Yachting: Aussie red tape trips Lion on way to start

Former Whitbread yacht Lion New Zealand hopes to celebrate its famous 1984 win at this year's Sydney to Hobart race. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Red tape may prevent iconic Kiwi Whitbread maxi Lion New Zealand from making it to the start line of this year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Lion New Zealand entered the race to commemorate 25 years since the boat's line honours win in the gruelling 1984 Sydney to Hobart, when it was skippered by the late Sir Peter Blake and crewed by yachting legends Grant Dalton, Simon Gundry and Kevin Shoebridge.

But skipper Alistair Moore and his crew are facing a race against time after race management rejected most of their safety certification.

A furious Moore said he believed he had thoroughly met the safety requirements, with the boat, equipment and competency of the crew all certified to New Zealand standards. But organisers of the iconic race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, insisted on having Australian certification.

"I don't think Australians like New Zealanders, they're making us redo everything," said Moore.

"I've had to have the radio equipment checked and re-checked this morning, I've had my crew out swimming in pools all day - it's been really frantic."

Moore said he and the shore crew have been "burning the midnight oil" since their arrival in Sydney to make sure they meet all the safety requirements.

While it will be a stretch, Moore is confident he can get the paperwork completed and signed off before the start of the Boxing Day race. If not, he has vowed to set sail regardless. "We'll just do it as pirates."

The late setbacks have cast a dampener on what was supposed to be a chance to celebrate the silver anniversary of the boat's historic win.

On board Lion New Zealand will be three offspring from the original winning crew from 1984 - Sarah-Jane Blake, daughter of Sir Peter Blake, Sam Cray, son of Godfrey Cray, and Conrad Gundry, son of Simon Gundry.

But Moore said despite the last-minute panics, the crew remain in good spirits and are eager to get out on the water and sail.

They plan to hold their Christmas celebrations today before running through their final checks tomorrow.