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Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: Johnston sibling 'shamed into' racing alongside four brothers

Anthony Johnston will be joined on URM Group by all four of his brothers in this year's Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race .

But it took some convincing to get one of his siblings on board to make that magic number five.

"Didn't think he wanted to do it at first. Then last year, when we announced we did four brothers," Johnston said ahead of the race which begins on Boxing Day.

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READ MORE: England captain's defiant post as worst fears confirmed

Anthony Johnston during a Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023 Press Conference at Cruising Yacht Club.  Getty

"A few people started to say, 'Well hang on, there's five of you'.

"He got shamed into it."

Only a change of wind prevented the crew from taking out 2023 honours.

Watch the 2024 Sydney to Hobart live and free on 9Now!

Here's everything you need to know about the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

What time does the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race start?

The famed bluewater yacht race kicks off on Sydney Harbour at 1pm AEDT on Tuesday, December 26.

Who has entered into the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?

105 yachts will compete in the 79th edition of the Sydney to Hobart.

23 of those entries are double handed with four 100-foot maxis also in the mix.

URM group will race in 2024.  Getty

How long is the race?

The race is 628 nautical miles long and takes the winner around 48 hours to complete.

How can you watch the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?

You can watch the race via the Nine Network.

Nine's free-to-air television channel will show the Boxing Day race start while 9Now will have a live stream and video-on-demand service.

Where is the best place to see the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?

Accor Sydney recommends watching from the northern shore of Sydney, or even from around the Harbour Bridge. You'll likely be able to see the yachts pass you by at Cremorne Point, Bradley's Head and Clifton Gardens.

As for Hobart, finding a spot at Battery Point where the races will finish is your best bet.

The LawConnect crew celebrates winning the 2023 Sydney to Hobart.  Nine

Who is the favourite to win the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?

TAB currently has Master Lock Comanche at $1.40 to win.

What is the prize for winning the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race?

The winners will take home the Tattersall Cup. It was first presented in 1946 by the Executors of the Estate of the late George Adams, who was the founder of Tattersall Lotteries in Hobart.

Who are the previous winners of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

2000: SAP Ausmaid

2001: Bumblebee 5

2002: Quest

2003: First National

2005: Wild Oats XI

2006: Love & War

2007: Rosebud

2008: Quest

2009: Two True

2010: Secret Men's Business 3.5

2012: Wild Oats XI

2013: Victoire

2014: Wild Rose

2015: Balance

2016: Giacomo

2017: Ichi Ban

2018: Alive

2019: Ichi Ban

2020: Not conducted

2021: Ichi Ban

2022: Celestial

2023: LawConnect

Alive in action during the 2023 Sydney to Hobart yacht race.  Getty

What is the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race record?

The race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds was set by LDV Comanche for Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant in 2017.

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Hang On Tight. It’s Time for the Rollicking Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

It can be hundreds of miles of nail-biting sailing in an event that began in 1945.

By David Schmidt

Australians call it the Great Race for good reason.

The annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which starts on Thursday, takes sailors on a 628-nautical mile race that exits Sydney Harbor and plunges south along the New South Wales coastline before crossing Bass Strait, rounding Tasman Island, crossing Tasmania’s Storm Bay and pushing up the River Derwent to Hobart.

The race has a history of often challenging teams with brutal offshore conditions that have cost lives, sunk yachts and broken dreams. Yet race veterans said that it was these challenges, along with the chance to win the race’s top trophy — the Tattersall Cup — and the friendships that were forged, that repeatedly drew them away from their families over the holidays.

The race, which is run by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, began in 1945 with nine yachts. This year, more than 100 yachts plan to compete.

While veterans said that every year was challenging, some years were rougher than others. The East Australian Current generally flows south along the New South Wales coastline at about one to four knots. When the wind blows from the north, sailors enjoy fast passage toward Hobart, but when it comes from the south — pitting wind against water — things can get rough.

“At some point in time in the race, the chances are you’re going to get what we call a southerly buster,” Lindsay May, a three-time Tattersall Cup winner who has competed in 50 consecutive races, said in a phone interview. “That wind is going to come in at plus-30 knots, maybe 40 knots, maybe a lot higher.”

May called 1984 his roughest race. “We had extraordinary seas,” he said. “I was greatly concerned for boat and crew.”

Other years have also been ferocious. About two-thirds of the fleet abandoned racing in 1993, and six sailors were killed in the 1998 race and five yachts were sunk.

Even on a good year, the race departs a usually warm and sunny Sydney under great fanfare and takes teams on a course that’s often wet, cold and, for some, punctuated by seasickness.

“This is a race that sorts out people,” May said. “If people are not team players, people that don’t handle this sort of thing, they get ‘eased’ as we call it.”

Others become lifers.

To recognize this commitment, the Australian yacht club created the 25 Hobarts boards and the 40 Hobarts board, which are mounted on a wall at the club’s headquarters.

“When I got on that, I was so proud of myself because there are so many legends whose names are up there,” said Tony Kirby, who plans to start his 39th race this year aboard Tenacity, a Mills 41. “Now my challenge is to make it to 40.”

There are 152 sailors who have been recorded competing in the race at least 25 times, and 16 who have sailed it at least 40 times. Four sailors — May included — have competed at least 50 times.

“It is a really addictive race, it’s very hard to explain, but there’s something about it that drags you back, or it drags people like me back,” said Jim Nixon, who plans to start his 30th race this year aboard Wings, a Dehler 46. “You can be part of something that’s the pinnacle of the sport, and that makes it incredibly attractive.”

Dr. Sam Haynes, the club’s commodore and the skipper of Celestial V70, a Volvo Open 70 that will race this year, described the race as a “bit heroic.”

“People look at you as a person which does Hobarts — it characterizes you,” Haynes, a veterinarian, said, noting that how participants conduct themselves was also important. “The event’s bigger than any single ego.”

The sailing conditions also add gravitas.

Nixon described a “magic day” racing aboard the yacht Azzurro, a Sparkman & Stephens 34. “The boat was just unbelievable, like it was just like a surfboard going down these waves all the way across the strait,” he said.

Haynes, who is preparing for his 13th race, described similarly epic conditions in the 2022 race while running down the Tasmanian coast, at dawn, in big waves and strong northerly winds.

“Everyone was just pushing their boats as hard as they could,” he said. “The boat was fully wet, underwater, big waves breaking over us, combing waves coming in over the side.”

Fair-weather sailing this is not.

This is especially true for the smaller, slower boats, which face longer exposure to the elements.

“It’s a tougher race in a small boat,” said Nixon, who prefers racing with amateur crews aboard smaller boats than racing with professionals. “You’ve got a potential of facing more adverse weather than the bigger boats,” he said. “That’s part of the attraction.”

For Nixon and others, the race’s difficulty is a feature, not a bug.

Duncan Macleod, who is preparing to start his 27th race aboard No Limit, a Reichel/Pugh 63, said that he really enjoyed getting out on the ocean and pushing himself for a couple of days. “It’s very rare that you would actually physically push yourself in this sort of day and age to that sort of capacity,” he said.

Others agree.

“You’re just out there in the elements, sailing in a beautiful part of the world,” Haynes said. “You don’t get those sort of experiences that easily, and I cherish that.”

While veterans described Tasmania’s beautiful coastline as a highlight, they also said that the race’s fierce competition was part of the draw.

“It’s a great challenge of mental fitness and stamina, that’s for sure,” said Kirby, noting that he came close to winning the Tattersall Cup — and the accompanying Rolex that is awarded with the cup — aboard his yacht several times.

“I’d never buy a Rolex watch, but I want to win one,” Kirby said. “It would have been much cheaper to go and buy one in the first place.”

Haynes, who won the Tattersall Cup in 2022 after a near miss in 2021, said winning the race was hard. “There’s so many things that have to align to be able to win.”

Some of these — like the pre-race preparations — are controllable, while others aren’t.

“You’ve got to have a really good boat to win the Hobart race,” Kirby said. “You have to have really good crew, you have to go the right way, and then the final decider is God — he wiggles his finger around and says it’s your turn.”

May pointed to the generally out flowing River Derwent, where the wind often dies at night, as a place where dreams were broken.

“There’s been many people over the years — self included — who have been in a fabulous position at Tasman Island and then the whole thing just turns to custard,” said May of the race’s final hurdle.

Should the winds die, even the fanciest boats wallow.

“There’s also an element of luck, which is quite amazing,”Macleod said, noting that outspending rivals didn’t guarantee results. “The battler can still win the race.”

Trophies and timepieces aside, all the veterans spoke of the bonds that the race forged.

“The thing for me is the camaraderie that is built up within crews,” May said. He called it a privilege to spend days in trying conditions in wet, cold and confined spaces — sometimes hungry — with a group of people and finish as best mates. “You have been in situations where your life depends on them, and their life depends on you.”

Take the storm-tossed 1993 race.

May’s boat lost its mast and retired, yet he called this his best experience.

John Quinn, the skipper of the yacht Mem, had fallen overboard. “We found him after he had been in the sea for five hours, and we saved that man’s life and got him back to shore,” May said.

Flash forward to the 2006 race, which May won as skipper of Love & War, a Sparkman & Stephens 47.

Quinn, May said, “was one of the first people on the dock to congratulate us.”

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

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An elegant gaff-rigged cutter on which champagne corks are frequently heard to pop; a battered, steel-hulled cutter which has sailed among the icebergs of Antarctica; a stoutly-built, double-ended cutter now cruising the Caribbean; a sloop owned and skippered by a yachtsman who was to become Prime Minister of England; maxi yachts from Australia, America, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany and Denmark; a tiny half tonner from Tasmania with a rather suggestive insignia on its transom.

Then there's been a state-of-the-art ocean racer developed from America's Cup technology, a one-off little sloop from an Aussie designer, the latest design for an IMS ocean racer, a latest design for an IRC ocean racer, a round-the-world 60-footer, the maximum 30m length Reichel/Pugh maxi taking line and handicap honours and setting a new course record, the a classic Sparkman & Stephens 47 winning the Tattersall Cup for the third time, and an eighth consecutive line honours win, the first time a boat has achieved this feat since 1948.

What do these yachts of widely varying age, size, shape, construction and rig have in common?

They have all achieved a place in Australian and international yachting history by taking line honours or winning overall handicap honours on corrected time in Australia's most famous ocean race, the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart which ranks in world status with the Rolex Fastnet Race in England and the Newport to Bermuda Race in the USA.

The yachts mentioned above,  Nerida, Solo, Freya, Morning Cloud, Kialoa, New Zealand Endeavour (called Tasmania for the 50th Sydney Hobart in 1994), Ragamuffin, Morning Glory, Screw Loose, Brindabella, Ondine, Sayonara,Terra Firma, AFR Midnight Rambler, Yendys, SAP Ausmaid ,Bumblebee 5, Alfa Romeo, Quest, Nokia, Wild Oats XI , and Love & War  are just a few of the great ocean racing yachts which are inscribed on the Sydney Hobart honour roll at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's clubhouse at Rushcutters Bay in Sydney.

A larger fleet of 109 boats met the starter for the 77th edition of the race, of which 20 were Two-Handed boats.

There were 9 retirements resulting from boat and gear damage sustained through some torrid conditions during parts of the race.  You can read about the weather experience by the fleet here .

Four 100-foot maxis battled for the prestigious John H Illingworth Challenge Cup for line honours, with Andoo Comaanche , skippered by John Winning Jr, ultimately prevailing in a race that suited its downwind and reaching performance.  LawConnect finished less than 30 minutes later, with Black Jack 17 minutes further back.  Read more  and watch videos of the line honours finish here  and here .

The TP52  Celestial , skippered by CYCA Vice Commodore Sam Haynes, was the overall winner in 2022, having been the bridesmaid in 2021.  It finished with a corrected time difference of 15 minutes to second placed Gweilo , another TP52, skippered by Matt Donald and owned by  Matt Donald and Chris Townsend.  Read more .

The leading Two-Handed Division boat on IRC was the Lombard 34  Mistral , sailed by Rupert Henry and Greg O'Shea.  Read more .

One of the stories of the race was the persistance of Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham on Currawong , finishing in last place on the water just before midnight on New Years Eve to a fantastic reception from the Hobart community and competitors from other baots.  Read a report on their race here .

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race returned in 2021, with the 76th edition labelled by many as a "traditional Hobart".

A total of 88 yachts were on the start lines on Boxing Day, including 17 in the race's inaugural Two-Handed Division.

Challenging conditions in the first 36 hours led to the retirements of 38 yachts, largely due to boat damage. 

Three 100-foot maxis battled it out for Line Honours, and it was Peter Harburg's Reichel/Pugh 100  Black Jack - skippered by Mark Bradford - who claimed the John H Illingworth Challenge Cup, finishing ahead of LawConnect and SHK Scallywag 100 . Read more . 

Matt Allen's  Ichi Ban  created history with a second consecutive overall win to lift the Tattersall Cup. Ichi Ban is just the third boat in race history (alongside Freya and Love & War ) to win the Tattersall Cup three times. Read more . 

Jules Hall and Jan Scholten were the inaugural winners of the Two-Handed Division, as Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth swept all three handicaps. Read more .

For the first time since 1945 the race was not conducted in 2020 as a consequence of the measures put in place to combat COVID-19.  The Official Programme for the race, published before the decision was made, is here , and the list of boats that had entered and their crews is here .

The historic 75th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was one for the record books. The fleet saw 157 yachts start the anniversary race with only three yachts retiring before the finish line.

The battle for line honours was as strong as ever with five super maxis fighting to be the first to cross the finish line at Constitution Dock.  InfoTrack, Wild Oats XI, SHK Scallywag 100  and   Black Jack were unable to hold off the charge from the current record-holding Comanche.

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For the overall win and to claim the converted Tattersall Cup, the competitive TP52s were at the front of the pack as competitors crossed the line. For Matt Allen and his crew on Ichi Ban, this race would see them hoist the cup for the second time in three years.

The 74th race saw a close tussle for both the line honours victory but also the overall win. In the battle for first to cross the line Wild Oats , Comanche and Black Jack were all within sight as they made their way up the Derwent River and in to Constitution Dock.  With the light winds of the early morning slowing the yachts as they neared the finish line, Wild Oats was able to make the most of the conditions and propel themselves to a victory with a 28 minute gap before the other two 100 foot super maxis crossed with just a minute of separation.

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The battle for the Tattersall Cup came down to the two Reichel Pugh 66s in Alive and Wild Oats X. With a late charge from Alive, they were able to make the time needed to be able to jump the all female team aboard Wild Oats X and then sit an wait to see where the rest of the fleet would place. 

The 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race defied all odds continuing the run of near perfect weather conditions propelling the super-maxis accross Bass Straight and in to Hobart in record time. The front runners for Line Honours included the multiple title holder Wild Oats XI and the newly bought LDV Comanche, now owned by Jim Cooney. After a close incident at Sydney Heads the title was decided in the Jury Room with Wild Oats XI being penalised 1 hour and giving the new race record of 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds to LDV Comanche.

For the Overall Win and the prize of the Tattersall Cup the downwind race favoured the mid sized boats with Matt Allen's newly commissioned TP52 Ichi Ban as a favourite leading into the race. With the TP52 class growing rapidly the competition was fierce with the winning boat having to sail a flawless race. Allen was able to test the newly built Botin 52 in the lead up Blue Water Pointscore races where he and his team won convincingly. In the end Ichi Ban was able to take the win by 20 minutes on corrected time over previous champion Quest. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL RACE WRAP

The 72nd edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was won in record time. It was the first time that more than one boat had broken the record, with Perpetual LOYAL crossing the line in first, Giacomo second and Scallywag third. 

Perpetual LOYAL set a new race record of one day 13 hours 31 minutes and 20 seconds – well ahead of the 1 day 18hrs 23mins 12secs set by Wild Oats XI in 2012.

Volvo 70 Giacomo was second over the line, but finished first overall, taking home the Tattersall Cup Trophy.  The Derwent River shut down after Scallywag finished, and remained almost becalmed for the remainder of the race, as boats trickled through the finish in less than 10 knots of wind. 

Paul Clitheroe’s TP52 Balance was declared the overall winner of the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Clitheroe’s major rival for the Tattersall’s Cup, Quikpoint Azzurro gliding over the finish line in Hobart at 07.37.59 hours to claim third place.

Two yachts with a shared history claimed the main prizes at a memorable 70th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 2014.

Driven by facing her most fearsome opponent in years, Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI made history by claiming a record-breaking eighth line honours victory.

Some 29 hours later, Oatley’s original Wild Oats arrived in Hobart with a corrected time finish that would ensure overall victory and the coveted Tattersall’s Cup trophy.

Oatley’s former boat, the 43-ft Wild Rose, owned and skippered by his friend Roger Hickman, secured her second victory in the race, 21 years after the first.

The 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart will long be remembered for its 22 international entries, 15 new boats showcasing the latest in technology, stars from Olympics, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Races, the Clipper yachts having their first shot and the high level of competition in the 94-strong fleet.

Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats XI left an indelible print when Mark Richards skippered her to a seventh line honours victory at 19.07.27hrs on December 28, matching the record of the yacht originally known as Morna (from 1946 to 1948) and then Kurrewa IV (1954, 1956,1957 and 1960).

The 94-boat fleet featured five 100 foot maxis, three Volvo 70s, seven former race winners and a seriously competitive lineup across the fleet. Several newly-launched boats came to the race as ‘dark horses’, having not yet competed or in relatively few races, and with veteran crew who had the experience to make them a threat; among these were Anthony Bell’s  Perpetual Loyal  (ex- Speedboat, Rambler 100 ), Karl Kwok’s Botin 80,  Beau Geste;  Matt Allen’s Carkeek 60,  Ichi Ban,  and Jim Delegat’s Volvo 70  Giacomo .

The 68th Rolex Sydney Hobart was a great contest. It may have finished with one boat, Wild Oats XI, scooping all the serious silverware, but to limit the story to that fact would be an injustice to the other 75 yachts that raced. Over and above the remarkable second treble of line honours, overall win and new race record secured by Wild Oats XI, this race will be remembered for the array of conditions experienced and the commitment of the smaller boats to finish despite the wind playing into the hands of the larger boats. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL WRAP STORY

A spellbinding 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race boiled over, when two super maxis battled for line honours all the way to Hobart, and created one of the closest finishes ever - ending in shock for one and drama for the other.

Favourite for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's yearly 628 nautical mile race, Bob Oatley's  Wild Oats XI , skippered by Mark Richards, has only been beaten once before (by Alfa Romeo in 2009) and she missed out on the hoped for sixth victory this time.

Instead, the victory went to  Investec Loyal,  whose owner Anthony Bell had to fight a second battle in the protest room to hold onto the J.H. Illingworth Trophy.

Eighty eight yachts left Sydney Harbour in the predicted north-easterly sea breeze.  Wild Oats XI , which had a problem with its primary winch, narrowly led Investec Loyal out of Sydney Heads, with Peter Millard and John Honan's  Lahana  and Stephen Ainsworth's  Loki  next.

On the morning of December 28, as the leaders charged down the Tasmanian coast, Wild Oats XI regained the lead from Investec Loyal, keeping all connected with the race riveted, as the line honours chase became a match race.

Both yachts ran out of wind and slowed to 2 and 3 knots. Wild Oats XI stopped and Investec Loyal, with the benefit of hindsight, sailed around her adversary.

Bell's boat claimed line honours by 3 minutes 8 seconds, crossing the line at 19.14.18 hours, in the time of 2 days 6hrs 14mins 8sec; the fourth closest finish ever.

As Wild Oats XI crossed the line in second, Mark Richards scattered Gary Ticehurst's ashes, while Gary's wife Teresa laid a wreath from aboard another vessel. The yachting fraternity was still coming to grips with Gary's death while on assignment in his chopper last August. He was of great solace to Hobart crews over 27 years and played a significant role in the rescue of many people in the tragic 1998 race.

On Investec Loyal, the celebrations had started when Anthony Bell was handed a protest lodged against him by the Race Committee, citing RRS 41. In short, it states 'outside help'. The protest was dismissed when the international jury could find no evidence that Investec Loyal had gained any advantage from the information.

Loki won the race overall, "It's the fulfilment of a dream," Ainsworth said of Loki's triumph. "You enter the race every year hoping and give it your best shot every time," he said of winning on his 14th try.

The 66th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was the most physically demanding since 2004, which had 56 boats retire, overcome by the conditions. The 2010 fleet withstood battering headwinds and gale-force conditions down the NSW coast and through the notorious Bass Strait.

A fleet of 87 started the 628 nautical mile race, but 69 crossed the finish line, with 18 yachts retiring, mostly bashed about by the southerly buster on the second day. Andrew Lawrence's Jazz Player was the first casualty on the first night at sea after she tore her mainsail.

Mid-southerly on the second day, Rolex photographer Carlo Borlenghi reported from a helicopter: "There are yachts with triple-reefs, some with storm headsails, and others racing bare-poles (no sails). In a decade of covering the race I've never seen seas like those."

Although all arrived in Hobart relatively unscathed, the race was not without incident. The first occurred just inside South Head shortly after the start when Grant Wharington's Wild Thing was involved in a collision with a media boat, but suffered no visible damage. 

Ludde Ingvall's YuuZoo lost two crewmen overboard within five hours of the start, but recovered them quickly.

During the southerly winds on December 27, Peter Rodgers, reported a crew with a head injury aboard She, who was taken to Ulladulla and a waiting ambulance. He was later released from hospital.

A Dodo crewman broke his arm and was transferred to Eden and taken to hospital, while 25-race veteran Bacardi, a sturdy 32 year-old Peterson 44, dropped her rig off the NSW south coast.

Commenting on the race conditions Ran encountered this time, as opposed to 2009, Zennstrom said, "I think I have now definitely seen what the race is all about.  It was tough crossing Bass Strait; 35 knots of wind and big seas. The whole experience has been fantastic."

Wild Oats XI ultimately won line honours for the fifth time after a fast ride up the Derwent. She crossed the finish line at 8.37pm in the time of two days, seven hours, 37 minutes, 20 seconds, well outside her 2005 record of 1day 18hr 40min 10sec.

South Australian Geoff Boettcher and his Secret Men's Business 3.5 crew were crowned the overall race winners and were the recipients of the Tattersall's Cup and Rolex yacht Master time-piece. Boettcher's win follows the 2009 win of fellow South Australian Andrew Saies (Two True), who disappointingly retired from this race with engine problems.

Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo from New Zealand, won the protracted line honours clash of the eight super maxis in the 65th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, ending the four-year dominance of Wild Oats XI, the race record holder from NSW, owned by Bob Oatley and skippered by Mark Richards.

Alfa Romeo finished the race in 2 days 9 hours 2 minutes 10 seconds but it was a South Australian yacht Two True, a brand new Beneteau First 40, owned by orthopaedic surgeon Andrew Saies, that won the race overall. Before being declared the winner, Saies had to wait a nail-biting 24 hours, and survive a protest hearing relating to an incident on Sydney Harbour at the start of the 628 nautical mile race. Once the international jury dismissed the protest, Saies' Two True was declared the overall winner.

The 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart race will be remembered by competitors as: "the most benign and mentally frustrating Hobart," to date, largely due to the light to moderate winds experienced by the fleet of 100 yachts. It will also be remembered as the year the race organisers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia extended the length overall from 98 feet (30m) to 100 feet (30.48m); and ran an ORCi division as a test of the rule.

In 2008, Wild Oats XI claimed a fourth line honours win, with Bob Steel's TP52 Quest declared the overall winner. In a true act of generosity, Steel presented his sailing master, Mike Green, with his Rolex Yacht master timepiece at the official prizegiving of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart. 

In 2007, four 30m maxis took centre stage. Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI secured a triple line honours win, after some tough competition from Mike Slade's new ICAP Leopard, which smashed the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race record earlier that year in August.

Champion Australian maxi Brindabella, line honours winner in 1997, returned to the event under new owner Andrew Short and raced under the name of Toyota Aurion V6.

Roger Sturgeon's STP65 Rosebud, from the USA, was declared the overall winner of the 63rd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The 2006 fleet ranged in size from the 30 foot Maluka, the 1932 built gaff rigged timber boat, through to the one-design Sydney 38s including Another Challenge, Challenge and Star Dean Willcocks, then the grand prix IRC boats in the 45 to 60-foot group, including the two new Reichel/Pugh boats, Yendys and Loki, the Cookson 50s Quantum Racing and Living Doll and the TP52 Wot Yot, which was joined by sistership Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin for the 2007 race.

In 2006 there were three maximum length 30m maxis, Skandia, Wild Oats XI and Maximus and two Volvo 70s, ABN AMRO ONE and Ichi Ban, the latter modified to a Jones 70 prior to Boxing Day. The Volvo 60s CMC Markets Getaway Sailing and DHL also raced south.

The oldest and smallest boat in the fleet was Maluka.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race | 2024 - Official Program

Get Your Official 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Program!

Dive into the action with the official guide to the 79th edition of the world-renowned Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Packed with exclusive feature stories, skipper profiles, race history, and the latest on this year’s fleet, it’s your ultimate companion to The Great Race South.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

Annual yacht race from Sydney to Hobart From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual oceanic yacht racing event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia , starting in Sydney , New South Wales , on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart , Tasmania . The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170   km) . [1] The race is run in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania , and is widely considered to be one of the most difficult yacht races in the world. [2]

The race was initially planned to be a cruise by Peter Luke and some friends who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing; however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, Captain John Illingworth , suggested it be made a race, the event was born. Since the inaugural race in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has grown over the decades to become one of the top three offshore yacht races in the world [ citation needed ] , and it now attracts maxi yachts from all around the globe. The 2019 race was the 75th edition.

Australia's foremost offshore sailing prize is The George Adams Tattersall Cup , awarded to the ultimate winner of the handicap competition based on the length, shape, weight and sail dimensions of the yacht. Much public attention however, focuses on the race for "line honours" – the first boat across the finishing line, typically the newest and largest Maxi yacht in the fleet.

Along with the Newport-Bermuda Race and the Fastnet Race , it is considered one of the classic big offshore races with each distance approximately 625 nautical miles (719   mi; 1,158   km) .

In 2017, LDV Comanche set a new race record finishing in 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, beating Perpetual Loyal's record of 1 day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds, set the previous year. [3] Wild Oats XI , who crossed the line first, received a 1-hour penalty for her role in a near-miss collision at the beginning of the race and disregard of the starboard rule, handing LDV Comanche line honours. [4] Wild Oats XI completed the course in an unofficial record time of 1 day, 08 hours, 48 minutes and 50 seconds.

Wild Oats XI has won line honours on 9 separate occasions (2005–2008, 2010, 2012–2014, 2018) and is the first boat to have claimed the treble – race record, line honours and overall winner. [5]

The Bass Strait , and the waters of the Pacific Ocean immediately to its east are renowned for their high winds and difficult seas. Although the race mostly takes place in the Tasman Sea , the shallowness of Bass Strait and the proximity to the race course means that the fleet is very much under the influence of the Strait as they transit from the mainland to Flinders Island . Even though the race is held in the Australian summer, southerly buster storms often make the Sydney–Hobart race cold, bumpy, and very challenging for the crew. It is typical for a considerable number of yachts to retire, often at Eden on the New South Wales south coast, the last sheltered harbour before Flinders Island.

The first Sydney to Hobart race was held in 1945 . The race was initially planned to be a cruise by Peter Luke and some friends who had formed a club for those who enjoyed cruising as opposed to racing; however, when a visiting British Royal Navy Officer, Captain John Illingworth , suggested it be made a race, the event was born. [6] The inaugural race had nine starters, including the Kathleen Gillett, captained by renowned marine artist Jack Earl . [7] John Illingworth's Rani , built at Speers Point was the winner, taking six days, 14 hours and 22 minutes. [8] Race records for the fastest (elapsed) time dropped rapidly. However, it took 21 years for the 1975 record by Kialoa from the United States to be broken by the German yacht Morning Glory in 1996, and then only by a dramatic 29 minutes, as she tacked up the River Derwent against the clock. In 1999 Denmark's Nokia sailed the course in one day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and two seconds, a record which stood until 2005 when Wild Oats XI won line and handicap honours in 1   day 18   hr 40   min 10   sec.

There have been some notable achievements by yachts over the years. Sydney yacht, Morna , won the second , third and fourth races (1946–1948) and then, under new owners Frank and John Livingston from Victoria , took a further four titles as Kurrewa IV in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1960. Other yachts to win three or more titles are Astor (1961, 1963 and 1964) and Bumblebee IV firstly in 1979 and then again in 1988 and 1990 as Ragamuffin . When Wild Oats XI won back-to-back titles in 2006, it was the first yacht to do so since Astor in the 1960s. [9] Wild Oats XI claimed its third consecutive line honours title in the 2007 race , re-writing history by being only the second yacht after Rani in the inaugural 1945 race to win line and handicap honours and break the race record in the same year (2005) and then only the second yacht after Morna to win three line honours titles in a row. In 2008 , Wild Oats XI broke Morna' s long-standing record of three titles in a row, by completing a four-in-a-row, the first yacht to achieve that remarkable achievement. [10] For the handicap race the highly respected Halvorsen brothers' Freya won three titles back-to-back (the only yacht in history to do so) between 1963 and 1965. Although not consecutive, Love & War equalled Freya's three titles by winning its third in 2006 to add to its 1974 and 1978 titles.

In the 1994 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the making waves foundation's crew were the first fully disabled team to compete in an ocean race and Australian Paralympic sitting volleyball player Albert Lee was a part of this team. [11]

The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was marred by tragedy when, during an exceptionally strong storm (which had similar strength winds to a lower-category hurricane ), five boats sank and six people died. Of the 115 boats that started, only 44 made it to Hobart. As a result, the crew eligibility rules were tightened, requiring a higher minimum age and experience. G. Bruce Knecht wrote a book about this race, The Proving Ground . [12] A coronial enquiry into the race was critical of both the race management at the time and the Bureau of Meteorology . [13]

In 1999 the race record was broken by Nokia , a water-ballasted Volvo Ocean 60 (VO60) yacht. She sailed the course in 1 day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and 2 seconds. Brindabella reached Hobart just under one hour later (1 day, 20 hours, 46 minutes, 33 seconds) and Wild Thing was a close third (1 day, 21 hours, 13 minutes, 37 seconds). The previous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race record had been set by Morning Glory (2 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds) in 1996. [14]

In 2004 only 59 yachts completed the course of the 116 who set out from Sydney. Storms hit the race. The super maxi Skandia capsized after losing her keel. [15] In 2005, Wild Oats XI became the first boat since Rani to win the "treble", taking Line Honours, winning the Corrected Handicap (IRC), and breaking the course record. (1d 18h 40 m 10s, over 1hr off of Nokia's record.)

In 1982 Condor of Burmuda won the Sydney to Hobart (1981) which was the closest ever finish, winning by just seven seconds against Apollo III during a gruelling match race up the River Derwent.

In 2006, 78 boats started the race, including entrants from the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, every Australian state and the Australian Capital Territory . The race started on schedule at 13:00 Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time . [16] Wild Oats XI , owned by Bob Oatley and skippered by Mark Richards , crossed the finish line at 21:52 on 28 December 2006 to take line honours with an elapsed time of 2 days, 8 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds. [9] Wild Oats XI became the first yacht to win the race in consecutive years since 1964 and only the sixth yacht to achieve this since the race's inception. Love & War , owned by Peter Kurts and skippered by Lindsay May , won the race overall (IRC Handicap) in a corrected time of 3 days, 22 hours 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Love & War became only the second yacht to win the race three times (1974, 1978 and 2006). The yacht Freya won the race in three consecutive years between 1963 and 1965. Gillawa from the Australian Capital Territory , skippered by David Kent, was the sixty-ninth and last boat to complete the 2006 race, making it the third consecutive year that the yacht was last in the fleet. [9]

The longest surviving skipper from the inaugural race, Peter Luke, who contributed to the formation of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and the establishment of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, died on 23 September 2007 aged 92. His yacht, Wayfarer , still holds the record for the slowest elapsed time. One of two surviving sailors from the original race – Geoffrey Ruggles from the Wayfarer crew, died in July 2019, [17] leaving John Gordon from the Horizon crew. [18] [ unreliable source? ]

By the November 2007 race entry deadline, 90 yachts had nominated for entry including four 90-foot maxis, three of them wanting to prevent Wild Oats XI creating history and winning three line honours titles in a row. A little over a week prior to the race, New Zealand maxi Maximus withdrew after cracking its keel. Three-time and 2006 handicap winner, Love & War, was not one of the applications for entry and may have raced her last Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 2006. Wild Oats XI went on to create history by winning its third consecutive line honours title and becoming only the second yacht to do so. [10] Rosebud (USA) won the race on corrected time. John Walker became the oldest skipper in the history of the race at age 85 and Phillip's Foote Witchdoctor bettered its own record and set a mark of 27 races as the most by a yacht. [10]

On 3 November 2008 at the close of entries, 113 yachts had nominated for entry with only one other 90-foot maxi (Skandia) to challenge Wild Oats XI and stop it creating history by winning four consecutive line honours titles and becoming the only yacht to do so. Wild Oats XI achieved this and Bob Steel won his second Tattersall Cup with Quest , the second yacht with the same name to win the handicap title. [10] [19]

The 2009 fleet comprised 99 starters. In the 2008 race, Wild Oats XI had equalled Morna / Kurrewa IV ' s record of three consecutive line honours victories, which Morna achieved in 1946, 1947 and 1948, and was attempting to pass the record in its own right in 2009.

In the event however, Neville Crichton 's New Zealand entry Alpha Romeo II passed Wild Oats XI early on and never relinquished her lead, finishing in an elapsed time of 2 days, 9 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Wild Oats XI came in second and United Kingdom-based ICAP Leopard came in third.

Sailors who have achieved outstanding commitment to the race are represented most of all by John Bennetto (dec), Lou Abrahams and Tony Cable who, after the 2007 race, had each sailed 44 races. Skippers Frank and John Livingston won four line honours titles while Claude Plowman, Peter Warner , S.A "Huey" Long, Jim Kilroy and Bob Bell have each won three. Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen have won four handicap honours titles while a number of skippers have won two handicap titles.

Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the race since 2002, and since then the race has been known as the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race . Traditionally, crews of yachts celebrate on New Year's Eve at Constitution Dock in Hobart, with the Customs House Hotel a favourite venue for Sydney–Hobart yachtsmen.

The 2020 race was cancelled due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney's north . The Cruising Yacht Club said it was "unrealistic" to proceed with the race after the Tasmanian government declared Greater Sydney a "medium risk" zone, requiring all participants to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Tasmania. It was the first time the race was not conducted in its 76-year history. [20]

2020 saw the introduction of a two-handed division [21] (only two crew members permitted) with its own trophy, the Two-Handed IRC Trophy. Due to the race being cancelled in 2020, the first two-handed entrants competed in the 2021 race.

With the smashing of the Sydney–Hobart Race record in 1999 by Nokia—and a host of other super-fast boats that completed the course in less than two days for the first time—the "Holy Grail" of the Sydney–Hobart race, a completion of the course in a time under the 40-hour mark, became a possibility. Many of the skippers competing in the Sydney–Hobart race in the 21st century have expressed a desire to be the first to record a time under the once thought of as impossible mark of 40 hours. In 2017, this goal was met when the race record was set by LDV Comanche to 33 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds. [22]

Women first participated in the race in 1946. The first woman to take part was Jane Tate , whose boat Active was the only one to reach Hobart in 1946. Dagmar O'Brien, with boat Connella , also took part in that year but retired from the race before finishing. Thus, the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the first female skipper to complete the race.

In 1975, the first all-women crew sailed was the boat Barbarian , skippered by Vicki Willman. [ citation needed ]

In 1996, Kathy Collingridge crewed on One Time Sidewinder . She was the first Indigenous woman to take part in the race. [ citation needed ]

Since then up to 2021, there have been another 12. The following is the list of all female crews to compete:

In 2005, 24 women took part, including Adrienne Cahalan , who is famed for her around-the-world sailing, has been nominated several times for World Yachtswoman of the Year [23] and was Australian Yachtswoman of the Year for 2004–05. In 2005 she was part of the crew for the winning Wild Oats .

In 2011, Jessica Watson , known for her solo unassisted sail around the world at age 16, skippered the Sydney Hobart yacht race with a crew of six other young Australians and three Britons all aged 21 or under, making them some of the youngest ever to compete in the blue water classic.

In 2018, skippered by Stacey Jackson, Ocean Respect Racing (on Wild Oats X) became the first fully professional all women's crew to compete in the Sydney Hobart. [24]

In 2022, Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham, whom had met on Kerry Goudge's Nadia IV in 1993, [25] raced Currawong to the finish line, becoming the first all women's crew to complete the race in the Two-Handed division. [26]

In total, over a thousand women have taken part in the race. [27]

The exact rules for the Tattersall Cup have changed over the years. In general, each boat's time is adjusted on the expected speed of the boat based on its size and other characteristics. The International Offshore Rules were superseded by the International Measurement System (IMS), and the IRC . For 1991, 1992 & 1993 races, the winners of the IOR and IMS categories were both declared Overall winners during the transition from IOR to IMS. However, the Tattersall Cup was awarded only to the Overall IOR winner during this period. Since 1994 there has been only one Overall winner, from 1994 to 2003 being decided using IMS, but from the 2004 onwards the Overall winner of the Tattersall Cup has been decided using IRC, with IMS dropped altogether as a handicap system. [28] In theory, this should make for an even competition between yachts of all sizes, however in practice often only the newest and most advanced boats (regardless of size) can sail fast relative to their rating. In addition, in a race of the length of the Sydney–Hobart weather conditions after the maxi yachts have finished can often determine whether they will win on handicap – if the winds become more favourable after they finish, they will lose on handicap, if they become less favourable they will win.

The race is conducted under the Racing Rules of Sailing determined and published by the International Sailing Federation . For the 2005 race, the event organisers removed certain restrictions on the boats. As successful sailing is based on a good power-to-weight ratio, larger sails are expected to help break race records.

2020 saw the introduction of a two-handed division [29] (only two crew members permitted) with its own trophy, the Two-Handed IRC Trophy.

