Ed’s letter

Like many Tasmanians I vividly remember watching the events of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race unfolding in shock and disbelief. It’s difficult to believe the legendary race that had brought so much joy and fixed the eyes of the world on Hobart each year, could have resulted in so much tragedy. It’s also hard to believe it has been 20 years since that ill-fated race. Despite the fact that he has previously declined reporters’ requests to speak about the 1998 event, I am grateful race survivor Steve Walker agreed to talk to Penny McLeod for our story this week. And as difficult as it still is for the Wynyard sailmaker to recount the harrowing events, I am full of admiration for his generosity in speaking to TasWeekend about how he’s managed to hold on to his love of sailing, despite the tragic loss of two of his close mates and crew members from Business Post Naiad. Elsewhere in the magazine, Tracy Renkin highlights the epidemic of loneliness in her touching story about a young Hobart man’s journey to happiness, and Nigella Lawson talks about her ongoing love affair with Tassie food and produce.