A record 28 international boats will take part in this year's Sydney to Hobart yacht race, but a local skipper isn't letting them distract him.
Shane Kearns, the owner of the smallest boat in this year's fleet, Quikpoint Azzurro, is confident an experienced crew can help him land handicap honours.
His crew boasts 90 Sydney to Hobart races between them and he believes his 10-metre yacht, purchased with a credit card for the frequent flyer points, can win.
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“This boat’s strong in a storm and I think experience is more important than having the youngest guys on the boat,” he told SBS News.
"You haven’t won anything until you’ve won the Hobart.”
At the other end of the spectrum, eight-time first past the post winner Wild Oats XI is undergoing $1.5 million dollars of improvements to keep it ahead of the chasing pack.
Skipper Mark Richards said he was grateful to Wild Oats' owners.
“Bob and Sandy Oatley are fantastic supporters of us and to let us do what we’ve done is very cool,” he said.
He said his crew's biggest threat to scooping a ninth line honour would be American entry Comanche.
It was only four months ago that Comanche, who finished just 49 minutes behind Wild Oats in Hobart last year, broke the monohull 24 hour sailing world record - notching up 618 nautical miles, while averaging 25.75 knots, during the Trans Atlantic Race.
And the 100-footer will be 500 kilograms lighter this time after shedding 20 per cent of her crew.
"No question Comanche's going to be the one to beat," Richards said at the race launch in Sydney on Tuesday.
"She wrapped up the 24-hour world record this year. If she gets the conditions, she'll be very tough to beat."
And the Americans aren't the only international challengers in this year's yacht race.
Two Chinese yachts will be taking part for the first time.
But the dream of winning on handicap is keeping Kearns going all the way to Hobart.
"Start small and dream big," he told SBS.
-With AAP
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