Passing on the Tradition

For as long as I can remember boats have been a part of my life. There are photos of me strapped into a seat that is strapped onto the deck of Dad's old yacht when I was only a month or so old. There are countless stories and photos about sailing and the harbour in my parents household. The one thing that has remained the strongest though, even since I've long left home and had a family of my own, is that on Boxing Day everything for my Dad stops so he can watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Boxing Day Lunch would never start until the boats had cleared the heads and were heading south.

Yesterday was no different, Dad turned to watch the start while the rest of us tucked into our lunch. The one thing I noticed though was that my Muddy girls were fixated by the yachts, asking countless questions about when the race was going to start and where they were going, what happens on the boats, 'do they sleep?', 'how can they see at night?' and most importantly 'Where is Tasmania?'

For the remainder of the day my Muddy Preschooler kept asking where the boats were up to, how long would they race for, will they keep racing through the night. We patiently answered her questions, but she wanted to see the boats and could not understand why they weren't on TV until the end of the race. Grandpa patiently sat them down at the computer and pulled up the official website showed the Muddy Girls where all the boats were up to, what the wind was doing, what speed they were travelling and what he thought was happening in race tactics. It warmed my heart to see my Dad passing on his love of sailing to my Muddy Girls, and I hope that they remember even a little of the knowledge he's imparting, and continue the love of the Sydney to Hobart once a year.

Do you watch the Sydney to Hobart in your house?

What are your family traditions being passed down?