Matthew Hayden Finds Rolex Sydney Hobart Experience Surrealistic
Matthew Hayden may be well known for being an aggressive opening batsman; however, the Rolex Sydney Hobart race brought out the deep-thinking philosopher in him, glimpses of whom have sometimes appeared in his final test cricket years. Matthew Hayden may have been furthest from a cricket arena, but the left handed batsman proved that he still had his sportsman spirit intact. Racing aboard the Investec Loyal, Matthew Hayden was part of a star-studded crew that included Olympians, swimming champions and of course, experienced and talented sailors. The Rolex Sydney Hobart race has been known to be a surreal experience not only for sailors, but is also anxiously awaited each year by audiences in Australia and fans around the world. This year the race has been witness to its toughest challenge yet, due to gale force winds and confused seas taking a toll on boats and sailors, alike.
Admitting to the challenge presented by the race, Matthew Hayden stated that only the first two hours of the race were quiet and peaceful. He went ahead to add that thereafter, the next 28 hours were extremely hectic and the chaos only ended with the finish line in sight. He stated that they had not only big seas to deal with, but also a lot of people getting sick aboard the 100-foot supermaxi. He went ahead to state that there were many technical aspects of the race that he did not understand. Especially, the aspect about how the strategy and tactics were crafted by the skilled sailors. When asked whether he regretted being part of one of the toughest sailing races in the world, he stated that he was not sorry at all. He further said that it was one of the most surreal experiences of his life.
Narrating his experience he said that he now understood how it felt being part of one of the most remote places on earth. He added that the dolphins illuminating the water with the phosphorus from their nostrils at around 3 am and it was nothing short of fireworks in the water as the moon went out, the sea became steady and there was light breeze.
Matthew Hayden further claimed that it was an experience he would never forget, as his reason for signing up was the fact that there was a lot of trust and reliability involved, as he had every crew member’s back and vice versa. He said that it felt like he was in a boot camp while aboard the 100-foot runner up. Drawing parallels with cricket he stated that a challenge of such proportions is what brings together a team and helps you build on relationships afterwards. He said that sometimes the greatest result in a match is a draw and this time he was glad that he was able to finish the race. While Investec Loyal was in hot pursuit of the leader, Wild Oats XI, throughout the race, it was the sudden drop in winds as they were crossing Derwent River that made them lag far behind with a gap of around three and a half hours from the Line Honors winner.
Tags: Investec Loyal, Matthew Hayden., Rolex, Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, Test Cricket
