1.
GV Helsal coming in to finish first across line escorted by convoy of small craft (5 shots)
0.22

2.
CU Crew preparing to lower sails
0.27

3.
GV Apollo entering harbour and lowering sail (2 shots)
0.42

4.
GV Crew on board Helsal
0.46

5.
CU Captain speaking to press (5 shots)
1.17

6.
GV Quailo entering harbour
1.31

7.
GV Improbable entering harbour and lowering sails (2 shots)
1.49


DR. FISHER: Absolutely marvellous. Enjoyed every minute of it...it's been great. We had a magnificent trip down. We have all put on weight, with out cook Mike Carpanus giving us three-course meals. Actually, the crew are all quite weary--they are either sleeping or reading books. We ran short of reading matter. It's the most magnificent trip any "dad" could ever wish for.




Initials AE/17.59 AE/18.18



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Helsal, a seventy-two foot ferro-concrete sloop out of Sydney, won line honours in the Sydney to Hobart ocean yacht racing classic on Saturday (29 December) as three yachts broke the race record.

Helsal, skippered by Dr. Tony Fisher, completed the six-hundred and thirty miles race in three days one hour and thirty-two minutes, cutting more than two hours off the record set in 1962 by New Yorker Huey Long in the sloop Ondine.

Dr. Fisher was ecstatic about his win:
The Hong Kong yacht Apollo finished second and the West Australian representative, Siska, was third. Apollo was more than an-hour-and-a-half inside the record, and Siska beat it by just under six minutes.

The Sydney to Hobart was the final event of the four race Southern Cross Cup competition. Despite their not being among the first finishers, Britain was declared overall winners of the Cup. The three British yachts finished in the top ten in the handicap corrected standings.

SYNOPSIS: Close behind the Australian winner was the Hong Kong yacht Apollo. Also eclipsing the old record, Apollo finished less than a half-hour behind the leader...Helsal captain, Dr. Tony Fisher -- who was commanding the ship on its maiden voyage -- was ecstatic when asked about the race.

The yacht Quailo III was the first of the three British contenders to finish. All the British yachts finished among the top ten in the handicap corrected standings -- sufficient to give them victory in the prestigious Southern Cross Cup competition, of which the Sydney to Hobart race was the last leg.