two handed yachts in sydney to hobart

Wendy Tuck and Campbell Geeves aboard Speedwell. Pic - Salty Dingo 2021 CG / RSHYR

Sydney Hobart two-handed sailors make history

For the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the super maxis and racing yachts had to share the media spotlight with a new division of boats.

The inaugural Two-Handed Division comprised of a fleet of 17 yachts, each with two sailors on board, started out on the 628 nautical mile race on Boxing Day.

The crew from Speedwell, Salt Shaker and Joker on Tourer talked to me about the highs and lows experienced on their journey south.

The two crew on board the Beneteau 34.7 Speedwell hoped to cross the finish line of the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in the early hours of Friday, December 31. But light winds pressed paused on their progress along the River Derwent, and they arrived much later in the day.

To be specific, at 2:36:20pm on New Year’s Eve, Speedwell, representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), co-skippered by Campbell Geeves and Wendy Tuck, crossed the finish line with the kite up at eight-knots.

Speedwell battled it out with the J/99 Rum Rebellion (Shane Connelly, Graeme Dunlop) for close to 24 hours before the finish. Rum Rebellion overtook Speedwell after she came to a standstill in converging breezes while rounding Tasman Island (south of Port Arthur). But after Rum Rebellion’s big spinnaker ripped, Speedwell took the lead again to finish 40 seconds ahead of its rivals.

Speedwell came fifth on line honours out of 10 finishers (from 17 starters) in the inaugural Two-Handed Division, and third on two-handed IRC.

“When we parked up in Storm Bay, that’s the worst night of sailing I’ve ever done,” Geeves said on the phone from Tasmania. At the time of our interview, he and Tuck were returning to the boat after a pub dinner. “To [Tuck’s] credit, she just kept going. She told me to go to bed which I did because I was pretty exhausted. But it was as frustrating and awful as anything I’ve had on a boat.

“But it was all worth it because we got on the podium.”

Tuck, a seasoned ocean racer and the first female skipper to win a Clipper Round the World Race in 2017-2018, said it was “pretty cool” to be involved in the first two-handed division of the race.

“We were part of history, and no one can take that away from you,” Tuck said. “And to be on the podium as well makes it a little bit extra special. It never really hit me how important it was until after the race.”

Speedwell, owned by Geeves’ father Colin, made it through a tough first 30 hours of the race, which was spent pounding into a 20 to 30-knots southerly (with squalls reaching up to 40 knots). To escape the challenging conditions, the duo sailed closer to the shore.

Geeves, like Tuck, is a veteran of ocean racing. The 2021 race marked Geeves 12 th Sydney Hobart and Tuck’s 14 th . Geeves admitted that the decision to sail closer to shore cost time, but ultimately gave them more energy to stay motivated for the Bass Strait crossing.

“We really raced hard, pushed the boat really hard, pushed each other hard, and here we are,” Geeves said.

For the rest of the race, the duo played the watch system by ear, taking breaks only when needed, and coming up on deck when the alarm – a hard persistent knock from whoever was on the deck – went off.

Tuck said she “loved the race. I don’t think there was a part of it that I didn’t love – except where I was trying to figure out was wrong with the HF radio.” Tuck was referring to her first radio ‘sked’ (a scheduled HF radio call with race officials), which almost ended up not happening due to an electronics issue.

The duo are proud of their grass-roots campaign that wouldn’t have been a success without the support of family and friends. They also had several sponsors, whose financial support meant that Speedwell received a new and improved sail wardrobe.

“It was fortuitous for us that the race was cancelled last year. We wouldn’t have made it to Hobart with the mainsail we had last year,” Tuck said.

Geeves and Tuck are not ruling out competing in the Two-Handed Division for the 77 th edition of the great race.  

“It’s infinitely harder and infinitely more rewarding,” Geeves said, comparing two-handed to fully crewed sailing.

Geeves hopes to compete in the two-handed again so that he is able to greet his father, Colin, at the end of the race.

“I want to give my dad a hug on Constitution Dock,” Geeves said. “It’d be a reason to go and do it again for me.”

