Female sailors to be aboard all three fancies for line honours in this year's ... - Herald Sun

Female crew aboard Wild Thing for the 2012 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. From left to right - Sophie Ciszek, Jessica Sweeney, Karen Meyer, Carolijn Brouwer, Sue Crafer and Kelly Mathews. Picture: Brett Costello Source: The Daily Telegraph

IT'S been a man's world in the Sydney to Hobart for the past 68 years but the winds of change are roaring in faster than a southerly buster for this year's race.

For the first time in the long history of the famous Australian ocean classic, female sailors will be aboard all three fancies for the line honours win.

And for the first time one yacht will carry almost an entire watch of women with Grant Wharington's Wild Thing crew boasting a record six female sailors.

Triple Olympian and former round the world sailor Carolijn Brouwer from The Netherlands is the latest recruit to Wharington's team who are considered a dark horse for the fastest time honours in the 628 nautical mile race.

"It feels like a fantastic boat and I can't wait to do the race," said Brouwer who sailed from Newcastle to Sydney aboard the supermaxi as part of a meet-and-greet with the team this week.

Brouwer, the only female to race against men's teams in the Tornado class at the Beijing Olympics, has plenty of offshore sailing experience and was part of the all-female crew which raced in the Volvo round the world race in 2001/2002.

But the 2012 race to Tasmania will be her first Rolex Sydney to Hobart.

In contrast physiotherapist Sue Crafer is the most experienced female campaigner aboard Wild Thing with the 2012 race her 13th trek to Hobart.

"Lucky I'm not superstitious," she laughed.

"I just consider this one the race between 12 and 14."

Joining the pair will be Kelly Mathews, Karen Meyer, bowman Sophie Ciszek and navigator Jess Sweeney, who did onshore navigation and weather for the Camper round the world campaign.

"I don't care if they are male or female. If you are a good sailor you are a good sailor," said Wharington of his mixed crew.

Wharington has long been a supporter of women on the water with Crafer and Ciszek regular members of his crew and both racing to Hobart with him in the past.

Women have been part of the Sydney to Hobart since 1946, just a year after the inaugural event where nine yachts set sail for Hobart.

Both Jane Tate, on a little yacht called Active, and Dagmar O'Brien, on Connella, set sail but only Tate completed the race in 1947.

The trophy awarded to the first female skipper to complete the Sydney to Hobart each year is dedicated to and named after Tate.

This year world renown navigator and mother of two Adrienne Cahalan will be aboard Wild Oats as it attempts to win a sixth line honours crown and trimmer Vanessa Dudley will be aboard Ragamuffin Loyal, being skipper south by 85-year-old Syd Fischer .

Gail Harland , the second most capped woman in the Hobart, will embark on her 18th race to Tasmania on the Sydney yacht Patrice with Mary Holley racing south for the 16th time with husband Jim on their yacht Aurora.

There are also numerous other women in key positions on yachts heading to Hobart this year.