2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - protests over alleged radio silence
by RSHYR Media/Sail-World NZ 29 Dec 2021 13:50 PST
26-31 December 2021
Rounding Tasman Island and heading for the finish - Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, December 2021 © Salty Dingo
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), the organising authority for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, has advised that two protests have been lodged against the yacht Celestial and will be heard before an International Jury in the Boardroom at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and via Zoom at 4:00pm Thursday 30 December 2021.
The Judel/Vrolijk 52fter finished just over 15 minutes behind Ichi Ban, across the finish line in Hobart. However Celestial is the lower rating boat, and currently is tipped for overall honours by approximately 3mimutes over Ichi Ban. On the face of it the protest is a safety compliance issue, however in the S2H the practice is to apply time penalties, which often affect key results.
The projected overall race winner is White Bay 6 Azzurro, a S&S34, which on a couple of previous occasions has come close to causing a major upset, by a small boat in a big boat race. At the latest projects Azzurro was projected to win by an hour, but had to average 6kts VMG to achieve that result with 117nm left to sail, as of 0950hrs on December 30, Sydney time.
While both protests are expected to be held as one as they concern the same incident, any technical deficiencies in one protest could be rectified in the other - preventing the protest being dismissed on a technicality.
The protests are:
1. Ichi Ban AUS 001 v Celestial 9535 (including Request for Redress)
2. Race Committee v Celestial 9535
Both protests refer to Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Sailing Instructions 31.4 which states: 'All boats shall maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Channel 16 for the duration of their race.'
The protest form posted at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania states:
1153 27 Dec 21 - 0130 28 Dec 21
(90-minute period when CELESTIAL was not able to be contacted via VHF CH16)
Protest by the RSHYR Committee that SI 31.4 "all boats shall maintain a continuous listening watch on CH16 for the duration of the race" was not complied with.
Despite numerous attempts to contact Celestial over a 90-minute period, via numerous means, when attention was ultimately alerted via flares, which fortunately confirmed that the AMSA alerted PLB activation was false, after 90 minutes AMSA was to deploy a Melbourne based SAR asset to the position of Celestial.
Of particular concern was the lack of response on CH16 (VHF) by Celestial throughout the incident.
It is expected that this incident will be fully highlighted and explained by Celestial in her Race Declaration, noting any notables and /or extraordinary reasons as to why SI 31.4 there could have been an infringement.
The RSHYR Committee, through Hobart race control, will provide a full timeline and all appropriate evidence and transcripts to the Hearing which will take place via Zoom at 4.00pm today, local time.
To follow the race and for all information, please go to: rolexsydneyhobart.com.