Due to the race being cancelled in 2020, the first two-handed entrants competed in the 2021 race, which attracted 18 entrants. [30] Two-handed yachts were not included in the Tattersall Cup because organisers could not establish an equitable handicap due to two-handed yachts’ use of autopilots. [31]

In 2021 rough conditions meant that just seven two handers made it through the first night, with the others retiring at port. [32] The first two-handed category was won by Disko Trooper-Contender Sailcloth, a J/99. [33]

In 2022, two-handed yachts were allowed to contend for the Tattersalls Cup. [34] There were 22 entries making it the fastest growing section of the race. [30] The 2022 2-handed IRC was won by 'Mistral', a Lombard 34. 'Mistral' finished 29th in the Tattersalls Cup. [35] By 2023, two-handed entries comprised 17.5% of the total fleet. [36]

The fleet comprises mostly sloops ; that is, yachts with a single mast on which is hoisted a fore-and-aft rigged mainsail and a single jib or Genoa , plus extras such as a spinnaker .

The race has encouraged innovation in yacht design. Between 1945 and 2005, the most successful yacht designer has been the New Zealand designer Bruce Farr , who has designed 15 overall winners.

• Time in bold denotes new race record time.
• No first place in 1985. Drake's Prayer was disqualified after winning on handicap, but 1985 NOR did not allow for lower placed finishers to move up following a disqualification.
• In the years 1991–1993 the winner of each of the IMS and IOR classes were declared the joint handicap winners. From 1994 to 2003 the IMS handicap rule was used to determine the overall winner, and from 2004 the IRC rule has been used.
• The 1975 Kialoa III was a ketch rig which was modified in 1976 and returned as a sloop to win line honors and overall in 1977.
• Apollo in 1978 and 1985 were different yachts.
• New Zealand in 1980 and 1984 were different yachts.
• Brindabella in 1991 & 1997 were different yachts.
• Inaugural race winner, 1945: Rani (line and handicap honours as well as the inaugural race record)
• Fastest race: 1 day 9h 15m 24s (LDV Comanche, NSW), 2017 [46]
• Total fleet: 5,509 yachts (81.01 yachts per race)
• Fleet finishing statistics: Of 5,509 yachts who have started the race since 1945, a total of 4,548 (82.56%) have completed and 961 (17.44%) yachts have retired.
• Highest retirement   %: 70% of the fleet in 1984. On average after 62 races, 81.7% of the fleet finishes annually.
• Largest fleet: 371 starters, 1994
• Smallest fleet: 9 starters, 1945 (first race)
• Smallest yacht: 27   ft (8.23m) Klinger (NSW) 1978
• Smallest yacht Line Honours winner: 35   ft (10.67m) – Nocturne (NSW) 1952 and Rani (UK) 1945.
• Largest yachts entered: 100   ft (30.48m) – Wild Oats XI (NSW, 2009–2019, 2022), Black Jack (formerly Alfa Romeo) (MON, 2009, 2017–2019, 2021–2022), Scallywag (formerly Investec LOYAL/Ragamuffin 100) (HK, 2009–2016, 2018–2019, 2021, 2023), ICAP Leopard (UK, 2009), Rapture (USA, 2009), Wild Thing (VIC, 2013), LawConnect (formerly Perpetual LOYAL/Infotrack) (NSW, 2013–2019, 2021–2023), Rio 100 (USA, 2014), Comanche (NSW, 2014–2015, 2017–2019, 2022-2023), CQS (NSW, 2016) & Wild Thing 100 (QLD, 2023).
• Largest yacht Line Honours winner: 100   ft (30.48m) – Alfa Romeo (NZ) 2009, Wild Oats XI (NSW) 2010, 2012–14, 2018 Investec LOYAL (NSW) 2011, Comanche (USA/NSW) 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, Perpetual LOYAL (NSW) 2016, Black Jack (MON) 2021.
• Most Line Honours victories: Wild Oats XI , 9 victories
• Most Line Honours victories by skipper: Mark Richards (New South Wales) Australia, 9 victories.
• Most Handicap Honours victories: Freya (NSW), Love & War (NSW) and Ichi Ban (NSW) 3 victories each
• Most Handicap Honours victories by skipper: Magnus and Trygve Halvorsen (NSW) Australia, 4 victories
• Oldest competitor: Maluka was built in 1932 and raced in 2008 aged 76. The 9.1-metre yacht was restored by Sean Langman
• Most races by skipper: 49 Tony Cable (New South Wales), 44 John Bennetto (Tas – dec), Lou Abrahams (Vic – dec 2014).
• 1945, Rani (UK)
• 2005, 2012 Wild Oats XI (NSW).
• 1945, Rani (UK);
• 1972, American Eagle (USA);
• 1977, Kialoa III (USA);
• 1980, New Zealand (NZ);
• 1987, Sovereign (NSW);
• 2005, 2012 Wild Oats XI (NSW);
• Morna (NSW) 1946, 1947 and 1948;
• Margaret Rintoul (NSW) 1950 and 1951;
• Kurrewa IV (Formerly Morna) Vic 1956 and 1957;
• Solo (NSW) 1958 and 1959;
• Astor (NSW) 1963 and 1964; and
• Wild Oats XI (NSW) 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
• Freya (NSW) 1963, 1964 and 1965;
• Westward (Tas) 1947 and 1948.
• Closest Line Honours race finish: 7 seconds, 1982; Condor of Bermuda (Bermuda) defeated Apollo (NSW)
• Closest finish for Handicap Honours: 1 minute and 43 seconds also in 1982 when Scallyway (NSW, Australia) defeated Audacity (NSW, Australia)
• Yachts winning Line Honours to be later disqualified: Wild Wave (1953), Nirvana (1983) and Rothmans (1990)
• Yachts to win Handicap Honours to be later disqualified: Drake's Prayer (1985)
• Most successful yacht designer: Bruce Farr (NZ), 15 overall winners
• First known female sailors: Jane Tate and Dagmar O’Brien (both in 1946). O'Brien's yacht (Connella) retired, thus Tate has the honour of being the first female to complete the event and a trophy is now named in her honour.
• First all-female-crewed yacht: Barbarian, 1975 (skipper: Vicki Wilman)
• Most races for one woman: 15 by Adrienne Cahalan (AUS); (navigator for 2000 winner Nicorette)
• First indigenous woman to take part: Kathy Collingridge, former NSW award-winning police officer, age 37, crewed on One Time Sidewinder 1996
• In 1994 at the 50th Sydney to Hobart, Albert Lee was a part of the making waves foundation's team which was the first time a fully disabled crew had sailed in an ocean race. [47]
• Worst disaster: 1998, 6 sailors died and 5 yachts sunk; 115 yachts started but only 43 finished.
• Sunken yachts: Clywd (1993), Adjuster (1993), Winston Churchill (1998), VC Offshore Stand Aside (1998), Sword of Orion (1998), Miintinta (1998), Midnight Special (1998), Ray White Koomooloo (2006) and Georgia (2008).
• Yachtsmen to have lost their lives: Mike Bannister (Winston Churchill, 1998), Glyn Charles (Sword of Orion, 1998), Ray Crawford (Billabong, 1988), John Dean (Winston Churchill, 1998), Bruce Guy (Business Post Naiad, 1998), Jim Lawler (Winston Churchill, 1998), Wally Russell (Yahoo II, 1984), John Sarney (Inca, 1973), Phillip Skeggs (Business Post Naiad, 1998), Peter Taylor (BP Flying Colours, 1989) and Hugh (Barry) Vallance (Zilvergeest III, 1975)

Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the race since 2002. [48] Other sponsors of the race include Appliances Online , Nortel Networks [49] and TasPorts . [50]

It generally costs each of the major contenders for line honors millions of dollars to equip themselves for the race, however there is no prize money. The only award is a Rolex watch from the race sponsor for the fastest and handicap winning yacht captains. Entrants compete for the honour of the title.

