Printable version  News feed

As if the event needed an extra edge after the thrills and spills of four years earlier, a new class, the Whitbread 60, was introduced, sounding the death knell for the maxis in future races.

The new boat was conceived to keep down costs. They were less expensive to build, maintain and campaign than the maxis. They were also light, strong and fast so professional yachtsmen, whatever their pedigree, were clamouring to get on the track.

Some of the biggest names on the racing circuit were signing up. Dennis Conner, best known for his America’s Cup campaigns, entered for the first time with his W60 Winston and came up against another AC veteran and Whitbread first timer Chris Dickson in Tokio. In the maxi corner were another set of heavyweights in Grant Dalton on New Zealand Endeavour and Lawrie Smith in the modified Spanish maxi Fortuna.

The three year build up to the 1993 Whitbread had revolved mainly around boats and whether the W60 could outclass the maxis, but all the talk on the day of the start once again centred around those gnarled, thrusting seadogs on the helm and which of them had what it takes to win the most coveted offshore title in the world.