That said, observing the race from 10,000 nautical miles away does give a degree of objectivity, that is sometimes lost in the hurly burly of holiday time Australian sports coverage. So I’ll take the plunge and give you (in no particular order) half a dozen of my personal take aways from the 2025 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race…  and yes, of course its all seen through the distorted lens of traditional sailing values!

Last week it was wonderful news to hear that Joy Phillips was elected Chair of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the largest celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture in the southern hemisphere.