Sharpie on Kioni

This year, I will at last complete one of those check boxes on the tick list of life – and hopefully it won’t be the only time. On December 26th 2009 at 1pm, the Sydney Hobart race starts, only this time I will be on it, sailing on Kioni, a Benneteau First 47.7” (there’s still a couple of places too!).

There will be 14 of us on board for that race – a watch system of 7 on, 7 off for the duration of hopefully 4 days or less.

The race is a great Australian Icon watched by thousands here in Sydney every year and watched by millions form around the world. It’s one of the gnarliest, toughest and most challenging races there is. This is the race that some folk died on some years ago in 1998. There are some Videos of Sydney Hobart Race 1998 – which I saw the start of – whilst thinking why would they be going out given the forecast? I guess the message is clear now about this – Corporate sponsorship and just sheer  enthusiasm should not exceed lives. The fortuitous result of what happened then is that there are now many more safety criteria in place. To compete now, crew require radio operators licence, have completed Survival at Sea courses, Senior First Aid courses (ever tried to fix a broken leg on deck in 40kn –  ie 70kmph wind?), along with qualification through at least one other Class I offshore race – and a whole bunch of experience around all that. 

Still, it’s not all Armageddon  take last year for example, when some of the crews were sunning themselves on deck during the race, whilst waiting for the absent wind to fill in.

You can monitor the race on the official Rolex site or the CYCA website and as the time draws closer there will be a whole heap of stuff on Floppyflaps about this great sailing event.

Simple really – Come out of the Harbour, hang a right, keep going for 3 or 4 days, then hang another right once you start running out the the land that appeared on your right at some stage!