Boxing Day Sydney to Hobart race

looking professional

A rare sight - at work!

With our early doors rendezvous with friend Bob the cruise director at a station on the north shore we had our sandwiches packed and were off the boat just after 7am. To get to the north shore it was a dinghy ride, 20 minute walk and a 10 minute train ride – never say cruisers are lazy for a freebie.

Bob picked us up at the station and we drove to the cruise company base to join our boat for the day. The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is a major event in the Sydneysider's calendar, shorelines are crowded, the harbour teeming with boats of all sizes pushing forward for the best view of the race fleet. David was most happy not to have our little ship out in the melee; it's far more relaxing as an observer. We thought we were going to be observers, Bob had other plans; he kitted us out in company jumpers and caps, we helped lay out the chairs for the charter guests and later in the day we had an important role to play,not mere observers but spotters.

The charter guests were collected in Darling Harbour along with the day's commentator, a lady called Leone whose job it was to spot and identify the race boats as they came out on the water and then give the interesting facts and figures to the guests. This was where David and I became 'spotters'. With our binoculars we'd see a boat and relay it's race number or name to Leone and she'd call it out.

and they're off. Next stop Hobart.

Wild Oats led off and won the race

As the race started we were right on the line to see Wild Oats leap over the line like Hussain Bolt off the starting blocks. It was impressive but as the observing fleet also hit 'go' to try and keep up it was mayhem; wash everywhere, little boats, big boats, ribs, fishing boats and even canoeists and dinghy sailors jostling for a position while avoiding a collision. As we approached the Heads the open ocean swell reached in and tossed us around like the proverbial corks in a bucket.

While the guests were hanging on to anything solid and stepping back from the rails, David and I were hanging over for a better view. This was great fun to us and something we'll probably never have a chance to experience in such close up again and when you have a professional captain and his crew getting you to the best spot it's double the fun.

Bob dropped us back in Darling Harbour and we meandered home. Sydney, and in particular our Sydney friends, are showing us a fantastic time.

As a cherry on top of a big cake, we were invited to Bill ad Sue's Camomile for dinner. They have guests Jackie & Gary of Inspiration Lady (left on a pile mooring in Brisbane) staying for the week. After dinner it was cards, a favourite for the Lady's, which degenerated into helpless laughter by the end of the evening as wrong cards were played, tactical errors made and (metaphorical) lives lost.