TWO teams of sailors from Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto are getting ready to tackle one of the toughest sailing races in the world - the Sydney to Hobart.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Skipper of Let's Go, Danielle Ovenden, and Inner Circle skipper, Darren Cooney, are putting the final touches on their boats in preparation for the gruelling race, which starts on Boxing Day.
But what is it that makes the Sydney to Hobart so challenging?
"Bass Strait," the two skippers answer without hesitation.
"The fronts keep coming through there and Bass Strait is actually quiet shallow on either side so the waves build up in that section," Ms Ovenden said.
"So you've got that, you've got the wind funnel effect, and it's just nasty weather down there."
Mr Cooney said Bass Strait is very unpredictable.
"I've been across Bass Strait when the waves are higher than the mast and I've been across in T-shirts and singlets when it's in better conditions than [Lake Macquarie]," he said.
Both skippers and their boats have taken on the 1000 kilometre plus race before.
So they know one thing for certain - there is no such thing as an easy Sydney to Hobart.
"You expect at some point in the race you're going to get a hiding, you know you are - it just depends where that happens," Ms Ovenden said.
While both boats are racing regulars, they have been out of the racing scene for a number of years and required a lot of attention to be brought back up to racing standard.
Mr Cooney said there is a long list of requirements each boat must satisfy before taking part in the race.
"We went out last weekend and did 24 hours out at sea in a thunderstorm. You've got to show the boat's up to scratch," he said.
The boat's crew must also meet strict capability and safety requirements.
Because of the massive amount of preparation that is needed for the Sydney to Hobart, the skippers said it is one of the few ocean races where just reaching the finish line is an achievement.
"Nobody ever asks you how you went, they just congratulate you on getting there," Mr Cooney said.