Most sailors would say a tight-knit crew is essential for any yacht to excel in the Sydney to Hobart but few could claim to be as close as identical twin brothers Louis and Marc Ryckmans.

Now in their 50s, the Ryckmans have been sailing together since they were six years old, when their father signed both up to a YMCA dinghy program on Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin.

The pair graduated to sailing bigger boats off the NSW south coast as pre-teens before reconnecting with the sport in their 30s as they forged legal careers.

The Ryckmans hatched a grand plan to sail from the US to Australia when Louis bought a boat from a client while working in New York.

“When he couldn’t even afford his rent, he thought, ‘that’d be a good idea’ and he bought this 33 foot sailing boat,” Marc Ryckmans told AAP ahead of today’s Sydney to Hobart start.

The brothers made it to Cuba before deciding they’d bitten off more than they could chew, sailing up to Miami to sell the vessel.

But a childhood passion had been reignited.

“We cobbled together a crew and in 2004, we did our first Sydney to Hobart yacht race with six other people, none of whom had ever done a Hobart in their lives,” Marc Ryckmans said.

That edition of the race turned out among the most treacherous in recent memory.

Heavy weather meant only 59 of the 116 starters made it to the finish line, with line honours heavyweight Skandia notably capsizing while in the lead.

“The lack of experience was probably a great factor for us and our boat, because no one really understood how dangerous it could be, so we continued,” Marc said.

“That started a tradition for the next two decades.”

The Ryckmans have raced 13 Hobarts together since the starting gun on Boxing Day 2004 and will sail aboard their yacht Titlespace Yeah Baby for a 14th this year.

Through the years, it’s been in the treacherous times that they’ve stood tallest for one another.

Marc recalls being flung overboard during a recent Hobart, left hanging by only his lifeline when their boat’s sails swung violently from one side to the other as she travelled downwind.

“You’ve got your brother in the back who immediately spies his twin and jumps to the rescue,” he said.

“We’ve always got a lazy eye out for each other, just to make sure we’re OK, along with the other crew. It’s just a strong sense of familiarity and closeness.”

Marc Ryckmans felt that camaraderie was all part of being a twin.

“We all have siblings and we’re close to our siblings. When you’re an identical twin, obviously there’s something which is even a bit closer,” he said.

“We’re just extremely close twins and I think we know each other well.

“That sometimes helps, particularly if it’s a dark, stormy night. It’s pretty good to have someone that you completely trust that’s by your side.”

This year, the Ryckmans are on more than just a mission to reach Hobart together, aiming to raise money for the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation along the way.

The boat and her sponsor Titlespace are donating enough to provide a week’s worth of shelter for a homeless child for each of the race’s 628 nautical miles.

“I think it’s all about giving back to the community if you can,” Marc said.

-AAP