Sydney/Hobart kicks off today..

[boatman61]

https://www.sail-world.com/news/2133...attle-of-minds

[StuM]

Tracker


Tracker - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018

[Factor]

Battle of the motor boats

[ozsailer]

I love watching the start of the Sydney Hobart but each year its is let down by the TV coverage of the TV station (7) which has the sole rights to broadcast the race.
This year it was the worst coverage I have ever witnessed. Channel 7 here in Australia won the rights from to now cover the cricket which is a big deal here in Australia especially the Boxing Day Test. It appears that the coverage of the Sydney Hobart Race has now be relegated to channel 7's sister channel. As such the coverage was extremely second rate with advertisements every 3 minutes. Once again it focused on the go fast boat and almost nothing was shown of the rest of the fleet which is a great shame and where there are some great stories. I fear our oversesas friends must be starting to think there are ten boats in this race.
If channel 7 have now relegated a major world sporting event to a second rate event. I really thinks its time Rolex took a serious look at who give rights to televise this wondefull event.



Greg H
Lagoon 440.

[StuM]

You're absolutely correct, Greg.


The coverage was appalling.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by ozsailer

I love watching the start of the Sydney Hobart but each year its is let down by the TV coverage of the TV station (7) which has the sole rights to broadcast the race.
This year it was the worst coverage I have ever witnessed. Channel 7 here in Australia won the rights from to now cover the cricket which is a big deal here in Australia especially the Boxing Day Test. It appears that the coverage of the Sydney Hobart Race has now be relegated to channel 7's sister channel. As such the coverage was extremely second rate with advertisements every 3 minutes. Once again it focused on the go fast boat and almost nothing was shown of the rest of the fleet which is a great shame and where there are some great stories. I fear our oversesas friends must be starting to think there are ten boats in this race.
If channel 7 have now relegated a major world sporting event to a second rate event. I really thinks its time Rolex took a serious look at who give rights to televise this wondefull event.



Greg H
Lagoon 440.

I think you raise a valid point. Of course I have no knowledge of the ins and outs of the Sidney TV market, but a great event like this surely deserves more extensive and better coverage than what we saw today. That said, I thought they did a good job of explaining and showing the different strategies the different boats (of the first 10 boats or so) were using and explained why or why not they didn't work out. I found it very informative. But I'd love to then see a similar program that focused on the slower boats as well.


Since the only racing I do these days is aboard my Sunfish on a lake, during the prestart maneuvering I like to imagine I'm skippering a maxi on Boxing Day in Sidney Harbor. Unfortunately, the closest I'll ever get to the real thing, but being able to at least imagine it makes our modest Sunday afternoon Sunfish races a bit more fun!

[iSaint]

Tight race at the front so far. Comanche with barely a two km lead over Black Jack. Wild Oats XI and Infotrack just a couple km further back. The front two have traded leads several times already.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by iSaint

Tight race at the front so far. Comanche with barely a two km lead over Black Jack. Wild Oats XI and Infotrack just a couple km further back. The front two have traded leads several times already.

WOXI slightly further East for a while there and in more breeze made back some distance to get into second. Looks like they're through the hole now and into a bit more pressure; WOXI still carrying more boat speed with Commanche slightly ahead and closer to the rhumb line. It's neck and neck still, great racing.

[Polux]

Unfortunately, like some years ago, the race risks to be decided by luck. Comanche has dominated and has about 4 miles of advance over Comanche but on the river the wind is almost nothing and some meteo programs give no wind at all in some parts of the river.

The all female crew is making a great race: 6th overall and closing on the 5th.

There is a Azuree 46 making a fantastic race. The Azuree 46 is a great cruising boat one of the best in what regards price/quality. It is a performance cruiser but not normally used for racing. It is proving here that it can be sailed very fast. Also a Salona 44, a Salona 38 and a First 45 doing great races.

https://gis.ee/sh/?fbclid=IwAR2sLyYb...RVOo1u204QC9DI
https://www.windy.com/?gfs,-43.102,147.857,11,m:ctmakgT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV3jDDSm5q0

[tp12]

Protest hearing for Wild Oats XI is this afternoon. Didn't follow the SIs and have their AIS on at all times so the RC has protested. This could be the second year in a row they have a line honours result taken off them; last year was a silly mistake/hubris so it'll be interesting to see how WOXI defend themselves today.

[Wotname]

[Tbonem17]

For everything that might've been wrong with this race there is absolutely nothing wrong with watching super maxi's under triple headsails screaming along. Wow. For a pleasant change the race was won on sailing ability instead of the usual riskier fine line of seeing what they can get away with before something breaks.

[Tbonem17]

I think the King of the Derwent is being run on the 2-1-19 this year. The fleet is made up from the Sydney and Melbourne to Hobart yachts and I think the Devonport to Hobart yachts and probably rates as one of the wonders of the world. Entrance is entirely voluntary from these race fleets and the boats that do enter provide a spectacle of their own. To see these boats sailed like 10 ft skiffs in the confines of the river right in the middle of Hobart is something you won't easily forget. Those onshore or in the spectator fleet are easily in earshot of the crews as they throw their boats around. Yachting heaven.

[tp12]

Originally Posted by Tbonem17

I think the King of the Derwent is being run on the 2-1-19 this year. The fleet is made up from the Sydney and Melbourne to Hobart yachts and I think the Devonport to Hobart yachts and probably rates as one of the wonders of the world. Entrance is entirely voluntary from these race fleets and the boats that do enter provide a spectacle of their own. To see these boats sailed like 10 ft skiffs in the confines of the river right in the middle of Hobart is something you won't easily forget. Those onshore or in the spectator fleet are easily in earshot of the crews as they throw their boats around. Yachting heaven.

That sounds pretty cool. There's some very different types of boats and sizes of boat down there for that. How many usually participate in Kind of the Derwent?

You're in Hobart? The Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club is the place to be at 1pm local time for the protest hearing (in ~half an hour).

[IslandHopper]

Comanche skipper Jim Cooney criticises protest against Wild Oats XI

https://omny.fm/shows/cameron-reddin...f-i-wouldnt-be