Key Points
- In the 78 years since the race began, there have been no records of a cat being on board any of the competing ships.
- The ten-year-old feline has plenty of experience at sea.
- He's sailed with Williams for about five years, including a trip to New Zealand.
He may not look like your average sailor, but Oli the cat made history on Tuesday when he joined the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
In the 78 years since the race began, there have been no records of a cat being on board any of the competing ships.
Part of the crew of the Sylph VI - the oldest boat in the race - Oli and his owner, retired naval officer Bob Williams, will traverse the 628 nautical-mile journey along with their co-skipper.
The ten-year-old feline has plenty of experience at sea, having sailed with Williams for about five years, including a trip on the Tasman Sea to New Zealand.
“He’s an experienced sailor. He’s spent several years on the boat now. He’s been to New Zealand and back. So I think he’s, you know, got his sea legs. I think he’s all good," Williams told Reuters.
"He used to get seasick, and he was a bit stressed to start off with... but now he's fine. He quite enjoys life. He's very sensible... Whenever it gets rough, he'll disappear down below to find a nice, safe spot to curl up."
And he might have to.
As the ships race towards Hobart's Constitution Dock, competitors are set to battle sudden and erratic wind changes, hail, rain and reduced visibility all the way down the NSW coast.
— With additional reporting by AAP
