Oli the cat completes Sydney to Hobart yacht race to fanfare at dock, after a week at sea

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Oli the cat and the crew onboard Sylph VI have arrived in Hobart to a hero's welcome this morning after completing the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Oli is believed to be the second feline to complete the iconic race, and the first since 1947.

Transcript

00:00 It is a big journey. It's six days on some pretty rough waters, but it really was a hero's

00:07 welcome for Ollie the cat. We got down here quite early because we weren't sure when the

00:12 boat was going to get in. Time kept changing, it kept getting pushed back, but over the

00:17 course of the morning we saw more and more people gather along the waterfront just over

00:20 here. Some people with treats, food, toys for Ollie. One person even bought a cat carrier

00:27 so they could bring him down to the pub after he hopped off the boat. So just incredible

00:31 to see the sort of support out there for Ollie. And it's just a fantastic way to really top

00:38 off what's been an extremely exciting boat race, the Sydney to Hobart 628 nautical miles.

00:44 And it's been rough weather for the crews out there. I think Bob and Chris, the two

00:49 skippers were really happy to finally make it into Hobart. And they certainly weren't

00:55 expecting the response that they got from the people that gathered. When they pulled

00:59 in, as you can see behind me, they should be just behind me now, the crowds just sort

01:02 of followed them in, started quizzing them, asking how Ollie was doing, giving them gifts.

01:09 They were quite taken aback and I think quite moved. Here's what the skipper had to say

01:14 about the reaction of everyone showing up. You're quite emotional. I am just a bit. I

01:19 don't know why. I think it's about the cat actually. Yeah, no, I think it's quite amazing

01:24 how people have, you know, taken a shine to Ollie. It was not something I expected. You

01:30 know, I mean, for me, Ollie is just part of part of my crew, part of my, you know, the

01:36 boat and I've sailed with him for several years now. Well, look, I mean, it's been such

01:41 an exciting race. We had the Andrew Comanche Law Connect Nailbiter and just to end it in

01:46 this way, yes, they took a little bit longer than they expected and a lot of people expected,

01:51 but it's just such an interesting and wonderful way to wrap up what's been an incredibly exciting

01:55 Sydney to Hobart this year.

01:56 Yeah.

01:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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