15.3M (50 foot) racing yacht. The hull and mast are made from carbon making the boat extremely light. It is then ballasted with a lead fin shaped keel 3.3M deep. Built in Sydney by Boatspeed, a reputable racing yacht builder in 1999, she was launched in November and went on in December of 99 to win the handicap first place in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

She raced for many years initally as Yendys and then as Sting on the east coast. Eventually one of the owners got into financial difficulties, the boat went into recievership and was auctioned by a trucking company. We were in Sydney late last year and had a look at the boat and eventually won the bid to take ownership in May this year. Basically the boat was sound but needed a new set of sails and alot of TLC. This is now complete and she goes on her maiden race as Knee Deep in the Cabbage Tree Island Race (210 nautical miles) off the NSW coast on the 9th November. It was this race that the leased boat Knee Deep (a Beneteau 40.7) won last year. We are therefore defending our title but on a different boat.

Knee Deep will go on to race in the Rolex Challenge Series 13-16th December http://cyca.com.au/ (a series of windward/leeward races off Sydney Heads) and the Rolex Sydney to Hobart on 26th December.  The crew (12) consists of the core from two previous Hobart challenges (in 2004 this group on Courtesan-a Farr 38 won their division in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart) with the addition of several very experienced off shore sailors and skippered again by Knee Deep Wines owner, Perth surgeon Phil Childs.

The crew are all from the west and are inspired and enthusiastic about the upcoming challenge. Members will be able to follow the boat on the Rolex Sydney to Hobart website http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/splash/index.html Yacht Tracker. Email us with any comments, or messages of support, it all helps.