SYDNEY (AP) — A briefing for this year's Sydney to Hobart race began Wednesday with a minute’s silence for the two sailors who died in last year’s event. It ended with hopes that the catastrophic weather conditions will not be repeated in this year's race starting Friday.
The mandatory briefing from the Bureau of Meteorology predicted the scheduled 129 starters in the annual race from Sydney harbor to Hobart on the island state of Tasmania will face strong southerly winds of up to 25 knots (about 46 kilometers per hour, or 28 mph) after leaving Sydney Heads.
Those winds are likely to slacken across the New South Wales state and Tasmanian coasts across the weekend. The fleet has still been warned there is a chance of strong winds on the first night.
“It’s going to be cold, wet and bumpy, people will get seasick,″ said chairman of the race committee Lee Goddard.
But the forecast is much different from last year, when boat-breaking conditions caused two sailors to die on the first night in storms. Nick Smith and Roy Quaden were the two sailors who died in 2024 — the race’s first fatalities since six died in 1998.
CYCA Commodore Sam Haynes said the sailor deaths will not be forgotten.
“This will be something that is very much on our minds, and the families of these two sailors,” said Haynes, who is also the skipper of reigning overall winner on handicap Celestial V70.
Organizers also announced Wednesday that a group of 15 yachts will scatter rose petals off the coast of Bondi Beach in memory of the 15 lives lost during the Bondi terror attack on Dec. 14.
“Going past Bondi, 15 boats will spread some petals into the ocean at the point,” said Haynes.
LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, won line honors in last year's race and returns this year to defend its title. It had an elapsed time of 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds for the 628-nautical mile (722 miles, 1,160 kilometers) race.
The race record set by LDV Comanche — 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds — has stood since 2017 and only appears under threat in very strong downwind conditions, which are not expected this year.
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FILE - Yachts jockey for position during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nick Castellanos hit a tying, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and Manny Machado delivered a sacrifice fly in the 10th to rally the San Diego Padres past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Sunday.
Walker Buehler pitched six solid innings for the Padres, who earned a split of the four-game series and pulled into a tie with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West.
Jordan Walker launched a two-run homer for St. Louis in the fourth. Kyle Leahy allowed only two hits in five shutout innings.
Xander Bogaerts singled against Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien leading off the ninth. O’Brien struck out the next two batters and got ahead 0-2 on Castellanos, who then worked the count full and drove the ninth pitch he saw, a 98 mph sinker, to left field for his second home run in his first season with San Diego.
Adrian Morejon (3-1) retired pinch-hitter José Fermín on a popup with two on to end the top of the 10th.
In the bottom half, the Padres loaded the bases against Gordon Graceffo (2-1) on an intentional walk to Jackson Merrill and a free pass to Fernando Tatis Jr. that moved automatic runner Ramón Laureano to third.
St. Louis brought in Fermín from left field to form a five-man infield, and Machado hit a 299-foot fly to right. Laureano scored with a headfirst slide ahead of Walker’s one-hop throw.
Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante (3-3, 4.34 ERA) starts Tuesday’s series opener against the Athletics.
Padres: RHP Matt Waldron (1-1, 7.71) pitches Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
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San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos, center, is doused by teammate Gavin Sheets after the Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in a baseball game Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos, left, slides in to score from third base off a walk off sacrifice fly by Manny Machado as St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés waits for the throw during the tenth inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado watches his walk off sacrifice fly during the tenth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos scored from third base on the play. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Jordan Walker celebrates his two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos, right, celebrates his two-run home run with teammate Xander Bogaerts (2) during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos hits a two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Nick Castellanos celebrates his two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, May 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