Salt Shaker

Behind Speedwell on Two Handed IRC in fourth place, was the Sydney 36 Salt Shaker (CYCA), co-skippered by Peter Franki (61) and Drew Jones (56).

The duo had an exciting Sydney Harbour race start, almost going over the line at one minute to go after Jones got the wrong time on his watch display. But they were able to recover and exited the heads on the tail of the J/99 Disko Trooper_ Contender Sailcloth (Jules Hall and Jan Scholten). Disko Trooper went on to win the two-handed trophy, after winning on IRC.

Like Speedwell, Salt Shaker decided to stick to the slightly more sheltered in-shore route after Jones suffered from sea sickness in the first 24 hours.

But once they entered Bass Strait and the wind shifted to the north, they were able to make up for lost time.

“Our race kind of re-started,” Jones said on the phone from Hobart, with Franki by his side. “It was nice not being so close to the land and having more options.”

The Bass Strait crossing sounded like it couldn’t have been more perfect. Salt Shaker surfed the waves with the spinnaker flying, gaining 30 miles, according to Jones, on Disko Trooper in one day. Salt Shaker also kept pace with fully crewed sister ships – Midnight Rambler (Ed Psaltis) and Supernova (Alex Seja and Felicity Nelson). And unlike majority of crew on the bigger boats, Franki experienced the luxury of a “fantastic” hot shower.

Franki and Jones said they couldn’t have achieved fourth place on two-handed IRC without the modifications that transformed Salt Shaker into a two-handed ‘friendly’ yacht.

“The MVPs on the boat for me were between the dodger, the autopilot and the cunninghams for the reefing. The three modifications I think were the duck nuts. They made a big difference for us,” Jones said.

The Bass Strait crossing lost some of its lustre after they encountered light and shifting conditions upon entering Storm Bay.

The Elliott 1250 Tourer, Joker on Tourer (Grant Chipperfield and Peter Dowdney) soon put Franki and Jones’ chance of coming third on two-handed line honour s at risk. Jones said the “David Attenborough” like experience of passing the Iron Pot (on the eastern side of the River Derwent) teeming with marine life, became “painfully frustrating” after Salt Shaker travelled just 11 miles in five hours.

Despite not having a proper break for more than 10 hours, the duo managed to overtake Joker on Tourer again, beating Chipperfield and Dowdney over the line by 13 seconds.

Jones said, “The amount of emotion and effort put in when we crossed the line – I was just physically and emotionally spent. We played the boat, trimmed, gybed. It was intense right up to the finish line.

“And then crossing the line, the emotion of beating them by a boat length – it was mind boggling.”

Franki and Jones came third on two-handed line honours, behind the Akilaria RC2 Sidewinder (Rob Gough and John Saul) and Disko Trooper.

This Sydney Hobart was Franki’s fourth, while Jones was a first timer. But Jones is no sailing novice. Back in Sydney, he is a Senior Special Aquatic Events Officer for Roads & Maritime.

Franki said, “This is the first Hobart race I’ve done for around 30 years, and to be on the podium on my own boat with a close friend was like a dream come true.”

Franki and Jones are thinking about doing it all again in 2022. But if there is a next time, they hope the two-handed sailors will be allowed to contend for the Tattersall Cup – the prize for the overall corrected-time winner of the race (judged on handicap).

In 2021, the fleet was divided into fully crewed and two-handed divisions .

In Europe, the two-handed crew of Pascal and Alexis Loison won the 2013 Fastnet Race overall on IRC. Franki and Jones would like to see that opportunity given to two-handed Sydney Hobart sailors.

“I see it pretty simply,” Franki said. “It’s a race between yachts with crew, whether they’ve got 18 or two. All boats have to have crew. So why isn’t our boat fully crewed because it has two people? We can sail it effectively to its rating against fully crewed sister ships. It’s a race between boats with crew and it’s rated under the IRC rating. We are all of those things.

“Why single out auto pilot as mechanically advanced as opposed to powered winches or hydraulic motors?”

Franki and Jones, who liken themselves to Statler and Waldorf, the grumpy old men on the balcony in the Muppet Show, are content with two-handed life. A clean cabin, dry bunks, not having to contend with crew members they barely know and their idiosyncrasies. They also love its Corinthian appeal and the possibilities it offers for all sailors.

