From one Extreme to another

WHEN Alex South goes sailing she is usually home, showered, dry and fed in about four hours.

When South sets sail on Boxing Day, her ETA will be around four days.

She has hitched a ride south on the all-women’s crew racing on Climate Action Now with Australian Lisa Blair and coskipper Lizzy Greenhalgh.

It will be the first Sydney to Hobart for the former 18-foot skiff sailor who also had a turn racing on the Extreme Series two years ago and super-fast 49er FXs.

“I am used to sailing fast boats, shame there’s not a spot going on Comanche,’’ South said with a laugh of the 100footer that is one of the favourites for line honours.

Having worked in the race media centre, she has heard the horror stories about a race with an international reputation as one of ocean racing’s toughest.

‘’It’s one of those things everyone has to tick off the bucket list,’’ she said.

“I’m a little nervous. I know what the worst is. I’ve heard the stories from all the boats the last few year.

“Having the insider knowledge isn’t always a good thing. I’ve heard the horror stories.’’

Blair made her name as the first woman to circumnavigate Antarctica solo and decided to put together the races only allfemale crew this year.

The crew is international with Greenhalgh best known for navigating on the allfemale Team SCA crew in the last Volvo round the world race.

Like South, other crew members had to apply for their positions on the yacht.

“It’s sometimes difficult to get on a boat for the Sydney to Hobart so this is great,’’ she said.

The fleet for the race now stands at 103.

The long range forecast is relatively benign with no southerly buster predicted at this stage.