Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2010

Tagesberichte siehe Menu unten December 28, 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race http://www.regattanews.com/event.asp?f=email&id=233 Sydney/Hobart, Australia BIG SEAS AND BREEZE CONTINUE TO TAKE A TOLL The attrition continues in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – throughout the night and into this morning, an additional six yachts retired with a grocery list of problems: damaged steering, torn indexsails, broken booms and engine issues. This time, the retirements were among the small to mid-sized boats, bringing to 16 the total number to have retired with 71 boats still battling hard in the race. Last night the gale force southerly winds off the New South Wales south coast continued to pound those yet to pass Green Cape. After the Cape is the most notorious stretch of the 628 nautical mile course, the renowned Bass Strait, where rough and confused seas are the norm. At 2030 AEDT, Richard Buston’s R/P 52 Scarlet Runner bowed out of the race after sustaining sail damage. Shortly after, the TP52 Calm also retired, for reasons unknown. Sam Haynes’ Rogers 46, Pirelli Celestial, racing in his first Rolex Sydney Hobart, was forced to seek safe harbour due to indexsail damage. Shortly after midnight, steering problems forced Phillip King’s 13.5 metre Salona II out of the race. One of two U.S. entries in this year’s 66th race edition, the C&C 41 Nemesis was also reported to have withdrawn from the race, again for unknown reasons. Nemesis’ crew sailed throughout Mexico and across the Pacific to bring the yacht here for this years’ race. Finally, this morning’s most recent withdrawal was one of note, Andrew Saies’ Two True, overall winner of last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The Beneteau First 40 was forced out due to engine issues, which prevented the crew from charging the batteries. With any luck, and with a forecasted improvement in the weather conditions by the end of today, the reindexing yachts will receive some well-deserved relief and an easier path to the finish line. As many participants, including famed circumnavigator Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, aboard the Swan 68, Titania of Cowes pointed out before leaving Sydney, “Just getting to Hobart in one piece is an achievement.”

Fotos: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi