Sydney to Hobart nightmare – after skippers threatened to boycott the race over an ‘outrageous’ rule

The 75th Sydney to Hobart is a giant logistical jigsaw puzzle with boats from around the world joining in the milestone race.

The fleet of 157, the biggest since a record 371 boats contested the 50th edition in 1994, will set out from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.

More boats than usual, around 54, will be squeezed into Hobart’s Constitution Dock when they cross the finish line.

‘It’s going to be like a giant jigsaw puzzle, we’re not quite sure in what order the puzzle pieces are going to arrive,’ Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania commodore Tracy Matthews told AAP.

The fleet of 157 will set out from Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day (The Sydney to Hobart race in 2014)

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham said the logistics of the race were probably 70 per cent more complex than last year (the race in 2013)

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham said the logistics of the race were probably 70 per cent more complex than last year (the race in 2013)

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham said the logistics of the race were probably 70 per cent more complex than last year.

Four starting lines will be needed to accommodate the bumper fleet when they head south.

‘It’s bit like a Mini and a Formula 1 race car starting on the same line, it is incredibly difficult, so the four lines works well,’ said race stalwart Sean Langman.

Among the nations represented in this year’s fleet are Ireland, Monaco, the United States, Poland, France and Hungary.

If supermaxi Black Jack wins line honours both Queensland and the Yacht Club de Monaco will celebrate.

There were considerations to reschedule the race if the smokey haze across Sydney didn't clear up

There were considerations to reschedule the race if the smokey haze across Sydney didn’t clear up

The program has previously been based in the Sunshine State, but Black Jack is moving to Monaco in 2020 for a European campaign.

‘It’s exciting for us, we’re going to take Queensland to Monaco,’ said Black Jack skipper Mark Bradford.

‘We started as a Queensland team and our heart is in Queensland for sure, but Monaco is who we represent this year.

‘Sport is global now and it’s easy to get around the world, We’re going to going to Europe and race a lot and shift our asset up there.

‘We needed a home port, so why not Monaco?’

Meanwhile, SHK Scallywag skipper David Witt has warned some boat owners might leave the sport if Sydney to Hobart yachts are disqualified from this year’s race due to a rule he says is outrageous and shows no common sense.

The normally laconic veteran fired up on Tuesday over the lack of communication options for boats reporting from Green Cape on the far south coast of NSW.

At other reporting points during the race the fleet will have the option of using a satellite phone.

SHK Scallywag skipper David Witt has slammed the rule that boats will be disqualified if they don't use High Frequency (HF) Single Sideband (SSB) when reporting from Green Cape

SHK Scallywag skipper David Witt has slammed the rule that boats will be disqualified if they don’t use High Frequency (HF) Single Sideband (SSB) when reporting from Green Cape

The iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race (pictured last year) gets underway on Boxing Day

The iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race (pictured last year) gets underway on Boxing Day

However, at Green Cape they can only use the High Frequency (HF) Single Sideband (SSB), otherwise they will be disqualified.

Witt said bushfire smoke across NSW had affected the HF SSB system.

‘We put a letter in (to the race committee) asking whether if the was a problem with the SSB signal and if you can’t get through, if you’re allowed to use the sat phone because we all carry them,’ Witt said.

‘But apparently we’re still in the 1930s not 2019 and that got rejected.

‘I think that’s a pretty harsh penalty in the race. It’s a disqualification if you can’t get through on the SSB.’

Witt’s supermaxi has come from Hong Kong.

He felt the cost of racing boats, especially those from overseas, would make owners less inclined to race them if yachts were disqualified under the existing rule.

‘I just find it outrageous given the smoke is affecting the Single Band radio signal,’ Witt said.

‘Charleville Radio has already written to us and told us it’s a problem.

‘Why we can’t just use technology we’ve got there as a backup, rather than be disqualified out of the race?

‘People get disqualified out of this race you’ll find an owner not want to spend any more money in the sport so it’s completely counter productive and in my opinion just zero common sense.’

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham (pictured) says the rule is in place as a safety precaution

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham (pictured) says the rule is in place as a safety precaution

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Paul Billingham said the rule was there for a good reason.

‘It’s a safety precaution; they need to radio in on HF at Green Cape,’ Commodore Billingham told AAP.

‘There’s a particular reason why we do the HF and that’s because of stability and if there are emergency issues in Bass Strait you need to have that form of communication. It’s very very important.

‘Satellite phones are there, they are a useful aid to have as well but at the moment we’re staying with HF.’

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Paul Billingham, Mark Richards of Wild Oats XI, Jim Cooney of Comanche, Mark Bradford of Black Jack, David Witt of SHK Scallywag 100 and Chris Nicholson of Infrotrack at a line honours contenders press conference on Tuesday

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Paul Billingham, Mark Richards of Wild Oats XI, Jim Cooney of Comanche, Mark Bradford of Black Jack, David Witt of SHK Scallywag 100 and Chris Nicholson of Infrotrack at a line honours contenders press conference on Tuesday

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