“[The fully-crewed Sydney 36] Supernova said ‘Oh my god, you guys are legends. How do you do it with two people?’” Jones said. “We said, ‘How the hell do you do it with eight?’”

Joker on Tourer

Keeping the Salt Shaker crew on their toes for the last stretch of the Sydney Hobart was the Elliott 1250 Tourer, Joker on Tourer (Martha Cove Yacht Squadron), co-skippered by Grant Chipperfield (56) and Peter Dowdney (57).

This race marked Dowdney’s 17 th Sydney Hobart campaign ‑ he has now finished 15. Usually, you would find him on the bow of racing yachts towards the top end of the fleet. In 1988, Dowdney, the Australasian Sales Manager for Ronstan, was the bow person on board Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin when she won Sydney Hobart line honours in 1988.

But in this Sydney Hobart, finishing a few days later than the maxis didn’t phase Dowdney, who was focussed on the challenges of sailing two-handed.

After “one of the best finishes” experienced by Dowdney in a Hobart Race, Joker on Tourer came fourth on two-handed line honoursand fourth on ORCi.

“I said to the guys at work, ‘If we can finish in the top five we’d be pretty happy.’ We did that, and not only did we finish top five, we were neck-and-neck for top three. That was a great result,” Dowdney said on the phone from Hobart, where he was preparing the boat for delivery back home to Melbourne.

The 2021 race challenged even the most seasoned sailors. Dowdney and Chipperfield had to hand-steer for the first 30 hours of the race, as the auto pilot struggled to navigate the boat effectively through the waves while sailing close hauled. This meant sacrificing rest time.

“We just kept telling each other that we had to get through the next 36 hours, get through that and we’re fine, we’re out the back door and into the lighter stuff,” Dowdney said.

“And it turned into the most magnificent crossing of Bass Strait I’ve ever done, it was unbelievable.”

The three hot showers and home cooked meals (such as spaghetti with meatballs and lasagne) that Dowdney wouldn’t never have experienced on a maxi yacht, were the icing on the cake.

However, like several of two-handed yachts, Joker on Tourer struggled as it sailed into Storm Bay at the mouth of the River Derwent, partly because of the extra “caravan” weight after the 15-knot northerly fizzled out.

“Storm Bay was a race in itself, the river was a race in itself,” Dowdney said. “To race four, five days and to finish literally overlapped by the boat you’re trying to beat was an incredible experience.”

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Race finish confirmed Chipperfield and Dowdney’s to be competent two-handed offshore sailors and Joker on Tourer’s ability to handle a range of conditions. The duo will now focus on the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup. In the lead-up to this 5000-plus nautical mile two-handed yacht race (the equivalent to 10 Sydney Hobart races), Chipperfield and Dowdney plan to race in the 2022 Sydney Noumea Yacht Race and the 50 th anniversary of the Melbourne Hobart Westcoaster.

The Sydney Hobart also confirmed that Chipperfield and Dowdney are in it together for the long run.

Dowdney said, “To me, what you put under us is probably less relevant than who you put yourself with. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the best boat, you’re going to be s*** house if you don’t get on. So I think Grant has presented us with this opportunity. He’s got this beautiful boat that’s quite quick and competitive, and we sail well together. It’s the perfect pairing for Osaka.”

As to his thoughts on the future of two-handed sailing in the Sydney Hobart? “I think two-handed is here to stay and it’s only going to get bigger, bigger, bigger and bigger.”

By Greta Quealy

For the full RSHYR results, see: https://rolexsydneyhobart.com/standings/

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At the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Women Are Making Their Mark

The event is attracting more female skippers than in previous years, and many own the boats.

By David Schmidt

The skippers competing in the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race dream of winning a top trophy in this challenging offshore race. This year, 10 of them will be women.

While a female-skippered team has not won the Tattersall Cup, which is awarded to the race’s overall winner, more women have been competing in the race as skippers the last few years. It reflects the expanding ranks in sailing of experienced women, the creation of the race’s two-handed class and an uptick in the number of female boat owners.

