The recently crowned Boat of the Year 2008 as the best Racer Cruiser the X-41 seems to be looking to win the top Restaurants award. Patrice SiX, an X-41 entered in this year's Rolex Sydney to Hobart has had an interesting lead up to the race.

As they say in the classics, the way to a man's heart is via his stomach.

On the brand new X-41 which is being campaigned in this year's Rolex Sydney to Hobart by Adrian Dunphy and Tony Kirby, nothing is being left to chance.

There is a new wardrobe out of North’s via the US and Sri Lanka just hitting our shores, a complete upgrade of the electronics package from B&G and numerous other 'refinements', attention was turned to the crew cuisine - fortunately, Dunphy's sheet hand of many years on the Ella Bache skiff, Colin Selwood, a recently 'hatted' chef and restauranteur of Salon Blanc fame was already brewing up a storm in the kitchen.

Taking on the role as self appointed trimmer/chef, Selwood has come up with a mouth watering menu for the X-Yacht crew calling in favours from his generous supporters in the restaurant trade namely Anthony at Vic's meats and Kirky of Double Bay 18s and Kirkfood notoriety

Such are the rigours of offshore yachting campaigns in this day and age as the mast was being re-stepped in the yacht tonight with a rig tune scheduled for tomorrow, three of the crew were offering their services as apprentice chefs
to Selwood in his own kitchen nestled on the hill above the host club in Paddington.

The crew are keen to indulge in some of Selwood's culinary delights and if the skipper allows, take advantage of the generous support of Chuck Hahn who has provided a special 'Hobart' brew to complement the cuisine.

Aside from the professional approach to crew cuisine, Dunphy and Kirby have assembled a team full of Hobart experience, in an effort to realise the potential of this exciting new X-Yacht - joining them on this Fridays qualifying
passage is a newcomer to the sport who has had many years in smaller boats, namely rowing skulls - having rowed in the Australian team for many years, the Right Honourable Senator Cory Bernardi is about to embark on a new career in boats which are a little larger on all accounts and perhaps more importantly, prefer it when the wind blows across their course.



http://www.sail-world.com/australia/Hobart-bound--a-Yacht-or-Restaurant-of-the-Year?/40128