January 3

Source: www.sail-world.com

Russell Crowe sails home in record time

Jan 3, 2003


Actor Russell Crowe and his mates, guests aboard thee 83 foot maxi Travelex, in the 2003 Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs race enjoyed the thrill and hard work of a race record run in the 226 mile race overnight.

The winner of the 2000 Hobart and runner up in 2001, sailing as Nicorette, the big boat sailed out of Hobart and back to Sydney for the start of 226 mile Coffs race.

The twelve permanent crew needed all the help they could get, pushing after the line honours winner Wild Oats. Crowe and his nine man team worked the grinders and sail handlers tirelessly overnight, as skipper Ludde Ingvall called for sail changes in the shifting conditions.

This morning Crowe worked mainsheet, before switching to the helm under the expert guidance of Ingvall who had tutored Crowe for his latest role as a ship captain in the movie, Master and Commander.

He steered Travelex for some hours this morning, as she became the second fastest boat ever to sail this race.

Crowe, probably Coffs Harbour most famous resident sailed into the rocked walled port at 8:24:13.



There was some overnight drama on the boat, with water ballast systems out of action and vibration coming from the propeller shaft.

Travelex crossed the finish line 90 minutes inside the old race record, but was an hour behind Wild Oats.

They were too fast for us in the early stages commented crewmember Craig Malouf. We were disappointed that we had a few boat issues which prevented us really taking the race up to them.

When Travelex sailed into the Coffs harbour, she was taken under tow. A diver quickly discovered that the entire sail drive had started to shear away from the boat.



source: news.sify.com

Russell Crowe turns to sailing Jan 3, 2003
by Al Constable

Oscar-winning gladiator and occasional bar-room bad boy Russell Crowe tried turning fiction to fact Thursday by joining the crew of a maxi sailing yacht racing up Australia's east coast.

Crowe, 38, and a group of about 10 mates were invited by Finnish skipper Ludde Ingvall to join his 25-metre yacht Travelex for the race from Sydney to Coff's Harbor, a six-hour drive up the coast.

Donning new shoes for his first real-life sailing competition, the Australian-based Crowe and company looked set to break a 19-year-old record for the 600 kilometre race.

Ingvall, whose yacht under the banner Nicorette won the prestigious Sydney-to-Hobart race in 2000, came in second in 2001 and ranked fifth in this year's competition last week, has been trying to build an Australia-based syndicate capable of regaining the country a place in races like America's Cup and the Volvo around the world challenge.

He tutored Crowe for his latest role as a ship captain in the Peter Weir epic Master and Commander.

As Crowe took his silver screen sailing experience into real life, there was no sign of his fiancee, Danielle Spencer, for whom he recently abandoned an international tour with his offbeat rock group, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.



editor: hmm ... The press can't find Danielle ... maybe she's the petite blonde he's planting the kiss on?