On a sunny and oftentimes breezy Boxing Day in Sydney a gathered fleet of yachts makes a dash to the headlands of Sydney Harbor where, with just the right conditions (and from this photo and the set of the sails, that looks to be the situation), they will turn south and for as long as they can, these yachts will be on a reach, the wind coming from the north east. Navigators will be pouring over displays to determine the likely conditions for the passage across Bass Straight hoping for smooth sailing all the way to Hobart. It was the summer of 1973 when I had the opportunity to be among the spectator fleet onboard Theme, the yacht I raced on for four seasons. Looking back on the day, we were witness to one of the favored yachts, Bumble Bee III, destined to compete in the upcoming Admiral’s Cup regatta out of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, ran aground on the rocky Sow and Pigs reef. Amidst the great expectations held for this yacht when it makes its appearance at Cowes, there was shock. S...
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