The famous Rolex Sydney Hobart race began in Sydney Harbour on December 26.
The 628-mile race from Sydney to Hobart is in its 72nd year. The race record belongs to Wild Oats XI, which in 2012 completed the route in one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds. This year's regatta features four super-maxies - Wild Oats XI, Scallywag, Perpetual LOYAL and CQS. The most decorated of them all, Wild Oats XI has won the regatta line honors a record eight times.
The start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart was not without surprises. Two of the 88 yachts in the race had to pull out of the race. Richard Lee's 71-year-old Freyja staysail was blown by the wind right outside Sydney Harbour, and Farr/Cookson's 47 Dare Devil had a broken rudder.
The Russian competitors, Simplesail Mahligai, also got off to a challenging start. The batten of their second mainsail somehow slipped overboard. The crew decided to continue the race by constructing the lost batten from pieces at their disposal. A worthy way for a true sailor to deal with trouble, but unfortunately a poor match for today's high tempo sailing races. The Russian-flagged boat came out of Sydney in last place, but by now has managed to regain a few positions. You can follow the progress of Simplesail Mahligai and other competitors through the online tracker.
