Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW: 1949 - 1953), Sunday 1 January 1950, page 3
Editor's Note: This Report of the 1949 Sydney To Hobart race appeared in the SMH on Jan 1, 1950, on page 3.
EXCITING STRUGGLE UP DERWENT
Waltzing Matilda First Over Line In Hobart Yacht Race
LEADS MARGARET RINTOUL ACROSS BY TWO MINUTES
Waltzing: Matilda, 46ft cutter, was first across j the finishing line last night in the annual Sydney Hobart yacht race. In the most exciting finish in the history of the event, the cutter crossed the line at 9.33 p.m.-two minutes ahead of the 43ft yawl, Margaret Rintoul
Third to finish was another Sydney yacht, the 43ft "mystery" steel cutter Trade Winds, which came in at 9.40. It is thought that Trade Winds may win the handicap section of the race.
Thousands lined Hobart's Castary Esplanade to cheer as Waltzing Matilda drifted across the line in an almost dead calm. It was a thrilling finish to a race packed with excitement and incident.
Trade Winds, which had contested the lead with Waltzing Matilda and Margaret Rintoul in an exciting battle of tactics in the Derwent, came in at 10.9 p.m. The flag of the finishing box hung limp as the craft drifted slowly to the line in the moonlight. The only indication spectators had of the craft's whereabouts were the navigating lights glimmering in the distance. No one knew the position of the yachts until the line had been crossed.
OTHERS TO-DAY
Women in evening dress on their way to New Year parties were among the excited crowd. Gypsy Queen and Independence, in fourth and fifth positions, are not likely to finish until today. Under a barrage of movie cameras and Press photographers, Waltzing Matilda's crew stepped ashore. They looked very fit. Captain of the cutter, Phil Davenport, was greeted on the wharf by the Governor of Tasmania, Sir Hugh Binney, and Lady Binney. In his summary of the voyage, the captain said it had been a "fairly good trip. There were no unusual incidents."
Waltzing Matilda gives the Muir brothers, Tasmanian boat builders, their third success. Westward, sister ship of Waltzing Matilda has won the last two races. Trade Winds has a corrected time advantage over Margaret Rintoul of about 3 hours and a 2-hour advantage over Waltzing Matilda. Lass O' Luss, about 20 miles behind the leaders in the Derwent, also has an excellent chance on handicap.
ALL HELD LEAD
The first three yachts to finish all held the lead at one stage or another in the struggle up the Derwent. With only four miles to go, at 8.15, Trade Winds had a lead of a mile and seemed certain to be first across the line. At that stage, Margaret Rintoul was in second place and Waltzing Matilda was a half-mile further back.
Soon after turning into the Derwent, for the 45-mile run-up to Hobart, about 10 o'clock yesterday morning, the three leading craft lost the breeze and at dusk, after painfully slow progress through the day, the trio still had about 20 miles to go.
First to make the turn up the river was Waltzing Matilda. Next, and closely behind, came Merv Daley's (Davey, Editor's correction) Trade Winds, and nudging her astern was Margaret Rintoul. Yachtsmen were not surprised when the cutter Trade Winds showed up. The cutter had not been sighted since she led the bunched field off Eden, but as the other widely scattered craft failed to glimpse her yachtsmen generally put her in the lead.
Slowly moving up the river, Trade Winds took the lead, with Margaret Rintoul next and then Waltzing Matilda.
However, Margaret Rintoul reached Betsy Island on the northern side of Storm Bay, two miles ahead of Trade Winds.
Editor's Note:
Merv Davey went on to become the skipper of Margaret Rintoul the following year 1950 when they took line Honours and were beaten by Nerida sailed by Colin Hazelgrove (Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron) on handicap. Sir James Hardy, the present owner of Nerida now keeps her on a mooring at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron next to Margaret Rintoul
PK June 2020
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