sydney to hobart yacht race winner 2023

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Tasmanian yacht Alive claims overall Sydney to Hobart win

• Duncan Hine-skippered yacht declared winner of Tattersall Cup
• At least 17 retirements confirmed as crews battle stormy conditions

A first-day “blow out” of their best sail wasn’t enough to stop Alive from clinching a second overall victory in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race .

The Duncan Hine-skippered 66-footer arrived at Constitution Dock on Thursday atop the leaderboard on corrected handicap time. With no competitors able to beat her mark, Alive’s crew was presented with the prestigious Tattersall Cup on Saturday morning.

Alive, handicap winner in 2018, becomes just the second Tasmanian yacht with two overall titles after Westward in 1947 and 1948.

“I think she is probably the best mini-maxi around. She hasn’t dated,” Hine said. “She is still as solid as a rock. Most of the modern ones, they sustain a fair bit of damage. This girl, she’s built for it.”

Hine said there were some anxious moments after a decision to sail further off the coast following the Boxing Day start. “We were one sail down and the best sail for the race, we blew it out on the first day,” he said. “It had done its life, we probably should have replaced it before this race.”

Hine said experienced navigator Adrienne Cahalan, who now has three overall wins to go with six lines honours victories from 31 Sydney to Hobarts, was “colossal”. “She’s got a meteorology degree ... and has more of an idea of what is happening in the systems (than others),” Hine said. “I can’t think of many guys I know that have done 31 (races). She’s stoic, she’s tough.”

Alive was fourth past the post with a time of two days, two hours, 19 minutes and four seconds, about seven hours behind line honours winner LawConnect. LawConnect pipped fellow 100ft supermaxi Andoo Comanche by just 51 seconds in the second-closest finish in race history.

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There were 39 yachts across the finish line at midday on Saturday from a starting fleet of 103. The casualty list has grown to 17 with Helsel 3 pulling the pin after diverting to Port Arthur in southern Tasmania with unspecified damage.

The fleet battled squally conditions as well as a storm on the first night of the race. A gale wind warning is in place for waters off Tasmania’s lower east and south-east coast where the majority of remaining competitors are placed.

Gunshot, a 52-footer skippered by NSW’s David Walsh, was towed by a police vessel on Friday night after earlier retiring due to mainsail damage. The crew of 10 was heading to Cape Barren Island off the northeast coast of Tasmania when they asked for a tow because they could only sail at one knot. The yacht was safely anchored off Flinders Island on Saturday morning awaiting more favourable weather.

Two-handed yacht Sylph VI, featuring skipper Bob Williams and his cat Oli, is bringing up the tail of the fleet and is not expected to arrive until the new year.

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VIDEO : Sydney to Hobart yacht race 2023 overall winner Alive takes the cup for a second time

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Alive is the overall champion, with times adjusted for handicaps like boat length, while LawConnect won line honours for being the first yacht across the finish line.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner decided by 51 seconds

• Helen Fretter
• December 27, 2023

The 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours battle is settled in the final gybe after one of the closest finishes in the race’s history, with Law Connect winning ahead of long-time leader Andoo Comanche.

Law Connect has won the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours, after the closest finish in over 40 years, which ended in a gybe-for-gybe battle up the Derwent River against long-time leader Andoo Comanche .

Andoo Comanche held the advantage going into the Derwent with a two-mile lead, John Winning Jr’s crew crowded onto the bow in the light early morning winds to try and lift Comanche’s 8m beamy transom, which gives the yacht the nickname the ‘aircraft carrier’.  

Law Connect followed up the Derwent River with a knot or two more breeze, and were able to close the gap some two miles from the finish line, but the waters outside Hobart were littered with glassy patches, and each boat repeatedly battled to maintain hull speed through windless holes.

After 628 miles of racing, the lead changed repeatedly in the final half hour, with Law Connect taking the advantage on the final gybe for the line to roll over the top of Andoo Comanche and cross the line ahead.  

Law Connect overtakes Andoo Comanche metres from the finish line of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

It was an exceptional display of light winds tactical match racing, with Law Connect helmsman Tony Mutter and tactician Chris Nicholson directing Christian Beck’s team to victory, after being 2nd on three previous years . Law Connect crossed the Castray Esplanade finish line in Hobart at 08.03.58am local time after 1 day 19 hours 03 minutes 58 seconds of racing.

Beck gave a self-deprecating speech after, praising the crew for their efforts on a boat he admitted was not as fast or well-funded as their rivals. “I honestly can’t believe it. I rated it about a 25% chance we’d win, so to win was just amazing.

“An hour ago we were about 3 miles behind Comanche, so to win – I still can’t believe it.”

Law Connect (SYD 1000)a Juan K 100ft Custom design, on its way to winning the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Mixed 2023 Sydney Hobart Race

The 2023 edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart has so far seen truly mixed conditions. The Boxing Day start delivered its customary spectacle, as the three 100ft maxis led the fleet out of a packed Sydney Habour. Law Connect gave an impromptu demonstration of how to gybe a giant overlapping headsail after breaking a furling line that left them unable to tack around a turning mark, while Scallywag took penalty turns once in clear water after a port-starboard incident with Comanche shortly after the start.

Start of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Over the first two days of racing the fleet had to contend with electrical storms, squalls and severe sea states, as well as periods of light winds, and there have been 11 retirements so far. They included another line honours hopeful, the 100ft Scallywag , which had to retire after snapping the bowsprit in the first day of racing.

