Sydney to Hobart race sailing against wind

It hasn’t been called off yet, but the organiser of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has a message for fans: ‘Don’t ask me to predict what that outcome might be’.

CYC Commodore Paul Billingham. Picture: Michael Bilbe-Taylor

It hasn’t been called off yet, but the organiser of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race have a message for fans – “don’t ask me to predict what that outcome might be”.

The chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic collided with the yachting world last week, after the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia was shut for deep cleaning and its vice-commodore, Noel Cornish, tested positive.

The CYC is the spiritual home of the Sydney to Hobart, and ­despite the coronavirus pandemic, commodore Paul Billingham is not calling time on one of the most famous races in the country.

“Not at this stage,” Mr Billingham said. “I think it’d be naive for us to assume that we’re not going to have to adapt it in some way, but don’t ask me to try to predict what that outcome might be because none of us know.

“Who knows what will be the end of August, let alone the end of November when we make the ­decision?”

With 54 boats already registered, Mr Billingham said he was confident the race would run with between 80 to 90 yachts, despite the absence of international crews.

Then there’s another, more pressing, problem: it’s not possible to travel from Sydney to Hobart under restrictions put in place by the Tasmanian government.

Race organisers are talking to the Tasmanian government and the Hobart City Council, Mr Billingham said.

“We’ll obviously adapt the finishing experience whether it’s a constitution dock or prize-giving — or whatever the rules are at the time,” he said.

The pandemic has already claimed one of the CYC’s mainstays. Its second-largest race, the Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast yacht race, has been postponed until at least October.

Then there’s the financial situation at the Rushcutters Bay institution, a club which has long featured on the Sydney scene with a high-powered board of ­directors.

The CYC posted a $1.02m loss last year, despite revenues of nearly $9m. For the 12 months ending last March, it lost another $680,000, new financial records show. It has about $129,000 in the bank.

And there was a warning.

“The effect of (the coronavirus) on the company has been a drop in revenue from bar, food and merchandise sales as a result of the closure of the clubhouse and certain racing and training events being cancelled or postponed indefinitely,” financial statements lodged with the corporate regulator last month show.

But Mr Billingham said being closed at this time of year had ­actually helped the club’s bottom line. “Money is the least of our concerns right now,” he said.

His attention has been on the COVID-19 outbreak that threatened the organisation after Mr Cornish and his wife, Meg, contracted the virus when dining at the Thai Rock restaurant in nearby Potts Point on July 17.

The CYC’s board of directors, staff and club members who have been tested have all returned negative results.

“It’s important, as a leader in the sport, that we do the right thing,” Mr Billingham said.

“NSW Health are very happy with both how we conducted ourself before, during and since — so there’s a big tick.

“And fingers crossed, we don’t get any more infections … we’re hopeful we’ve dodged that bullet, but just time will tell.”