1971 Race Recap
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1971 Sydney Hobart winner, Pathfinder
Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 1971
Race Program
Prior to each race Cruising Yacht Club of Australia publishes a separate official race program (with details of competing boats, the results of past races and articles about the race and its participants and other important events). The 1971 Edition is here.
Weather
The fleet had light to moderate north to nor'east winds for the first 24 hours, giving them an easy run down the NSW coast.
On the second day the wind came in at 20 knots from the south and as the leaders began to enter Bass Strait it began to veer to the sou'west. Finally, as the bulk of the fleet approached the Tasmanian coast the wind swung round to the nor'west and freshened to 30 knots, giving the middle-of-the-fleet boats a great spinnaker reach down the coast bringing them right onto the heels of the leaders.
Over the final two days, almost all the fleet encountered frustrating calms but the middle-sized yachts held their own right to the finish.
Race reports
After each race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's magazine Offshore contains photo galleries, reports and articles on the race. Read on to access them.