As expected, with the race for line honours wrapping up this morning the mainstream media has lost interest in the race and the sailing publishers have been left to provide updates on the 'real' race finish.
Sail World has been busy publishing a lot of awesome material today, here's a quick highlight:
Sydney Hobart Race 2012 – Jazz tries to spoil Wild Oats XI’s treble
Sydney Hobart 2012 - Carlo Borlenghi's shots of Wild Oats XI's triumph
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012: Ragamuffin Loyal Finish Images
I've spent the day watching the standings on the official Rolex Sydney Hobart. It seems to be that there are a few yachts that could spoil Wild Oats one-sided party (I'm sure after Bob Oatley comments this morning they would be happy to share the victory spoils, seems like a really nice guy). By 8AM tomorrow morning we will probably have a definite answer on this, but it seems to me that each time one of these threats gets slightly ahead, it drops back off again.
UPDATE - 8PM: Not much news to report, news.com.au has published a new article on the handicap race, but any upsets look unlikely at this point:
Race goes on for Sydney to Hobart fleet after Wild Oats XI takes line honours
And in other news, Ragamuffin Loyal has not been penalized for being over the line at the start of the race:
Ragamuffin Loyal avoids incurring penalty
- Evan
Friday, 28 December 2012
Race Update: Dec 28 12:00PM
Line Honours
As time elapses the monumental scale of the improvements made to the yacht Wild Oats XI becomes ever more apparent. Being further south when the westerlies started to slow the chase pack, Wild Oats XI cruised to a win that looked easy, with second placed Ragamuffin Loyal to finish within the next hour.Overall (Handicap) Race
There have been no recent updates on the overall (handicap) race, but with winds expected to remain constant before dropping off late tonight, the overall standings for IRC on the RolexSydneyHobart.com web site paints a fairly clear picture - noone can beat Wild Oats this year.Even the smallest of yachts in IRC Div 4 such as Wild Rose need to be in by 8:20PM tomorrow night and given the current forecast, won't be until some 12 hours after that. All still at sea are expected to languish tomorrow in light winds - those expected to finish tonight stand the best chace at upsetting Wild Oats,but with the best sailing enjoyed by the larger yachts yesterday, this race seems largely over unless something unexpected happens to the weather situation.
My View
It seems its a clean sweep for Wild Oats with the Line Honours already won and race record already set - even if Wild Thing attempts to beat this time, it won't have been under race conditions, and the record will stand.A spectacular race this year, disappointing that Wild Thing was unable to enter the race, but a spectacular race by a well campaigned team and a deserved win.
UPDATE: Ragamuffin Loyal has finished in second place, third placed Lahana is expected in at 10PM tonight - talk about a spread out field!:
Ragamuffin Loyal second in Sydney-Hobart
- Evan
Race Update: Dec 28th 8:00AM
The focus is shifting from the race for line honours to the race for overall (handicap) win after Wild Oats XI beats its own record for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Wild Oats takes out Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Wild Oats claims historic double
UK Daily Telegraph profiles handicap hopeful Jazz:
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012: British entrant Jazz yet to find the jive as Wild Oats XI takes the initiative
Calm:
Follow media mentioning "Calm"
Jazz:
Follow media mentioning "Jazz"
As we shift now to the overall race I'm really not familiar with Jazz and Calm, the two most promising yachts given current weather conditions. I think it'll be interesting to see what the weather does offer up and I will be looking into this this morning.
I will be continuing to provide updates until the Overall win is claimed by the eventual winner, so stick around!
UPDATE: PredictWind is showing very favourable conditions for the likes of Jazz and Calm, given the current conditions, the overall win seems certain to come down to one of these two boats. Where these racers may come unstuck is that the wind speed is expected to drop off around 11:30PM tonight so this may slow or park them overnight giving Wild Oats XI the treble win.
- Evan
Line Honours Race
Wild Oats XI beats itself to set new Sydney-Hobart race recordWild Oats takes out Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Wild Oats claims historic double
Overall (Handicap) Race
Jazz is currently leading the race overall but needs to finish by 2AM tomorrow morning to beat Wid Oats.UK Daily Telegraph profiles handicap hopeful Jazz:
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012: British entrant Jazz yet to find the jive as Wild Oats XI takes the initiative
My media feeds:
My much less polished news feeds for tracking a single yacht can be used to track media on handicap hopefuls.Calm:
Follow media mentioning "Calm"
Jazz:
Follow media mentioning "Jazz"
My View
PredictWind always predicted that the race would go close to the record from the time the full 5-day prediction was available. When I checked at 4pm yesterday PredictWind was calling for the record to fall. When I woke at 6am this morning the media were reporting that the record was unlikely to fall. It wasn't until ABC Local radio in Hobart talked to BOM and received reports from people around the Harbour that there was a renewed call for the record to fall. I feel that it comes back to what I was saying yesterday that the estimated time of arrival algorithm requires serious overhaul.As we shift now to the overall race I'm really not familiar with Jazz and Calm, the two most promising yachts given current weather conditions. I think it'll be interesting to see what the weather does offer up and I will be looking into this this morning.
I will be continuing to provide updates until the Overall win is claimed by the eventual winner, so stick around!
UPDATE: PredictWind is showing very favourable conditions for the likes of Jazz and Calm, given the current conditions, the overall win seems certain to come down to one of these two boats. Where these racers may come unstuck is that the wind speed is expected to drop off around 11:30PM tonight so this may slow or park them overnight giving Wild Oats XI the treble win.