Women have been participating in the Sydney Hobart race since 1946, with Jane Tate aboard the Active and Dagmar O’Brien on the Connella. The first all-women’s team, skippered by Vicki Willman, raced in 1975 aboard Barbarian, a 38-foot yacht.

This year, 10 women plan to compete as skippers and co-skippers. This follows an upward trend: nine women raced in 2022 as skippers and co-skippers, and seven competed in 2021. In 2019, this number was six, while three competed in the 2017 and 2018 events.

“It is a changed world for the better,” said Adrienne Cahalan , a two-time Tattersall Cup-winning navigator. She plans to start her 31st race — a record for women — as navigator aboard the 66-foot yacht Alive this year.

“Women are accepted as equal players and leaders,” Cahalan said of the race, noting that women are underrepresented in the Sydney Hobart only among the professional and big-boat crews.

The race, which starts on Tuesday, began in 1945 and is a serious affair. Six sailors died and five yachts sank in the 1998 event. Veterans call it one of the world’s greatest, and hardest , offshore races.

The 628-nautical-mile course begins in Sydney Harbor . After exiting protected waters, teams turn south-southwest and race down the New South Wales coastline, before crossing Bass Strait. This shallow-water swath separates Australia from Tasmania and can sometimes create boat-breaking waves.

Then, navigators approach Tasman Island before the boats make the final 40-mile push across Storm Bay and up the River Derwent to Hobart.

For women, a big part of their overall increase as skippers, sailors said, was because of an inclusive and welcoming community that helped create opportunities.

“There’s a women’s sailing network in Sydney where there’s a lot of engagement from females,” said Lt. Tori Costello, who plans to co-skipper the Royal Australian Navy’s 40-foot Navy One this year. “There’s been so many more females just being involved, being given opportunities to get out there and race.”

Sailors said this change was helped by the creation of women’s sailing events, including the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta and the Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series. They also cite SheSails, an Australian organization that encourages female participation in sailing, and several active women’s-sailing Facebook groups and clubs, as contributing factors.

Internationally, they point to the Magenta Project, which works to create better equity and inclusion within sailing, as another important element.

“Just about every sailing club I know of has a women’s group actively educating and providing opportunities for women” said Kathy Veel, the owner and a skipper of the 30-foot Currawong and a three-time race veteran. “There are now many very skilled, experienced yachtswomen who seek the challenge of being in charge.”

Another catalyst, sailors say, was the creation of the race’s two-handed class, which debuted in 2021. While most boats racing to Hobart have a full crew, two-handed teams race with just two people.

“Even if you don’t own the boat, the second person in most cases is a co-skipper,” said Wendy Tuck, the first woman to win an around-the-world race as skipper and a two-time two-handed class veteran. “It is a great opportunity.”

While two-handed sailing doubles the number of skipper roles, it requires, and breeds, a high level of competency and trust.

“Two-handed racing is a great format for fast-tracking skills in all aspects of sailing and seamanship,” Veel said.

After all, one skipper often sleeps while the other stands watch.

Many yachts that compete in the two-handed class are about 30 to 40 feet long. This matters, as their smaller sails generate less load than the bigger yachts.

“The smaller size of most two-handed boats makes them very manageable for female sailors,” Bridget Canham said. In 2022, she and Veel became the first all-women’s two-handed team to complete the race; they plan to compete together again this year.

Annika Thomson, skipper and an owner of the 52-foot Ocean Crusaders J-Bird, said that it was not as daunting to race two-handed aboard the smaller boats. She would know: In 2022, Thomson and her husband, Ian, raced their 52-footer two-handed to Hobart.

She was skipper.

“It’s not recommended,” she said as a joke, of racing a big, powerful boat double-handed to Hobart. “We did it, now we forgot all about it.”

This year, Thomson plans to skipper her boat with a crew of 11, including her husband, who will navigate.

While professionally-run yachts often hire professional skippers, many amateur teams are led by owner-skippers.

“Sometimes to take on a leadership role a person needs to create their own opportunities,” Cahalan said. “For example, by buying or chartering your own boat and putting your own team together.”

