54th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Defender	Brindabella
Number of Yachts	115
Coordinates	33°51.35′S 151°12.40′E- 42°52.7′S 147°19.58′E
Winner	Sayonara

The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the 54th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...

. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, established in 1944 is known as one of Australia's premier yacht clubs, and is acknowledged as one of the leaders in ocean racing in the country...

 based in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

.

The 1998 race, like every other edition, began on Sydney Harbour

Port Jackson

Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...

, at noon

Noon

Noon is usually defined as 12 o'clock in the daytime. The word noon is also used informally to mean midday regarding the location of the sun not the middle of a persons day. Although this is a time around the middle of the day when people in many countries take a lunch break...

 on Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

 (26 December 1998), before heading south for 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) through the Tasman Sea

Tasman Sea

The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...

, past Bass Strait

Bass Strait

Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...

, into Storm Bay

Storm Bay

Storm Bay is a large bay in the south-east of Tasmania, Australia. It is the entrance to the Derwent River estuary and the port of Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania.It is bordered by Bruny Island to the west and the Tasman Peninsula to the east....

 and up the Derwent River, to cross the finish line in Hobart, Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

.

1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Tragedy

The 1998 fleet comprised 115 starters. Of these, only 44 yachts completed the race, after severe weather conditions struck the fleet off the south-eastern Australian coast. An unusually strong low pressure depression developed which resulted in mid-summer snow across parts of south-east Australia. The weather system built into an exceptionally strong storm with winds reaching up to 70 knots, similar in strength to a lower-category hurricane. The rising storm produced an enormous waterspout

Waterspout

A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water and is connected to a cumuliform cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water. While it is often weaker than most of its land counterparts, stronger versions spawned by mesocyclones do occur...

 perilously close to one yacht, ultimately causing the sinking of five boats and the deaths of six sailors. Additionally a record 66 yachts retired from the race, and 55 other sailors had to be airlifted from their yachts by rescue helicopter. Overall, the rescue efforts involved 35 military and civilian aircraft and 27 Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 vessels, and proved to be Australia's largest ever peacetime rescue operation.

As a result, the crew eligibility rules were tightened, requiring a higher minimum age and experience. G. Bruce Knecht wrote a book about this race called "The Proving Ground" (ISBN 0-316-49955-2), and the Australian yachting expert and commentator Rob Mundle wrote "Fatal Storm". A coronial enquiry into the race was critical of both the race management at the time and the Bureau of Meteorology.

The results of the coroner's inquest were released on 12 December 2000. New South Wales Coroner John Abernethy found that the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, established in 1944 is known as one of Australia's premier yacht clubs, and is acknowledged as one of the leaders in ocean racing in the country...

 had "abdicated its responsibility to manage the race." "From what I have read and heard, it is clear to me that during this crucial time the race management team played the role of observers rather than managers and that was simply not good enough." But he acknowledged the club's actions to upgrade safety precautions and sailor qualifications.

Abernethy also criticised Australia's Bureau of Meteorology for making no effort to inform race officials of a dramatically upgraded weather forecast about the severe storm developing south of Eden

Eden, New South Wales

Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town, south of the state capital Sydney near the border with Victoria, is located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay, and built on undulating land adjacent to a...

, when it was common public knowledge the race was scheduled to begin. As a remedial measure, he required the Bureau to add maximum wind gust speed and wave height to their forecasts.

The day after the coroner's findings, the club's Race Director Phil Thompson resigned his position. According to the coroner's report, "Mr Thompson's inability to appreciate the problems when they arose and his inability to appreciate them at the time of giving his evidence causes me concern that (he) may not appreciate such problems as they arise in the future."

Deaths

The six sailors who died competing in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race were: Phillip Charles Skeggs (Business Post Naiad, drowned, 27 December 1998); Bruce Raymond Guy (Business Post Naiad, died of a heart attack, 27 December 1998); John Dean, James Lawler (experienced skipper and seasoned campaigner of "Charisma", but sailing on "Winston Churchill" in '98), and Michael Bannister (Winston Churchill, all drowned, 28 December 1998); and Glyn Charles (Sword of Orion, drowned on 28 December 1998).

