Zig Sailing Insider sits down with professional sailors Keiran Searle and Declan McGranahan to explore what it takes to collaborate effectively and compete in one of sailing’s most iconic events: The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Article by Ty Christopher Olsen, January 5, 2025.
Experience the iconic Sydney to Hobart Race through the eyes of veteran Keiran Searle and first-timer Declan McGranahan
TCO: Keiran, I hear you’ve done a few Sydney to Hobart races. You must be quite the veteran! How many races has it been for you now?
KS: Well, calling me a veteran makes me feel old! But yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to complete nine Sydney to Hobart races over the years. This last one marked my 10th.
TCO: That’s impressive! Declan, what about you? Was this your first time participating in this iconic offshore race?
DM: Yes, it was! This was my first experience with a race of this caliber, and I was beyond excited to have the opportunity.
TCO: The Sydney to Hobart Race is well-known in the sailing world for its intensity, but many people don’t know much beyond that. What makes this race special, and what are some of the challenges competitors face?
KS: There’s definitely a natural intensity to this race. For starters, it has the most stringent safety standards of any offshore race I’ve ever been part of—or even heard of. Every boat must meet a long list of safety requirements, including qualifying for the race, completing safety courses, and even having each individual lifejacket inspected by a third party. While it might seem excessive, once you’re out on the water, you really appreciate how much effort the Race Committee puts into ensuring everyone’s safety.
This past race was particularly special because it was the 79th anniversary. When the race first began, back in the 1940’s, only a handful of boats participated, and it was mostly a male-dominated event. It’s been amazing to see more women on the start line over the years. This year, 112 boats entered, and I’d estimate that there was nearly 100 female crew members.
TCO: What boat were you both racing on this year?
KS & DM: We competed on Ron Epstein’s Bacchanal. We’ve both raced with Ron before on his previous boat, but this year, he had a new boat built—a French design JPK 11.8. Construction began in March 2024, and the boat was finished in October just in time to work out some of the fine details and be ready for the start in December.
TCO: What does it take to prepare for a race as demanding as the Sydney to Hobart? How much sailing were you able to do as a team before the start?
KS: Declan and I have been sailing together for nearly 10 years, and we’ve both sailed with Ron before. This year, our crew had nine members: four from the USA, four from Australia, and one from England. Once the boat was completed, we sailed together as a team about 15 days prior to the start. Only once did we have to use an alternate; otherwise, we were lucky to have the full crew together. Leading up to the Sydney to Hobart, we competed in a few races, including the Cabbage Tree Island Race, which was a qualifier. We were fortunate to podium in all of those races, which was a great confidence boost.
TCO: You mentioned there were 112 entries in this year’s race. How is the start organized for so many boats?
DM: It’s a mass start—every boat starts at the same time! The boats are divided into different classes and assigned separate start lines, but it all happens simultaneously. The process is very organized, though it can be stressful with so many boats jostling for position at the line.
KS: The start is definitely an adrenaline rush. As long as everyone stays disciplined, it all goes smoothly. There’s a saying: “No boat has ever won the race at the start line, but plenty have lost it there.”
TCO: I can imagine that coordinating the logistics for such a big race, especially one so far from home, must be a massive undertaking. Who handles all the planning to ensure everything is ready by race day?
KS: It’s very much a team effort, and yes, it takes a lot of coordination. Fortunately, the boat was constructed in Australia, so we didn’t have to worry about shipping it overseas. Even so, there were plenty of logistics to manage—keeping a nine-person ProAm crew on schedule, arranging housing and transportation, ensuring sails and equipment arrived on time, and making sure everyone is fed. On top of that, everyone had to be accountable for themselves and show up where they needed to be. It can get complicated, but we had a reliable crew, which made the process much smoother.
TCO: The race spans 628 nautical miles. On average, how long does it take to finish in your class?
DM: With such a wide range of boats competing, there’s a big variation in finish times. The fastest maxi boats can complete the race in about a day, while the smaller boats might take up to eight days. For a boat in our 40-foot size range, we were expecting to finish in about three days.
