sydney to hobart 2024 yachts

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December 26 @ 1:00 pm - December 31 @ 5:00 pm

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

The 79th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be held on 26 December 2024 presenting an absolute spectacle on Sydney Harbour.

The 628nm journey down to Hobart will always be an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest in line with national events such as the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Open tennis championship and the Boxing Day cricket Test.

No regular annual yachting event in the world attracts such huge media coverage as does the start on Sydney Harbour.

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Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

A 7 night Yachtsman's Cruise aboard Coral Discoverer

26 December 2024

Experience the excitement at the start of the race on Sydney Harbour aboard the wonderful Coral Discoverer . Watch the fleet sail past, listen to expert commentary, soak up the incredible atmosphere and yachting spirit before sailing the south coast and Bass Strait with the trailing fleet.

Once across the strait, combine the spirit of the race with your spirit of adventure and enjoy exploring the scenic and rugged Tasmanian coastline with options to join your expedition team on a number of exhilarating shore excursions to Tasmania’s National Parks. Then in Hobart, join the festivities surrounding the official race presentation before preparing to welcome in the New Year.

Highlights & Inclusions

• Take in a grandstand view of the start of the race as the leaders charge through Sydney Heads
• Enjoy expert commentary and insights from our guest lecturer as you watch the yachts race around the heads and sail south.
• Insights into the race tactics, history and culture will also be provided by guest lecturer
• Trail the yachts on a coastal cruise, enjoying drinks at Coral Discoverer’s  sundeck Xplorer Bar
• Visit Adventure Bay on Bruny Island and stretch your legs on the Fluted Cape walk
• Ring in the New Year onboard and enjoy a sundeck cocktail party while watching the fireworks over the Derwent River
• All excursions and sightseeing
• Use of Xplorer, Zodiacs and kayaks where possible
• Daily lectures and briefings
• All meals, chef-prepared on board
• Selected wines, selected beers, juices, and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner
• Coffee and a selection of teas
• All entrance fees to National Parks and ports

Cabins & Staterooms

• Main Deck Cat B
• Main Deck Cat A
• Promenade Deck Cat B
• Promenade Deck Cat A
• Bridge Deck

$5,820 per person twin share

Solo fares available on request

$5,280 per person twin share

$6,380 per person twin share

$9,570 solo

$6,880 per person twin share

$7,420 per person twin share

Call 1300 766 537 or complete the enquiry form below

Sydney to hobart yacht race - december 2024.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION: *Prices are advertised in Australian dollars and are per person based on twin share. All fares are subject to the terms and conditions as set out by Cruise Express and its suppliers which may be obtained at the time of booking. Cruise Express reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions and to cancel any product or service offered in the event of such errors or omissions. We strongly recommend you take out travel insurance at the time of paying your deposit. A deposit of 20% will be required upon booking confirmation. Final payment will be due 90 days before departure. Cancel 90+ days prior to departure - loss of deposit. Cancel 89 - 60 days prior to departure - 50% cancellation. Cancel 59 - 0 days prior to departure - 100% cancellation. DEPOSIT PROTECTION: TERMS & CONDITIONS Deposit Protection is a scheme offered to guests of Coral Expeditions to allow them to book confidently and transfer their deposit payment towards any future Coral Expeditions trip in the event they are unable to travel on the cruise they originally booked. Deposit protection is entirely optional, can be invoked for any reason by the guest, and requires an A$110 per person fee at the time of booking. Please ensure you have read the full Terms & Conditions and the SailSAFE documentation that your Cruise Express Travel Specialist will provide and that you understand the process and requirements at time of booking. Travel insurance is strongly recommended at time of paying your first deposit.

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2024 rolex sydney hobart yacht race | entries open.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has invited eligible boats to enter 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The 79th edition of the historic 628-nautical mile blue water classic will start on Sydney Harbour at 1300 hrs AEDT on Thursday 26 December 2024.

The Start of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race | CREDIT: ROLEX | Andrea Francolini

The 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Notice of Race (NoR) includes a few significant changes to the previous NoR. Most notably, to promote crew diversity and encourage more female and youth participation, IRC Rule 22.4 Crew Number/Weight will allow the addition of one additional crew to a boat’s IRC crew number should the boat have any of the following on board for the race: two female crew, two youth (under 23 years old) crew, one youth and one female. This will only be applied once.

The 2023 edition saw 103 starters and 85 finishers in Hobart, including a highly-contested fight for Line Honours.

