Sacrificing sleep and battling 100km/h winds and six-metre seas are all par for the course for the Canberra Ocean Racing Club's long-serving Sydney to Hobart entrant.
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While the super maxis will be flying down the eastern seaboard on their way to the finish line, simply reaching the Tasmanian capital in one piece is the goal for the eight crew aboard Namadgi.
Skipper Michael Martin, navigator Paul Jones, Peter Ottesen, Sam Delorenzo and Marcus Morley have all returned from last year, while Sam McDonald, Paul McDonald (no relation) and Simon Dunlop are the new additions to the crew.
Jones is the most experienced on board having competed in nine editions of the great race, which this year features 117 yachts and covers 628 nautical miles.
The CORC has entered the Sydney to Hobart in 15 races in the past 25 years, with this set to be the second time for the current incarnation of Namadgi.
Last year's race turned into a war of attrition as huge seas and gales decimated the field, with Namadgi the last boat to arrive into Hobart an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve.
"We had winds of close to 100km/h and we big seas, five to six-metre seas in all directions," Ottesen said.
"It was a big storm and we knew it was coming. A lot of boats pulled out and had breakages. We want to do well, but getting to the end is a big achievement."
Namadgi finished third in its division in 2009 and is entering this year to be a part of the 70th anniversary of the Sydney to Hobart.
The yacht is designed mainly for cruising and is 13 metres long compared to the super maxis, which exceed 30 metres and travel at two to three times Namadgi's speed.
The crew packs enough food for six days, living on a diet of pre-prepared meals, snacks and dried food. They also run on a sleeping roster, with the crew divided into two groups.
"Through the night we'll run three hours on, three hours off and during the day we'll run four hours on and four hours off," Ottesen said.
"We'll rotate the helm every 30 minutes because it can be pretty tiring and we'll run shorter times at night.
"Getting the right amount of sleep and making sure everyone is alert is really important."
Sam McDonald is taking his spot on the boat after requiring four stitches from a training accident last week, taking a tumble when he was putting the spinnaker up.
Canberra's other representative is C.Q.R.iT Inca (pronounced, secure it Inca).
Owner and skipper Noel Sneddon will be competing in his eighth Sydney to Hobart, while navigator Ian Cooke will be joined by his two sons Michael and Nicholas.
