More boats expected for Sydney-Hobart race

Australia’s bluewater Sydney to Hobart sailing race on Wednesday called for more boats from Asia, as one of the organisers said Europe’s financial woes could be hurting the size of the fleet. Eighty-eight boats are expected to line up in Sydney Harbour on Dec.26 to begin the treacherous 628-nautical-mile race down southeast Australia to Hobart, the capital of the island of Tasmania. Overwhelmingly they are Australia-based yachts, with only a handful coming from the United States, Britain, Hong Kong, France or New Zealand.“We are always looking to do what we can to try to encourage international people to come here,” Garry Linacre, commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organises the race, told journalists.“Unfortunately we don’t govern the world economy.” Linacre said the race, which often features appalling weather conditions such as the 1998 storms in which six people died, said while a number of this year’s competitors campaigned heavily in Asia, more visitors were welcome,” he added.