The Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race started in 1945 and has grown to be one of the most well-known events in the world. It is known in the yacht racing world for being an incredibly tough event due to the seas throwing up high waves and strong winds.
Yachts are required to race offshore across six hundred miles from Sydney Harbour across the Bass Straits to Hobart in Tasmania. The fastest time for the completion of the race is under 1 day and 10 hours, which is an astonishing achievement.
Types of boats
There are so many different types of boats, and children love to look at them – from the smallest rowing boats and sea kayaks to the type of yachts that participate in the Rolex Sydney Harbour Yacht Race. If you live near a river, lake or the sea – why not take your child to watch boats of all shapes and sizes?
In the Rolex Sydney Harbour Yacht Race, it is mainly sloops that take part – these are yachts with a single mast. The mast has a fore and aft rigged mainsail and a single jib or Genoa.
The yachts will often have extras such as a spinnaker, which creates a beautiful scene for spectators as these are often colourful and bright. If you’re lucky enough to watch a sailing race, you can speak to your child about what colours they can see and whether the vessels are moving quickly or slowly.
The Rolex Sydney Harbour Yacht Race is at the forefront of yacht design and has attracted some major innovations in the way that yachts are created. The New Zealand designer Bruce Farr has designed 15 overall winners of the race.
Float or sink?
Whether you’re watching yacht racing on TV or you see sailboats whilst out and about, you can extend this activity to discussing the concepts of whether objects float or sink.
This is such an easy yet interesting topic to engage with your children on and all you need is a bowl full of water and some objects. Obviously, it’s easier if you can do this outside so that children can have free play with the water but if you don’t have outdoor space then you can do this in the kitchen or even place a bowl in your kitchen sink for your child to play with.
Try putting some of the following household objects in a bowl of water and seeing whether they float or sink:
- A plastic cup
- An apple
- An empty plastic bottle with the lid on
- A plastic bottle full of water
If you have time and the resources you could even extend this activity when you’re able to visit a swimming pool or the beach. Your child may be interested in exploring it further in water under careful adult supervision.