- Evan
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Race Update: Dec 27th 9:00PM
Wild Oats keeps on keeping on (plenty of good updates are available in the Yahoo Pipes news feed below).
The first retirement from the race comes from overall hopeful Living Doll after breaking a rudder:
News story here
Sail World takes a look at who has said what over the last two days here
Finally, Sail World takes a quick look at the races final destination here
Apologies for the lateness and brevity of this update. Due to bad hay fever today I will be taking the night off. Enjoy your evenings, and don't forget whilst I'm not here the news aggregator keeps on keeping on below. See you tomorrow!
UPDATE: By the way, I have been corrected, though I have been talking about a southerly change all day, it is actually a westerly change.
- Evan
The first retirement from the race comes from overall hopeful Living Doll after breaking a rudder:
News story here
Sail World takes a look at who has said what over the last two days here
Finally, Sail World takes a quick look at the races final destination here
Apologies for the lateness and brevity of this update. Due to bad hay fever today I will be taking the night off. Enjoy your evenings, and don't forget whilst I'm not here the news aggregator keeps on keeping on below. See you tomorrow!
UPDATE: By the way, I have been corrected, though I have been talking about a southerly change all day, it is actually a westerly change.
- Evan
Race Update: Dec 27th 4:00PM
Here's the latest from the race: Wild Oats powers ahead in Sydney to Hobart
Line Honours Race:
Wild Oats XI
Wild Oats XI is closing in on the record for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Even with the anticipated shift in winds around 10PM tonight, PredictWind is predicting time of arrival of Wild Oats XI to be between 6:30AM and 7:30AM tomorrow morning, but that depends on a lot:Wild Oats XI closing in on record
ABC describes Wild Oats as chasing a 'ghost ship' - that is, not a competitor it can see, but it's own performance in the 2005 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race when they set the current record;
'Ghost ship' dominating Wild Oats' thoughts
Other News
At last, here's some photos of the yachts at sea on Day 2:Rolex Sydney Hobart Day 2 2012 - Carlo Borlenghi's photos
My View
An early morning arrival is always tricky as the winds approaching Tasmania tend to drop off in the early morning, and so the yacht that is currently dictating all of the terms may find itself struggling for air, and may ultimately let slip of the overall win and the record if conditions aren't favourable upon arrival at the Tasman Coast.This race is by most accounts all over for the line honours race, that win almost certainly going to Wild Oats XI. But the overall win is just starting to hot up as is the prospect of a new race record. Stay tuned as things develop!
- Evan
Race Update: Dec 27th 1:00PM
Latest News Update from the Race:
Ragamuffin Loyal hunting Wild Oats across Bass Strait in Sydney to Hobart
Race Update
In what can only be described as a slow news day, the biggest news of the morning has been that Wild Oats XI has now raced ahead of their 2005 race record position. Given the north easterlies winds blowing Oats along at 23kts this is not a surprise - the source of suspense will come from what time the winds drop and the southerly starts blowing tonight, and the conditions the yachts find in the Derwent.One of the things that irks me at the moment is that the tracker on RolexSydneyHobart.com seems to take into account either average speed, or current speed, when determining estimated time of arrival. This to me is a little like when I am transferring a file to my USB key and it says '2 minutes remaining' and it takes 5 minutes. Sure its a guess, but its as good as hopeless!
In other news both Wild Oats and Ragamuffin Loyal have reported overnight incidents, but both continue to race for Hobart. In fact, every yacht that left Sydney Harbour yesterday in the race to Hobart continues the race without issue. I can not recall the last time no retirements occurred on the first night of the race so this is pretty amazing! Sadly it probably won't last long as the boat breaking southerlies are expected to return later tonight.
More pretty piccies:
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012 - Start day images from Alex McKinnon
UPDATE: Respected sailing web site Sail World is this afternoon reporting that Wild Oats XI is eyeing up the treble - Line Honours, Overall (Handicap), and Race Record, as they did in 2005 (they also elaborate on the incident that took place on Ragamuffin Loyal overnight):
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 - Wild Oats XI eyes treble repeat
- Evan
Race Update 27th December 8:30AM
Latest news update: Wild Oats Extends Lead
Line Honours Race
Following an uneventful night, Wild Oats is this morning headed into Bass Straight off the NSW - Vic border. Oats is well ahead of other competitors (currently 15nm back to Ragamuffin Loyal) with conditions set to continue to favour the yacht through until midnight.Overall (Handicap) Race
This morning the IRC leaderboard reads as expected:- Wild Oats XI
- Black Jack
- Ragamuffin Loyal
- Lahana
- Loki
Weather
For the lead yachts, the current weather forcecast for 20 knot NE'ly winds will be a dream come true. Spinakers will be set and the yachts will be racing for Hobart as quick as the wind. This weather pattern should hold until midnight, when the winds will drop before turning southerly again. It looks like the record is going to stay safe another year, unless the return of the southerlies occurs later than expected.Other News
The Sydney to Hobart is not a race without controversy, here's a look back at some of the events that have shaped this race over the years:Dramas aplenty, at sea and dockside
Conditions at sea have been described as a "washing machine" as crews were hit by larger than anticipated waves heading into last night:
Sydney to Hobart crews hit by bigger-than-expected swell
Even more photos have come out from the start of the race this morning. I'm hoping we'll have some from first light soon:
Carlo Borlenghi's aerial view of the 68th Rolex Sydney Hobart start
Rolex Sydney Hobart start through the lens of Daniel Forster
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012; Start Images by Crosbie and Dale Lorimer
My view
I'm in two minds about which way I want the day to go. On one hand, the NE's will see the boats making amazing speed and a fair go at the record could be had if the winds hold longer than expected. On the other hand, if the winds swing south earlier than expected, we could see Ragamuffin Loyal close the gap. I suspect that by the time the winds swing south tonight, Wild Oats lead will be insurmountable and it will be up to the likes of Lahana and Blackjack to chase them down for the overall win.The radio chatter, whilst minimal as always, is starting to get interesting as the lead boats start to make declarations prior to entering Bass Straight. The radio sched this morning was fairly clear, so this may be worth having on in the background today if you have any interest. I'm still using the Sail World radio source.
