Just after midnight the last yacht, Capriccio of Rhu, with the indomitable Michele Colenso at the helm, crossed the finish line to bring down the curtain on the Rolex Sydney Hobart ocean racing classic for another year.

It was a fine achievement by this cruising yacht, the only one in its division, especially as Capriccio or Rhu lost considerable time taking an injured crewman into Wollongong for medical treatment on the first night. And it was another personal triumph for Michele who was diagnosed with breast cancer just before last year’s race.