Sydney Hobart: How smoke from Australia’s bush fires may affect the race – and Scallywag skipper David Witt is not happy
- All boats must check in at Green Cape using marine phones or face disqualification but smoke from Australia’s bush fires weakens the signal
- Organisers reject Hong Kong-based Witt’s request to use satellite phones in case the SSB connections fail
Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag’s David Witt told a fellow Sydney Hobart skipper “there’s nothing wrong with a bit of controversy” during the official press conference for the race.
His remark to Comanche’s Jim Cooney came moments after the Hong Kong-based Australian injected life – and controversy – into a mundane media event by calling out organisers over the use of satellite phones.
Thick smoke from deadly bush fires in Australia is reported off Green Cape, about halfway on the 630 nautical mile journey from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania – which starts on Thursday. All boats must check in at Green Cape via SSB marine phones or face disqualification.
Witt’s issue is that the phones have been known to lose its signal because of smoke and he had written to organisers to allow crews to use satellite phones as backup. His request was rejected and Witt made it clear he was unhappy. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Scallywag would never return to the race should results be affected because of the SSB phones.
“I think we are going to have problems,” Witt, who is at the helm of a super-maxi 100-foot version of Scallywag, said at the press conference. “It is mandatory in the race at Green Cape to get it on the SSB, and we found out last week the SSB signals have been week due to the smoke.
