This year’s Sydney to Hobart yacht race will see 18 pairs compete in the inaugural two-handed division – but the boats have been ruled ineligible to win the race’s biggest prize | sarah_keoghan
Entrants competing in a new division of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race have been left disappointed after organisers declared two-handed boats be part of the race but ineligible to take out the Tattersall Cup for overall handicap honours.
The move comes after a recent boom in popularity for the yachts which has been attributed to COVID-19. With just two crew members required, the division means fewer hands-on-deck and less risk of spreading the virus.But traditionalist sailors in the Sydney to Hobart race have pushed back on the introduction of the boats into the event, arguing the use of autopilot systems, which are fitted to the boats and replace a human helm, should not be included in the historic event.
The two-handed fleet will instead challenge for an inaugural trophy, awarded to the overall winner out of the 18 boats. The total fleet of this year’s fleet stands at 94 boats. Shorthanded skippers Peter Franki and Lincoln Dews both feel the new division should be embraced by the race.“I was disappointed and surprised,” Franki said. “We have a handicap, the same as everyone else, but we are excluded. We are rated under the same system as many other boats vying for the Tattersall Cup.”
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