A fleet of 19 yachts is heading down the Derwent River from Hobart this morning in the historic Bruny Island Race, the 82nd running of Australia’s oldest regularly run ocean race since 1898.

Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania Race officer Roger Martin has sent the fleet on an outside/inside course – passing the Iron Pot to sail out into Storm Bay and down the Oceanside coast of Bruny Island – on a fine and sunny morning.

After rounding Tasman Head and Cape Bruny, the yachts will sail back to Hobart through the winding reaches of the d’Entrecasteaux Channel, a total distance of 89 nautical miles.

“There is better breeze forecast on the ocean side, so I decided to send them that way,  but it could be light and fickle coming up the Channel tonight and tomorrow morning,” Martin said shortly after the 9.30am start.
“It was an even start with Creative Intention, skippered by David Rees, getting the best start in the 8-10 knot south to south-easterly breeze, with Asylum, skippered by Dianne Barkas, close astern.”

Martin said winds were expected to be light to moderate for most of the race, with 10-15 knot south to south-easterly winds in the river and offshore today, but tending south to south-west overnight.
Of the 21 entries for this race that began 110 years ago, two boats were non-starters, Sirocco and Singapore Girl.

The fleet includes Dr Who (Rod Jackman) and Intrigue (David Calvert) each of which has won the race six times on corrected time. For the first time, there are two women skippers, Dianne Barkas with Asylum and Sally Rattle with Archie.

The race record stands at 8 hours 02 minutes 59 seconds, a time set by the New Zealand maxi yacht Konica Minolta in 2005. It will not be eclipsed in this year’s event. - Peter Campbell