Into the Storm

Preface: At The Edge

Dusk was coming on and I was at the end of my tether and thinking to myself, “If this continues, I can't keep going like this. And there's no one else that can steer this damn boat, so we're in serious trouble.”

—Ed Psaltis, Skipper, AFR Midnight Rambler

The Sydney to Hobart Race is unknown to many Americans, but it is an iconic event for Australians. Held every year on Boxing Day—the day after Christmas—this 628-nautical-mile,¹ (723-statute-mile) deepwater challenge is often called the “Everest” of off shore ocean racing. With unpredictable weather and seas, the Sydney to Hobart Race is considered one of the toughest in the world. It is always a challenging race. But in 1998, conditions were extraordinary. Extraordinarily ...