The seventh year of the Hobart Clocktower Model Boat Race kicked off with a day of open water practice. Thursday, September 10th, the race for the one of a kind Clocktower trophy is on. Rows of tents hosted 84 drivers from all over the world as they put the finishing touches on their boats.
To see more photos from the event, please click here!
The races span three days. The drivers challenge each other, competing for the points that will add up to a victory on the final day.
“If you talk to any of these drivers,” Dr Jim Haerrick, one of event’s original organizers, says, “They will tell you that of this type of racing, these are the best drivers in the world. And they come here to compete against each other.”
The race itself has been going on for 34 years. It moved to Hobart in 2009 and has only grown since then. The number of competitors and their worldwide renown make this the largest race of its kind. Dr Haerrick’s describes the race as fierce and its location as perfect. As a long time resident of Hobart, you might worry that his great pride for the town makes him biased. If you don’t believe him, you truly can ask any of the drivers.
Racer Cole Stirton flew here from Australia to race his boats against other big names, like Stu Barr and Scott Liddycoat. He used to race in life sized boats but was injured. He still had that adrenaline so he turned to a sport that his wife hoped would be a bit safer.
Why come so far? “It’s the best race in the world. It’s a fantastic place, with fantastic people.”
This year may be Stu Barr’s fourth in a row as champion of the Clocktower Race. He has engineered many of the engines at the races, and is also the contest director for the Indy Masters.
He says, “The best of the best want to be here to race. These are some of the best drivers. It’s the camaraderie, the companionship.”
His assistant, Jim Wilson, has many reasons to love this race: The competition, the other racers, and the citizens of Hobart. He was invited here years ago and when he finally came, he said he was impressed.
“It reminded me of back in the 80s where boating competition was at its best,.” said Wilson.
He is a national champion, who has won several races in through the NAMBA (North American Model Boat Association) organization.
Other racers come more for the locale than the competition. Kim Grim of California says “it is a really great place to race, it’s so beautiful.”
Francois Peilleron, who has flown to the United States every year since 1989, comes from France. “France is a nice place to visit,” he says of his country, “And our food is much better than yours. But that is it. Here you can do anything. There are tracks everywhere, hosts everywhere.”
So Dr Jim Haerrick’s pride in the race is well earned. His wife had the brilliant idea to bring the already established race here, in 2008.
Janet Haerrick explained, “We thought that this would be a good thing to give back to the community. It helps the businesses. I was on the Special Events Committee and they wanted something that would bring people to Hobart.”
At the time, Mike Adams was the director of the Chamber of Commerce and another part of the small committee that made the race a reality.
“It was fun,” he said, “Because we started with absolutely nothing. So we said 2008 is the perfect time to do this. Brian, the Mayor, just got elected. There was a huge flood, so everything down here was wiped out.”
What better way to rebuild than with an annual race that shows off the beautiful Lake George of Hobart? Every racer had a moment to say wonderful things about the town, before beginning the next round of adrenaline filled races.