Skipper of last yacht to finish the Sydney to Hobart reveals the VERY un-glamorous side of the famous race
The Millennium Falcon of Star Wars fame was a worn-out spacecraft that still managed to pull off some of the more impressive feats in the universe.
A Sydney to Hobart yacht of the same name, fittingly, has many similarities.
The NSW 39-footer, skippered by 71-year-old part-time ophthalmologist Robert Griffits, was the final boat to finish the 80th edition of the ocean race at 10.22am on Thursday.
Griffits and his crew of five spent more than 141 hours at sea and relied on mobile phones for navigation at the tail-end of the journey after their on-board equipment failed.
Hand pumps and buckets were used to scoop out water after their electronic pump gave up, while a table used for ‘hanging on to’ broke its legs.
Griffits bought the yacht in 2020, unaware its name was referencing a famous science fiction craft.
Robert Griffits, who skippered the Millennium Falcon to last place in the Sydney to Hobart, poses with the wooden spoon he was awarded at the finish line
Griffits and his crew spent more than 140 hours at sea as they battled leaks, seasickness and awful weather
‘I’ve only ever seen one (Star Wars) episode … and everyone said ‘what a great name for a boat’,’ he said.
‘It’s grown on me. The original Millennium Falcon was a bit of a rusted-out freighter that was held together by chewing gum.’
It was the first time Griffits, who was given a wooden spoon after arriving at Constitution Dock, had completed the Sydney to Hobart after several attempts.
They almost didn’t get on the water for the Boxing Day start after being forced into motor repairs leading up to the race.
‘We’ve had a lot of trouble with our hyperdrive, and we’re hoping a new one will work,’ Griffits said, referencing the Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon’s propulsion system.
Their roughest period was when a southerly change hit on Tuesday night, after the majority of the fleet had already finished.
‘We were getting tossed around a lot. You get thrown from side to side,’ Griffits said.
‘The boat had a few issues … you find the weak points on the interior with all the bashing around out there.
The Falcon’s experience was worlds away from the megabucks supermaxi Master Lock Comanche (pictured), which took line honours this year
‘The deck spent a fair bit of time underwater, so you find places that aren’t quite as watertight as you once imagined.’
Seasickness meant the stove was only used for boiling water for tea, coffee and instant noodles.
The 1975-built Millennium Falcon’s time of five days, 21 hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds was more than three days slower than line-honours winner Master Lock Comanche.
Of the starting 128 yachts, 34 were forced to retire.
Overall honours were on Wednesday claimed by a female skipper for the first time, after yacht Min River rose to top spot when frontrunner BNC was penalised for breaching race rules.
