Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag’s David Witt told a fellow Sydney Hobart skipper “there’s nothing wrong with a bit of controversy” during the official press conference for the race. His remark to Comanche’s Jim Cooney came moments after the Hong Kong-based Australian injected life – and controversy – into a mundane media event by calling out organisers over the use of satellite phones. Thick smoke from deadly bush fires in Australia is reported off Green Cape, about halfway on the 630 nautical mile journey from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania – which starts on Thursday. All boats must check in at Green Cape via SSB marine phones or face disqualification. Witt’s issue is that the phones have been known to lose its signal because of smoke and he had written to organisers to allow crews to use satellite phones as backup. His request was rejected and Witt made it clear he was unhappy. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Scallywag would never return to the race should results be affected because of the SSB phones. “I think we are going to have problems,” Witt, who is at the helm of a super-maxi 100-foot version of Scallywag, said at the press conference. “It is mandatory in the race at Green Cape to get it on the SSB, and we found out last week the SSB signals have been week due to the smoke. “And you watch the forecast and most of the smoke is going to be up at [Green Cape]. We actually put a letter in asking if there’s a problem with the SSB and the signal and we can’t get through, are you able to use a sat phone? Because we all carry them but apparently we are all still in the ‘30s, not in 2019, and that got rejected. “So, I think it’s a harsh penalty, it’s a DSQ if you can’t get through. I’d urge the race committee to have another think about that. “Everyone here knows how expensive these boats are to run and to bring one from overseas is even more expensive. There’s already a history there with the SSB signal. They’ve rejected it. I think it’s a poor decision, I’d like them to review it.” Race organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, told the SMH that they went through “due process” to consider Witt’s concerns but the ruling on using only marine signals “remained appropriate”. Scallywag failed to finish the 2018 race because of a broken bowsprit, with Wild Oats XI taking line honours for a record ninth time. Later, Cooney said he hoped the club had a contingency should the SSB signals fail while Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said it was a “big deal”. “I think as much as the club has a contingency plan in place for if it’s too smoky on the harbour on Boxing Day, atmospherics play a part in radio propagation and if that’s likely to cause a problem then there ought to be a contingency,” Cooney was quoted as saying by SMH . Richards was more forthright. “The rest of the world uses satellite phones for communication,” he told the paper. “It is such an expensive outlay for these owners, especially with people coming from overseas … to have such a critical point of the race determined by one form of communication in today’s world, it needs to be looked at.” Only 2 more days till we are rocking and rolling for the coveted Rolex Sydney to Hobart⛵️ #SunHungKai #ScallywagHK #RolexSydneyHobart @ Sydney Harbour https://t.co/A4CSf7USSz — Sun Hung Kai Scallywag (@scallywaghk) December 24, 2019 Richards added that the use of marine radio signals had been a point of discussion for years. “I think it’s so important to keep these owners in the game, and you create a bad situation with these guys that doesn’t sit well, it can turn people away from the event and that’s not what we want to see,” he said.