Off to the Races
With 22 guests aboard, Furthur joined the huge fleet of boats poised to watch the start of the Sydney/Hobart Race. Including the youngest girl ever to be on the crew.
The winds were fluky and gusty changing 90 degrees just before the start. The early morning rain subsided just as we dropped anchor in the best place we could find. Not long after we anchored we were surrounded by boats waiting to see the start.
As the race starts, big boats first, the whole spectator fleet, from kayaks to large excursion boats all follow the racers in designated lanes out the harbor entrance to the first mark. This is a free for all and very rough seas are created by wakes. All the sailors aboard were amazed at how stable Furthur was in these conditions.
We had the benefit of having expert sailor, sail designer and experienced racer, Jamie Gifford, on board to give us running commentary. The “big boats” were amazing with exotic graphics and huge rigs. Earlier we had found that all the betting halls have par mutual type betting on the race—the Ausies love yacht races and gambling!!
It was a truly spectacular sight to see the 100 boats all blast out of the harbor and head out to sea. Again Australia does it up brown as the parties continued dock side all over town.
Here is the exert from the official website.
About the race
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Wild Oats XI going through Sydney heads at the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart
Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi |
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The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010 will start on 26 December and will be conducted on the waters of Sydney Harbour, the Tasman Sea, Storm Bay and the Derwent River. Over the past 65 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Davis Cup tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. No regular annual yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage than does the start on Sydney Harbour.
Over the years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia have had marked influence on international ocean yacht racing. The club has influenced the world in race communications and sea safety, maintaining the highest standards for yacht race entry. The club’s members have also fared well in major ocean racing events overseas, with victories in the Admiral’s Cup, Kenwood Cup, One Ton Cup, the Fastnet Race and the BOC Challenge solo race around the word, not to mention the America’s Cup.
Updated 10/19/2017