1998 Fleet

115 yachts registered to begin the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race. They are:

Yacht	Nation	Owner	Skipper	Launch Year	Line Honours Position and Finishing Time
ABN AMRO Challenge			Ray Roberts
Adiago			Peter Williams
Aera			Nick Lykiardopulo
AFR Midnight Rambler			Ed Psaltis / Bob Thomas
Alexander of Creswell		W. Hellwig	Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
Allusive			John Smith
Antipodes Sydney		Geoff Hill	Geoff Hill
Antuka		Raymond Semmens	Raymond Semmens
Aspect Computing			D. Pescud
Assassin		R. Roberts	R. Roberts
Assassin			R. Crawford
Atara			H. Cudmore / J. Storey
Aurora			Jim Holly
Ausmaid			G. Gjergja
Avanti			Chris Mooney / John Mooney
B52		Wayne Miller	Wayne Miller
Bacardi			P. Cole	1978
Berrimilla			A. Whitworth	1977
Bin Rouge		D Hodgkinson	Christopher Bowling
Bobsled		P. White	G. Bush / N. Feros
Boomaroo Morse Fans		J. McIntosh	J. McIntosh
Breakaway			K. McDonald
Bright Morning Star		Hugh Treharne	I. Treharne	1986
Brindabella		George Snow	George Snow	1993
Business Post Naiad		Bruce Guy†	Bruce Guy†		RETIRED (Abandoned)
Canon Maris		Ian Kiernan Ian Kiernan Ian Bruce Carrick Kiernan AO is an environmentalist who organised the Clean Up Australia campaign, and in 1993 a similar Clean Up the World operation which attracted participation from 30 million volunteers in 80 countries....	Ian Kiernan Ian Kiernan Ian Bruce Carrick Kiernan AO is an environmentalist who organised the Clean Up Australia campaign, and in 1993 a similar Clean Up the World operation which attracted participation from 30 million volunteers in 80 countries....
Challenge Again
Chutzpah
Computerland
Cyclone
Dixie Chicken
Doctel Rager
Elysion Blue
Forzado
Foxtel Titan Ford
Fudge
Gundy Grey
Helsal II		Keith Flint	Keith Flint	1979
Henry Kendall Akubra
Hi Flyer PNG
Hogsbreath Witchdoctor
Impeccable
Indian Pacific
Industrial Quest
Inner Circle
Innkeeper
Jack Guy
Jubilation
Kendell
Kickatinalong
King Billy
Kingurra
Komatsu Blue Lady
Lady Penryhn
Liquid Asset
Loki
Maglieri Wines
Marchioness
Margaret Rintoul II
Mark Twain
Mercedes IV				1974
Midnight Special
Miintinta
Mirrabooka
Misty
Morning Tide
Nattel Adrenalin
New Horizons
Ninety Seven
Nokia
Not Negotiable
Nouméa
Ocean Designs		S. Bean			Retired (Eden)
Outlaw
Pippin
Polaris
Quest
Ragamuffin
Rapscallion Team Syntegra
Red Jacket
Relish IV
Renegade
Ruff 'N Tumble
Sagacious
Sayonara		Larry Ellison Larry Ellison Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world's leading enterprise software companies. As of 2011, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $33 billion.- Early life :Larry Ellison was born in the...	Larry Ellison Larry Ellison Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world's leading enterprise software companies. As of 2011, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $33 billion.- Early life :Larry Ellison was born in the...
Sea Jay
Secret Men's Business
Sharp Hawk
She II
She's Apples Two
Siena
Sledghammer
Solo Globe Challenger
Southerly
Spirit of Downunder
Sword of Orion
Sydney
T42 Solandra
Tartan
Team Jaguar Infinity
Tenacious
Terra Firma
Tilting At Windmills
Trust Bank Hummingbird
Unipro Ocean Road
Vagrant
Valheru
VC Offshore Stand Aside
Veto
Waitangi II
Wide Load
Wild One		Co-owner Barry Main	Barry Main
Wild Thing
Winston Churchill		Richard Winning	Richard Winning
Yendys
Zeus II

Results

Line Honours	LH (Elapsed) Time d:hh:mm:ss	Handicap Handicapping Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...  Winner	HW (Corrected) Time d:hh:mm:ss
Sayonara	3:00:53:35	AFR Midnight Rambler	2:19:03:32

See also

• Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
  The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...