- Visit our Facebook page
- Visit our Instagram profile
- Visit our Twitter feed
- Visit our YouTube channel
History & Archives
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) was formed in 1944 and, despite its name, quickly became the leading exponent of ocean racing in Australia, at that time a little-known sport both here and elsewhere.
The CYCA began when some keen sailors started meeting informally in a photographic studio in Sydney. They soon acquired a boatshed in Rushcutters Bay and the rest, as they say, is history.
In 1945 a planned cruise to Hobart quickly turned into a race and the famous Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was born.
The race captured the imagination of the Australian public and it soon developed into an international yachting classic, attracting competitors from around the world.
With the CYCA conducting ocean races such as the Sydney Hobart Race since 1944, it has given the Club an expertise in race organisation and sea safety which is internationally acclaimed and widely emulated, some techniques being adapted world-wide following CYCA development.
These days, the CYCA is the ‘Club of choice’ for its more than 3,100 members, sailors and non-sailors, who enjoy the world-class facilities, the extensive sailing calendar and the social programme of member’s nights, prize giving and just relaxing in the Sydney Hobart Bar after a hard-fought race.
The full Club history can be found in the book “Ratbags to Respectability” which can be purchased online or at the CYCA reception.
CYCA has made every effort to locate the owners of material published on its websites that may be subject to copyright or moral rights in Australia.
Should anyone become aware that material has been used without permission or appropriate attribution, please contact [email protected] .
CYCA Principal Sponsor
Cyca official sponsors, helly hansen, club marine, sydney brewery, lgt crestone, the luxury collection, winnings appliances, roads and maritime services, cyca youth sailing academy sponsors and supporters, helly hansen, forecasts.global, vibe hotels, network marine, sun foundation.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024
- Historical Facts
- About the race
- Southern Cross Cup
- Race Reports
- Start & Finish Villages
- Hobart & Beyond
- Sydney Hobart Videos
- Previous Winners
- Race Documents
- Official Programmes
/media/415354/Loki sailed a flawless race to win the Tattersall's Cup. Credit ROLEX-Daniel Forster.jpg "history of sydney to hobart yacht race")
Historical facts from 1945 to 2022
| First Race Winner | Skipper: Captain John Illingworth RN (UK) Design: Barber 35' cutter Line honours and handicap winner |
| 2023 Overall Winner 2023 Line Honours Winner | , a Reichel Pugh 66 owned by Philip Turner and skippered by Duncan Hines (Tasmania, Australia) , a Juan K 100 Custom owned by Christian Beck (New South Wales, Australia) |
| Double Winners - Line Honours and Overall | (GBR) - 1945 (USA) - 1972 (USA) - 1977 (New Zealand) - 1980 (NSW) - 1987 (NSW) - 2005 & 2012 |
| Multiple Line Honours Winners | (NSW/QLD) – 9 races including 4 successive races (2005-2008) / (NSW) – 7 races / / (USA/NSW) - 4 races (NSW) – 3 races / (NSW) – 3 races (Bermuda) – 2 races (NSW) – 2 races (NSW) – 2 races (USA) – 2 races (USA) – 2 races / - 2 races |
| Multiple Overall Winners | (NSW) – 3 successive races from 1963-1965 (NSW) – 3 races: 1974, 1978 and 2006 (NSW) - 3 races: 2017, 2019 and 2021 (TAS) – 2 successive races: 1947 and 1948 (NSW) – 2 races: 1958 and 1960 (NSW) – 2 races: 1956 and 1962 (SA/VIC) – 2 races: 1996 and 2000 (NSW/QLD) – 2 races: 2005 and 2012 (NSW) – 2 races: as in 2008 and as in 2015 (Tasmania) - 2 races: 2018 and 2023 |
| Fastest race | The fastest race was in 2017 (Australia) 01:09:15:24 (USA) held the record for 21 years, (Germany) for three and (AUS/Denmark) for five. (Australia) 01:19:06:48 holds the race record for a conventionally ballasted yacht, set in 2022 |
| Slowest race | The slowest race was in 1945 - Peter Luke, NSW 11:06:20 |
| Closest line honours finish | a beat by just seven seconds beat by 51 seconds |
| Most races by any boat | - 30 races / - 27 races / / (50 footer) - 26 races - 26 races - 26 races - 25 races (Jutson 75) - 20 races |
| Most races by any competitor | |
| Record fleets | race race |
| Boat designers - most overall wins | |
| 2023 Fleet |
RSHYR - Race Statistics 1945-2022
Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.
Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.
From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!
Popular searches
Popular pages.
Sydney to Hobart 75 Years
Challenging, Thrilling, Racing - Sydney to Hobart 75 Years
Challenging, Thrilling Racing.
Charting the history of the blue water classic, with stunning photography by acclaimed photographers Andrea Francolini, Carlo Borlenghi and Richard Bennett, this exhibition is an expansive visual timeline, including evocative film.
Highlighting the excitement, comradery, risk and danger of this great yacht race, Challenging, Thrilling, Racing - Sydney to Hobart 75 Years includes material from significant years such as the tragic events of 1998's race . You'll gain an insight into the character of the race that began in 1945 with only nine contestants. In this, its 75th year, the Sydney to Hobart race fields 170 local and international teams.
Also included in the 75th year commemorative program for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2019 is a display of photographs by acclaimed yachting photographer Richard Bennett in the museum’s Yots Café during December 2019 to January 2020. Richard's book will be available to purchase in the museum store.
Main image: Skipper Captain John Illingworth (centre standing in cap) with the crew of Rani, the winner of the first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, 1.45am, 2 January 1946. ANMM Collection 00048228_003 , Gift from Alison Richmond
You might also enjoy...
Harbour Cruise: Sydney-to-Hobart Race Start
Harbour Cruise: Australia Day
Australian Sailing Hall of Fame
Sydney to Hobart yacht race: How two days of sailing came down to just 51 seconds
Topic: Sailing
LawConnect crossed the finish line first, followed seconds later by Andoo Comanche. ( Supplied: CYCA )
The skipper of the line honours-winning yacht in this year's Sydney to Hobart race says the victory is all the more remarkable because his boat, LawConnect, is a "shitbox" compared to second-place getter and race favourite Andoo Comanche.
"I know it looks good on TV but if you go up close to that boat, it's rough as anything and Comanche is a beautiful boat, it's better in every way, four tonnes lighter etc.," Christian Beck said.
"Shitbox" or not, LawConnect overtook Andoo Comanche in the River Derwent in the final moments of the 2023 race to take out its first line honours in a sensational daylight finish, just 51 seconds ahead of its rival.
There were happy faces all around as the LawConnect crew celebrated with their trophy. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
"The lead changed several times, they took the lead pretty close to the line, we thought there's no way we can get it back," Beck said.
"There were guys [on board] that couldn't watch, it was very nerve-racking."
In a race that took the two leaders almost two days to finish, the turning point began just a couple of nautical miles from the finish line.
As Andoo Comanche tried to build speed off the Hobart suburb of Sandy Bay and seemed to stall in very little wind, Law Connect made its move.
This was the moment LawConnect first overtook Andoo Comanche on the River Derwent. ( Supplied: CYCA )
'"They seem to be accelerating out of the jibes a lot quicker than Andoo Comanche, so I don't think Andoo have a lot of options here, I think they're going to get rolled … really aggressive moves by LawConnect," said Lisa Darmanin, a commentator for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
But, not long after Andoo Comanche snatched it back again.
Then, in the second-closest finish in race history, LawConnect came back about 100 metres from the finish line.
After being runner-up three times in a row, the sweetest moment arrived for Christian Beck as LawConnect crossed the finish line in a time of 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds.
