# Are You Ready for the Hobart ?



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Here it comes. Boxing Day start heading south to Hobart. Most attention will be focused on Wild Oats XI (line honours the last four years) and the mighty Alfa Romeo. Other contenders for first across the line include Fastnet line honour winner ICAP Leopard.

Oats and Alfa are the hot favourites of course but if it blows then Leopard could be in with a chance according to the pundits. I'm not a racing expert, in reality I know bugger all other than what I read in the news but I'll try and keep you up to date as the race progresses.

Watch the start ........

Sport - Yahoo!7 Sport - Live stream Sydney Hobart yacht race

Boxing Day (December 26) 1230 Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time. Don't forget that Australia is a day ahead of the Evil Empire.

This is Alfa heading out for a sail last weekend. She is docked away from the main harbour near the Anzac Bridge and has to sail pass Wombat Manor on her way out. btw....Leopard has to cant her keel to induce heel in order to get under the Sydney Harbour Bridge......

(not a great pic, sun was in the wrong place.)










See a vid of the Big Boat Challenge from Tuesday.....

18 Footers Australia | Video

Being much more raced inclined than SailNet, SA has a couple of pretty intensive threads with lots of good stuff.


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Very cool. I'll be watching. And I'll start dragging over stuff from SA! This will be a great race!


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

I've watched the link with the transponders the last couple of years. Kinda fun to see how they are doing. Did the same for the Chi-mac and lk ontario 300 this yr too. Not sure if the local swiftsure has that ability yet, but probably closer than yrs past.

marty


----------



## chall03 (Oct 14, 2002)

I am very subjective here, Wild Oats 10 sits 8 marina pens down from us(alas Wild Oats 11 has too greater draft to even get into RPAYC it's home club) and Bob Oatley's wine is a nice drop especially when he is shouting the entire bar.....

All that said and done, those guys are just a first class outfit. Mark Richards is a great skipper. They sail consistently, in a great boat without the drama and carry on of other boats...

It will be competitive at least this year, which is good but my money is still on Wild Oats.

(Now Bob if you read this, we are the faded blue supersonic 27 with a half varnished port toe rail in berth C7. We do enjoy both your Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz Viognier particularly by the case).


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Have to agree with CH. Equipment failure not withstanding, it will be line ball at the finish surely. 

Whether they can equal 1982 when Condor of Bermuda came in seven seconds ahead of Apollo is doubtful perhaps, but it is going to be close. If the NEasterly keeps up like it has the last few days then its going to be a screamer. 

Race record ? To beat Wild Oats XI record of just under 43 hours they will have to average around 15knots. Fookin' 'ell !!

PS - What on earth is a Shiraz Viognier ? Very partial to Viognier but I've never seen that blend.


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

td.. am I to take it that you live under the Sydney bridge.... troll-like?


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

blt2ski said:


> I've watched the link with the transponders the last couple of years. Kinda fun to see how they are doing. Did the same for the Chi-mac and lk ontario 300 this yr too. Not sure if the local swiftsure has that ability yet, but probably closer than yrs past.
> 
> marty


Yes, we've been able to follow our son's crew in Swiftsure the same way for at least a couple of years now.


----------



## chall03 (Oct 14, 2002)

TD...
I think it is Shiraz blended with 5% Viognier....it ain't half bad either way.
check out
Robert Oatley Vineyards


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Faster said:


> td.. am I to take it that you live under the Sydney bridge.... troll-like?


arghhhhhh......troll.............ban the bugger.........

Good way to get some peace and quiet...I could give myself a life ban.....

Heres a non zoomed pic from home. As you can see we lose the southern end of the bridge and we can't see up under the bridge to the west. Thats why we don't get to see the race start.


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

What an amazing view!! I'm jealous as hell, I am......

Very nice. How far away is the boat?


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Faster said:


> What an amazing view!! I'm jealous as hell, I am......
> 
> Very nice. How far away is the boat?


Five minutes by car, fifteen minute walk. Suburb is Balmain. Just on the edge of Sydney city. Old working class suburb now much gentrified. I've lived around here since the mid 70's but members of my family first moved here in the late 18th century. My G G G Grandfather was a waterman here in the 19th century. He washed up here off an American ship out of Boston Ma. Probably sealers.


----------



## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

Faster said:


> What an amazing view!! I'm jealous as hell, I am......


Ditto. That is amazing (the view -- but so are these Sydney Hobart boats too).

So, how many guest rooms do you have?


----------



## chall03 (Oct 14, 2002)

Balmain is one of those great little suburbs in Sydney that the rest of us here wished we live in!

They were able to keep it a pretty good secret until fairly recently, however it is now deservingly quite trendy and sought after.

TD now I understand why you may be over the fireworks!


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Jeez TD did you have to go and throw down that crazy wicked view you have??? Bastard.

Here's ours:


----------



## chall03 (Oct 14, 2002)

Damn Smack,
I thought there would at least be a BFS sticker or two on the chimney.

Ok I'm gonna send you a Big Friggin Planter box full of daisies to hang out a window ....


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Just kiddin' Chall. My view is way better than that. BFS stickers as far as the eye can see!

(My neighbors hate me)


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

So the plan is meet at TDs xmas eve/into day, then head to hobart aboard the womboat boxer day!?!?!?!?!

Kewl! those not their can watch the comedy of errors along the way via transponders wondering why the womboat is going in circles! way TOO KEWL!

marty


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Now THAT would be a SN road trip!


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

I'm pulling for _Chutzpah_.


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

This could work.....I have a Sydney-Hobart race record in mind. We'll set aside such nonsense as trying to get there in 42 hours and go for a far more prestigious goal......Wayfarer's.....1945....dead last........11 days and six hours......we could do that.......no one has ever done it slower....

Beer and steak at the pub in Jervis Bay, pick up some oysters and prawns in Bateman's Bay, fish and chips in Eden, try and score a few crayfish around Cape Barren Island. 

Sounds like a plan.....


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

I like it, I knew there was a record we could go for!


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

SO have they started yet?


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

blt2ski said:


> SO have they started yet?


Indeed they have. WOXI won the start but something went wrong with their spinnaker and Alfa were first out the heads. Right now pretty much line ball between Alfa, WOXI and Leopard. Of the other front runners, Loyal tore the tack out of their headsail and were falling behind as they tried to repair the damage, while Etihad never made it out the heads. Don't know what went wrong with Etihad but they motored back to their marina berth a little while ago.

The smallest boat in the field is Hamilton Elevators. Out of Balmain Sailing Club, home of the Womboat.


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

As of 7 am here on the left coast of NAm Alpha is in the lead, ICAP and Woxi, but they are all of 3-5 miles apart, that can change quickly in a 500 mile race.
yachttracker
current standings

Pleas note the above two links will change as time goes on.

Marty


----------



## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Man, I LOVE this stuff. I think the US needs a Boxing Day.


----------

