61. Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2005/2006 www.rolexsydneyhobart.com - Übersicht Hobart Race December 26, 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Sydney, AUS Goodbye and bon voyage A good weather forecast goes someway to allaying the worries and fears of family and loved ones, but there were still plenty of tears on the dock as the fleet set out for the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race this morning. For some, not least the super-charged Maxi yachts, this race could last less than two days and so sailors should be reunited with loved ones very soon. But the 624-miles from Sydney to Hobart takes the 85 boats through some of the most treacherous seas on the planet, and an experienced 'Hobarter' knows how quickly the weather can turn. Sean Carson, a meteorologist from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, spoke to representatives of every boat this morning, and reconfirmed his encouraging forecast of two days ago. He said the winds would be light, around 5 to 10 knots from the east to south-east for the start. As the day progresses, the fleet can expect to see the winds gradually increase and turn northerly. By Tuesday the winds will be blowing at 15 to 25 knots, perhaps increasing to 25 to 30 knots by the second evening. Carson then described the morning of Wednesday as "the most critical time of the race". While the leading Maxis could well have reached Hobart by this time, other boats will experience a severe change in conditions. Carson warned: "The winds will turn quite dramatically from the north-east and to the north-west and round to a strong westerly component. We might see gales for 6 to 12 hours sustained and swells of about 4 metres. Wednesday certainly looks the toughest part of the race, particularly for the middle of the fleet." Segel passieren Segel Staunende Kinderaugen am Steg "Guck - da oben auf dem Mast !" Viel Trubel vor dem Start Fortunately, things are predicted to improve for the small to mid-sized boats, and if they can weather the worst of the conditions, then by Thursday the winds will have abated and turned back round to a much more favourable north-easterly direction. Few sailors are taking the weather for granted. Nick Moloney made his name windsurfing across the Bass Strait, when the weather was very kind for his record-breaking passage. Just 16 days later, however, he was competing in the notorious 1998 edition of the race to Hobart when he raced aboard a boat called Wild Thing. "It's hard to believe I was sailing in the same stretch of water as I'd just windsurfed across 16 days earlier, but that's what it's like out there. "The Bass Strait is notorious, but it's also the essence of the race. Everyone knows that to cross it is a great achievement." Moloney has sailed around the world a few times, and yet he still reckons that Bass Strait is responsible for some of the nastiest waves he's seen. "It's a body of water that shelves very quickly from the continental shelf. In strong winds very rarely is it the wind that governs the control you have over your situation; 99 per cent of the time it's sea state that causes you the problems." Sea state is the biggest enemy of the five big Maxis in this race. Jim Pugh, co-designer of the two new Reichel/Pugh 98-footers, Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats XI, admits to some nervousness despite the good weather. "The forecast will change, that's one thing we always know," he said. "But it's good to know that it could be a smooth ride rather than something nasty. I've been nervous for a quite a few months in the build-up to this whole race. I'll be monitoring it pretty closely, but I'm confident, because these boats are extremely well built and they're well crewed." For media information or interview please contact: Rolex Sydney Hobart Media Team International Press Information: Key Partners (KPMS) Susan Maffei Plowden Ph: + 61(0)406588001 suma@regattanews.com www.regattanews.com National Media Information (AUS): Nicole Browne Ph: +61 (0)414 673 762 browne_nicole@hotmail.com Anna Wallin Ph: +61 (0)408 632 657 anna.wallin@ozemail.com.au Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE