South Australian sailor Robert Large has described a devastating encounter with a fishing net that forced his yacht out of the iconic Sydney to Hobart race just hours after the start.
Race Halted by Submerged Snare
The double-handed yacht Inukshuk, skippered by Large and co-skipper Andrew Ebbott, was performing well in challenging upwind conditions on Boxing Day. However, the race came to an abrupt end approximately 10 nautical miles south-east of the Sydney Heads.
In the rolling swell, the yacht sailed directly over a heavily anchored fishing net that was invisible from the surface. The net became hopelessly entangled on the boat's rudder, bringing the vessel to a complete stop.
"We couldn't move. It took us probably 45 minutes to clear the thing," Large recounted of the laborious process to free the rudder.
A Prudent But Painful Decision
Despite successfully removing the net, the crew faced a critical dilemma. Large was concerned the rudder may have sustained damage during the ordeal. Continuing on the remaining 610-nautical-mile journey to Hobart with a potentially compromised steering system was deemed an unacceptable risk.
In the afternoon of Boxing Day, the difficult choice was made to turn back and officially retire from the race at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Darling Point.
"I had to put safety ahead of the race," Large stated. "I felt it was more prudent to return rather than continue sailing, where if the rudder failed further down, we could be into some serious problems."
Six Months of Preparation Undone by "Bad Luck"
For Large, a Canadian native who has called Australia home for nearly two decades and contested six previous Sydney-Hobarts, the early exit was a bitter pill to swallow. He emphasised that no amount of preparation could have prevented the incident.
"It's all bad luck," he said. "You prepare for everything, you carry spares... we prepare ourselves psychologically and physically to do the race. It takes a lot of money and a lot of time, six or eight months of work to get a boat ready."
"Three hours into the race and having to stop for a reason like that is pretty hard to take." This is the second consecutive retirement for Inukshuk, which also withdrew from the 2021 race due to auto-pilot issues.
The yacht's name holds special significance, being an Inuit word for "a structure of rough stones stacked in the form of a human figure," traditionally used as a landmark.
Inukshuk was not alone in its early exit. The race has seen significant carnage this year, with the 100ft supermaxi Wild Thing 100 also retiring. They were joined by Awen with a broken forestay, Trouble & Strife with engine issues, and Troubadour and Roaring Forty, which withdrew due to crew seasickness.
Looking forward, Large and Ebbott remain determined. They are hopeful of sailing Inukshuk in a fifth Hobart race next year and plan to contest the trans-Tasman Yacht Race in late February. Before that, Large will still travel to Hobart to reunite with his wife and celebrate with fellow sailors.
"We figure we've done enough Hobarts we can justify it, we've earned a place," Large said, finding a silver lining in the disappointing turn of events.