UPDATE: Sky News have just released a news article from 8:30AM this morning:
Big gap between Sydney to Hobart leaders
UPDATE: The Mercury reports that Wild Oats XI "[hit] a tree overnight"!:
Oats still a chance for record
UPDATE 10AM:
Syd Fischer has been reported as being "on deck cracking the whip":
Wild Oats on race record pace
- Evan
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Race Update - December 26 8:30PM
Latest race for line honours news I have been able to track down:
Wild Oats XI leads fleet down NSW coastLine Honours Contenders
Wild Oats XI
Wild Oats XI comfortable leaderNavigator of Wild Oats XI rates their start as "one of her best":
her best
Navigator Adrienne Cahalan rates Wild Oats XI's flying start to the Rolex Sydney Hobart as one of her best
Ragamuffin Loyal
Ragamuffin Loyal appeared to break the start line and race organisers are said to be reviewing whether a penalty will be applied to the yacht (I have heard conflicting news, one report said no penalty would be applied as organisers did not follow correct procedure for recalling a boat).Overall (Handicap) Contenders
There has been, and will be little news on this until the first boats reach Hobart. The names everyone expected to be up there are, so stay tuned!Wild Thing Controvery
This news coverage from Channel 7 surprises me a little as it seems to be from prior to the race (sometime between 10am and 1pm) but the news article itself appears to be current to 6pm with a brief mention of the race leaders position:Angry Wharington calls for Syd-Hob changes
I heard a discussion on ABC Grandstand this afternoon. From what I recall of what was said the official line taken was that the boat's entry was not accepted, rather than disqualified. Race organisers allegedly offered to allow the yacht to travel to Hobart with tracking, and participation in scheds, but not officially race as an entrant in the event. A very ugly and unfortunate start to the race!
Other News
There are some really great photos surfacing from the start of the race:Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012 - Offshore images from Alex McKinnon
Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012 - First pictures from Harbour start
The Australian - Sydney to Hobart Image Gallery
My Take
Ealy days yet! Shame to have so much attention spent on such an unfortunate race decision made just hours prior to the start. Wild Oats seems to be making good on my expections for them to lead, but they're not in front by that much so we'll just have to see, the cat and cat race is on for young (Wild Oats XI) and old here (Ragammufin Loyal).I always find that there such a delay in news forthcoming from the start of the race! Hopefully tomorrow once the yachts have had a chance to spread out overnight there may be a pick up in the volume of news coming out (yes, I know its boxing day and penalty rates for journos are rediculous today)!
Still looking for decent reliable HF radio coverage. Sail World have coverage but I was unable to hear the 7PM schedule so if you know of one, please post! Sail World have a great article on why radio coverage is interesting to a geek like me here:
Rolex Sydney Hobart - Live Radio Traffic including Skeds
UPDATE: YouTube update just posted by Channel 7
- Evan
Minutes to the start - Pre-race news from Dec 26th.
Line Honours Hopefuls
The cat and cat race has become a race of two with Wild Thing officially out of this years Sydney to Hobart.Wild Thing
In the biggest news of the day Wild Thing is out of the Sydney to Hobart after being disqualified for not providing required documentation for engineering changes to the boat:Wild Thing kicked out of Rolex Sydney Hobart after failing to submit required race documents
Rumour over on The Roar is that this fight will not be over until the starter's gun at 1pm, and Warrington may take Wild Thing to Hobart even if not an official race contestent:
2012 Sydney to Hobart: Live race updates, blog
Wild Oats XI
Meanwhile WWOS has declared that Wild Oats XI is out to beat their own record:Wild Oats XI after race record
Weather
The biggest variable in this race seems to have gone largely unreported. PredictWind is indicating that there is a good chance for the record to fall. In my opinion it will all depend what time Oats gets to Tassie to get up the Derwent. It'll be close, but I'm still doubtful of a new record.
Other News
All sports are known for their superstitions, and sailing is no exception. Check out all the unwritten rules aboard the fleet this year:
Obey the lore - or sail close to wind is a common theme in the superstitious world of yachting
Help me out??
I am trying to find Sydney / Melbourne / Hobart - based HF radio feeds. If you know of any, can you please post a comment? Thanks.Fair winds to all, I'll update as soon as there is news to report.