"I can't believe that result. Honestly it's a dream come true," he said.
How did they pull it off?
LawConnect manouvering its way to the finish line. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
So just how did the "underdog" manage to snatch the win away from Andoo Comanche after it held the lead comfortably while rounding the Tasman Peninsula and entering the River Derwent?
As we've heard, a lack of wind was a big factor.
"Our boat is big and wide and heavy and it's fast offshore but it is terribly slow when it is bumpy and no wind," the disappointed skipper of Andoo Comanche, John Winning said.
"[As the finish line neared] we sent a guy up the rig and he said 'There's no wind at the finish, zero wind at the finish.'"
But sailors are used to dealing with changes in wind so strategy was obviously a major factor at play too.
As well as the "aggressive jibing" from LawConnect, the winners were focused on learning from Andoo's "mistakes".
"Broadly, the strategy is to watch them and if they get into a bad spot, we avoid that bad spot," Beck said.
Spectator craft another factor
Then there were all the spectator boats to contend with.
In the final moments, a catamaran passed closely to Andoo Comanche and the crew was seen yelling and gesturing.
"We had all the spectator boats and we're trying to clear them out and they were like 'You've won', and we were like 'No! We have not won yet. Stop making waves everything is going to make a difference,'" Winning said.
Tasmania Police said action would be taken against a 57-year-old man for "allegedly breaching" marine and safety regulations.
"The man was skippering a private vessel when it reportedly encroached into the exclusion zone set by Marine and Safety Tasmania," it said in a statement.
The offence carries a fine of up to $3,900.
LawConnect and Andoo Comanche nearing the finish line. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
Winning said he didn't blame spectators for the result.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, I wish there were 500 of them," he said.
"It's even, everyone gets the same thing if they were ahead of us they would have had the wash but unfortunately we got the wash.
"Makes a little difference but that didn't cost us the race, we cost us the race."
The LawConnect crew celebrate their victory at Constitution Dock. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
And as the bubbly flows for the LawConnect crew, Beck is joking about now being able to offload the "shitbox".
"It's probably a good afternoon to sell it, the afternoon it beats Comanche, probably its highlight of its career, I'm sure."
Crowds lined Constitution Dock to welcome LawConnect and Andoo Comanche after an epic but slow final battle to the finish line. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
LawConnect approaches the finish line to snatch victory from Andoo Comanche, which led most of the race. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )
- Read Today's Paper
Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2023 guide: history, start time, black sails, favourites, distance, tracker
It starts on a harbour, finishes on a river and in-between sailors will ride a wave of emotion. How to follow the Sydney to Hobart, its history, drama, favourites, when it starts and expert guide.
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It starts on a harbour, finishes on a river and in-between sailors will ride a wave of emotion.
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is one of the most famous sporting events in Australia and one of the most respected ocean races internationally.
It is steeped in history, mystique and famous competitors.
It is also a revered sporting event contested by the best of the best in the world of sailing and racing and boats “one of the most spectacular starts of any sporting event in the world” according to our sailing expert Amanda Lulham
We’ve put together a guide to the famous bluewater yacht race covering everything from its history, disasters and past winners to how to follow the race and links to in-depth news and colour.
SYDNEY TO HOBART HISTORY, DRAMA, WEATHER, FAVOURITES AND MORE
How long is the Sydney to Hobart ? It’s 628 nautical miles long.
How big is the fleet in 2023 ? At the close of entry there were 120 entrants. This has since decreased to around 100 which will include international entrants, 18 two-handed boats, four supermaxis and a number of minnows.
What was the worst Sydney to Hobart storm? In 1998 six men lost their lives at sea and a massive search and rescue mission was galvanised when the fleet was smashed by an intense low which caused wild winds and monstrous seas.
