Petition is addressed to: Parks Tasmania
Richard Bennett has photographed the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race for over 50 years. For the past decade, he has shot the race from a helicopter. He waits on Tasman Island for the boats to approach, lifting off to capture the yachts against the dramatic backdrop of Tasmania's rugged coastline. This year, the helicopter company that has the license to land on Tasman has been forced to sell their helicopters due to the loss of a government tender. Richard is seeking a 3-day license from Parks Tasmania to land on Tasman to photograph the race. They have rejected the request. Support Richard to seek a review of the request so he can capture the images you love for the 80th Sydney-Hobart.
Richard's mission has been to photograph every yacht in every race, illustrating the incredible journey of yachties across the Bass Strait. This year marks the 80th Sydney to Hobart, with a fleet of 140+ boats. If Richard cannot land on Tasman, many yachts will miss out on an image, and or, have an image that does not feature the Tasmanian coastline. The additional air time to fly back and forth to the Tasmanian mainland will also increase the cost of photographing the race significantly, and drive up the price of yacht race images.