- Evan
Breaking news: WILD THING OUT OF ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART
The sole source I have been able to locate on this news article is the Herald Sun (the article itself is written by a Telegraph reporter), but it is being alleged that Line Honours Hopeful Wild Thing has been asked for additional documentation to prove the seaworthiness of the changes they have made to the boat for this year's race. I'm sure this will turn out to be a storm in a teacup but if not it could prevent Wild Thing from taking their place on the starting line this year:
Grant Wharington asked to present extra documentation for Wild Thing on eve of race
More on this and other news as the day progresses...
UPDATE: Many more major sources have now confirmed this. Hopefully it turns out to be a non-event and we can see what Wild Thing has to offer.
Looks like we have the weather conditions for a record this year, more on this later.
UPDATE 10:55am 26/12:
Wild Thing is OUT after failing to submit adequate documentation, more here:
http://mobile.news.com.au/top-stories/wild-thing-skipper-grant-wharington-asked-to-present-extra-documentation-on-eve-of-rolex-sydney-hobart/story-e6frfkp9-1226543450117
- Evan
Grant Wharington asked to present extra documentation for Wild Thing on eve of race
More on this and other news as the day progresses...
UPDATE: Many more major sources have now confirmed this. Hopefully it turns out to be a non-event and we can see what Wild Thing has to offer.
Looks like we have the weather conditions for a record this year, more on this later.
UPDATE 10:55am 26/12:
Wild Thing is OUT after failing to submit adequate documentation, more here:
http://mobile.news.com.au/top-stories/wild-thing-skipper-grant-wharington-asked-to-present-extra-documentation-on-eve-of-rolex-sydney-hobart/story-e6frfkp9-1226543450117
- Evan
Monday, 24 December 2012
Breaking the silence...
Seems like all the media outlets must have had their official last day for the year on Friday as there have only been editorialised syndicated news articles since.
World of Rolex released a great marketing video on Friday night. I'm clearly dense as I didn't know there was a World of Rolex, but as it turns out they are actually associated with a lot of the major yachting events around the world including Farr 40 World Championship and the Fastnet race. Anyway, here's that video:
So two days out, what do we know?
I can't really be sure the form of Loyal or Wild Thing. Whilst Loyal is pretty much the same boat that won last years race, Oats and Wild Thing have both undergone substantial modifications since last years race. But, Loyal has a new skipper and is sailing without a significant celebrity crew on board this year. I think its going to be close, but that we'll see Wild Oats XI first into Hobart again this year.
A huge change is expected to hit the fleet on the 27th, but both models show different timing, so clearly there is still some instability in the weather system and it will be interesting to see how the human meterologists see things when they release their next updates.
- Evan
World of Rolex released a great marketing video on Friday night. I'm clearly dense as I didn't know there was a World of Rolex, but as it turns out they are actually associated with a lot of the major yachting events around the world including Farr 40 World Championship and the Fastnet race. Anyway, here's that video:
So two days out, what do we know?
Line Honours Hopefuls
This looks like a race of three - Wild Oats XI, Ragamuffin Loyal, and Wild Thing.I can't really be sure the form of Loyal or Wild Thing. Whilst Loyal is pretty much the same boat that won last years race, Oats and Wild Thing have both undergone substantial modifications since last years race. But, Loyal has a new skipper and is sailing without a significant celebrity crew on board this year. I think its going to be close, but that we'll see Wild Oats XI first into Hobart again this year.
Overall (Handicap) Contenders
To say this is wide open is not quite true, but of the yacht's over 60ft, there are several hopefuls. Of the hopefuls perhaps the most promising to watch are Lahana, Ichi Ban, Loki and Loki given the current weather forecasts from Roger Badham, the Bureau and PredictWind. My hopes are split here - I hope for a good run for Loki, but I hope that rank outsider Blackjack wins overall.Weather
No new updates have been released from the earlier two since Friday, but PredictWind is currently predicting close to record pace (1day 19hr 6m to 1day 20hr 29m). Both the PWG and PWC (PredictWind proprietary weather models) show massive winds over the two days (9.5 - 22.9 knots, 15.6 avg for the line honours hopefuls). The best route for these massive yachts appears to be to head out to see and back in off Mallacoota (NSW - Vic border).A huge change is expected to hit the fleet on the 27th, but both models show different timing, so clearly there is still some instability in the weather system and it will be interesting to see how the human meterologists see things when they release their next updates.
Other News
I may not post again today, if there is no news to report, and I intend to spend tomorrow with my family, so it may be December 26th before you hear from me again. In this case I wish you and your family and friends all the best for a happy and fun-filled Christmas that is safe, and I hope that you will join me here from December 26th!- Evan
Friday, 21 December 2012
20th and 21st December Race Updates
Line Honours Hopefuls
Ragamuffin Loyal
Volvo Ocean Racing navigator Andrew Cape has flown in from the UK to help Ragamuffin Loyal with their quest to claim back to back wins in the Hobart:Top navigator joins Ragamuffin Loyal
Wild Thing
With an untested boat configuration, Wild Thing is being labelled a bit of a wild card...:New maxis are out of reach, so Wild Thing changes shape
Overall (Handicap) Contenders
Loki
Loki is hoping to break 50 year drought with back to back wins in 2012:Loki bidding to end back-to-back drought
Weather
Quite the bumpy ride is expected the first few hours out, and a lumpy ride all the way for those who can't get ahead of the weather, but it looks like we may have a race record on the cards:Hobart forecast good for bigger boats
Other News
A gorgeous page fitting for a marketing brochure has been produced from the ABC with some numbers and names from past years, as well as detailing this years hopefuls:LOYAL, Wild Oats to resume Sydney-Hobart hostilities
Beneteau has claimed the boat manufacture with the most entries in this years Sydney to Hobart from a single manufacturer:
Rolex Sydney Hobart:: Beneteaus on the boil
Book: Into The Storm - I'm hanging out for a copy of this book. I've placed my order with my wife for Christmas, so I hope I get my hands on it soon!:
Into the Storm: Lessons Learned from the Midnight Rambler
Looking to order the book 'Into the Storm: Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean' by Dennis N.T. Perkins?