She isn’t alone in this thinking: Seven of the nine female-led boats are racing with full crews.

“My thought is always, and always has been, if I want to skipper a yacht, I probably need to own it,” Thomson said. “The more women that own yachts, the more women who are encouraged to buy their own yachts.”

Case in point: Of the nine female-led yachts, seven are owned or co-owned by women. These include Thomson’s 52-footer, Hilary Arthure’s 35-foot Wyuna, and Jiang Lin’s 34-foot Min River.

There’s more than pride in vessel ownership at stake. The Sydney Hobart race can award dozens of trophies. Of these, three are specifically reserved for women

For some skippers, these aren’t enough.

“While these trophies are great in that they acknowledge the women who were pioneers and role models in the sport, the prize women really want to win now is the Tattersall Cup,” Veel said.

“I think it’s much more likely a female two-handed boat could win a division,” she said, pointing to the costs and complexities of campaigning a competitive yacht. “But I don’t want to rule anything out.”

Thomson was more optimistic. “It would be really cool if someone took it up this year,” she said, referring to the Tattersall Cup.

Still, she was realistic.

“How long is a piece of string?” she asked, using an Australian phrase meaning that something is only finished when it’s finished.

Trophies aside, sailors said the real rewards of skippering a yacht in this race were camaraderie, teamwork and the chance to lead a team through a demanding test.

Half of the race is “not the best times, and you’re questioning why you’re doing it,” said Costello of the often-rough conditions. “It comes back down to those moments where you’re wide-eyed and it’s a bit crazy out there, and everyone has that knowing look like, ‘OK, we’re going to get through this.’”

And, with more women taking on this leadership challenge, sailors said the race’s future had never looked more inclusive.

“Women are a big part of the population, so we aren’t going anywhere,” said Tuck, who plans to start her 16th race this year as a watch captain aboard Disko Trooper, a 32-footer. “Well, yes,” she corrected, “we are going to Hobart.”

Published on December 31st, 2023 | by Editor

Double win for two-handed team in Sydney Hobart

Published on December 31st, 2023 by Editor -->

Rupert Henry believes his two-handed boat, Mistral, can one day win the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall after he sailed the Lombard 34 to two-handed line honors in the 2023 edition on December 30.

Co-skippered by Henry and French based Australian, Jack Bouttell, their effort in the 628 nautical mile Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s race also earned them handicap honors to successfully defend their two-handed division win from last year.

And for the entire fleet, Mistral finished sixth overall.

Alive, an RP66, was confirmed as the overall winner shortly before Mistral finished. Behind Alive overall is URM Group, Moneypenny, the two maxis LawConnect and Andoo Comanche, and then Mistral followed by the third 100-footer, Wild Thing 100.

“I am surprised we did that well,” said Henry, who placed 29th overall last year. “I am really happy with that. Top 10 is great. It’s pretty fine company.” Bouttell added, “Seeing the caliber of the fleet and how many boats, it’s a really nice finish.”

But Henry feels there is more in the tank. “It can win, for sure,” he admitted. “That’s our goal; but 24 hours before the start, the forecast didn’t look like it was going to go our way.

“The race was pretty much true to forecast weather wise. It was slower than we would have liked. It was good sailing, demanding with the way the transitions were – there were several – and quite a strong breeze at times, a lot of upwind. It was a good sailor’s race.”

The transitions began early when the fleet sailed into rain, thunderstorms, and lightning. “The first day and night was weird, with thunderstorm activity coming off the NSW coast,” said Henry. “It made things interesting. We handled the cloud movements pretty well. We got becalmed a couple of times. The lighting was scary but we managed to keep moving.

“We were pleased with the way we went through that first 24, 36 hours. We had a good lead by the time we got to Green Cape, over 30 miles on the other double-handers, but then we parked for half a day. It was like a restart. Everyone regathered … then off we went.”

The second half of the race threw up its challenges as there was a lot of upwind. “We thought it was just a matter of pushing it hard, trying to get every ounce out of the boat, not stuffing everything up,” noted Henry. “Just keep building, rebuild the lead that we thought we’d got the first day and a half.”

