Skeds split into two groups for 2019 epic

• NEWS
• 26 Dec, 2019 09:53:00 AM

Skeds split into two groups for 2019 epic

Boats are once again required to provide position reports to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Committee twice a day (with the ability for the Race Committee to increase it to 3 in adverse conditions)... but this year there is a slightly different approach given the size of the fleet

Position reports are provided by HF radio in “skeds” conducted by a team headed by Past CYCA Commodore David Kellett on the Radio Relay Vessel MV JBW kindly made available to CYCA by John Winning of Appliances Online.  The standby radio relay vessel is STS Young Endeavour, which is also accompanying the fleet South to Hobart.

During the skeds the fleet is given the most recent weather forecasts provided by the Bureau of Meteorology… and it is not unheard of for there to be an update about the Boxing Day cricket test at the MCG!

Due to the size of the fleet, and unlike previous races, boats have been divided into two groups, and the skeds will be conducted separately with each group.  The first group is the boats entered in Divisions 0 – 3 of the IRC category, and the second group is the rest of the fleet.  You can see which boats are in those divisions here

The first sked for the first group is at 7:35pm (Sydney time) on Boxing Day, with the second group one hour later.  The next skeds are at 6:35am and 7:35am the following morning, and then skeds are at the same times each day for the rest of the race.

With the assistance of Kordia, the skeds are streamed through the race website.  The time for the next sked is indicated in a dialogue under the race timer.  Simply click or tap when the dialogue reads “Listen Now”.

Boats are also required to carry a satellite phone as an additional communications channel.