Haven't had a chance to post up anything yet and will sort through my pics this weekend coming to see if there's anything print worthy.
The Bridge to Bridge Ski Classic was held in what can only be called "Extreme Conditions". The Sydney area was under severe fire warnings, we had multiple fires in the local area start from lightning strikes on the Thursday and Friday nights, and there were a total of 80 fires burning in the state on the Sunday. The conditions were eeerily similar to those that befell the Southern 80. Luckily this time the loss of lives from fires didn't follow.
Temps over 110 degrees plus strong winds saw competitors tough it out over the entire course. First they had to traverse the open waters at the start (and by the time Superclass got underway it was almost big enough to surf on), and then crews had to deal with shifting winds as they came around each bend. To add to the stress, there was also a smoke haze in the air that was causing some people breathing difficulty. I received an email from one fo the superclass guys saying that right up until they broke down he was quite laboured in his breathing from the heat and the smoke.
As a result of the fire risk, I didn't go to the photo spot I had picked out as it was over an hour from my house due to the ferries being closed for the race. While I love to get great shots, the thought of my house burning down because I was too far away just didn't seem to get my juices flowing so I picked a much closer (albeit less exciting) location 10min from my place.
From my vantage point on the river I could see almost 180 degrees of a long bend and as boats started into the bend you could see them take their line, only to then be blown off it. This would then cause a follow on effect for anyone immediately behind as the racing line wasn't a smooth arc. Similarly, if multiple boats rounded the bend together, there were several "interesting" moments where drivers were fighting to retain control and not smack into each other.
I'm hoping someone will show up with a photo of Blazen and Hellbent side by side at the finish. Not sure if anyone has read Skirace.net but to say it was close was an understatement. 10ft (1/2 a boat length) separated 2nd & 3rd at the finish after 70 miles of racing and those last 5 miles would have been an amazing spectacle. 2 superclass boats hitting it at 100mph+ along 5 straights and 6 bends, side by side. Sure, Stinga won and as usual, hats off to a very professional team, but this time round, the money shot was on the minor placegetters.
Anywho, I'll check out my pics this weekend and see if I got anything you guys might like
Oz
Linear Mode