Henry admitted the final two nights weren’t too comfortable. “Freezing … pelting rain that damages your eyes.” Bouttell concurred: “It was a pretty full on night. Especially at the end of a race.”

This was Bouttell’s fourth Sydney Hobart, but his first with Henry. While Bouttell had crewed with Henry in France beforehand, more recently he had sailed in the single-handed Figaro class or the bigger foiling IMOCA class.

“This was quite a quite a change,” said Bouttell. “I haven’t sailed on a little boat for a while. It was really nice, a very technical race course, big areas to get it wrong and not many areas to get it right. I was just trying to stay consistent, not make any race-ending issues.

“There was just always something to do. In double-handed, it’s important to really talk through the strategy and tactics. You don’t get too much rest.

“Each of us pushed when it was needed, and let the other one have a rest when it was needed. That was good. We got through that pretty well and had good communication.”

Details: https://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/

The 628 nm course for the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has several key features following the exit from Sydney Harbor on December 26. Most notable is the crossing of the easternmost edge of the exposed Bass Strait, a notorious expanse of water that can serve up punishing and violent waves, and then periods when the sea is calm as the wind fades. The final stretch up the Derwent River into Hobart can be either kind or cruel when deciding the results of the race.

Source: RSHYR

Tags: Jack Bouttell , Rupert Henry , Sydney Hobart

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Mistral confirmed Two-Handed Division winner in 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

120 boats locked in for 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

• 29 Oct, 2022 08:36:00 AM

Multiple former winners, international entrants and a record number of two-handed competitors headline a strong contingent of 120 boats entered for the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Entries closed on Friday 28 October for the 77 th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the race organiser, welcoming a truly international fleet for the first time since 2019.

Four 100-foot maxis will lead the battle for Line Honours. John Winning Jr has chartered the VPLP 100 Andoo Comanche, which has won Line Honours on three occasions, including a current race record in 2017 for Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant.

Mark Bradford will skipper Peter Harburg’s Reichel/Pugh 100 Black Jack, the 2021 Line Honours winner. Hamilton Island Wild Oats, which holds the record for most Line Honours wins (9), returns to the race for the first time since 2019, with Mark Richards again at the helm of the Oatley family’s Reichel/Pugh 100, formerly named Wild Oats XI.

Christian Beck’s Juan-K 100 LawConnect – a Line Honours winner for Anthony Bell as Perpetual LOYAL in 2016 – will look to go one better, having finished second over the line last year.

A highly competitive field of mini maxis features the 2018 Tattersall Cup winner, Alive, as well as Moneypenny, No Limit, Stefan Racing, URM Group, Whisper and Willow .

Duncan Hine, who skippered Philip Turner’s Reichel/Pugh 66 Alive to the overall win four years ago, says the Tasmanian boat is ready to reclaim one of ocean racing’s most coveted trophies.

"We’re going great guns really," Hine said. "The boat is going well and all of our maintenance seems to be up to date.

"We’ve got a good crew. We get along well and that’s how we run the boat. We want to enjoy the sailing.

"It’s not all about the outcome, because the outcome comes down to the weather, provided you’ve sailed it well."

Boats will travel from around the world to take on the 628 nautical mile race, including from Germany ( Orione ), Great Britain ( Sunrise ), Hungary ( Cassiopeia 68 ), New Caledonia ( Eye Candy and Poulpito ), New Zealand ( Caro ) and USA ( Warrior Won ).

Caro and Warrior Won are part of what will be a highly-anticipated tussle between the 52-footers, including Matt Allen’s Botin 52 Ichi Ban , which won a record-equalling third Tattersall Cup in 2021, and another former winner, Craig Neil’s TP52 Quest (winner as Quest in 2008 and Balance in 2015).

Other 52s to watch include Sam Haynes’ TP52 Celestial (second overall in 2021), Gweilo, KOA, Maritimo, Patrice, Smuggler and Zen.

The Farr 43 Wild Oats, overall winner for Roger Hickman in 2014 as Wild Rose, will be skippered by Brett Eagle.

Chutzpah, Midnight Rambler, Sail Exchange and White Bay 6 Azzurro are some of the strong contenders in the 30-40-foot range.

