MHYC Volunteer Race Team for Sydney to Hobart Race
Story by Steve Tucker
Happy volunteers waiting for customers to check-in – photo Renee Spinks
Whilst the media focuses on the yachts competing in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race, behind the scenes the MHYC Race Management team is beavering away assisting the CYCA to start the race.
We first became involved in 2006 and as in previous years we were allocated Line 2. For this year Line 2 comprised 36 entrants from the IRC 2 and IRC 3 divisions, as well as running the pre-race check-in for all 109 competitors.
The check-in requires all boats to report into the race committee with their storm sails hoisted and also advise the number of people on board. In previous years these have been combined, however, this year the sailing instructions split them in two; the storm sail check (as normal) but with PoB reporting over the radio.
The day started at MHYC with a 10am briefing when we split the group of 7 into two; one team Sue Morris, Renee Spinks and Kathy Johnson, to run the storm sail checks with Toby Guransky, Phil Clinton and Andrew Ware, to manage the PoB reporting.
By 10:45 we were anchored on station at the pin end of Line 2 and shortly after we had a queue of boats for the storm sail check-in. All up we checked in all 109 competitors in about 75 minutes.
Competitors with storm sails queuing to Check-in – photo Renee Spinks
With the paperwork completed we positioned ourselves for the start. The RSHR uses a 10 minute countdown but with the added twist that if a boat is OCS at the start, although the race committee will display the X-flag and make a sound signal and will call OCS on the radio the OCS boat isn’t identified by its sail number until 5 minutes after the start. Since the I-flag is displayed as the preparatory signal the OCS boat then has to return, round one end of the line and then restart.
On Line 2 we’ve not had the excitement of an OCS on Line 2 for several years and they can be hard to identify but this year with some time to go B45 was well over and although they managed to get back below the line they were pushed over again by another competitor.
Line 2 with B45 getting uncomfortably close to being OCS – photo Andrew Ware
As an official vessel we operate inside the Exclusion Zone and, more specifically, we’re not allowed to leave it. So after the start with our duties completed we followed the fleet out through The Heads.
Post-Start looking back into the fleet with Toybox 2 in the foreground– photo Renee Spinks
All up a tough day in the office. Thanks to Greg Young for the use of Leah Tash and to the race management volunteers who gave up their Boxing Day; Andrew Ware, Kathy Johnston, Phil Clinton, Renee Spinks, Steve Aldridge, Sue Morris and Toby Guranscky.