The maxi LawConnect won the John H. Illingworth Challenge Cup for Line Honours after beating defending champion Andoo Comanche by 51 seconds, becoming the second closest Line Honour finish in Rolex Sydney Hobart history.

Phillip Turner’s Alive, led by Duncan Hine, was the Overall Winner of the Tattersall Cup, becoming the second Tasmanian yacht to win the Tattersall Cup twice.

Skipper Duncan Hine confirms Alive’s commitment to race in the 2024 edition, saying “We’re looking forward to coming back for another crack at the Tattersall Cup. We’re in it to win it. Phillip and the whole team are very excited.”

Professional sailor Adrienne Cahalan navigated Alive to victory, earning her third Tattersall Cup. Cahalan currently holds the record for number of Rolex Sydney Hobarts sailed by a yachtswoman at 31 races. The Rolex Sydney Hobart is witnessing an upward trend of women sailors in the race, including professional sailors. The 2023 race saw a record 10 entrants owned/skippered by women.

Eight international yachts competed in the 78th running, including Caro (winner of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race) and Teasing Machine (2017 and 2023 winners of the RORC Transatlantic Race).

Eighteen double-handers took on the maritime challenge with Rupert Henry’s Lombard 34 Mistral taking IRC honours for the second consecutive year and an impressive sixth IRC Overall.

Arthur Lane, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, said: “It is my great pleasure to announce that entries are open for the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. We anticipate a strong fleet for the 79th running where our local Australian teams will be complemented by esteemed international competition.”

“The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia once again extends its gratitude to Rolex for the ongoing support of the Race and the sport of sailing globally as well as our many valued race partners including our good friends at Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania as Race Finishing Partner.”

Visit the Rolex Sydney Hobart website to view entrants.

Entries for the 2024 race will close on Friday 25 October 2024.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024 OffShore Races OffShore Races

• Event date: 25/12/2024
• Event end: 02/01/2025
• When: OCT-DEC
• Duration: 1 week

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is one of the toughest and most respected ocean races in the world. Its the only major race that starts in a harbour takes in a passage and finishes in a river.

The  Rolex Sydney Hobart Race expects a fleet of 150 yachts, ranging from 36 to 100 foot in length. The electric pre-race village atmosphere at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) followed by the excitement of the build-up to the start on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day is hard to describe.

Race Start on Boxing Day

With thousands of spectator vessels, helicopters overhead and hundreds of thousands of people lining the Sydney waterfront and cliff tops, the race start at 1 pm on Boxing Day each year is an Australian sporting tradition.

People who sail the race often say the first and last days are the most exciting. The race starts on Sydney Harbour attracts hundreds of spectator craft and hundreds of thousands of people lining the shore as helicopters buzz above the fleet, filming for TV around the world.

The final day at sea is exciting with crews fighting to beat their rivals but also looking forward to the traditional Hobart welcome, and having a drink to relax and celebrate their experience. Between the first and last days, the fleet sails past some of the most beautiful landscape and seascapes found anywhere in the world

Difficulty Level:

9750-13750 $ aud.

• Program 2024
• Program 2025

Salt Lines 70ft expedition yacht

Silver Fern 72 ft expedition yacht

Te Kaihopara 72ft Luxury Cruising Yacht

8 days / cat 1 ocean race / 25 dec 2024 – 2 jan 2025 / positions available on te kaihopara.

You can fly directly into Sydney Airport on Thursday, 24th or Friday, 25th December. Our crew will officially assemble on Christmas Day evening, and you will join us for a crew dinner ashore. On Saturday, 26th December, we’ll meet for breakfast early and then run through the final checks and preparations. We’ll familiarise you with the yacht, systems and safety equipment and prepare you for departure from the dock around 11:30 am. It’s a 4-5 day sail to Hobart with arrival expected on the 30-31st December.

When we arrive in Hobart, we’ll sail past the crowd on Constitution Dock before tying up at the marina and heading to the Custom House (open 24 hours) for an arrival drink or two. You are welcome to stay onboard on arrival in Hobart but should also consider booking local accommodation ashore at an estimated cost of around $800- $1,200 per person for 3-4 nights. We’ll attend several events in Hobart, including a New Year’s Eve party, The Taste of Tasmania and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Presentation. You should plan to fly out of Hobart after midday on the 1st of January. Most of our crew will depart around the 2nd – 3rd of January, so plan to stay on and enjoy the 3-4 days in Hobart at the end of the race, as it truly is a celebration you will never forget.

