Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2008

Ragtime's Experience

By Chris Welsh

Sydney-Hobart deserves it reputation as one of the great races in the

world. Strong turnouts, incredible crowd interest, an interesting race

course and set of challenges, and scenic overflow on both ends of the

race course. Sailing on Sydney Harbor alone is a lifetime experience -

just gorgeous.

The start in Sydney Harbor cannot be described. The fleet is split in

two lines, but not right and left - a big boat first line and the

balance of the fleet on the second line, 500 yards back. This leaves

the first line fleet circling in a small box. In four years of

starting Ragtime at various events, nothing has been as adrenaline

charged, scary fast, and over the top. . This is the crystal meth of

yachting starts. Wild Oats and Skandia searing through the big boat

fleet at 10-15 knots, huge easing and groaning sounds in 15 knots of

breeze. Long bowsprits swing like scythes, and many of the mini

speedsters have weapons too, but Ragtime is weaponless - no bumping or

contact allowed. We're mid-line and early, and in range of Skandia's

swinging blade. Blackjack (ex-SRM) is always startlingly fast around

us. And a spectator fleet lined up tooth and jowl pressing against the

yellow buoy lines on both sides fo the course. So many spectators that

their ranks are impenetrable like a seawall.

After the start, the chaos starts to find order, at least on the race

course. Relatively short tacking, aware of the reef centered in the

channel ahead, and favoring the right side to avoid getting pinned to

the left side of the tight course by the steady stream of starboard

tackers. A dip could easily turn into dipping ten or twelve boats.

Outside the spectator line, chaos continues though - thousands of

power boats are half on a plane, coursing along to watch, like blood

cells in an artery - at first, it looks like one thing, and as your

get closer, you realize it is hundreds of smaller particles, all

surging forward together. Chants of U-S-A, U-S-A because I have chosen

to leave the flag flying for the first few miles of the start.

Chapman's may be offended, but damn it, we've come along way to be

here and let's let them know we are here.

The driving starts to settle from the washing machine of wakes inside

the harbor. The first mark is a turning mark to the harbor exit, the

second is outside where you turn south for Tasmania. This was the

first area where I could evaluate our start and feel pretty good -

faster boats are around us as we round, we had no collisions, and the

battle to get through the logistics of the whole event has been won -

we are on our way. And we've won our first gamble, rating without the

#1 genoa to get an advantage. Half as much wind and we would have felt

the pain of being underpowered in the wakes.

The breeze was solid from the Northeast, and with chutes set we are on

our way south, on rhumbline. Good pace, 10-12 knots. Settling in to

start navigating, picking a line to maximize the benefit of the

southerly currents. By nightfall, the fleet has aired out, and our

watch schedule kicks in. We are surrounded by boats in the fleet above

us, a good sign. Suddenly, a all hands call - a red flare has gone off

to weather. Radio volume up and we hear the yacht Georgia is in

distress, sinking, her navigator already waist deep in water. They are

close and we instantly agree that we need to turn and render aid,

along with the Volvo 60 Merit. Coordinating through race control it is

decided Merit will take the crew of 14 on, and Ragtime will stand by.

Georgia's crew pops a life raft and sets up to shuttle to Merit, seven

at a time. As the second raft boards Merit, Georgia has settled to

decks awash, and we are released to turn south again. The Hobart has

claimed another boat. Sobering to think what this would be like half

way to Hawaii as there is no one to see your flare.

Green Cape and the Bass Straits come quickly by the next morning, and

we are on the edge of downwind VMG mode - a little course diversion

for speed & heat can be tolerated. First the A2, then the A4 as the

wind builds to high 20's. More difficult to sail as the groove gets

narrower and the seas build, but really fast, freight train surges as

puffs hit, but the green water when we run into the back of steep

waves. Make the move to the new A6, built for the race, and its a

winner - with the smaller kite, we are as fast or faster, and the

control is back, and we've taken a step back from the edge of the

abyss. It's a Nantucket sleigh ride, and there's power to burn.

Compared to the A4, the A6 lifts the bow up more, which makes for

fewer submarine excursions. Ragtime starts to leapfrog waves, picking

up more speed after each crest is conquered. High teens are constant,

and minute rides in the 20's routine. Peak is 26.5 knots. Our second

gamble, this sail, has paid big dividends, and the shift from the 4A

good too - once it was down we could see the head was minutes from

blowing out. Kudos to the Elliott Pattison loft for pulling the A6 and

the light #3 jib (needed when we decided to leave the #1 behind)

together with only five days' notice before the race.