Buy it from the cheapest source online: Book Depository
Or for 50c extra buy it from my Amazon affiliate link: Amazon Affiliate Link
- Evan
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
The search for relevancy
Having dived into this project with no particular qualifications to pass judgement on anything, I find myself overwhelmed with quality reporting and numerous articles per day covering the anticipation for this years race.
So I think, for the sake of not looking foolish, and for delivering you something of value, perhaps I will turn my commentary into a news editorial, as there remains a lot of duplication in my news aggregator and others seem to be able to report better than I can. By reviewing the articles and highlighting the finest, I believe I can contribute something of value and get you back to your holidays quicker!
Wild Oats XI unveils secret weapons
Supermaxi Wild Thing has a growth spurt
In a similar move, Wild Thing owner Grant Wharington has announced they are expecting delivery of "the same downwind sails that they've [Wild Oats, Loyal] [have] got":
New sails make Wild Thing a threat
Loki's owner looking to go out on a high
Strong southerly winds forecast for Sydney to Hobart
The fleet has dropped by one after the unfortunate withdrawal of Dodo:
Rolex Sydney Hobart Fleet now stands at 77
My favourite underdog team is back for 2012. Go Sailors with disABILITIES!:
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 – Sailors with disabilities make return
- Evan
So I think, for the sake of not looking foolish, and for delivering you something of value, perhaps I will turn my commentary into a news editorial, as there remains a lot of duplication in my news aggregator and others seem to be able to report better than I can. By reviewing the articles and highlighting the finest, I believe I can contribute something of value and get you back to your holidays quicker!
Line Honours Hopefuls
Wild Oats XI
Wild Oats XI yesterday announced modifications to the boat to ensure that history does not repeat itself in this years race. New sails and America's Cup technology, very aggressive:Wild Oats XI unveils secret weapons
Wild Thing
Line honours hopeful Wild Thing has undergone a growth spurt, from 98 ft to 100 ft, in a move they hope will make the boat "90 minutes faster over the Sydney to Hobart course":Supermaxi Wild Thing has a growth spurt
In a similar move, Wild Thing owner Grant Wharington has announced they are expecting delivery of "the same downwind sails that they've [Wild Oats, Loyal] [have] got":
New sails make Wild Thing a threat
Overall (Handicap) Race
The owner and skipper of last year's race winner, Loki, has announced he has put the boat up for sale, as he is intending to take a long break from the sport:Loki's owner looking to go out on a high
Weather
Looks like the race record is off the cards this year if forecaster Roger "Clouds" Badham is correct with his prediction of southerlies. At this point PredictWind's automated prediction is not dissimilar with an expected ETA of just over two days:Strong southerly winds forecast for Sydney to Hobart
Other News
The fleet has dropped by one after the unfortunate withdrawal of Dodo:
Rolex Sydney Hobart Fleet now stands at 77
My favourite underdog team is back for 2012. Go Sailors with disABILITIES!:
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 – Sailors with disabilities make return
- Evan
Monday, 17 December 2012
Why is the race for handicap so darn exciting?
My son is two. He says the funniest things.
Apparently Christmas means the day after the night that Santa comes, when he gets to open up all of his presents. We put the tree up in early December and put some presents under the tree. He hasn't opened any of them yet, the anticipation has to be almost unbearable.
Anyway, last night we were having this argument again and in frustration I blurt out "No, its not Christmas yet, it's almost Boxing Day eve". My passion for the Sydney to Hobart is so great that it almost eclipses Christmas Day itself.
If you're an average punter, you are probably asking, "Why is a bunch of rich guys sailing their egos around for bragging rights against other rich guys so exciting?". For one thing, generally only the owners are rich - the crew on the line honours hopefuls are paid athletes, most people who are rich don't need to work. Second, a lot of the handicap hopefuls are family and friends who are giving it a shot, and hoping and praying that the winds favour them this year and they walk away with the cup.
This morning Sailing World published this article on the race for the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Handicap:
http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=104759&refre=y&ntid=0&rid=1
I'm not going to reproduce it here, but among other things, the article highlights that:
Once Wild Oats XI (or similarly familiarly named yacht) wins the Sydney to Hobart I encourage you to stick around and watch as the countdown to handicap honours unfolds - that's where the real action is!
I'm hoping that within a few days an initial weather report will be available. A report came out on the weekend which indicated a cold and slow race to Hobart, which matches PredictWind's prediction, but it is still early days, and as I keep saying, the weather is one of the greatest variables in this race.
- Evan
Son: It's not Christmas yet.
Me: It's not Christmas day, but it is Christmas time.
Son: No, its not Christmas yet.
Apparently Christmas means the day after the night that Santa comes, when he gets to open up all of his presents. We put the tree up in early December and put some presents under the tree. He hasn't opened any of them yet, the anticipation has to be almost unbearable.