8 DAYS / CAT 1 OCEAN RACE / 25 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026 / Positions available on Salt Lines and Silver Fern

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

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Crew space on McIntyre 55 – Arctos for Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2024

Aus$ 11,990.00, event dates, 25th dec 2024 - 2nd jan 2025, what's included, safety equipment, accommodation and meals onboard during the race and the overnight qualifying passage., what to expect, monday 16th dec 2024 – thursday 2nd jan 2025 week 1: crew training and offshore qualifying passage our programme starts with four days of skills and drills in sydney harbour. we will practice upwind and downwind sailing, reefing, headsail changes, spinnaker handling, and essential safety drills to ensure the crew are familiar with the yacht and their role on board. next, we complete a valuable 24-hour offshore qualifying passage, a requirement of the race organisers, the cruising yacht club of australia. christmas eve and christmas day are off for some well-earned rest and relaxation; then it’s up early on boxing day for the spectacular start on sydney harbour. week 2: sydney to hobart yacht race the start of the race on boxing day is a significant fixture on the australian sporting calendar, and it feels electric to be on the start line as a participant. after the huge send-off, we head out to sea, searching for the warm current that will carry us south down the australian coast and across the bass strait to tasmania. at tasman island, the course turns right into storm bay for the final sail up the derwent river to the finish line at constitution dock and a magnificent welcome in the historic port of hobart. we expect to arrive at constitution dock in hobart in good time for the new year’s eve celebrations, tasmania’s best party of the year., crew information, prerequisite experience, 1,000 sea miles logged rya qualifying passages isaf category 1 racing experience (if you do not have this you can join our sydney to hobart qualifying passage) isaf offshore safety and sea survival, from the spectacular start in sydney harbour, the fleet sails out into the tasman sea, down the south-east coast of mainland australia, across bass strait (which divides the mainland from the island state of tasmania), then down the east coast of tasmania. at tasman island the fleet turns right into storm bay for the final sail up the derwent river to the historic port city of hobart., accommodation, crew can stay on the yacht in the middle harbour yacht club marina during the training week and on arrival in hobart, but food is not provided (there are local cafes and restaurants nearby) crew are welcome to book their own accommodation ashore in sydney and hobart for a more comfortable experience..

McIntyre 55 – Arctos

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Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is a huge sporting event in Australia that is held on Boxing Day each year.

Attracting some of the best sailing crews in the world, the race travels from Sydney, 630 nautical miles (1,100km) south to Tasmania.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2024, Dates, Times, Course Route & Tracker

The race record is around one day, 9 hours and 15 minutes. Each boat’s time is adjusted according to its size and expected speed, adopting a handicap system. The power-to-weight ratio is the most crucial factor in speed, and most boats competing in the race are ‘sloops’ – single-mast yachts.

For visitors wanting to view the race whilst they are in Sydney , head to Sydney Harbour as the fleet sails out to the Tasman Sea before heading south down the coast and over the Bass Strait. Head over to Nielsen Park, where the cannons will signal the start of the race, usually around 1pm. For those wanting to get up close to the action, head over to Middle Head Lookout or Headland Park.

The Seven Network, through 7Mate, will once again broadcast the start of the race live around Australia. ABC TV will also follow the fleet down the eastern seaboard and provide all the in-race news footage used by the various Australian and International news networks.

Seven West Media will webcast the program for those who can’t watch the live broadcast of the start of the Race on the Seven Network across Australia. You can also watch a live webcast on the home page of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website.

The Yacht Tracker page lets viewers track the entire fleet or a particular boat from start to finish. Yacht Tracker uses a specially designed tool that calculates the predicted results for every boat in the fleet so you can see how each boat is performing. Each yacht will be fitted with a tracker that will obtain a position using the GPS satellite network and transmit that position back to HQ.

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Michael created and runs the Sydney Point website, as well as the Holiday Point travel brand that incorporates a network of 16 location based travel information and attraction websites around Australia, Asia, and around the world.

With 25+ years of online experience and a passion for travel (having visited Sydney many times and seeing a lot of the city in the process), Michael not only researches and writes content for the website, he also tinkers behind the scenes with the website functionality & design.

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Entries Open Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

Main Photo: The Start of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race | Photo: ROLEX | Andrea Francolini   The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is pleased to invite eligible boats to enter 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 79th edition of the historic 628-nautical mile blue water classic will start on Sydney Harbour at 1300 hrs AEDT on Thursday 26 December 2024.

