Sydney to Hobart Sailors Pay Tribute to Shooting Victims Near Bondi Beach

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Skippers of nearly 130 yachts set sail on a “bumpy” Sydney to Hobart ocean race on Friday, many scattering rose petals for the Bondi Beach shooting victims as they ventured into rolling seas.

On a cool, grey summer’s day at Sydney Harbour, crowds gathered around the shore or watched from scores of boats as a starting cannon set the fleet on its way for the race’s 80th edition.

Scores of sailors paid a special tribute to those who died on 14 December when gunmen attacked a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and wounding scores more.

As yachts passed the beach, they spread rose petals on the ocean “out of respect for the tragic loss of life”, said Sam Haynes, commodore of the race organiser, the Cruising Yacht Club of Sydney.

Leading the charge in the prestigious Sydney to Hobart yacht race, LawConnect, one of the five blistering fast 100-foot supermaxis, surged ahead of the favored supermaxi, Comanche, as the competition sailed out of the harbor.

The sails of boats visible above choppy, dark seas.

In a heartfelt gesture, numerous sailors took a moment to honor the victims of the Bondi terror attack amid their journey in this renowned race.

The participating crews are bracing themselves for challenging conditions, with forecasts predicting waves reaching up to four meters and winds gusting at 25 knots on the inaugural day of the 628-nautical-mile trek from Sydney to Tasmania.

Two sailors died last year in separate incidents as gale-force winds and big seas pummelled the Sydney-Hobart fleet.

Olympic swimming great Ian Thorpe is entering the Sydney-Hobart race for the first time aboard LawConnect, which is aiming to be first across the finish line for a third straight year.

“I’ve spent my life in and around water, but this is a completely different test, both mentally and physically,” Thorpe said.

Before the race commenced, the 55-foot yacht Yendys was forced to withdraw due to a broken backstay, a vital component that supports the mast, thereby reducing the number of competitors to 128.

Yacht tipping sideways in choppy water, with a helicopter flying overhead.

Sailors are bracing for rough seas in this year’s race. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins

Weather is a critical factor in the race, which was first held in 1945, with winds often shifting rapidly in direction and intensity.

In 1998, when a deep depression exploded over the fleet in the Bass Strait, six men died, five boats sank and 55 sailors were rescued.

Last year, 30 of the 104 yachts failed to finish.

There are 17 international entrants, including those from Germany, Hong Kong, the United States and Poland.

There are 13 women owners and skippers, but only one entry has an all-woman crew — First Light, captained by Elizabeth Tucker as part of her preparations for the 2027-28 Global Solo Challenge, a single-handed, non-stop round-the-world race.