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The Sydney to Hobart yacht race will include a tribute for the victims and survivors of the Bondi terror attack as the fleet passes the beach on Boxing Day.
To commemorate the 15 lives lost on December 14, 15 boats will leave flower petals in the Pacific Ocean when passing the site of the attack. The boats will include race favourite, Master Lock Comanche and reigning overall winner Celestial V70.
LawConnect and Master Lock Comanche during the 2024 Sydney to Hobart.Credit: Getty Images
Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Celestial’s skipper, Sam Haynes announced the tribute at the weather briefing on Wednesday, and invited other skippers to join the 15 boats. Haynes said the commemoration was for “members of the Jewish community, and our community who unfortunately were killed in the terrorist attack on that day. So as we pass Bondi, 15 boats will spread some petals into the ocean at that point”.
Master Lock Comanche’s skipper, Matt Allen, said his boat would be part of the tribute after he visited the site in his role as vice president of the Australian Olympic Committee.
“We went down with a large group of Jewish and non-Jewish Olympians to Bondi last Friday and had a service there, and then a brunch to really show our support for the victims, the entire community,” he said. “We know that sport can bring together the community, both within Australia, and also the Olympic movement globally can do that ... It was a very heartfelt occasion.
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“The initial thought is, ‘Do we have any family, staff and the Olympic community involved?’ and trying to make sure everyone was safe. That’s a hard exercise because it’s a very big community. Quite quickly we worked out that everyone was safe. Then just wanting to really talk about what we were going to do to try and provide our support as much as possible to the entire community.”
A spokesperson for the yacht club said security for the race had been reviewed after the tragedy.
“We will continue to work alongside relevant authorities as we prepare for the race on Boxing Day,” the statement read.
The compulsory weather briefing began earlier on Wednesday with a minute of silence for the two sailors, Roy Quaden and Nick Smith, who died during the Sydney to Hobart race last year. Haynes described the deaths as tragic, saying, “this will be something that is very much on our minds, and the families of these two sailors.”
