2024 Sydney Hobart – Forever Hobart
by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS 31 Dec 2024 15:18 NZDT
26 December, 2024
My own little Tasman Island, a remarkable similarity always makes me think of the Hobart.. © John Curnow
My very own Organ Pipes. This tree stump sits at the shore of a dam, and as I pass it often several times a day, I am reminded of the annual event and what it means to so many, all around the world. This year will add even more to that, including the two souls we commemorate at this time.
Man’s oldest challenge is just that, and will remain so, unlike so many things where the ink fades, the paint loses lustre and peels off, or the UV that obliterates the plastic and makes it opaque and brittle and does its best to disintegrate it. Things may go the way of the wire brace, the Blooper, or the Diesel mounted for’ard of the stick (nice one IOR), but yachting remains. Make it so. Indeed…
69 of 74 still vessels in the game will have made it for NYE at Hobart, five will remain at sea and be in on New Year’s Day. They are Inukshuk, Blue Moon, Silver Fern, Salt Lines and Kismet, three of whom are Double-Handed. The trip home will not be fast.
Afternoon Delight - only if you're doing cocktails, definitely not if you're racing
The night will be a slog
This is what will greet the Dog Watch
Winners are grinners!
Congratulations go to LawConnect for the Line Honours win, Celestial V70 for Div0 and IRC overall, Caro for Div1, Chutzpah for Div2, Cocody for Div3, Mistral for Div4, and Love and War in Div5. PHS went to Just Farr Love, Corinthian IRC went to Sirene, Corinthian PHS went to Navy One, Double-Handed IRC was Mistral, and the Doble-Handed PHS was the mother and daughter combo on Fika, Annette Hesselmans and Sophie Snijders.
Retirements were always going to be a feature of such a brutal encounter, and in typical style, Huey had no regard for your size or standing when dealing out the cards. Surveying the details of said 30 retirements is testament to the very hard charging conditions that prevailed ahead of the Sou’west change that created the mixmaster of wind, ocean tide, current, and wave. The veritable washing machine, with a fire hose and giant leaf blower just adding to the effect. Descriptions from those that have made it to shore range from ‘sporty’, to worst I have encountered in this race, many of whom have 10-40 Hobarts under their belt.
- Alive - Retired - engine issues
- Bacchanal - Retired - broken boom
- Blue Planet (DH) - Retired - loss of communications
- Bowline - Retired
- Calibre 12 - Retired - mainsail damage
- Celeste (DH) - Retired - running rigging damage
- Centennial 7 - Retired - mainsail damage
- Ciao Bella - Retired - steering issues
- Cyan Moon - Retired - battery issues
- Flying Fish Arctos - Retired
- Georgia Express - Retired - electrical issues
- Gizmo (DH) - Retired - crew illness
- Lord Jiminy (DH) - Retired - crew injury
- Maritimo Katwinchar (DH) - Retired - hull damage
- Master Lock Comanche - Retired - mainsail damage
- Mayfair - Retired - broken equipment
- Mondo - Retired - rigging damage
- Philosopher - Retired - dismasted
- Porco Rosso - Retired
- Pretty Woman - Retired at sea - headstay foil damage
- Quetzalcoatl - Retired - crew injury
- Rum Rebellion (DH) - Retired - equipment damage
- Sailor Moon (DH) - Retired - gps/auto pilot issues
- The Goat - Retired - crew injury
- The Shepherd Centre - Retired - engine issues
- Transcendence Rudy Project (DH) - Retired - dismasted
- URM Group - Retired - dismasted
- Verite (DH) - Retired - electrical issues
- Wild Oats - Retired - rigging damage
- Zeus - Retired - foil damage
Many thanks to the team for their efforts, Crosbie and Dale Lorimer, Wendi and Jacj, Tony and Clayton, as well as our own Richard Gladwell and Mark Jardine.
Many thanks to you for clicking on the articles, and your comments to us.
Many thanks to those who sent us additional information. Muchas gracias.
We have probably just witnessed the birth of the new Traditional Hobart.
Happy New Year. Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com
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