Thread: 2013 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - I'm going south again.

Best of luck and stay safe, my cousin was a foredecky on Industrial Quest in the infamous 98 race, came in 8th line honours and 4th on handicap, vowed he would never do another S2H after that and still hasn't. The S2H is without doubt a huge challenge both mentally and physically so "I tips me hat" to all the crews, I will be (as usual) siting in front of the Telly with my prawns and beer watching the start line tactics.


Again, stay safe and good sailing


Kev

Good Luck and good sailing

Originally Posted by Chops

Good luck Bobby, both with the race and your stomach. Thanks for the heads up report. Its good to hear a little of what really goes on out there.
A quick question, what type of preserver do you guys wear, is it like the version we wear whilst out fishing, or is it much larger/sturdier?

Thanks Chops,

We are all required, for Category 1 and 2 ocean races, to wear 150N self-inflating PFDs with waist and crotch straps.

Personally, I treated myself a couple of years ago to a Spinlock Deckvest which has more buoyancy - 170N. Trying to stay afloat in a pair of boardies is a piece of cake but trying to do it in full wet weather gear, mid-layers, thermals and seaboots is pretty impossible, so we take our PFDs seriously....as do the race committee!

To add a bit of additional background there, our boat is owned by the former RAN Commodore, Tim Cox AM. He runs the Sydney to Hobart, enforces (and made a lot of) the safety rules for who has to have what on board, who has to be trained in using it and how often it gets inspected....and is Chairman of the Race Committee too.
He's incurred the wrath of multimillionaire owners such as Grant Wharrington the other year, whose carbon monster didn't have the right approval form from the boat designer. Like all good Naval Officers, Tim doesn't care who you are, only whether you've followed the rules.....so Wharro wasn't allowed to race. It was all over the news....made a nice change from it being all about WOXI!

He might not make friends that way but he certainly ensures that risks are at a minimum - and is one of the major reasons why nobody has died since 1998.

I feel he's the real unsung hero of the race - quietly but with his trademark gruff manner making sure everyone stays as safe as can be managed while at sea.


Today is the day I start to get nervous...when it's just over a week to go and the weather forecasts start getting more accurate. Studying weather patterns, trying to predict what low systems will influence the race.

Praying for nice 20-knot northerlies to help me keep my Christmas dinner down.

Have a great race and a safe one.
I am lucky I don't suffer with the sea sickness but have seen it first hand doing S2H's (did 7). This particular year I decided to attempt it on a 29'8" yacht which was the smallest in the fleet (just for a change from big boats) and we had 5 crew only (were allowed 6). One young guy flew in from USA and drank champers on the plane and was not well when he arrived on Boxing Day am.
As soon as we left the heads he was so sick and useless we put him in a bunk for the next 4 days. I didn't attempt it on small boats again. No smaller than 43' for me. My mates reckon the rule should be 30' + your age so as you get older you get there quicker.
I always enjoyed the test of reduced sleep, water and fatigue.

Good luck Bobby I will now watch the race as I feel like I have someone to egg on

Thanks for all the well-wishes guys. We did doe training out on the harbour tonight for our two newbies - storm sails and man overboard. Hopefully we won't need the latter at all….and, judging by the long range forecasts of slow-moving high pressure systems, we won't be needing the storm sails!

Touch wood….

That is awesome. All the best

Buy some Stugeron from NZ Or uk for the mal de mer. It feels like you are sitting under a tree! REALLY WORKS.