Sean Langman’s 9-metre Ranger Maluka, skippered by his son Peter, is the smallest boat in the fleet. She is one of six boats under 10-metres in length.

Following a successful introduction to the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Two-Handed Division has grown to 22 boats for this year’s race.

Two-handed entrants will this year be able to compete for the Tattersall Cup.

Carlos Aydos’ S&S 34 Crux (co-skippered by Peter Grayson) was one of the standout competitors in 2021, finishing second in the Two-Handed Division.

Crux is in good form, recently finishing fourth overall behind Andoo Comanche, URM Group and Moneypenny in the Tollgate Islands Race .

"It’s really cool to see we have increased the number of two-handers," Aydos said. "I’d love to see the two-handed fleet continue to grow.

"It’s a lot less hectic for us this year. Last year there was so much preparation to get the boat ready. It was our first Hobart together, so we had so many boxes to tick and equipment to buy.

"This year we are able to focus a lot more on the racing side of the things rather than preparation.

"Peter and I have stayed together as a team so we know each other well. We don’t need to talk to teach other too much; we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

"This year has been nice in that regard – we’re feeling more comfortable with the boat and with each other."

Tasmanians Rob Gough and John Saul were the first two-handed competitors to finish the Rolex Sydney Hobart, on Gough’s Akilaria RC2 Sidewinder (now entered fully-crewed by Louis Ryckmans as Yeah Baby ) . Gough and Saul are back in the fleet but this time on Rob’s Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 Kraken.

Kraken is one of five Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300s racing two-handed, alongside Hip-Nautic, Sun Fast Racing, Transcendence Crento and Tumbleweed .

Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham will race together on the Currawong 30 Currawong, while Campbell Geeves and Wendy Tuck are again teaming up on Speedwell.

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race begins in Sydney Harbour at 1pm (AEDT) on Monday 26 December.

To view the full list of entrants, visit the Yachts page .

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A Race for the Ages

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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.  

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect wins Sydney to Hobart line honours after two-way river battle

Live Moment Sport Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect wins Sydney to Hobart line honours after two-way river battle

In a finish for the ages, LawConnect has sensationally overtaken Andoo Comanche in the final moments to snatch line honours in the 2023 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Andoo Comanche held the lead a lot more comfortably when rounding the Tasman Peninsula and entering the River Derwent for the final sprint, but LawConnect started to rapidly gain on them.

The speedier LawConnect closed several nautical miles between them along the river until they were neck and neck to a nail-biting finish. 

LawConnect's finish time in the end was 1 day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Andoo Comanche's was just 51 seconds behind.

If you're new to the Sydney to Hobart race, we've got a shortcut guide at the bottom of the story. Tap the link below to get the gist of the race: Explained: Common Sydney to Hobart yacht race questions 

LawConnect owner Christian Beck described their dramatic win as a dream come true.

"I can't believe that result. Honestly, it's a dream come true," he said.

"I never thought it was possible, actually."

Despite trailing by a significant margin as they passed the Iron Pot on the final approach, LawConnect had the advantage of being able to watch Andoo Comanche to see where the slow spots were.

LawConnect entered with a protest flag flying, after being on standby for about 30 minutes during the race due to concerns Andoo Comanche was in distress, but a formal protest was not lodged.

There was also some interference from a spectator boat in the final moments, with a catamaran passing close to Andoo Comanche and the crew being seen yelling and gesturing.

Tasmania Police said this afternoon 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.

Sailing master Tony Mutter said spectator boats were something the competitors had to deal with.

"It's pretty fair that everyone had troubles with the spectator boats. That's part of it when it's so busy," he said.

Andoo Comanche skipper John Winning Jr said they only had themselves to blame for the last-minute loss.

"We should have been miles ahead of them with our boat," he said.

"The conditions suited us, I think they just outsailed us."

First local boat home

URM Group has claimed third place line honours, crossing the finish line at 3:07pm to record a race time of 2 days, 2 hours, 7 minutes and 19 seconds.

The first Tasmanian yacht to finish, Alive, crossed the line almost 12 minutes later.