The 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Notice of Race (NoR) includes a few significant changes to the previous NoR. Most notably, to promote crew diversity and encourage more female and youth participation, IRC Rule 22.4 Crew Number/Weight will allow the addition of one additional crew to a boat’s IRC crew number should the boat have any of the following on board for the race: two female crew, two youth (under 23 years old) crew, one youth and one female. This will only be applied once. 

The 2023 edition saw 103 starters and 85 finishers in Hobart, including a highly-contested fight for Line Honours.

The maxi LawConnect won the John H. Illingworth Challenge Cup for Line Honours after beating defending champion Andoo Comanche by 51 seconds, becoming the second closest Line Honour finish in Rolex Sydney Hobart history.    Phillip Turner’s Alive, led by Duncan Hine, was the Overall Winner of the Tattersall Cup, becoming the second Tasmanian yacht to win the Tattersall Cup twice.

Skipper Duncan Hine confirms Alive’s commitment to race in the 2024 edition, saying

“We’re looking forward to coming back for another crack at the Tattersall Cup. We’re in it to win it. Phillip and the whole team are very excited.” 

Professional sailor Adrienne Cahalan navigated Alive to victory, earning her third Tattersall Cup. Cahalan currently holds the record for number of Rolex Sydney Hobarts sailed by a yachtswoman at 31 races. The Rolex Sydney Hobart is witnessing an upward trend of women sailors in the race, including professional sailors. The 2023 race saw a record 10 entrants owned/skippered by women. 

Eight international yachts competed in the 78th running, including Caro (winner of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race) and Teasing Machine (2017 and 2023 winners of the RORC Transatlantic Race). 

Eighteen double-handers took on the maritime challenge with Rupert Henry’s Lombard 34 Mistral taking IRC honours for the second consecutive year and an impressive sixth IRC Overall. 

Arthur Lane, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, said: “It is my great pleasure to announce that entries are open for the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. We anticipate a strong fleet for the 79th running where our local Australian teams will be complemented by esteemed international competition.” 

“The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia once again extends its gratitude to Rolex for the ongoing support of the Race and the sport of sailing globally as well as our many valued race partners including our good friends at Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania as Race Finishing Partner.” 

Visit the Rolex Sydney Hobart website to  view entrants .  Entries for the 2024 race will close on Friday 25 October 2024. 

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US crew makes waves in Sydney

2 July 2024

More than 500 US Navy personnel arrived in Sydney on June 28, ready to explore the city’s iconic landmarks and participate in various community engagements.

The 198m-long submarine tender USS Emory S. Land berthed at Fleet Base East, Garden Island, for its third port visit in Australia, following visits to Darwin and Cairns. 

The visit forms part of a Western Pacific deployment providing expeditionary maintenance and logistics support to US Navy and allied partner vessels in support of the US 7th Fleet – the US Navy’s largest forward deployed numbered fleet.

The ship is also the temporary home to 17 Royal Australian Navy officers and sailors. These personnel are embedded with their US counterparts for a knowledge and training exchange, enhancing their skills and experience in nuclear-powered submarine maintenance.

United States Chargé d'Affaires Erika Olson and Deputy Commander Australian Fleet Commodore Ray Leggatt welcomed Emory S. Land to Sydney. Ms Olson highlighted the significance of the visit.

“The US-Australia alliance has a long and proud history. For decades, our partnership has helped ensure peace, security and stability in the region,” she said.

“The visit by Emory S. Land is another example of our regular joint military activity in which our two forces share valuable skills, knowledge and experience.”

While in Sydney, the crew of the ship will experience renowned hospitality and participate in community engagement and cultural activities, including volunteering at a food bank and playing soccer games with local club teams.

Commodore Leggatt said it was a pleasure to welcome the crew to Fleet Base East.

“It is an incredible opportunity for our Royal Australian Navy officers and sailors to train and learn from our US Navy partners,” Commodore Leggatt said.

“The deployment embodies our longstanding friendship and alliance with the US, and is an exciting step forward to developing Navy’s workforce in support of Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine capability.”

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Australia's weather heading off the rails — cold, snowy change followed by possible record 'blocking high'

Australia's typical settled winter weather will head off the rails during the next week.

Firstly, polar air from Antarctica is surging towards south-east Australia and will bring gusty winds, showers and low-level snow this weekend.

While midwinter cold outbreaks are typical, the subsequent weather through the coming week is nothing short of bizarre.

