Sydney Hobart – Begin the Beguine
by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS 27 Dec 2022 15:20 AEDT
Koa won Division 1 on day 1 of SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week © Andrea Francolini / SMIRW
A rare Julio Iglesias moment, indeed. Well, now that this indulgence for my late Mum is done, it’s off to the serious business of Koa, who at around 1321hrs began reporting rudder issues.
Little is known specifically. Official edict is thus, “Koa has lost their rudder. They require assistance, and Enterprise Next Generation (Gp42) is standing by. All OK on board. NSW Water Police en route to yacht.”
Being SE of Eden it is likely that this is where said vessel has come from. You’d expect they’d get there before dark. No airborne assets detected, which is also favourable, as too the fact that Enterprise is now doing 15 knots in a Southerly direction once more. (Apart from a private jet screaming into the St Helens area after departing Bankstown, and now at flight level 700 feet after being at 40,000. Looks like someone is perhaps checking in on a skinny silver thing that is part of the leaders. Just where did I park the Dassault Falcon F2TH this morning????? Dude. Have you seen my ride?).
Perhaps it is just the tip has been taken off. We'll find out, but at least they are all OK, and with Enterprise continuing racing, you would have to think water is not ingressing badly. Overall the incident reminds one of the utterly magnificent Farr53 (she had a foot added over her Farr52OD sisters) known as Georgia that was lost in the 2008 race. She was owned by two equally fine Gents, in the late GA and Willow. RIP guys. Georgia sustained rudder damage after collision with a submerged item if memory serves. The bearings took the brunt of it, but with the stock moving around, the hole just got bigger and bigger, despite what they stuffed in there, and eventually she went off to chat to Davey Jones. Ultra-sad for her crew who had to do the step up to the raft.
A further official edict re Koa arrived at 1651hrs, "Re Koa - statement issued by NSW Police: About 1:15pm today (Tuesday 27 December 2022), officers attached to Marine Area Command received a request for assistance from Sydney to Hobart yacht ‘Koa’, citing rudder damage. The MAC’S Nemesis vessel was nearby supporting the race, and has been deployed from a location approximately 70 nautical miles north-east of the yacht in the Bass Strait. Nemesis is due to meet Koa at approximately 6pm today, and will tow the yacht back to Eden. Everyone on board is safe and well."
"REQUEST FOR REDRESS: The Request for Redress below will be considered before an International Jury at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania at 1600 hours on Thursday 29 December 2022. 1. Request for Redress – Race Committee for Enterprise Next Generation F1701"
You would have to think this is merely formality, so as to have her time standing by the damaged Koa taken off her final elapsed time for the race.
Anyway, the begin the beguine aspect comes from are we seeing the start of the retirements due to prolonged hard charging? Wind strength building again could add to it all. A revision of just who’s won may be in order again…
Also, we have the official notice that a protest has been lodged:
“PROTEST NOTICE: The Protest below will be considered before an International Jury at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and via Zoom at 1100 hours on Friday 30 December 2022. 1. Avalanche v Llama II”, smells like Port and Starboard to me. Avalanche was the boat that lost its prodder only some two hours into the race.
Stay safe, thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com, and all the best for 2023.