Anyway, last night we were having this argument again and in frustration I blurt out "No, its not Christmas yet, it's almost Boxing Day eve". My passion for the Sydney to Hobart is so great that it almost eclipses Christmas Day itself.
If you're an average punter, you are probably asking, "Why is a bunch of rich guys sailing their egos around for bragging rights against other rich guys so exciting?". For one thing, generally only the owners are rich - the crew on the line honours hopefuls are paid athletes, most people who are rich don't need to work. Second, a lot of the handicap hopefuls are family and friends who are giving it a shot, and hoping and praying that the winds favour them this year and they walk away with the cup.
This morning Sailing World published this article on the race for the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Handicap:
http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?Nid=104759&refre=y&ntid=0&rid=1
I'm not going to reproduce it here, but among other things, the article highlights that:
- it is very rare for a boat to both win line honours and come first (win overall). Wild Oats XI was the last to do it when she famously took line honours, won the race and broke the record in 2005
- Love & War, the 39 year-old wooden boat [...] won the Rolex Sydney Hobart for the third time in 2006
Once Wild Oats XI (or similarly familiarly named yacht) wins the Sydney to Hobart I encourage you to stick around and watch as the countdown to handicap honours unfolds - that's where the real action is!
I'm hoping that within a few days an initial weather report will be available. A report came out on the weekend which indicated a cold and slow race to Hobart, which matches PredictWind's prediction, but it is still early days, and as I keep saying, the weather is one of the greatest variables in this race.
- Evan
Friday, 14 December 2012
Ragamuffin? Loyal? Ragamuffin Loyal
Last year's line honours champ is causing me confusion before the race even kicks off!
Syd Fischer, owner of Ragamuffin, line honours winner in 1988, 1990 and 1992, has leased last year's line honours winner Loyal, in what has been promised to be the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny, and the rumour mill has even kicked about the idea that this may be Syd's final trip to Hobart.
Can Ragamuffin Loyal mix it up with the might of Wild Oats XI? I'd love to say, "yes, it will be the ultimate match race all the way to Hobart", but my gut tells me that the weather won't favour Loyal this time around, and that any errors in predicting wind in the Derwent River that may have led to last years shock win will have been ironed out for this years race. In my (completely unqualified) opinion, Wild Oats XI is just too quick to catch!
But it was almost the race that wasn't!
News has been filtering through since about 3:30 PM yesterday (AEDT) that the team behind Ragamuffin Loyal are inspecting damage to the rigging and mast that occurred in an incident on the water on Wednesday afternoon. Details are sketchy at best, but rumour has it that this damage occurred during a training run when the yacht collided with ANZAC Bridge when returning to the dock.
But thankfully the team has announced that whilst they will be out of action this weekend, they will be lining up for the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart on Boxing Day! The possibility of a cat and mouse chase down the eastern coast of NSW remains alive.
Still hanging out for the weather report, should be in for an awesome race, as we have come to expect!
- Evan
Syd Fischer, owner of Ragamuffin, line honours winner in 1988, 1990 and 1992, has leased last year's line honours winner Loyal, in what has been promised to be the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny, and the rumour mill has even kicked about the idea that this may be Syd's final trip to Hobart.
Can Ragamuffin Loyal mix it up with the might of Wild Oats XI? I'd love to say, "yes, it will be the ultimate match race all the way to Hobart", but my gut tells me that the weather won't favour Loyal this time around, and that any errors in predicting wind in the Derwent River that may have led to last years shock win will have been ironed out for this years race. In my (completely unqualified) opinion, Wild Oats XI is just too quick to catch!
But it was almost the race that wasn't!
News has been filtering through since about 3:30 PM yesterday (AEDT) that the team behind Ragamuffin Loyal are inspecting damage to the rigging and mast that occurred in an incident on the water on Wednesday afternoon. Details are sketchy at best, but rumour has it that this damage occurred during a training run when the yacht collided with ANZAC Bridge when returning to the dock.
But thankfully the team has announced that whilst they will be out of action this weekend, they will be lining up for the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart on Boxing Day! The possibility of a cat and mouse chase down the eastern coast of NSW remains alive.
Still hanging out for the weather report, should be in for an awesome race, as we have come to expect!
- Evan
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Just one yacht? Use my Yacht Tracker (Finder?)
A site built by a raving fan who seems to want to burden the world with his opinion on everything Sydney to Hobart is one thing, and good for him, but what if you just want to follow your family / friend in the race?
Now you can do that!
To follow just one boat in the race, visit:
- Evan
UPDATE: Unfortunately, as much as I wanted this to be awesome, there are a lot of news sources I am aggregating into the main feed that Google News does not import. As these are typically RSS sports feeds from the mainstream media or specialised sailing news sites, there is no way to create a custom search result for something as specific as a single yacht. As a result, a lot of really great content seems to be missed by this search function.
UPDATE 2: Apologies for all the updates. I noticed that the search struggled with particular searches and not others. I have now implemented two parallel searches with combined results. I've found this returns better results, with some limits. In some cases, such as "Wild Oats XI" and "Helsal III", adding the Roman numeral helps, yet for "Cougar II" the search returns no results, but "Cougar" does. I suggest trying both, if applicable.
Now you can do that!
To follow just one boat in the race, visit:
The page allows you to find media references for yachts in the media. I've tested it with a few of the line-honours and handicap hopefuls and have found it to work well enough. It's difficult to tell how well it may work for the smaller boats as there are few if any results for the smaller boats at this point.
