Sydney - Hobart Yacht Race - 2020

[Zeb]

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race became the Sydney Sydney today.

For the past 75 years, a gun has fired at 1pm on Boxing Day to signal the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Last year’s race saw drones, helicopters and spectator boats speed along the harbour as supermaxis and classic yachts flew past the headlands before Australia’s greatest annual race got underway.

With the Sydney to Hobart race cancelled this year ( after Tasmania closed its border to Greater Sydney) due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the northern beaches, a number of sailors participated in a "demonstration" race on Saturday afternoon to commemorate the usual Boxing Day tradition.

This year, there was a gun. And a fleet. But once the boats hit the headlands, they turned straight back.

"It was a weird, slightly empty feeling ... looking out at the harbour and imaging what it could have been like," he said. "It's been 75 years of history."

For many of the sailors, the news of the race's cancellation was made even harder to digest with near-perfect conditions forecast across the next few days.

"It is a great shame, but there are plenty more races to go and more important things at stake."

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/sailing/empty-feeling-devastated-skippers-take-to-the-harbour-amid-sydney-to-hobart-cancellation-20201226-p56q7s.html