TCO: What is the adrenaline level like once you cross the starting line and get underway? Given the historically challenging and dangerous conditions, what is it really like to be out there on the water?
DM: It’s pretty incredible! Once you get past the chaos of so many boats navigating in such a small area, you start to take in everything else happening around you. I remember sitting on the rail just after the start, and one of my teammates said, “Take a second and look at everything around you.” It was surreal—spectator boats were lining the water, and helicopters were buzzing overhead, making communication on deck difficult at times. One of the coolest moments was when the television helicopters spotted us. Since we were the only American boat in the race, they circled our boat for a couple of minutes. That was a wild feeling!
KS: Like Declan said, it’s pretty intense, but staying focused is key, and our team did a great job of that. Over the years, there have been incidents where boats have had their races end early because of collisions at the start, equipment failures, or even getting off course and tangling with spectator boats. It’s like I’ve said before: no one wins the race at the start, but some have definitely lost it there.
TCO: Is there a particular point on the course that’s known to be the most challenging?
KS: The entire race can be challenging in different ways. This race is unique compared to other offshore races like the Bermuda Race or the Transpac. In the Bermuda Race, you’re usually dealing predominantly with crosswinds, and in the Transpac, you’re following the wind. But with the Sydney to Hobart, you’re sailing directly into the prevailing winds. It’s very tactical—we’re constantly watching for incoming storms and figuring out how the fronts will impact our next moves.
One especially notorious spot is the Bass Strait. It’s about halfway through the race, and you’re in the open waters of the Tasman Sea. The waves and wind can be brutal there. Another tricky section is Storm Bay—it lives up to its name with rough seas and unpredictable conditions.
TCO: Did you encounter any unexpected challenges during this race? Especially you, Declan, as it was your first time competing.
DM: I wouldn’t say there were challenges I didn’t expect, but I was surprised by how well-organized everything was. I don’t usually get nervous about racing, even offshore, but there was one moment none of us saw coming—when we broke our boom!
TCO: I was going to ask about that incident. I understand you had to retire from the race after the boom broke. Can you explain what happened and how the team handled the situation?
KS: We were about 24 hours into the race, roughly a third of the way to the finish line. Around 5:00 a.m., Declan and I were off deck and asleep when we were jolted awake by the sound of the boom snapping and rigging hitting the deck. A storm was approaching on the horizon, and the crew on deck had done an excellent job preparing the boat for it. We were sailing with the mainsail and storm jib, and both were reefed. When the boom came across as expected, and it just kept going and snapped right at the midpoint.
Incredibly, the entire crew reacted perfectly and managed the situation. We quickly dropped the sails and secured the broken piece of the boom to the deck. Given how far we still were from the finish line, the only safe option was to turn back to Sydney. If we had been further along, we might have attempted to jury-rig a temporary solution to salvage the boom. However, with several historically dangerous areas still ahead of us, including Flinders Island and Storm Bay, we decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Around Green Cape, the race requires boats to radio in for a safety check—one of the measures the Race Committee has in place to ensure crews and vessels are fit to handle the conditions. Unfortunately, our boat was no longer in a condition to safely continue.
TCO: Once the boat was secured, how long did it take to return to Sydney?
DM: The return wasn’t bad—it took us just over 24 hours. Since we didn’t have enough fuel onboard to motor the entire way, we sailed part of the way back using just the headsail.
TCO: With this adventure behind you and a new year just starting, what’s next for both of you in 2025?
DM: I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time dinghy sailing! I’m very active in the Melges 15 fleet and have a packed schedule with that. My goal is to get as much time on the water as possible, but how much I can do will depend on my work schedule.
KS: Declan and I have been sailing together for about 10 years now, so we’ll definitely continue doing some Melges sailing this year with the Melges 20 and Melges 24 fleets. In addition to that, I’ll probably do some J/70 racing and other One Design events throughout the year.
Declan and Kieran, thank you for sharing your insights into the Sydney to Hobart Race. It sounds like an incredible adventure for both of you and the entire team. We’re excited to follow your journey and hear more about where your racing takes you in the year ahead!
