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Rothmans
Rothmans in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 1990Rothmans
Rothmans

CountryEngland
Sail NumberK100
RigSloop
LOA24.68m, 81f
Beam8.83m, 29f
Draught3.96m, 13f
Displacement0500 kgs
Year Build1989 (age 35)
Webwww.youtube.com/watch?v=T7-JEL-LXAo
Owner (s)Bob Erixon
Former OwnersLaurie Smith
Designer (s)Humphreys Yacht Design
Builder(s)Adrian Thompson
Paragon Composite
Former CrewBill Heffe
Bob Fisher
Chas from Tas
David Powys
Don Buckley
Lawrie Smith
Marcus Hutchinson
Michael Spies
Paul Stanbridge
Paul Stanbridge
Russell Pickthall
Shag Morton

Rothmans

Rothmans was originally built by Paragon Composite as "Rothmans" for the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race (the forerunner of the Volvo Ocean Race) where she finished fourth.

She competed in the 1990 Hobart Yacht Race and won line honors, but was later penalised for flying a sponsor spinnaker.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 1990

Rothman's crew for her sleigh ride in the Sydney/Hobart Race, Lawrie Smith, Shag Morton, Paul Stanbridge,The Admiral Don Buckley, Bob Fisher, Dave Powys, Chas from Tas.

From the 1999 Official Hobart Program

1990 Race and Weather

High winds, fast reachers, exhausting windward work, controversy on the doc and a brilliant win by Sagacious V - the 46th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 1990 had everything but a new record.

In the midst of the deepening recession a respectable fleet of 106 yachts set sail in a good south easterly race that made a fast start down the Harbour under spinnakers. The first casualties came within hours of the start, when two new half-tonners were dismasted and the drop-out continued the next day as the fleet powered downwind under spinnakers, as the wind swung to the nor'east, freshening to more than 30 knots, with some of the yachts reporting gusts of 50 knots.

In Bass Strait, the maxi ran into a vicious low, which had earlier played havoc with the fleet setting sail in the races from Melbourne to Devonport and Hobart, giving them a two sail reach in 35 knot westerlies.

However, in the lee of the Tasmanian east coast the winds eased away and Rothmans' chance of a race record disappeared. She finally crossed the line with an elapsed time of 2 days, 19 hours, 7 minutes and 2 seconds, the third fastest time in 46 years. However, Rothmans' line honours position, nor her provisional overall second place on corrected time, was not to stand. The Race Committee penalised the British yacht 10% of placings on corrected time and stripped her of the line honours award for breaking Rule 26 (advertising) by flying a spinnaker with an illegal logo on it.

As a result Ragamuffin was awarded line honours, and first place overall on IOR corrected times went to Sagacious V.

Articles and Pictures

Rothmans to race again!

Rothmans to Race again 2011
Rothmans to Race again 2011

From www.humphreysdesign.com/712/rothmans-to-race-again

Alicante, Spain: Rothmans, designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and skippered by Britain's Lawrie Smith in The Whitbread Round the World Race1989-90 (the forerunner of the Volvo Ocean Race), will sail from Sweden to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race Legends regatta and reunion. At 80', she is three feet longer than Great Britain II, who is also entered, along with the smallest yacht ever, 45' Copernicus from Poland, both of whom took part in 1973-74.

Rothmans originally sailed with a crew of up to 16 and finished the race in fourth place overall, taking 131 days to complete the 33,000 nautical mile course. It was Lawrie Smith's second race, having completed part of the course on Simon Le Bon's Drum in 1985-86.

Since finishing The Whitbread, Rothmans has been kept in pristine condition by present owner Bob Erixon and his friends in Scandinavia, who successfully campaigned her in 2003 winning the Round Gotland race and finishing up the order in other Scandinavian regattas.

Erixon formed a syndicate among 16 of his friends to co-own the boat and she still sails under the name of Rothmans. "The target was to sail the Atlantic and to compete in races like Cowes Week and the ARC," he explains. "We think the Volvo Ocean Race Legends regatta and reunion is a fabulous idea and all the owners are very enthusiastic about it," he confirmed. "We are all between 44 - 60 years old and we have watched The Whitbread and the Volvo Ocean Race for a long time. We would love to sail against some of the older boats as well as some of the more modern ones. We have already raced against Charles Jourdan (WRTRW 1989-90). The Volvo Ocean Race Legends regatta fell right in to place in our Atlantic and Caribbean race tour that is planned for 2011-12," he added.

The boat is in original and fantastic condition and has been continuously maintained. Apart from some new electronics, she is in her original racing trim and is sure to be competitive next November in Alicante.

For Sale 1989 Rob Humphreys Maxi - Rothmans

Rothmans 1989  - owned by Rb Humphreys
Rothmans 1989 - owned by Rb Humphreys
Rothmans 1989  - owned by Rb Humphreys
Rothmans 1989 - owned by Rb Humphreys

www.yachtworld.com/boats/1989/Rob-Humphreys-Maxi---Rothmans-2438130/Sweden#.WD-1I_l96Uk

This 1989 Rob Humphreys 81ft Kevlar/Carbon/Epoxy fractional sloop Maxi Racer benefits from a full refit in 2011 and new Cummins 4BT 150hp engine in 2014. She offers an ideal corporate platform or classic maxi potential. 

Originally built by Paragon Composite as "Rothmans" for the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race (the forerunner of the Volvo Ocean Race) where she finished fourth.

She is in original and fantastic condition and has been continuously maintained. Apart from some new electronics and sails, she is in her original racing trim down below. She benefits from being recently fully faired and painted including hull and topsides, new sails, continuous upgrading of the navigation instruments over the past 4 years and much more...

Pictures from website

Rothmans inside
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Rothmans inside
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Rothmans inside
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Rothmans inside
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Rothmans to Race again 2011
Rothmans to Race again 2011
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