MORE SYDNEY TO HOBART NEWS
OH BABY : Superstar to miss Sydney to Hobart
BOTOX BOAT : Crazy yacht rebuilt to race
SYDNEY TO HOBART : Latest news, rolling coverage
What is the history of the Sydney to Hobart? It started in 1945 as a cruise to Hobart and was contested by just nine yachts.
What is the best weather? That’s easy. Sailors love surfing. So any wind from behind or even on the side of their yacht will work. Upwind sailing is a real slog and can cause damage to boats and crew.
What happened to the Sydney to Hobart during Covid ? The race was cancelled for the first time in history in 2020 but returned a year later.
What is the Sydney to Hobart race record? The race record is well under two days which is quite extraordinary. Comanche, now racing as Andoo Comanche, set the race record of one day nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 second back in 2017 when skippered south by Jim Cooney.
Sydney to Hobart start time : 1pm on Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour off multiple start lines.
Sydney to Hobart arrival: On a finish line on the Derwent River off Battery Point. Usually around two days after the Boxing Day start for the fastest but it can also be as fast as the race record of just over one day and nine hours.
CAT WALK : Sydney to Hobart history
WHAT A FINISH: 2022 Sydney to Hobart wrap
Can anyone enter the Sydney to Hobart yacht race? Yes, but ever crew does need a certain amount of experience. Boats must also have the appropriate paper work for their rating, safety certificates, radio licences and other checks.
Sydney top Hobart prize money . There is none. There are however trophies for winners.
Sydney to Hobart favourite: The defending line honours and overall winners are back in 2023 in Andoo Comanche and Celestial.
Women in the Sydney to Hobart: Women have been racing the Sydney to Hobart since the second edition of the race when two set sail.
One made it to Hobart and there is a trophy named in her honour - the Jane Tait Trophy for the first female skipper.
What year was the worst Sydney to Hobart yacht race? 1998. That year 115 started but only 44 finished.
Why are there black sails in the Sydney to Hobart race? Many of the black sails are made of carbon filaments and glued together. This allowed for variation in strength across the sail
Some are also strong synthetics coloured black to keep the sun from rotting the sails.
Do sailors sleep Sydney to Hobart? Yes, Usually on a watch system where half are on deck and half before. Each boat has its own system but many use the four hours on, four hours off system.
Who is the favourite for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race? That would be Andoo Comanche for the line honours. Defending champion Celestial and URM are among the contenders for the overall but this is very weather dependent.
How big are the yachts? The biggest allowed is 100 foot and the smallest is 30 foot.
How do you follow the race? News Corp will be on the ground in Sydney and Hobart for extensive news and behind the scenes coverage form the first to the very last boat. There is also a tracker on the official website that can be ultilised to find the position of yachts and their projected results during the race.
What is the Sydney to Hobart race record? It was set by LDV Comanche back in 2017 and is one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.
More Coverage
’I’m not particularly smart’: Dr Karl shares the secret to his success
He’s the guy on the radio who explains how science works to us ordinary folk, but at one time Dr Karl was digging ditches and had no interest in medicine. He lets us into his colourful home, and fascinating life.
‘Angry 7’ Libs turn up the heat on ‘Teflon Don’
Seven Liberal Party state executive members have banded together to demand further answers from embattled party president Don Harwin amid looming federal intervention.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual 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 ...
11 days, 6 hours and 20 minutes after it departed Sydney, Wayfarer sailed into Hobart, drawing to a close the remarkable story of the inaugural Sydney to Hobart race.
^ "Sydney to Hobart yacht race cancelled due to NSW coronavirus outbreak". ABC News. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020. ^ "Andoo Comanche wins Line Honours in 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart". Rolex Sydney Hobart. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
The history of the race. The Sydney to Hobart race began in an off-the-cuff fashion. In the latter part of World War II, sailors on Sydney Harbour formed the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) to promote cruising and casual races in lieu of those suspended during the previous war years. Their first official event was in October 1944.