I was hopeful of being able to embed this on this blog but have not been able to. Using Wild Oats XI as an example, here's what you can expect when you get to this site:
- Evan
UPDATE: Unfortunately, as much as I wanted this to be awesome, there are a lot of news sources I am aggregating into the main feed that Google News does not import. As these are typically RSS sports feeds from the mainstream media or specialised sailing news sites, there is no way to create a custom search result for something as specific as a single yacht. As a result, a lot of really great content seems to be missed by this search function.
UPDATE 2: Apologies for all the updates. I noticed that the search struggled with particular searches and not others. I have now implemented two parallel searches with combined results. I've found this returns better results, with some limits. In some cases, such as "Wild Oats XI" and "Helsal III", adding the Roman numeral helps, yet for "Cougar II" the search returns no results, but "Cougar" does. I suggest trying both, if applicable.
Monday, 10 December 2012
Going mad waiting for the weather report...
The Sydney to Hobart seems to have so many fixed variables - at least when it comes to the line honours contenders. The boats are a largely known entity, the crews are a largely known entity. There's a lot of consistency that can be relied upon every single race for Hobart.
But, consistently, one of the biggest variables, particularly for the hotly contended overall handicap winner competition, is the weather. And one of the best tools for attempting to predict what Mother Nature may offer up the race contenders is PredictWind.
PredictWind is a dream come true - as a surfer, sailor, and kite flyer with my 2 year old son, PredictWind tells me not only what's going on, but what is going to be going on and when. Even without needing to know what the wind is doing on a particular day (the whole premise of the site) its an awesome tool for knowing when I can get out for a run and when I need to turn the air-conditioning on - its a complete meteorological office in my pocket.
Anyway, I thought, as we are just over two weeks out from the start of the race, I would check to see if there is a future weather update prediction just yet. And the answer, was of course, no.
Here is a look at two possible paths to Hobart based on current weather information (US and Canadian MET files) . It looks pretty typical - on one hand there's the 'hug the shore' option which covers less distance, and on the other there's the 'head offshore' (to the EAC - East Australian Current):
At present, the prediction (as previously stated, this is not the actual, it is based off current information), is for a downwind flyer (around 60% of the time) with good winds (8 - 20 knots 80% of the time). This would lead to a very quick line honours race (1.7 - 1.8 days, with Wild Oats XI's record looking like it could fall), but would also mean a predictable front of the fleet win overall as these conditions suit the newer lighter boats much more than the older heavier ones. A fast race with a quick result if this eventuates.
Who knows what may come. I think I have revealed my hopes for this years Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in this post - a bit lumpy, but not too bumpy - but Mother Nature is one of the great uncertainties of the race, and has the ability to equalise the fleet, or aid the front runners leaving the chasers for dead. Either way, a new race record, or a hotly contested overall handicap win, it promises to be exciting!
- Evan
But, consistently, one of the biggest variables, particularly for the hotly contended overall handicap winner competition, is the weather. And one of the best tools for attempting to predict what Mother Nature may offer up the race contenders is PredictWind.
PredictWind is a dream come true - as a surfer, sailor, and kite flyer with my 2 year old son, PredictWind tells me not only what's going on, but what is going to be going on and when. Even without needing to know what the wind is doing on a particular day (the whole premise of the site) its an awesome tool for knowing when I can get out for a run and when I need to turn the air-conditioning on - its a complete meteorological office in my pocket.
Anyway, I thought, as we are just over two weeks out from the start of the race, I would check to see if there is a future weather update prediction just yet. And the answer, was of course, no.
Here is a look at two possible paths to Hobart based on current weather information (US and Canadian MET files) . It looks pretty typical - on one hand there's the 'hug the shore' option which covers less distance, and on the other there's the 'head offshore' (to the EAC - East Australian Current):
MARLIN: "Crush? Really? Okay Crush, listen I need to get to the East Australian Current. EAC?"The EAC can be a race winner for the large boats in years that there are light winds because it will carry the boat south. It can also be of assistance to the slower heavier boats in the fleet but it rarely pays off because the heavier the boat the more effort it takes to get there - so it tends to lead to races in which the line honours winner takes the double (line honours and overall handicap).
CRUSH: "Ha ha ha, dude, ha ha, you're ridin' it, dude! Check it out!"
- Finding Nemo
At present, the prediction (as previously stated, this is not the actual, it is based off current information), is for a downwind flyer (around 60% of the time) with good winds (8 - 20 knots 80% of the time). This would lead to a very quick line honours race (1.7 - 1.8 days, with Wild Oats XI's record looking like it could fall), but would also mean a predictable front of the fleet win overall as these conditions suit the newer lighter boats much more than the older heavier ones. A fast race with a quick result if this eventuates.
Who knows what may come. I think I have revealed my hopes for this years Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in this post - a bit lumpy, but not too bumpy - but Mother Nature is one of the great uncertainties of the race, and has the ability to equalise the fleet, or aid the front runners leaving the chasers for dead. Either way, a new race record, or a hotly contested overall handicap win, it promises to be exciting!
- Evan
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Getting social...
These days it seems all the buzz is about the "social web" - FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube. Whilst I embrace user created content I'm not certain how much of it is quality material, and how much is some idiot trying to yell over the top of some other idiot... anyway I digress.
