Into the Storm

6

The Aussie Competitors

The Ramblers were not the only ones preparing for the Sydney to Hobart Race in 1998. As usual, the fleet comprised a diverse mix of vessels—including one venerable boat that had been competing since the first race in 1945.¹

The Winston Churchill was a strong wooden boat, and Jim Lawler, a close friend of Bill Psaltis, was on the crew. Jim was one of the finest sailors that Bill had ever met, and the Winston Churchill was the kind of boat that Bill felt good about. If he had been asked to sail on it that year, he would have done it in a flash.

Richard Winning, the owner of the boat, had spent a quarter of a million dollars ...