What happened in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart?

It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales. It was the most disastrous in the race’s history, with the loss of six lives and five yachts. 55 sailors were rescued in the largest peacetime search and rescue effort ever seen in Australia.

Why was the 1998 Sydney to Hobart considered the deadliest in Australia sailing history?

The 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart was the deadliest in Australian sailing history. A severe low pressure front hit the majority of the fleet as it sailed down the New South Wales coast towards the Bass Strait, bringing winds up to 70 knots and waves as big as 20 metres.

Who died in the Sydney to Hobart Race?

sailor Peter Warner
Champion sailor Peter Warner, who won the famous Sydney to Hobart race three times, has died in a boating accident on the northern NSW coast. The 90-year-old’s boat capsized while crossing the Ballina Bar on Tuesday. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia said the veteran sailor died “doing what he loved best”.

How far is the Sydney to Hobart yacht race?

628 nautical mile
The 628 nautical mile course is often described as the most gruelling long ocean race in the world, a challenge to everyone who takes part.

How many have died in Sydney to Hobart?

Six sailors
The 115-yacht fleet sailed into the worst weather in the Sydney to Hobart’s history. Six sailors died and just 44 yachts survived the gale-force winds and mountainous seas to finish the race.

What is the prize for winning the Sydney to Hobart race?

Interestingly, there is no prize-money for winning the race, rather, participants take part for the prestige associated with winning such a difficult race.

How much does it cost to enter the Sydney to Hobart?

AUD$ 9,500.00 incl.

Who owns Comanche sailboat?

Jim Cooney
In December 2017, Comanche was sold to Australian Jim Cooney. She holds the fastest time for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race after winning the Sydney to Hobart 2017 in 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes 24 seconds.

Who started the Sydney to Hobart yacht race?

The race started on schedule at 13:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time. Wild Oats XI, owned by Bob Oatley and skippered by Mark Richards, crossed the finish line at 21:52 on 28 December 2006 to take line honours with an elapsed time of 2 days, 8 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds.

How much does it cost to get from Sydney to Hobart?

AUD$ 9,500.00 incl. GST (20% off for those that have raced with us before) – 50% is due when you book and will reserve your place. The remaining 50% is due by 10th November 2020. Professional skipper and crew.

How long does Sydney Hobart take?

When and Where? The race traditionally begins on Boxing Day and proceeds over the following 3 to 4 days. Winners of the race usually cross the finish line (in Hobart, Tasmania) in less than 48 hours.

Who can enter Sydney to Hobart?

Indeed, as a very social sport, sailing encourages men, women and families to participate. Several yachts in the Rolex Sydney Hobart will be crewed by families, fathers and their sons and daughters, brothers and husbands and wives. The minimum age to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is 18 years of age.

How big was the yacht in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race?

1998 Race. The 1998 race, like every other edition, began on Sydney Harbour, at noon on Boxing Day (26 December 1998), with 115 starters heading south. The yachts ranged in size from the 24.1 metres (79 ft) Sayonara to the 10.1 metres (33 ft) Berrimilla.

What was weather like in Sydney to Hobart in 1998?

By early morning on 27 December, the lead yachts entered Bass Strait and began to encounter winds in excess of 40 knots. Of the 115 boats which started, 71 retired and 44 yachts completed the race. On the second day of the race (27 December) severe weather conditions struck the fleet off the coast of south-eastern Australia.

What was the weather like on Midnight Rambler in 1998?

Lost amid the horror of the 1998 race was the tale of the little boat that could: how Midnight Rambler’s crew faced down the worst conditions in the event’s history. , register or subscribe to save articles for later.

What was weather like in Bass Strait in 1998?

As Bob Thomas returned from the final weather briefing at 8am at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the navigator and co-owner of AFR Midnight Rambler was a worried man. “It’s going to be very hard in Bass Strait, so get ready for a nasty one,” he told skipper Ed Psaltis. Midnight Rambler facing the 1998 conditions.