Another wonderful Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. Another race record broken. How much further can the designers and engineers refine and tune these maxi yachts to go faster every year? Is there a theoretical limit ?
Anyway, another spectacular race start that went smoothly – well almost. 15 minutes into the race and nearing the turning mark to head south, the 2 big maxi yachts , Comanche and Wild Oats XI had a near collision. Comanche was on starboard tac, Wild Oats on port tac. The rules state that the port tac yacht must yield to starboard tac yacht. Well, Wild Oats did yield, but very late. Consequently, Comanche had to alter course to avoid collision. The red protest flag went up on Comanche..
As usual, the Sydney Harbour spectator fleet came out in big numbers. Eastcoast Sailing also had a large number of charter yachts, hire catamarans and luxury cruisers out on the water to watch the exciting race start. It truly is an amazing spectacle with so many boats on Sydney Harbour, watching the 2 waves of the fabulous racing yachts heading off to Hobart.
So, back to the race drama. Wild Oats was the first yacht to sail to the finishing line in Hobart. Can you believe it ? Comanche was second. At the time of writing the Comanche protest against Wild Oats was being reviewed by the CYC race committee. The winner will be announced shortly. Fabulous yacht racing and heavy dose of drama.
For more information about boat, yacht or charter hires in Sydney. Please contact us at EastCoast Sailing here. We also do private functions/ corporate events!