Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A race to the doldrums

by Jim Gale on 28 Dec 2016 This 72nd Rolex Sydney Hobart is the fastest race ever, and one of the slowest.

When Scallywag docked at 4:30am yesterday morning three boats had reached Hobart well inside Wild Oats XI’s 2012 record - Perpetual Loyal had smashed it by nearly five hours – and at one stage on Tuesday morning, 24 yachts, more than a quarter of the fleet, was ahead of Wild Oats XI’s position at the equivalent time during her record run.

A race of breathtakingly fast reaching and running with just the mildest of fronts Monday night to interrupt the sleigh ride.

But with Scallywag came the rain and the Derwent River shut down. Nothing. Breathless. A tortuous 11 miles of drifting and clawing to the finish line.

And there is unlikely there’ll be much breeze in the river until after mid-day today.

So the usual stream of boats at this time in the race has turned into a trickle. Just five more boats finished overnight. By 5am there were still just 18 tied up in Hobart.

Ironically, out to sea, that fast race is still on. Every boat in the race, even the slowest, is now across Bass Strait and racing down the Tasmanian coast in good easterly breeze.

An exciting sprint to Tasman Light and across Storm Bay, but as they approach the Iron Pot at the river’s mouth the sprint turns into a stroll, and then a dawdle, and already a number of boats have watched their handicap chances dissolve in the drizzling rain. First Balance, then UBOX, Ichi Ban and the German Varuna VI.

So Giacomo, safely tied up in Hobart, remains the leader of the race overall - and her hold on the Tattersall’s Cup is becoming more of a grip.

There have been no further retirements.