The overall (handicap) winner on corrected time is awarded The George Adams Tattersall Cup, first awarded to the winner of the 1946 race (and retrospectively to the 1945 winner). [51]

Among the other trophies awarded during the race are the J H Illingworth Challenge Cup for the line honours boat and the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy for the first female skipper. [52]

The race features in the 2007 novel The Storm Prophet by Hector Macdonald.

• Sailing in Australia
• Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race
• Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race
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• [18] From conversation with Geoffrey Ruggles, 9/1/2013
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• [23] "Cahalan gets top yachtswoman nod" . The Sydney Morning Herald . 6 October 2004.
• [24] Clarey, Christopher (25 December 2018). "Libby Greenhalgh Keeps Her Eye on the Weather for Wild Oats X" . The New York Times .
• [25] " 'We'll see something through': Two retirees last to finish Sydney to Hobart yacht race on 48yo boat" . ABC News . 1 January 2023 . Retrieved 13 November 2023 .
• [26] Rowsell, Noel (10 January 2023). "History in the making as Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham Reach Hobart" . Nepean News . Retrieved 13 November 2023 .
• [27] Heinrich, Karen (January 2006). "Taking to the sea". The Australian Women's Weekly . p.   230.
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• [31] Keoghan, Sarah (25 December 2021). "Sydney to Hobart's biggest names slam 'ridiculous' call to make autopilot boats ineligible for overall prize" . The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 2 January 2023 .
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• [33] Pearson, Di (1 January 2022). "Disko Trooper takes inaugural Rolex Sydney Hobart Two-Handed honours" . Live Sail Die . Retrieved 2 January 2023 .
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• [38] Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 , Cruising Yacht Club of Australia , retrieved 31 December 2018
• [39] Comanche claims Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 28 December 2019
• [40] Standings Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• [41] Honour roll - 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 01 Jan 2022
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• [50] "Links" . Archived from the original on 25 August 2012.
• [51] "Tattersall Cup" . Archived from the original on 6 August 2019.
• [52] "Trophies" . Archived from the original on 18 April 2021.
• Ludeke, M. (2002) The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race: 1945 – 2001. Hobart: Ludeke Publishing.
• Ludeke, M. (2014) (fourth edition) The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Hobart: Ludeke Publishing.
• MotorSM Archived 8 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine
• Analysing Sydney to Hobart yacht race winning times Archived 30 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine – University of Melbourne
• Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race – Official site
• NSW Maritime site – Aquatic Events(PDF)
• Distance from Sydney to Hobart
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• "Sydney to Hobart yacht race" . Dictionary of Sydney . Dictionary of Sydney Trust. 2008 . Retrieved 5 October 2015 . [ CC-By-SA ]

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Weather concerns Sydney to Hobart captains, but race record is in sight

Topic: Sailing

LawConnect skipper Christian Beck believes this is "the worst forecast" he's confronted . ( AAP: Bianca De Marchi )

Forecasts of thunderstorms and wild winds have Sydney to Hobart captains on high alert two days out from the race.

The conditions might also put at risk the race record set by LDV Comanche in 2017.

What's next?

The 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race gets underway on Thursday.

The Sydney to Hobart race record might not be the only thing broken this year as the fleet braces for wild weather that could cause serious damage to the big-money yachts. 

Tuesday's race briefing forecast a fast start in north-easterly winds and beautiful Sydney sunshine for Boxing Day, when the 79th bluewater classic begins at 1pm local time.

But the 105 boats sailing 628NM to Hobart will find their fortunes change overnight as strong to gale-force winds are expected from the south-west in the always difficult Bass Strait.

There, the fleet could face a thunderstorm and the possibility of 40 knots — almost 75km/h — of wind.

By that point in the race, the four supermaxi yachts vying for line honours should be in Bass Strait, so will face the brunt of the wild weather.

It is inevitable boats of all sizes will retire in any Hobart race but instances of irremediable damage are expected to be higher this year.

"These conditions are probably the worst forecast I've ever had to go through. The odds of boat damage are obviously very high," said Christian Beck, skipper of reigning line honours champion LawConnect.

The fast start and blustery conditions will make for an exciting tussle among the supermaxis, and the possibility of a time quicker than the current record: one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds set by Master Lock Comanche, then LDV Comanche, in 2017.

Christian Beck lifts the trophy after taking line honours in the 2023 Sydney to Hobart. ( Supplied: CYCA/Salty Dingo )

As it stands, Comanche expects to reach Hobart's Constitution Dock in about one day 10 hours, but will reassess that expectation as the forecast off the Tasmanian coast becomes clearer.

Breaking the record is not high on the priority list for her two new co-skippers, though.

"The conditions look like [breaking the record] could be a possibility," said co-skipper James Mayo.

"But for us, we don't focus on that. Our job is to get there in one piece, get the boat there in one piece and hopefully get there first. But focusing on [the record] is not a priority for us."

Comanche is right to take a safety-first approach; in wild weather, a super-maxi's greatest strength — its size, speed and power — can quickly become a dangerous weakness.

Losing control of a boat that weighs 31 tonnes and can travel faster than 70km/h is a terrifying prospect.

"The bigger boats are more complex and the loads are bigger," said Comanche co-skipper Matt Allen.

"Our boat is the most powerful boat out there so the loads are higher. We just need to make sure that things don't break or that we can control.

"Often when you do get breakage on the boat, it sort of multiplies."

To make things more difficult, crews are less experienced handling the kind of wild conditions expected.

"People don't sail in these conditions very regularly so you're just not quite sure which bit's going to hang together and which bit's not and the speeds are going to be pretty fast," Allen said.

"It's going to be challenging."