The Bluewater Classic

Today we hiked up to the Sydney’s North Head to catch the start of the 2008 Bluewater Classic – the annual Sydney to Hobart race.  It’s quite an experience to watch; over 500,000 people line the harbour to watch the start.  Here’s a shot of the starting line:

Sydney’s harbour is such that the boats need to pass through a narrow channel between two cliffs.  We sat on the North Head (along with a few thousand other people) and watched the boats come through.  As they come through, there are helicopters flying over the boats and pursuit boats following alongside.  Here are some shots of the favourites: Wild Oats and Skandia.



As I write this, Skandia has taken the lead over Wild Oats, despite Wild Oats being the first out of the harbour.  We’ll see if Wild Oats can come back to claim her fourth consecutive victory and whether either will beat the current record of about 42 hours.