Tuesday, 29 December 2009

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - Sailors


Barrows hustled, managers bustled. Tension and anticipation oozed. Weathered profiles contemplated the conditions, the course, the tactics, the contenders.


Gnarled hands of experienced salts gesticulated expansively, as younger members nonchalantly osmosised the ambience. Tactics were determined beyond the maddening crowd. Would the million-dollar mast do the trick? Did they stow sufficient King Island Ash Blue? Would the winds in Storm Bay sweep them up the Derwent or strand them in no-mans-land?


The 2009 Sydney - Hobart Yacht Race line honours winner, Alfa Romeo fom NZ, crossed the finish line into Constitution Dock in Hobart at 10:02pm Monday after being the first out the Sydney Heads on Saturday and leading all the way.

Tomorrow: the starter's canon ...
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21 comments:

  1. BirdmanDecember 29, 2009 12:30 am

    There's great excitement in the many faces you've recorded in these images. Why we race? You've captured the human side.

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  2. AnonymousDecember 29, 2009 12:56 am

    Great pictures, we can see the pressure and the joy on the faces.
    Serge

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  3. OlivierDecember 29, 2009 1:05 am

    une belle serie de portraits

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  4. Leif HagenDecember 29, 2009 1:33 am

    Some wonderful portraits! They must all have some great sailing stories!

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  5. LoisDecember 29, 2009 1:48 am

    They all certainly seem to be enjoying themselves! Nice pictures Julie.

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  6. Icy BCDecember 29, 2009 2:23 am

    Great portraits!

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  7. lizziviggiDecember 29, 2009 3:22 am

    Oh, how I love your candid people! These look like the faces of people who love the outdoors. No vitamin D deficiency here!

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  8. UnknownDecember 29, 2009 4:01 am

    Your photos of a yacht race focus on the people, not the boats. Clever.

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  9. Rinkly RimesDecember 29, 2009 6:19 am

    What great portraits! The subjects would all be delighted with copies. So full of character.

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  10. JPTDecember 29, 2009 6:23 am

    A weatherbeaten bunch!

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  11. Joan ElizabethDecember 29, 2009 7:36 am

    Wow ... how did you get so close to get so many great portraits.

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  12. JimDecember 29, 2009 9:09 am

    Great snaps Julie.
    Sydney - City and Suburbs

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  13. JimDecember 29, 2009 10:57 am

    Julie, the images seen on the Mitchell Library are related to its Centenary in 2010. George V as monarch of Australia in 1910 was just one of the images from that time. Not sure about the 'AB' though.
    Sydney - City and Suburbs

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  14. VirginiaDecember 29, 2009 12:54 pm

    AT first I thought I'd fallen in love with #1 ( or maybe it was the guy! :) ) Then I thought all of the smaller portraits were just terrific.........but the last one says so much. I"m gushing I think. Well of course I should!!!

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  15. MarkaDecember 29, 2009 1:17 pm

    I really like the first photo. The gentleman seems to be pondering and visualizing the entire race.

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  16. Regina December 29, 2009 5:37 pm

    Amazing. Great shots!
    Cheers fort he New Year!
    Regards.

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  17. Elaine YimDecember 29, 2009 5:53 pm

    The sea and the sailors are always fascinatin. Happy New Year 2010!

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  18. brattcatDecember 29, 2009 10:31 pm

    You capture such an emotional spectrum in these portraits. Such intensity. Excellent work.

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  19. VPDecember 29, 2009 11:42 pm

    Great series of portraits, they all look very happy to be there!

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  20. diane bDecember 30, 2009 12:59 pm

    Wonderful portraits. You really get amongst them. Well done.

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  21. Bruce CaspersonnJanuary 10, 2010 2:30 pm

    One of the nicest things you can do in this life is to sail around Sydney Harbour or the Whitsunday Islands on a lovely day in a yacht with no motor going.
    Then,,,someone turns it into a race!!! I can't get my head around that!

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