“I think in segments, but they’re not the same, year to year,” Honey said. “A common transition is the southerly change, which sees wind against the East Australia Current,” he said, describing an often-violent sea. “The wind picks up quickly under a characteristic roll cloud — it’s a frightening sight.”
Honey described his chapters as the start, entering the offshore winds, negotiating the East Australia Current, crossing Bass Strait, approaching Tasmania, picking the best lane — or angle — toward Tasmania, crossing Storm Bay and sailing up the River Derwent.
Picking the best lane toward Tasmania can be crucial, and Honey and Oxley described it as potentially one of the race’s biggest navigational problems. “I’m looking if the weather models line up, but typically I use historical and real-time data and my gut to make the decision,” Oxley said.
A casual weekend sail this is not.
“It’s my favorite race as a navigator, there are so many moving parts,” Honey said, before admitting that it is not always pleasant. “In almost every other yacht race, you start and go someplace nice. With the Sydney Hobart, you start someplace warm and nice and go someplace cold and windy.”
While some divide the race by geography or weather, others think in hours.
“In basic terms, it’s all about when you get to Storm Bay,” said Roger Badham, a meteorologist who has been preparing pre-race weather reports since 1982. “The timing to get to Storm Bay and the Derwent is critical,” he added. “God, in his wisdom, determines the handicap winner.”
The River Derwent “can be a long and painful exercise,” Oxley said. “The best time to arrive in Storm Bay is in the afternoon. The Derwent can take 45 minutes or six hours.”
