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Sydney to Hobart yacht race opens Dramatic rescue in Australia race
(1 day later)
One hundred boats have left Sydney Harbour in the annual yacht race to the southern Australian city of Hobart. The annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race has seen a dramatic first day after the entire crew of one vessel was rescued by fellow competitors as it sank.
A favourable weather forecast could see the record for the 628-nautical mile journey broken. Two nearby boats rescued the 14 crew of the Georgia after its rudder broke and the yacht started taking on water.
Wreaths will also be laid during the event to remember six sailors who died when fierce storms hit the fleet in 1998. Deteriorating weather conditions are forecast as the 100-yacht fleet nears the end of the 628-nautical mile race.
The yachts have breezed out of Sydney harbour watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators. This year's event will also mark 10 years since six sailors were killed as fierce storms battered the fleet.
Ahead of them lies one of the world's most demanding ocean races. It's hard to take, but the issue is that everyone is safe Georgia's owner Graeme Ainley Several boats sank and more than 50 competitors had to be plucked to safety by helicopter in 1998, in one of Australia's biggest peacetime rescue missions.
It will take the fleet down Australia's southeast coast and across Bass Strait, an often treacherous stretch of water that separates the island state of Tasmania from the mainland. This weekend's race will culminate in a wreath-laying ceremony in the southern Australian city of Hobart, where the race winner is announced.
The competition record stands at one day, 18 hours and 40 minutes but that is expected to come under pressure as the boats will initially be propelled by strong northerly winds. 'Loud bang'
The super maxi Wild Oats XI is the favourite to win this iconic event for the fourth year in a row. The New Zealand-built yacht, Georgia, issued a Mayday call about 2200 (1100GMT) on Friday after losing its rudder.
The 30 metre craft has got off to a good start and could well eclipse the race record it set in 2005. Yacht owner Graeme Ainley said there were no injuries to his crew, although it had been a sobering experience to watch their boat sink.
Sad memories "It's hard to take, but the issue is that everyone is safe," he said.
There has been a sombre air surrounding this year's Sydney to Hobart. "The bang was indicative of running into something and it was a pretty loud bang and so I guess it was something reasonably solid. It was after dark so we couldn't see it."
It is the tenth anniversary of a tragedy that claimed the lives of six sailors, who were killed when a giant storm hammered the fleet. The Sydney to Hobart is one of the world's most demanding ocean races.
Several boats sank and more than 50 competitors had to be plucked to safety by helicopter in one of Australia's biggest peacetime rescue missions. The fleet is travelling down Australia's south-east coast and across Bass Strait, an often treacherous stretch of water that separates the island state of Tasmania from the mainland.
Wreaths will be laid at sea and a minute's silence has been held to remember the victims of a race that some survivors still refer to as 'hell on high water.' The competition record stands at one day, 18 hours and 40 minutes but that is expected to come under pressure as the boats are being propelled by strong northerly winds.
Crews have held a minute's silence to remember the victims of the disastrous race a decade ago. More than 100 boats are setting off on the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The super maxi Wild Oats XI is the favourite to win this iconic event for the fourth year in a row, although it is locked in a tight race with the 2003 winner, Skandia.
Organisers of the race are planning to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 1998 event, when six sailors lost their lives after storms hit the fleet.
This year's event will culminate with a wreath-laying ceremony at Hobart, where the race winner is announced.