In 1945 a planned cruise to Hobart quickly turned into a race and the famous Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was born. The race captured the imagination of the Australian public and it soon developed into an international yachting classic, attracting competitors from around the world.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, arguably the world's greatest ocean race, began when Jack Earl, a marine artist, planned a cruise from Sydney to Hobart on the family ketch, leaving on Boxing Day, 1945. Friends decided to make a race of it, and eventually nine yachts took part. The winner of both handicap and line honours, John Illingworth's ...
The 1945 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the inaugural running of the annual "blue water classic", the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales . The race was initially planned to be a cruise planned by Peter Luke, Jack Earl and the Walker brothers who had formed a club ...
Historical Facts About the race Weather Southern Cross Cup Race Reports Yachts Start & Finish Villages People History Supporters Course Hobart & Beyond Trophies Historical Facts Sydney Hobart Videos Previous Winners Race Documents Official Programmes Loki sailed a flawless race to win the Tattersall Cup Love & War won overall in 1974, 1978 and 2006 Giacomo revelling in open water conditions ...
Last year's Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner, Darryl Hodgkinson's Victoire, is raced by a 'Corinthian' crew - a team of amateurs who are at the top of their roles, sailing in a 2006 New Zealand-built yacht. It was marketed by Cookson Yachts as a turbo-charged cruiser-racer. It sports a canting keel and canard centerboard, carbon spars ...
Highlighting the excitement, comradery, risk and danger of this great yacht race, Challenging, Thrilling, Racing - Sydney to Hobart 75 Years includes material from significant years such as the tragic events of 1998's race. You'll gain an insight into the character of the race that began in 1945 with only nine contestants. In this, its 75th year, the Sydney to Hobart race fields 170 local and ...
Race record holder Andoo Comanche holds the lead on the Sydney to Hobart yacht race — and favourable winds have it close to beating its own record pace from 2017. Look back at how the race ...
Lindsay May will notch a first in the 78-year history of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race when he becomes the only sailor to start it 50 times — all of them consecutively — when it begins Tuesday in Sydney harbor.
Learn about the history, the heroes and the hazards of competing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race with Guest Lecturer Skip Lissiman O.A.M, a world-class yachtsman who was part of the winning 1983 Australian America's Cup crew and has completed six Sydney-Hobart yacht races.
Since its beginning in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has become one of the pinnacles for sailing competitors, with the event being a test of skill, teamwork, nautical engineering and ...
When Oli queues up on the starting line for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Tuesday, he'll be making history. That's because Oli is a cat. Since the event began as a casual cruise down the east ...
Shortly after the commencement of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a 'super cell' storm stirred up massive seas in the Bass Strait. The storm cut through the fleet, resulting in the drowning of six sailors (from New South Wales, Tasmania and Britain).
The owner of the victorious Sydney to Hobart yacht thinks it's "rough as anything", despite pulling off a nailbiting finish in slow motion. So how did LawConnect do it?
Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2023 guide: history, start time, black sails, favourites, distance, tracker It starts on a harbour, finishes on a river and in-between sailors will ride a wave of emotion.
The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race was the 54th annual running of the "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney, New South Wales. It was the most disastrous in the race's history, with the loss of six lives and five yachts. [1] 55 sailors were rescued in the largest ...
The 115-yacht fleet sailed into the worst weather in the Sydney to Hobart's history. Six sailors died and just 44 yachts survived the gale-force winds and mountainous seas to finish the race. Two crew members died on the Launceston yacht Business Post Naiad, one by drowning, the other from a heart attack at the height of the storm.
Skipper Robert Williams watches his cat Oli as he stands aboard his yacht 'Sylph VI' during the media launch of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in Sydney on 22 November, 2023. Photo: AFP / David Gray. When Oli queues up on the starting line for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Tuesday, he'll be making history. That's because Oli is a cat.
The 1993 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, sponsored by Kodak, was the 49th annual running of the Australian "blue water classic" Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. It was hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia based in Sydney.