Sydney to Hobart 2020: Unbelievable record forecast for cancelled yacht race

It’s the news that had sailors tearing their hair out in exasperation and disappointment - one of the most incredible forecasts for a Sydney to Hobart in 76 years.

The Sydney supermaxi InfoTrack was one of the favourites for line honours before the race was cancelled.

In a COVID free world around 1000 sailors would on Saturday have been preparing and enjoying the race if their life.

An extraordinary wet and wild magic carpet ride from Sydney to Hobart at a breathtaking pace.

Comanche after her race record win in the Sydney to Hobart. Pic: Richard Jupe.

A race so fast the biggest yachts in the fleet would have been moored safety at Constitution Dock in Hobart just a day and a bit after the traditional 1pm Boxing Day start on Sydney Harbour.

“A race record begging that could have stood for many years,” was world renowned yachting meteorologist Roger Badham forecast for the race that isn’t happening for the first time since 1945.

LDV Comanche on route to her win in 2017. Pic: Andrea Francolini.

Badham said the forecast models for the Sydney to Hobart were “truly unbelievable” for the supermaxis Black Jack and InfoTrack – strong running conditions which could have delivered the fleet frontrunners to the Hobart finish around one day and five hours after the start.

This would have smashed an incredible four hours off the record mark of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by LDV Comanche back in 2017.

It is a dream forecast - arguably the best in history - but one that will go begging after the race was cancelled due to the COVID cluster on the northern beaches.

On Saturday numerous boats were heading out on Sydney Harbour for a mock start, lamenting what might have been.

A man walks on the dock at the CYCA after the cancellation of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

The famous race was stopped in its tracks last Saturday by a Tasmanian government decision to quarantine arrivals from Greater Sydney for two weeks in the wake of the growing COVID-19 cluster on the northern beaches.

After long crisis meetings at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the race was officially cancelled for the first time in its long history last Saturday night.

Since then numerous other sporting events have been cancelled or postponed.

InfoTrack was one of the yachts in the running for a new record.

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