As I mentioned in my last post not many yachts had arrived when I went to check out the Sydney Hobart race yachts the other day so on New Year’s Eve I went back for another look. What a difference a day makes! All the yachts bar one had arrived and the dock was full of them.
I met my friends Ally and Matt and we had fish and chips at Mure’s Lower Deck before embarking on a tour of the fleet. Most of the photos here are mine but my friends have given me permission to use some of theirs as well. My photos were taken with my Nikon Coolpix L120. Matt and Ally used iPhones to take theirs and sent them to me via Facebook this morning. I have not edited their photos except for one of Matt’s panoramas to crop out an intrusive yellow railing. Hope you don’t mind Matt.
All the yachts from the Clipper Round The World Race had arrived giving the place quite an international feel. The Sydney Hobart Race is part of Leg 4 of their race around the world. If you are interested to learn more about this race you can visit the website here. There are twelve identical 70 foot yachts which are supplied by the race organisers. The crews are made up of people from all walks of life, not necessarily experienced sailors. They are trained especially for the race. If you have always dreamed of ocean sailing this might be the way to achieve it. Here are three different takes on the subject. First mine, then Ally’s then Matt’s.
There were even two entries from South Australia, Clipper Ventures 5 and 10. Clipper Ventures Australia has recently been set up to offer training and experience to amateur sailors in Australia through corporate events and taking part in races such as the Sydney to Hobart Race.
There were other international entries. Two from UK Armed Forces Sailing; Discoverer of Hornet and Adventure of Hornet were berthed side by side. 
I mentioned French yacht Teasing Machine and Italian yacht Maserati but there was also a German entrant, Haspa Hamburg. I thought that this yacht had retired due to the bad weather but she turned up in Hobart after all I was pleased to see. Another French yacht Courrier Leon took out second place on handicap. There was also a Chinese entrant Shuguang Haiyang which means Dawn Sailing. I think I did see this yacht but don’t seem to have an individual photo of it.
On New Year’s Eve the Hobart Waterfront becomes one big party zone with a ticketed party at the Taste of Tasmania and two lots of public fireworks, an early one at 9:30pm and the main one at midnight. I’ve always wanted to see the fireworks but due to living 60km away I have never been able to go to see them. However, Ally and Matt who live closer to the city, did go to the early fireworks and have sent me their best photos.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about this year’s race. For those interested in statistics here is a link to the race results. I can tell you that the overall race winner on handicap was Paul Clitheroe’s Balance, remember him from the other day?
Finally here is a montage of photos from Ally, Matt and me. Happy New Year!
Our Other Blog: Two Sisters and Two Points of View 
I wish I would have been near the waters too, I like how the fireworks illuminate the water in your photos. 🙂 Happy New Year again 🙂
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My friend Allyson took the fireworks photos and I think she did a great job with her iPhone. I’d love to see them myself but never have because there are no buses back to where I live at night and David would have found it too difficult to walk from where we would have had to park to the waterfront so I never asked him to take me. Maybe one day.
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Maybe you can do this with your friend another year. 🙂 We have a big firework show each year at the waterfront of Travemünde, I have been there back then and it was worth it, the reflections in the water are beautiful. Now with a camera I should really celebrate there again some year. Only problem is that there were always quite a lot of people, so, to get the best shot I would need to find a nice spot outside of the crowd 😀
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Yes it is difficult to find a good spot when there are crowds. I think if I had access to transport I’d go across the river and photograph the fireworks from the other side where there would still be people but not as many. Planning your location beforehand certainly helps.
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Yes, that is even a common tip I hear often from those professional photography teachers on YouTube… they always say “Know the place beforehand, plan it, and you get a perfect shot”. 🙂 I think it’s easier said than done, but it’s the way to approach it 😀
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It is easier said than done when everyone has the same idea.:)
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By the way I hope you spotted the picture of the German yacht Haspa Hamburg. I put that one in just for you 🙂
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I totally missed this, I should pay more attention to the details in photos 🙂 Good to see some Northern German fellows on the otherside of the planet 😀
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