AMSA briefs Sydney Hobart Yacht Race crew and officials

With the fleet for the 2023 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race preparing for the 78th running of the ocean race, as in previous years, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has today delivered its annual safety briefing to crew and officials.

AMSA provides safety advice, and emergency search and rescue for the race starting on Boxing Day, 26th December 2023.  

AMSA’s Response Centre in Canberra, which operates 24/7, will be working closely with race organisers to promote the safety of the competitors and race officials.   

AMSA Response Centre Manager Kevin McEvoy said supporting this and other yacht races, is a service that AMSA is proud to have provided to race crews and officials for over 25 years.

McEvoy shared “the safety principles for the crews are the same as those that everyday boaters should follow, including having registered emergency beacons on board, wearing life jackets, and knowing how to use their safety equipment.

“The holiday season is AMSA’s busiest period with a 20-to-30% increase in incidents, with AMSA routinely responding to more than 200 beacons activations a month.”  

McEvoy said around 75% of the rescues coordinated by AMSA involve recreational boaters.  

“The ocean can be a fickle but many of these incidents can be avoided by taking relatively simple steps that aren’t that different to those that the professional racers will use in the Sydney Hobart event,” he said.   

“Make sure your boat is properly maintained, wear lifejackets while on board and have a registered distress beacon within easy reach.”  

The AMSA Response Centre leads and coordinates search and rescue activities in Australia’s search and rescue region – around 53 million square kilometres – or the equivalent of about 10% of the earth’s surface.   

The Response Centre responded to over 7,800 incidents in 2022-23, saving 165 lives.  

Image top. Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2021. Credit: Rolex/Andrea Francolini; image above: AMSA briefing today