LADY PENRYN at full tilt POPH Peter Simpson of HMAS ALBATROSS took this dramatic picture of LADY PENRYN late last month. It shows her with a full spinnaker set racing across Jervis Bay at 10.1 knots.

Two of the RAN's hardest worked sail training yachts have been entered in the Sydney to Hobart yacht classic.

The ALEXANDER of CRESWELL will be skippered by Warren Hellwig and crewed by volunteers from HMAS HARMAN.

The LADY PENRYN will be crewed by students from the Australian Defence Force Academy and led by LCDR Ian Kelly.

The yachts are sister vessels…members of the Swarbrick S 111 class.

Sloops of 11 metres, they are two of five identical yachts bought by the RAN between 1982 and 1984 for sail training and sea awareness drills.

Named after First Fleet ships, the FRIENDSHIP of LEEUWIN is in WA while CHARLOTTE of CERBERUS and SCARBOROUGH of CERBERUS are at HMAS CERBERUS.

They are all now under the care, maintenance and operation of Defence Maritime Services.

Andry Beldom of DMS' sail training unit at CRESWELL said ,"Our two yachts are well worked. They are used almost daily for sail training.

"In December they will go to Sydney to be used for the ADF Sailing Associations 80 the regatta on Sydney Harbour and off the coast.

"They will then return to CRESWELL so that crews for the Sydney to Hobart can be trained.

"They are indeed busy," he said.

Although the yachts are getting on in age they are still speedy and competitive.