STAND ASIDE

Photographer Richard Bennett OAM

Date1998

Object number00055875

NamePhotograph

MediumPaper

DimensionsOverall: 723 × 810 mm
Overall (image): 525 × 661 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Richard Bennett OAM

Terms

DescriptionColour photograph printed in 2017 by photographer Richard Bennett OAM of yacht STAND ASIDE in distress during the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race. HistoryOf this powerful image Bennett recalls; ‘They fired an orange flare as our aircraft approached. This image was photographed from 1000 feet and the highest wave at that time was measured to be 146 feet. The [STAND ASIDE] crew were all retrieved by the helicopter crew which arrived shortly after this image was photographed.' Bennett's aircraft assisted in the search and rescue effort locating stricken vessels, Bennett and his daughter photographing what they saw. Bennett first photographed the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 1974 and has captured every race since. Bennett's speciality is low level aerial photography, his yacht photographs characterized by moody seas and the dramatic lines of Tasman landscapes. This style is a product of Bennett's experience as a mountaineer, his love of adventure, and passion for documenting rugged and remote parts of the Tasman Isle. SignificanceOne of his most important photographs, STAND ASIDE captures the tragedy of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart when six sailors lost their lives and 55 were pulled from the tumultuous seas. Only 44 yachts finished the race, 60 pulled aside, five of which, including STAND ASIDE, sunk.

In the aftermath of the race new rules and safety provisions were implemented. Bennett's photographs offer a critical reminder of that race and the severe weather patterns of Bass Strait.