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| Silver Fern racing from Sydney to Hobart! |
This post is about the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2022, which I did on Silver Fern. My position on board was that of a Watch Captain, and Helmsman. This was my third Sydney to Hobart race.
This post will be focusing on the photos before, during, and after the race. The photos in this post are supplied mostly by myself, but also by crew and the crew's near and dear who weve watching the start and the finish of the race. If anyone wants to be credited, do come forth.
The race started on the Boxing Day of 2022. Once again, I was on Silver Fern (see the blog post about the transport to Sydney here).
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| Rolex Race Village in Sydney |
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| The jolly crew, getting ready to cast off. Me to the far left! |
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| Last jobs getting done on board |
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| Aaaaand... we're off! |
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| Motoring to the start line. Gorgeous Sydney skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background |
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| Sydney from the water, in all its glory! |
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| The anticipation! Silver Fern standby, waiting for the race start |
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| On the helm, with Tim on the right. Tim's done two Sydney-Hobart with us previously. |
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| Preparing our sails... |
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| All sails up, crew ready at the positions. Spectators ready all around us... |
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| This is the start mark for our division |
And so the race start is announced with a horn. Now, it's all about focus! The race is long, but this very first leg out of Sydney Harbour is tricky. There are just so many boats here, so you really need to be vigilant and to have sharp racing tactics.
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| Past the start marker, then out and away! |
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| A gorgeous shot of Silver Fern sailing her way. |
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| There are so many boats, it's amazing. On the outside of the racing area, there are just as many spectator boats. Helicopters are hovering above to get their footage of the start. |
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| The crew on Silver Fern, extra focused |
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| Check out the numbers of spectators on the coast |
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| Another tack |
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| Happy helming with a kite |
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| Sun's getting down and we will continue flying the kite at night. No night photos though - a flash would kill the helmsman's night vision. |
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| The hours go by, and so do days and nights. Sunsets, sunrises... falling stars. More sunsets and sunrises. Waves. More wind, less wind, not enough wind or a bit too much wind. Anything can happen. |
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| Rested, at the wheel again - under the RSHYR battle flag! |
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| Here, David is at the wheel and I'm trying to see if me and Kether could catch more wind into that headsail |
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| Another helmsman shot, very focused at the instruments |
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| Things are always going to break. The question is how early you notice that and how well you repair them on the way. |
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| A happy morning with the crew! Alex at the foreground, amazing on the bow and anywhere else on a boat really. |
As we reach Tasman Light, and then round Cape Raoul, it feels like the race is coming to its end. But there is still much left, above all the tricky Derwent, and one should not lose focus. It's a bit hard though, because the iconic south coast of Tasmania is an absolutely breathtaking sight. We were lucky to pass the Organ Pipes during twilight.
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| The Organ Pipes |
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| The helicopter coming in to take a stunning photo of Silver Fern! |
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| Leaving Cape Raoul behind us as we sail forth into Derwent |
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| So close now! Passing Iron Pot |
In the river, we were trying to dodge the wind holes, and at the same time sail past other boats. Sometimes, it's a question of luck - some places on the river would be more affected by wind or current than others.
I got the honour of helming Silver Fern to the finish line. It was an amazing feeling, and I'm very happy and greatful for the trust. This concluded my thrid Sydney to Hobart - and naturally, I was looking forward to the next one.
I will here post the beautiful photos taken of the Silver Fern crossing the finish line. Many thanks to the talented photographers!
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| This very happy moment concludes the race! |
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| Hugs and highfives all around |
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| This has been a massive effort from everyone, so this is a great time to congratulate each other and yourself. |
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| Crew lined up for the lap of honour in front of the Costitution Dock before heading to the marina for a well-deseved rest... and maybe a beer or two. |
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| The biggest credit goes to owner and skipper David Hows! |
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| Apparently, it's a tradition for first-timers to have a dip in the Derwent. Quite a few of the crew did it, such champions! |
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| A photo of the Sydney to Hobart veterans on board. Alex, me, David, Tim and Kris - all of us have now done it three times together. |
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| New Year's celebrations on board! There were fireworks and a huge party. |
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| Some dear friends came visiting in Tasmania, so we did some exploring together. During one of the days, we headed to MONA, the very artsy modern art museum, together. Taking the posh pit ferry, we had to also be very artsy and posh :D |
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| Lena Wilderäng - at the MONA, inside of one of the interactive art pieces. So beautiful! |
