76th Rolex Sydney Hobart started on "Boxing Day": Australia's endurance classic is back

The Australians' regatta pride could hardly be greater: After the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2020 had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, a fleet of 88 boats has formed for this year's classic. An armada of spectator boats lined the starting corridor off Sydney and marked the start of the sailing festival, which traditionally takes place on Boxing Day. The 628 nautical mile race has been held for around three quarters of a century and is one of the most famous long-distance races in the sailing world. Around 60,000 sailors and 7,000 yachts have taken part in the regatta from Sydney to Hobart on Tasmania in its history.

Former participants include four-time Olympic champion, America's Cup chaser and Rolex ambassador Sir Ben Ainslie, who said of the race: "The experience made me feel a real appreciation for the sailing skill and camaraderie inherent in offshore racing. This is especially true of the amateur boats, which take two or three times as long to cover the distance and are not quite as comfortable as the maxis. One nice aspect of this race is the fact that the handicap classification gives every team - regardless of boat size - a chance to win. Of course, the weather plays a role, but the fact is that smaller amateur crews often win against the pros."

The current edition began with an annoying technical setback on board one of the co-favoured maxis: After David Witt's "SHK Scallywag 100" had made a perfect start in crisp 15 to 25 knots of wind and led at the first two turning marks, the crew was thrown back by a problem with the deck fitting of the J2 sail. A message from the crew stated: "Shortly after passing the Heads, the yacht developed a problem with the J2 headsail deck fitting. The crew managed to safely recover the sail and set the orange storm sail while working on a solution to the problem." A few hours after the start, Peter Harburg's hundred-footer "Black Jack" flying the Monaco flag took the lead ahead of Christian Beck's Australian "LawConnect". "Scallywag's" team was initially able to hold on to third place. Click here for the live tracking of the yachts (please click!).

The initial phase of the race will remain rough for a while yet. Winds of 25 to 30 knots and waves up to two and a half metres high could challenge the sailors for another day or two. The fleet had already been decimated from 89 to 88 boats before the start when Donald Graham's Corby 49 "Vamp" withdrew from the race. The team did this voluntarily after it became known that one of the crew members had been in close contact with a person who had tested positive for coronavirus. Before the start of the race, all participants had undergone a Covid-19 test. Click here for the preview of the 76th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race (please click!). Click here for the ABC launch report (please click!).