1971 — Debut year. Owned and skippered by Ron J. Langman (Sandringham YC). Crew included navigator W.A. Perrin and crew A.A. Stephenson, C. Smith, A. Morrison, I.R. Langman, J.A. Langman. Finished successfully — the first of many Hobart completions.
1972 — Represented Australia in the One Ton Cup under legendary skipper Jock Sturrock. Navigator B. J. Case; crew included A. Morrison, I. R. Langman, G. Gilliam. Selection race pattern 5-3-2-1-1 helped break New South Wales dominance.
1973–1978 — Regular contender. Often strong in class racing; in 1973, won the “One Ton Cup division” in the Hobart. (Some crew rosters are sparse in archives, but Ron J. Langman remained central in this era.)
1979 — Won the 1979 Sydney–Nouméa Race, then backed up for the Hobart. A standout season underscoring the yacht’s durability and pace.
1980–1983 — Ownership and home port shifted during these years; racing continued intermittently as custodians changed.
1984 — Entered a rough year under Peter Rowsthorn. Finished 42nd on elapsed time out of 151 starters — proof the boat could still perform against newer designs.
1985 — Listed with co-owners/co-skippers Hugh O’Neill, C. Ward, and B. White, signalling another handover period.
1986–1989 — Did not appear in fleet lists for several late-80s races. Maintenance and ownership shifts continued in the background.
1990s — The veteran years (Hugh O’Neill era)
1990 — Returned under Hugh O’Neill sailing for Sydney Amateur Sailing Club. Around 4 days 7 hours elapsed. Navigator noted as Ken Jones in program references; a steady restart of the Hobart run.
1991–1997 — Frequent entries under Hugh O’Neill. Reliable finisher in smaller-boat divisions; crews rotated while leadership stayed constant.
1998 — Survived the deadly 1998 Sydney–Hobart and finished (one of only 44 finishers overall). Mark Twain came home 33rd across the line — a defining badge of seaworthiness.
1999–2001 — Continued intermittent racing and other offshore events, including the Lord Howe Island Race (as part of an SASC initiative). By end of 2001, she had 24 Hobart starts, tied for the all-time record at that time.
2002 — Historic 25th Sydney–Hobart start (first yacht ever to reach 25). Owned/skippered by Hugh O’Neill (then 68). Crew: Keith Radford (navigator), Chris Oh, Bob Kenyon, David Salter, Trevor Walkley, Jean Kelly, Tony Purkiss.
In Hobart, the Premier of Tasmania presented a medallion recognising the 25-race milestone. After 2002, O’Neill retired the yacht from the race, having set the benchmark.
2003–2017 — Out of the Hobart for over a decade. The yacht changed hands, sat in port, and was even listed for sale as “a piece of Australian sailing history.” Over time she needed deeper refurbishment. Designer Olin Stephens later described her as one of his favourite designs — a strong nod to her pedigree.
2018 — Veteran racer Michael Spies (two-time Hobart-winning skipper) purchased and restored Mark Twain for her 26th Sydney–Hobart.
Crew included Robert “Robby” Case (who had sailed Mark Twain back in 1972; son of Bernie Case who also sailed aboard in the 1970s), plus Greg Johnston, Fraser Johnson, Katie O’Mara, Matt Stafford; navigator Bryan Northcote.
Finished again — at 47 years old, the oldest boat in the fleet, and still competitive.
Under the custodianship of Rob Payne, the Mark Twain is currently under restoration for her 27th entry for Sydney-Hobart and the vision of shared wisdom through Old Saltys.