Alive is currently in first place to win overall handicap honours.

Four yachts have now docked at Kings Pier, with Moneypenny and Wild Thing 100 expected to be the next to arrive.

Live Moment

Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live moment.

Possible problem?

In the final moments, a catamaran appeared to cut in front of Andoo Comanche as the boat turned into the finish.

Eyewitness accounts say crew on Comanche were yelling at the catamaran to move as they tried to turn.

Could this make for an official race protest? We'll have to see.

What an incredible finish

After leading all the way into the River Derwent, Andoo Comanche won't make it back-to-back Line Honours wins. LawConnect snatched it away from them at the last moment!

How incredible. These boats set off together three days ago and it came down to mere seconds to the finish.

LawConnect wins Line Honours!

Wondering what this is? Join us next time we're live and be part of the discussion.

It has been a testing 78th edition of the Sydney to Hobart, with a man overboard, stormy seas, damaged yachts and rapid wind changes.

Eleven boats have retired, including race favourite SHK Scallywag, which broke its bow sprit on the first day.

The skipper of two-handed Rum Rebellion, Shane Connelly, was sent overboard at 6pm on Boxing Day after encountering rapid wind changes off the coast between Cronulla and Wollongong.

Two-handed Currawong also retired, after facing various issues in rough conditions off New South Wales.

Owner Kathy Veel said they were disappointed but believed they made the right decision.

"Last night was quite difficult and there was a lot more of that ahead of us in a long race," she said.

They were the last boat to cross the finishing line at last year's event, making a well-received arrival in Hobart at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Your questions answered

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions.

Who won Sydney to Hobart 2023?

When we talk about the Sydney to Hobart race, there are two major "winners":

• Line honours: This is the order in which boats cross the finish line.
• Overall winners: The order of winners once race times have been calculated to take into account the differences between boats (handicaps). This is because the boats aren't exactly the same — adjustments have to be made for things like the weight and length of the boat.

Line honours will always go to the biggest, fastest yachts (supermaxis) but is likely one of the smaller vessels will be crowned the overall winner (which is seen as the more prestigious of the two prizes).

Here's the line honours as of Thursday morning:

• 1. LawConnect
• 2. Andoo Comanche

The difference between the two was just 51 seconds. 

But the overall winner won't be decided for days. 

Until then, we can only wait.

However, before the race, there were a few main contenders for the overall title – here they are listed in alphabetical order:

• Andoo Comanche
• SHK Scallywag

Who owns LawConnect?

Christen Beck. 

Mr Beck is the founder of a legal software company, which he created off the back of building a system for his father's legal firm in the 90s. 

In 2017, he was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2018, he was ranked 99th on the Financial Review's Rich List . 

Who owns Andoo Comanche?

John 'Herman' Winning Jnr.

He's the chief executive of Winning Appliances, a company started by his great grandfather in 1906. 

Mr Winning Jnr took over the role from his father in 2011. 

How far is the Sydney to Hobart distance?

It's a 628-nautical-mile course – that's  1,163 kilometres .

Starting at Sydney Harbour, the course runs down the south-east coast of Australia, across the Bass Strait before turning into the Derwent River to finish in Hobart. 

It usually takes about 48 hours for the first boat to cross the finish line.

What is a nautical mile?

A nautical mile is the equivalent to 1.852 kilometres .

It's an internationally used standardised term used for maritime navigation, based on the Earth's latitude and longitude coordinates.

A nautical mile is the equivalent of one minute of latitude. 

Because of this, a nautical mile is slightly longer than land mile. 

How many boats are in the Sydney to Hobart race?

There's 103 this year. 

What is the prize for Sydney to Hobart?

There's no prize money – just trophies. Here's the two main ones:

• JH Illingworth Challenge Cup: This is for the line honours winner – which is the first boat to cross the finish line.
• Tattersalls Cup: This goes to the overall winner.

What's the Sydney to Hobart record?

The line honours record is 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds .

It was set in 2017 by LDV Comanche.

If you've got even more questions, go read out Sydney to Hobart explainer  or tap the link below to jump back to the top of the story.

Take me back to the top to read the recap

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