Race 7 starts today

Race 7 from Hobart to Brisbane will start today (Thursday 2 January) at 1700 local (0600 UTC).

However, a complication in the repair of Henri Lloyd’s starboard rudder means this will not be complete in time for the race start, so the yacht will leave approximately 20-24 hours later and will be awarded average points for Race 7, based on the previous races.

Race Director Justin Taylor explained the situation: “This morning we encountered a problem with Henri Lloyd’s starboard rudder when it was discovered that the top and bottom rudder bearings were misaligned, which meant we could not replace the rudder.  

“A solution has been found and work is being carried out now and overnight.  However, it means that Henri Lloyd will not be ready to race until Friday 3 January, when the work on the rudder is completed. 

“We will award Henri Lloyd points for Race 7 (Hobart to Sydney) based on their average points for races 1 to 6 including all gate and ocean sprint points.  This means they will score 9.9 points for Race 7.   

“It is necessary to do this as Henri Lloyd will be starting in different weather to the rest of the fleet which means using an alternative method of scoring such as elapsed time is unfair.” 

The rest of the fleet will slip lines at 1530 2 Jan local time (0400 UTC) and will take approximately an hour to depart and position themselves ready for the start line off Constitution Dock at 1700 local.