The other Tasmanian entrants were; Southern Maid; Percy Cloverdale's 52- foot sloop Winston Churchill, which was a starter in the inaugural Sydney-Hobart; the ketch Matthew Flinders; the sloop Active and gaff-schooner Wanderer, skippered by Ernie Massey from Launceston. Of the Tasmanian newcomers to the event, which included Westward, there were also Duncan McCrae's Kintail, Sir Ralph Wishaw's Fortuna and Josephine, later brought to Hobart by Geoff Cripps. Jock recalled of the 1947 race: "From the start we made quick time to the Heads and down the New South Wales coast. When we approached Bass Strait however, it really started to blow. Firstly from N-West followed by a SW gale, during which Westward averaged seven knots. "We encountered further turbulent weather east of the Furneaux Group down as far as Tasman Island. When I think back, it was a very rough passage indeed.' On arrival in Hobart Westward's crew found that five of the fleet had been forced to retire during the race for a variety of reasons and many of them in the 40 knot winds while crossing the Strait. It was under cover of darkness that Westward sailed up the Derwent and crossed the finishing line off Castray Esplanade at 12.19 am, l0 hours 16 minutes behind Morna. She had finished around 2 pm the previous afternoon with her mainsail torn to ribbons by a storm she had encountered 85 miles out. "Westward had her propeller removed for the race and the aperture sealed with two copper plates. Her fish-well had also been sealed up. It was a very proud moment in my life when she crossed the line, and I can honestly say, it was the most memorable achievement the crew and I had experienced in ocean racing."
1948 - 205 Miles in 24 Hours
"To win a Sydney to Hobart race once in a lifetime is a thrill and an honour. To be associated with it twice in successive years was truly quite remarkable and beyond my wildest dreams." Many of the 1947 yachts entered again the following year, but the fleet was down in number with only 16 entrants fronting up to the starter's gun. Morna and newcomers Mistra lV, owned and skippered by Guy Rex, 40-foot yawl Moonbi, Jock Muir and Westward, were pre-race favourites. The Westward's crew remained practically the same but Ernie did not compete and Don Muir crewed on another boat leaving Jock and Wal Muir, Kevin Garrod, George Gibson, John Bennetto (navigator), Bill Foster and Doug Job.