Smoking Cannon

The RYCT seemed to be very quiet yet there was obviously a lot going on behind the scenes while people went about their assigned tasks in preparation for the arrival of the first of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, 2014 fleet.

Pumping up the finish line buoys.

 Towing the inflated buoys from the club to the finish line at Battery Point.

The finishing buoys in place.
Then they wheeled out the big guns.

The judges box.

Rolling out the Finish Line Cannon and getting into costume.

Anticipation surrounding the arrival of the super-maxi yachts was palpable anywhere we went (up Mt Wellington and Mt Nelson) and Hobart turned on the sunshine with clear skies and mild winds. The leading boats would not be halted by lack of wind on The Derwent, as so often happens.

 

We decided against joining the welcome fleet since the racers are so fast and the water would be awash afterwards. It was a good decision and we took up our viewing position with our visitors, Malcolm and Jenny Hawke along the Battery Point Sculpture trail just behind the CSIRO building.

Excitement mounting.

The Bloke chatting with Malcolm and Jenny at our vantage point.

 Wild Oats XI tacking up the River Derwent.

She tacked deep into Sandy Bay and almost disappeared from view.

 Almost at the line.

Boom!

3:03:26 pm 28th Dec, 2014.
2 Days, 2 Hours, 3 Minutes and 26 Seconds.
Wild Oats XI -Winner of Line Honours for the 8th time.