A strong high-pressure system is forecast to stall near Tasmania by Monday, a very unusual position for July, which will reverse the direction of prevailing winter winds and result in another extended spell of wet days along the east coast, prolonged icy weather across the interior and south, and possibly culminate in a major inland rain event towards next weekend.

The blocking high is looking so dominant it may even challenge Australia's all-time air pressure record.

Antarctic winds and snow close to Hobart, Melbourne

During the past 48 hours, a cold air mass originating over Antarctic waters has surged north and is now making landfall on Australia's southern coastline.

The intrusion of polar air into the mid-latitudes has generated a powerful cold front on its leading edge, whose passage over South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania will bring showers, gusty winds and alpine snow through Saturday.

The front is the strongest so far this winter and should bring a welcome 5–20mm of rain to drought-affected parts of southern SA and south-west Victoria, while dumping up to 20cm of snow on ski resorts.

Strong winds will also accompany the system, and warnings are current for damaging gusts along pockets of the ranges.

The rainband and front will then sweep north through western and southern NSW late on Saturday, before reaching northern NSW and southern Queensland on Sunday.

After milder weather during the past few days, the front's arrival will cause temperatures to drop, including maximums of 12C in Adelaide and Melbourne on Saturday, then on Sunday just 9C in Hobart and Canberra, and 15C in Sydney.

The post-frontal Antarctic winds will also lower the snow level — falling on Sunday to around 1,000 metres in Victoria and 700 metres in Tasmania, although the dryness of the polar air will limit snowfalls to only a dusting in most non-alpine regions.

Around Hobart, snow will blanket Mount Wellington and the odd flake may also settle on the higher hills on the city's outskirts.

The closest snow to Melbourne this weekend will fall around Mount Donna Buang, just north of Warburton.

Stalling high and week of rain for NSW, QLD coast

The front will clear off the east coast by Monday. However, behind it, a strong high-pressure system is predicted to stall near Tasmania, leading to another week where our weather grinds to a halt.

The high's southern position is abnormal for July, when high-pressure systems normally migrate to central Australia, leading to a reversal of the wind direction from a westerly to a south-easterly across southern states.

The prolonged spell of south-easterly winds will produce a string of wet days for the east coast as showers are driven in off the Coral and Tasman seas — a near-exact replica of the pattern in May when a blocking high brought 13 consecutive days of rain to Sydney.

Modelling is indicating the heaviest falls should impact the NSW north coast, where up to around 100mm is possible by next weekend, although, spread over a week, the rain is unlikely to trigger flooding.

Sydney could potentially see close to 100mm and Brisbane 50mm, nearly a month's worth of rain, continuing the 2024 trend where our east coast capitals' rainfall has far exceeded the southern states.

Sydney's rainfall in 2024 is the stand-out, already surpassing the annual average and exceeding the combined total from Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and Hobart.

Initially, this week's rain will mostly impact the east coast, however, modelling is also hinting of a major inland rain event towards next weekend as the easterly winds ultimately spread moisture into the interior.

The event could produce a season's worth of rain in just a few days across the outback, although it's too far ahead for a precise forecast.

Frosty week to bring Melbourne's coldest night in two years

Away from the east coast, the blocking high will lead to a string of chilly days and icy nights as the cold post-frontal air becomes trapped.

Adelaide is predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology to have both minimums and maximums below average until at least Thursday, while Melbourne shivers down to a frosty 1C on Wednesday morning, the city's coldest temperature in two years.

Subzero temperatures are even possible as far north as Alice Springs, where temperatures should drop from a high of 30C on Saturday to a minimum of -1C on Wednesday morning.

For alpine areas, the week will provide ample opportunity for snowmaking, however further natural falls (after this weekend) are unlikely into the foreseeable future.

High could break all-time pressure record

Blocking highs are common through autumn and early winter but become rare by July, when stronger jet streams keep weather patterns mobile.

This particular high is also abnormal due to its strength — at its peak, a central pressure predicted to exceed 1040 hectopascals.

The current all-time air pressure record in Australia is 1044hPa, observed at Launceston Airport on June 7, 1967, a figure which could be challenged if the high's centre drifts directly over Tasmania.

So how will the high pressure be felt on the ground?

Apart from lower-than-normal sea levels, the majority of humans can not detect changes in atmospheric pressure unless they ascend high into the atmosphere, however, many studies have linked changing pressure to the severity of some medical conditions like arthritis and headaches.

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