The little boat that could: Pint-sized yacht on track to win Sydney to Hobart

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is one of the world's great bluewater classics. Est; 1945.
Down the hard part of the East coast then across wild wild Bass Strait to Tasmania. It can get very rough and very tough even for experienced sailors.

It used to be very open to everyday sailboats, that was the idea. Australian openness and egalitarianism at it's finest.
That of course, like in all sport, has been hijacked by $$$$ to a large degree.
But also this event, see next para, resulted in a radical tightening of entry standards - in the interests of cotton wool safety chickenshit. >>

"The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the 54th annual running of the "blue water classic". 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."
Smashed.

"Line Honours" in this race are a globally rated prestige prize for the Super Maxi class. The sqrillionaires of sail racing - in money, resources, 22nd century tech, quality of sailers. - so it is hugely competitive
But it is also a handicap race, for the ultimate "winner". Despite this, high tech and big money almost always wins out these day, even if the winning boat is not a super maxi.

Again on Boxing Day morning, the fleet, reduced to only 88 this year, sailed down Sydney Harbour ("one of the most magnificent naturals harbours of the World" - James Cook, or Darwin i think) and out though the massive twin sandstone bulwarks that are Sydney Heads.
Turned right and BANG, straight into a battle against a wild Southerly for most of the race.

Nothing like the 1998 excitements - but 37 of the 88 starters still failed to finish. The slowest times since 2004, and in these days of rapid improvements that says something about the conditions

And who won through? - a Boaty McBoatface little tug engine of the thing won through.
(probably, lol, they haven't even finished yet. the maxis got in yesterday)

A 34-foot yacht dubbed the “maritime version of The Little Engine That Could” is on track to produce a New Year’s Eve fairytale in the Sydney to Hobart with overall victory over its much larger rivals.
On Thursday afternoon, White Bay 6 Azzurro was sitting on top of the handicap ladder and is the current favourite to take out the Tattersall Cup.

nice photo of it in here. the maxis are beasts of a completely different order
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/sailing/sy ... 59kup.html