Australian yachting loses racing icon with the death of Roger Hickman

by Peter Campbell on 2 Mar 2016 Australian yachting has lost an offshore racing icon with the peaceful death on the of evening of Tuesday, 2 March of Roger ‘Hicko’ Hickman, the Tasmanian born and bred, Sydney based master yachtsman, superb seaman and mentor to many of Australia now excellent offshore sailors.

‘Hicko’ passed away despite intensive treatment for cancer since he being admitted to hospital, firstly in Hobart on New Year’s Eve, then transferred to Sydney, just hours after he had sailed his beloved yacht Wild Rose to finish the 71st Rolex Sydney Hobart, his personal 39th bluewater classic.

But for his sudden illness, he would have stayed on to sail in the Prince Philip Cup for Dragons, crewing with 89 year old Gordon Ingate, with whom he had won the NSW Dragon championship. Even days ago he was talking about sailing Wild Rose in the Port Stephens Regatta.

With ‘Hicko’s death, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania has lost a wonderful ambassador for yachting in this State and a great supporter of club events.

Sailing was Roger’s love from boyhood to middle age, interspersed by a career in the merchant marine, in which he rose to the rank of ship’s captain.

He will be sadly missed by the many, many young sailors he introduced to ocean yacht racing, instilling into them his vast knowledge of the sea and his skill as a yachtsman.

A gregarious, always friendly man, ‘Hicko’ had many great friends in many areas of the sport of yachting, mixing his offshore racing with racing a Laser dinghy, an Etchells and crewing for the great 89-year-old Gordon Ingate in the Dragon class.

He collapsed in Hobart on the eve of the Prince Philip Cup on Hobart’s River Derwent in he was to have again crewed for Ingate.

In an interview for the ‘Tasmanian Yachtsman’, the club magazine of his Hobart club, the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, ‘Hicko’ recalled that his first ocean race had been with his uncle Frank Hickman on his yacht Nell Gwyn in Bruny Island Race as a three-year-old.

“I can clearly remember looking out through the wire reinforced porthole at The Friars (a cluster of rocky islets) off the southern tip of the island,” he said.

His father, Jim Hickman (later a Commodore of the RYCT) allowed Roger and several mates to take his classic yacht Bronzewing on extensive overnight trips in southern Tasmanian waters.

Sailing an International Cadet dinghy, he finished second in the world championships in Hobart in 1969, and the following year represented Australia at the worlds in England.

That was the start of a brilliant career in yachting, from one-design classes to ocean racing, culminating with his overall victory with Wild Rose in the 70th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2014.

This was, in fact, his third win in the famous ocean race, as co-owner/skipper of the Farr 43, Selbourne Wild Oats in 1993, as sailing master of SAP Ausmaid in 2000, and as owner/skipper of Wild Rose in 2014.

Roger bought back the original Wild Oats several years ago and re-named her Wild Rose after consultation with her first owner, the later Bob Oatley.

Many prominent yacht owners gained much from ‘Hicko’s’ experience and knowledge, including Yachting Australia president Matt Allen (Ichi Ban), Alan Brierty (Limited Chris Dare (Flirt) and Sydney Hobart winner Kevan Pearce (Ausmaid).

His crew, too, gained much from his mentoring, including many females who sailed at times on Wild Rose.

Jenifer Wells was named Crew Person of the Year at the 2013 Ocean Racer of the Year and Navigator of the Year in 2014 after piloting Wild Rose to victory in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

In earlier years Lori Wilson was named Crew Person of the Year and the late Sally Gordon in 2000.

Roger’s crew, his Hobart-based family and friends here and Sydney will long remember sailing season of 2014-2015 as ‘Hicko’ and Wild Rose’s stellar yachting year.

In early December 2014, he was named the Ocean Racing Yachtsman of the Year by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia after winning his seventh CYCA Bluewater Championship the previous season, with Wild Rose taking first place in her IRC and ORCi divisions of the Sydney Hobart and being a member of the winning team in the Southern Cross Cup.

Within three weeks of receiving that award many more accolades were to be showed on Wild Rose, skipper Hickman and his dedicated crew after their brilliant overall win in the 70th Sydney Hobart.

This was to be followed by being awarded the Governor’s Cup at the RYCT’s annual prizegiving and named the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s Yachtsman of the Year. He was also inducted into Tasmania’s Yachting Hall of Fame.

Roger made a significant contribution to the management of yacht racing in Australia, serving as a Director, Rear Commodore and Vice Commodore of the CYCA. He was also elected President of Yachting NSW in 2008.

Following the tragic 1998 Sydney Hobart in which he competed and finished the rugged race, he became a member of the CYCA’s Review Board, created to undertake a complete analysis of the club’s operations, proceedings and responsibilities in conducting the Sydney Hobart.

He identified a lack of knowledge in safety procedures and equipment by various racing crews, emphasising the need for formal training in safety at sea. The CYCA subsequently adopted the recommendations of the now mandatory Safety at Sea Survival Course for ocean racing sailors.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, both of which he was a long standing member today extended their sympathies to Roger’s partner, Sandy Eastman, his brother Andrew, sister Lisa and their families.

Throughout today tributes have been flowing in to Roger Hickman, a yachtsman extraordinaire;

John Cameron, Commodore of the CYCA: “It is very sad day for all members of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Roger had contributed so much as a proactive competitor, board member, rear commodore and vice commodore and yachting in general as president of Yachting Tasmania. Whenever one ran into him at club he was always ready to make a forthright comment. He had sailed in 38 Hobarts and was looking forward to achieving his significant 40th race this year.”

Matt Allan, President of Yachting Australia: “I’ve been friends with Roger for many years and he will be remembered for his sailing ability, his positive spirit and for introducing many people to the sport with his engaging personality. Having sailed with him on many occasions, whenever we were in a tricky situation, he always had a plan on how to deal with it. Hicko was highly respected throughout the country, and around the world, as one of the greatest ocean racers and, if you were ever caught in a storm, the person you wanted beside you was ‘Hicko’.”

Many tributes have been posted on Facebook including:

Anthony Nicholas: “A great competitor and friend for 55 yeas. We will miss you, ‘Hicko’.”

Sara West: “RIP Hicko, a sad day”.

Peter Campbell: “Fair winds and smooth seas on your final voyage, Hicko. To me personally, a great yachtsman, and a fine friend and wise advisor.”