Sydney to Hobart fleet sets sail south on Boxing Day

Comanche leads the fleet out of the Heads. Picture: Mark Evans

crewman with a hernia was being dropped off a yacht as sailors suffered a bruising and in some cases, bloody, start to the Sydney to Hobart.

The unnamed sailor was due to be dropped off the yacht Last Tango, skippered by Wendy Tuck, one of four female skippers, late today just hours after four yachts were forced out of the race with major damage,

It has been a torrid start to the 70th race with numerous yachts reporting seasickness and battered crew as the four supermaxis – Comanche, Perpetual Loyal, Ragamuffin and Wild Oats – vied for the lead at the front of the fleet.

A sailor aboard Southern Excellence was injured while climbing the mast with other crews suffering severe nausea in the lumpy conditions.

Tina of Melbourne is already out of the Sydney to Hobart. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia

For skipper Andy Doolan two years of preparation of work ended just off Botany Bay when his yacht, Tina of Melbourne, fell off a wave.

“We heard a bit of rattling down there, we noticed a bit of water ingress, so at that point I notified the crew. They were all okay, there was no imminent danger,”” he said of he incident which ended his dream of racing he 70th race.

“ I switched the pumps on’ noticed that we couldn’t fix the problem there and then, so I made the decision to retire in the end.

“Our number one priority was the safety of the crew, there was no point continuing on.”

The yacht did its last race in 1975 and was considered a major contender to win the overall handicap honours this year.

“It’s been a two-year process to get to the starting line so a lot of work has gone into preparing the boat,” he said.

“I can’t thank the crew enough they actually delivered the boat up to Sydney to me they have put a lot of time and effort in to getting to the start,so disappointed for the crew more than anything else.

“But we’re here and we’re all safe so thats the main thing.”

Brad Kellett, sailing master on the former Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Brindabella said the conditions at sea were becoming quite uncomfortable.

“The waves are really starting to build now so it’s getting pretty bouncy out here,’’ Kellett said.

Meanwhile, the newest supermaxi in the world and the queen of Australian ocean racing are engaged in a thrilling battle off the NSW coast this afternoon after one of the most spectacular and fastest starts to a Sydney to Hobart in memory.

Wild Oats XI sails out of the Heads in hot pursuit. Picture: Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia

A howling southerly pushed the 117 strong fleet up the harbour in record time with even the little 30-footer Maluka, just 30-foot long, out in open water in less than half an hour.

But it was the American yacht Comanche, owned by Netscape founder Jim Clark and model wife Kristy Hinze-Clark, who stole the limelight on a packed Sydney Harbour as she took just over 10 minutes to round the sea mark and turn right at the start of the famous ocean race.

“She’s smoking. Look at the thing go, woo, ’’ said a crewman aboard Wild Oats as they watched Comanche roar up Sydney Harbour and out the Heads.

The view fro onboard Southern Excellence II as the big boats race for the open sea. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: News Corp Australia

The Australian supermaxi Wild Oats was hot on her heels with Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin and Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal also in pursuit.

The harbour was a sea of colour as many of the smaller yachts in the fleet carried spinnakers for the opening stanza of the race.

But as soon as they started the trek south things became less comfortable for the fleet as they bashed their way into strong headwinds and a building sea.

It will be an uncomfortable night for the fleet who face hours of upwind sailing as they race down the NSW south coast and into Bass Strait.