The latter half of the Bass Strait turned into real Hobart conditions

- wind moving forward in the low 30's, kite down, blast reacher up,

and waves becoming an issue. We're watching every hard mile go by,

looking for the wind to ease back to the right and for the protection

of the islands above Tasmania to start offering some protection from

the biggest waves. First one reef, then a second, 65% of our mainsail

area down. #3 blast reacher/jib top blows out at the top, and we move

to the storm jib. All of this happens at exactly 40 degrees South;

welcome to the Roaring 40's.

Relief comes slowly as the wind backs, the waves knock down a little,

and we get the reef out and the A3 up. Then conditions turn to magic

and we are back on the sleigh ride - close enough to rhumbline, making

easy high teens and twenties with the mountains of Tasmania 40-50

miles to the west. The last 80 and next 100 miles are very fast, until

we catch the backside of a squall ahead, and the wind does a sudden

180, next we are beating on the other tack with frequent 90 degree

shifts and wind from 4 to 16 knots. This lasts for ten miles, then the

breeze steadies again. We're very close to Brindabella, a mini maxi in

the class ahead that has materialized out of the squall gloom.

Rounding Tasman Isle, a magnificent island made of granite pipes like

the Devil's Postpile in Mammoth. As we round, the wind in the bay

leading to the Derwent River averages 25-35, with big seas. This was

supposed to be the protected area! We are pounding hard and trouble

brews with the #4 jib as it blows out of the luff groove. Trying to

take it down it gets away and is trailing straight out at mast height.

Turning downwind it started to sink down and get in reach to pull back

aboard; I'm relieved as the loss of the sail would cost us a tool we

need, plus the economics of losing the sail, sheets , and halyard

would be annoying to say the least.

The gusts are frightening - I look to weather and see one gust coming

down that is just tearing the white caps into the air. At about 30

knots, gravity stops affecting the spray and it swirls and lift

straight up or sideways. The river of water above the cabin top stops

running aft; instead it is sucked into the air wholesale. Dramatic

granite bluffs all around, and a lee shore that was a bit threatening.

We reset the sail several times but ultimately lost it each time, and

strangely, the shackle at the bottom was blowing loose too. This

convinced us that maybe the shackle was the problem so we set it yet

again with a strap, but it blew out again quickly. Back to the storm

jib and frustratingly slow progress to weather. We know we are

leading, but these setbacks are costing us dearly as each blow out

means a turn downwind to get the sail aboard, and we go too fast when

we point that direction - two steps forward, one step back.

Eventually, we round several headlands and enter the Derwent itself,

in the night. It's cold, really cold (daytime high was 60 - night must

be 42), and the wind is roaring enough to make talking a challenge.

Difficult to relay the navigator's comments from below to the driver.

Tacking back and forth we begin to look for the finish line amidst the

surprising amount of city lights. Line found, we finish, sails come

down, and we are led ashore for badly needed shore time. It was 3:30

AM by the time we are docked and sorted, and around 7 AM the rum

squall dies down, leaving bodies asleep in foulies throughout the

boat. We've done well, but won't know what the outcome is until others

finish and the question of redress is sorted.

The redress hearing had me concerned, but I walked out thinking the

judges were very fair. I had asked for the time spent backtracking, on

scene, and getting the sails set again, and they grant us exactly

that, which is fair. The judges make it clear they are happy with our

decisions, and put a commendation in writing to the crew.

We have won Division II Line Honors (first to finish in class), and

First Foreign Boat to Finish. The redress moves us from third on

correction to First, Division II, and suddenly, I am glad Rolex is the

race sponsor...

Hobart is a surprise - very cosmopolitan redo of a colonial city. Fine

contemporary shops and cafes built in old structures, a wine and

cheese/taste of Tasmania exposition underway, and a very clean and

tidy city. Bigger than expected, a few midrise buildings, and

perfectly restored stone civic buildings, hotels, and houses. Clean

and orderly, with lots of water frontage on the Derwent.

Looking back, it was a great race. Drama, wind, waves, scenery, all in

some excess but in the end, no one is hurt and we've had the full

Sydney-Hobart Race experience, all boxes checked. Would like to return

and race again, but realistically, this is a long, long way from home.

And it would be harder to have a better experience the next time

around; this one was pretty perfect.

Chris Welsh

Ragtime

USA 7960

Ragtime Net Results:

First to FInish - IRC Division 2

First on Handicap - IRC DIvision 2

First Foreign Boat to Finish

11th Overall IRC

19th Overall Line Honors

Race website: http://rolexsydneyhobart.com