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Sydney To Hobart Start Was Tacky In Every Sense Of The Word

Someone let off an f-bomb.
Oops.
Channel Seven
Oops.

Well, that was an effin' unexpectedly exciting turn of events.

The start of the 2016 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race had all sorts of drama, with a boat almost capsizing after a tack which went wrong.

But nothing was more tacky than the f-bomb released by Mark Richards, the skipper of defending champ Wild Oats XI who was -- shall we say -- having a little trouble with both his vision and his verbal control.

Ahem.

Meanwhile, this is what it looked like when CQS nearly went over.

Away from the drama and controversy, it was a really lovely day in Australia's prettiest city*.

*We don't mean to start a fight on Boxing Day. Melbourne has better coffee, OK? But you can't match Sydney Harbour views.

Oh, and the first boat out of the heads was Perpetual Loyal, for those with a strong interest in watercraft which are romantically named after financial services groups.

The weather is tipped to be perfect for a fast trip to Hobart, and the race record could be under threat. We'll update this if anyone else does or says something silly or newsworthy. Meanwhile, you can follow the race progress here.

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