On December 26, 1998, 112 yachts set out on the annual Sydney- Hobart Yacht Race. Within 24 hours, a cyclone had left six yachtsmen dead and prompted the rescue of 57 others. This gripping film charts the events through the experiences of competitors, who quickly found that winning the race became secondary to survival. "You could see death working in that water," says skipper Tony Mowbray, of the 80ft waves which sank seven vessels.