I have added YouTube search to the main "from the media" news aggregator and have introduced a new Twitter feed. I've limited media articles to 25 and twitter to 50 for now as a starting point to see what filters through. The hardest aspect of preparing the UNOFFICIAL 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart Rolex Yacht Race News HQ site is that I am preparing for an event that is yet to come, so trying to guess reasonable bounds is proving tough.
I've added a link to the Official Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 (on the right) because they will have a lot of really useful information including up to the minute (or rather 20 minute old information, if memory serves me correctly?) positioning, and the interactive yacht tracker. Any other websites worthy of a mention, let me know.
- Evan
I have added YouTube search to the main "from the media" news aggregator and have introduced a new Twitter feed. I've limited media articles to 25 and twitter to 50 for now as a starting point to see what filters through. The hardest aspect of preparing the UNOFFICIAL 2012 Rolex Sydney Hobart Rolex Yacht Race News HQ site is that I am preparing for an event that is yet to come, so trying to guess reasonable bounds is proving tough.
I've added a link to the Official Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2012 (on the right) because they will have a lot of really useful information including up to the minute (or rather 20 minute old information, if memory serves me correctly?) positioning, and the interactive yacht tracker. Any other websites worthy of a mention, let me know.
- Evan
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Sandboxes, Duplicate Content and Confusion
It's been said before by one Bartholomew J Simpson, but, let me start at the start...
Google were on the ball to get this new blog indexed. Yes, this blog, unlike my coverage of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, officially exists. But it's in what is known as the "Google Sandbox" which means that it is returned in a total of zero search results. So whilst I'm here, I'm probably all alone...
I surprised by the number of articles the media news aggregator is already picking up. By my count a total of six news articles in the last 14 hours. Still three weeks out from the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race this seems high. I honestly believe this appears to be the case. There seems to be a lot of content syndication occurring between the various sailing web sites, and of course, the newspapers. I'm still tinkering with the Yahoo! Pipes service, but I'm just dreading the actual useful content will be drowned out by duplicated, slightly modified news articles, and the de-duplication settings are already turned up to 9! I'm starting to wonder if perhaps I will have to prioritise news sources (somehow).
There are few places in the universe where we are ever truly alone with our own thoughts. Given this, and the fact that my posts are being published to the public (albeit overly populated) internet, I assume I am not alone - or won't be for long. So, please excuse my ignorance, and yes, I could go and look it up, but when exactly does the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge start, and how long does it run?
Signing off, let me know if there is anything you'd like to see added or removed. This is not my blog, this is our blog. Want to contribute content? Let me know. Want polls? Awesome idea. Sing out!
- Evan
Google were on the ball to get this new blog indexed. Yes, this blog, unlike my coverage of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, officially exists. But it's in what is known as the "Google Sandbox" which means that it is returned in a total of zero search results. So whilst I'm here, I'm probably all alone...
I surprised by the number of articles the media news aggregator is already picking up. By my count a total of six news articles in the last 14 hours. Still three weeks out from the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race this seems high. I honestly believe this appears to be the case. There seems to be a lot of content syndication occurring between the various sailing web sites, and of course, the newspapers. I'm still tinkering with the Yahoo! Pipes service, but I'm just dreading the actual useful content will be drowned out by duplicated, slightly modified news articles, and the de-duplication settings are already turned up to 9! I'm starting to wonder if perhaps I will have to prioritise news sources (somehow).
There are few places in the universe where we are ever truly alone with our own thoughts. Given this, and the fact that my posts are being published to the public (albeit overly populated) internet, I assume I am not alone - or won't be for long. So, please excuse my ignorance, and yes, I could go and look it up, but when exactly does the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge start, and how long does it run?
Signing off, let me know if there is anything you'd like to see added or removed. This is not my blog, this is our blog. Want to contribute content? Let me know. Want polls? Awesome idea. Sing out!
- Evan
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Join me December 26th... ?
My poor wife...
Every year the boats go to Hobart. Every year between Christmas and New Year, all I want to talk about is what's going on with the race (leaders, weather, photos, every single last detail(!!)) - it is the race that stops Evan.
I created this blog to share with the world my passion for the classic blue water adventure that is the 2012 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Here I plan to share my thoughts, insights, best finds from the web, etc. To keep this blog current there will only ever be one post from me on the home page (the archive is to the right). I have also created a Yahoo! Pipes news feed from all the major news sources covering the race so that when I'm sleeping (or otherwise away from the keyboard) the news coverage keeps flowing - in real time, from all available sources.
So what do you say? Are you in? Will you join me right here, December 26th, as the boats race for Hobart? I hope to see you and hear from you soon!
Cheers,
Evan
Every year the boats go to Hobart. Every year between Christmas and New Year, all I want to talk about is what's going on with the race (leaders, weather, photos, every single last detail(!!)) - it is the race that stops Evan.
I created this blog to share with the world my passion for the classic blue water adventure that is the 2012 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Here I plan to share my thoughts, insights, best finds from the web, etc. To keep this blog current there will only ever be one post from me on the home page (the archive is to the right). I have also created a Yahoo! Pipes news feed from all the major news sources covering the race so that when I'm sleeping (or otherwise away from the keyboard) the news coverage keeps flowing - in real time, from all available sources.
So what do you say? Are you in? Will you join me right here, December 26th, as the boats race for Hobart? I hope to see you and hear from you soon!
Cheers,
Evan
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