The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2009 will again start in accordance with tradition with the firing of a starting cannon.  The start will be at 1.00pm on Boxing Day, 26 December.

Like for the 2008 race, the fleet is likely to start from two start lines off Nielsen Park with boats on the northern line rounding "Victor Mark" and boats on the southern line rounding "X-Ray Mark", at the Heads, and all boats heading out to sea and rounding "Mark Zulu", one nautical mile east of the Heads.

The largest boats, the 100ft & 98ft maxis and Volvo 70s, along with other yachts of 60 foot and bigger, will start off the front line north of Shark Island. The rest of the fleet will start from the back line, 0.2 nautical miles behind.

Having two rounding marks at Sydney Heads will compensate for the distance between the two lines before the fleet heads to sea on the ocean voyage to Hobart on Tasmania’s Derwent.

To give the yachts a clear area in which to manoeuvre before the start and then ample room to tack or gybe as they race to the Heads, NSW Maritime have declared an exclusion zone from 12 noon to 2pm on Boxing Day. A 6 knot no-wash zone will cover the Harbour from Garden Island and Bradley’s Head to a line between North Head and Macquarie Light. Spectator craft may not enter the exclusion zone between these times and once the race starts the yachts must sail within the zone until they clear Sydney Heads.

As the countdown to the start begins, the CYCA’s historic cannons will be fired aboard the official starting vessel, Aussie One, to draw attention to the starting flag sequence as follows:

12.50pm: 10 minute Warning Signal - Event flag hoisted and cannon fired.

12.55pm: 5 minute Preparatory Signal - Code flag P hoisted and cannon fired.

1.00pm - Starting Signal – Event Flag and Code flag P dropped and cannon fired.

A further signal (Code flag X) and a single cannon fire may indicate premature (OCS – On Course Side) starts by individual yachts which must then return and re-start. Yachts which have started prematurely will also be advised by radio within 10 minutes of the start. There will be no general recall.

	The start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart ROLEX/Daniel Forster

Advice for spectator craft

The Exclusion Zone - 12 noon to 2.00pm

· The Exclusion Zone, from 12 noon to 2.00pm will be marked with yellow buoys and some fixed navigation marks.

· The rounding marks at Sydney Heads will be large Rolex conical inflatable buoys, as will the sea mark, one nautical mile due east of the Heads.

· All spectator craft are to remain outside the Exclusion Zone.

· No spectator craft is permitted to anchor or remain anchored within 100m of the Exclusion Zone.

· Boats may only proceed through the 'no anchoring' zone near South Head if going out to sea.

· Commercial vessels only will have access the Commercial Vessels Area (see map)

· Spectator craft should not operate under sail near the Exclusion Zone from 12 noon until the fleet has cleared the Heads.

Control Vessels

· Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard vessels will display an orange banner with the wording 'Waterways Control' and will patrol the spectator limit lines.  Please obey instructions from these vessels and from the Waterways and Water Police vessels.

· General safety messages will be broadcast on marine radio bands 27.88 and VHF Channels 13 and 17.

Race Participants

· Competing yachts will display a special Rolex race flag on their backstay. Please keep well clear of any vessel displaying such flags.

test 3 test 3 test 3 test 3 test 3 test 3