Other boats retired due to rigging damage, mainsail damage, and severe seasickness caused by the unpleasant sea state.  

Most dramatically the double-handed entry Rum Rebellion retired after being knocked down and having a Man Overboard, who was safely recovered.  

Co-skipper Shane Connelly reported that they were approximately 20 miles offshore on the first evening of the race, sailing under full main and spinnaker in 6-10 knots of wind, when the wind suddenly increased to over 16 knots with a ‘ferocious’ looking storm cloud approaching from behind.  

The duo prepared to drop the spinnaker, but a micro-burst of wind hit the yacht, causing a knockdown. Connelly, who had gone forwards during the spinnaker drop, was thrown overboard but tethered, and as the boat righted was lifted back onboard. He reported after: “The safety drills and systems all worked and we could sort ourselves out”

The stormy conditions caused issues across the fleet on the first night. Aboard the Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes crew member Geoff Cropley reported this morning: “We had lightning and thunder for hours. Then there was a major wind shift which auto gybed the boat.

“The spinnaker got wrapped in the drop, along with spinnaker staysail. All the team was up and trying to untwist and get that down. It took us about 40 minutes. We were heading north-east and sailing backwards for a period of time.

“We’re now hunkered down with a reef in the main. There’s little bit of blue sky. It’s quite nice out here.”

Azzuro, an S&S 34 owned by Jack Kliner, with crew including Jessica Watson, during the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Meanwhile the battle for IRC overall continues. IRC 1 contender Alive , a Reichel Pugh 66 with a talent-packed crew including Gavin Brady, Stu Bannatyne and legendary Australian navigator Adrienne Cahalan, a veteran of 30 Hobart races. Close behind them on the IRC rankings is Hobart grandee, Sean Langman on the Reichel Pugh 69 Moneypenny led IRC 0, while the  S&S 34 Azzurro raced by Jessica Watson  is fastest of the small boats on the current IRC rankings.  

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2023 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Final Day Results and Overall Winner Revealed

The 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race concluded with 71 boats finished, leaving 14 racing and 18 retirements, including the octogenarian David Henry's campaign due to rig damage. Tasmanian entry, Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine, secured its second victory in five years as the overall winner of the race.

The conclusion of the prestigious Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the victory of the Tasmanian entry, Alive, signifies the culmination of efforts and perseverance in the challenging race, impacting the participants and sailing community.

• 71 boats finished the race
• 14 boats are still racing
• 18 retirements occurred
• 71 boats finished, 14 are still racing, and 18 retired
• Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine, was declared the overall winner
• Octogenarian David Henry's campaign ended due to rig damage

Teams and participants will likely evaluate their performance and strategies in preparation for future races, drawing inspiration from the outcomes of the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The culmination of the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the victory of Alive highlights the resilience and determination of the participants, inspiring future endeavors in the sailing community.

Read more at www.sail-world.com

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

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Overall Winner Contenders line up behind the Tattersall Cup | Andrea Francolini

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Overall Winners Contenders Conference

Sam Haynes dismisses the notion that there is a target on his back as the owner/skipper of the defending overall Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race champion boat  Celestial.   Asked on Wednesday as he sat among a panel of contenders for this year’s race that starts at 1pm Tuesday – Boxing Day – he instead pointed to his right, at the Tattersall Cup.   “The target is there … we’ve got a beautiful trophy,” Haynes said at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney today.   “We’ve got the Rolex watch (awarded to both the overall and line honours winner each year). There’s the honour of winning the race … that is the target.   “We’re all trying for the same thing. I don’t think anyone’s going to set up their boat specifically to try and challenge my boat.   “We all know where boats have their strengths and weaknesses. And we all work on trying to improve the weaknesses and maintain strengths at the same time.”

The Tattersall Cup is one of the most coveted trophies in the world of ocean racing. Every skipper in the Sydney Hobart fleet dreams of holding it. Celestial,  a TP52, is one of a number of previous overall winners in this year’s race. Others include  Alive, Bumblebee V, Love & War  and the Farr 43  Wild Oats . In a race riddled with so much uncertainty, pinpointing an outright favourite for the overall win is fraught with risk. No skipper will embrace the title as favourite. That is certainly the case this year, with the long range weather forecast more uncertain than usual. This year’s 628 nautical mile race could see any number of boats win. Celestial  is a real contender: “We have had a lot of expectation from the last two years. To back that up is a massive challenge,” Haynes admitted. “Since last year we have made some modifications to the rigging that could help in upwind conditions, but we do prefer hard downwind running,” he said.

One of  Celestial ’s big challengers is the Botin 52,  Caro . It is a world class offshore campaigner that placed third to  Celestial  last year in its Sydney Hobart debut. Skippered by Max Klink,  Caro  has won the Rolex Fastnet Race this year. On the Sydney Hobart, he said, “Maybe the forecast will show a bit more of a mix. That might be better for us.” Hoping for tougher conditions is Anthony Johnston, owner of the Reichel/Pugh 72  URM Group , which has raced superbly this season. “If it’s light conditions, it will favour the smaller boats and TP52s, but if it’s heavy, we will be in a very good position [to contend for the win] ,” Johnston said.

Given the right conditions, the small boats could also be in with a chance of challenging.   Simon Torvaldsen, owner/skipper of the newly built JPK 11.80, At omic Blonde , said limited time on the water since its October launch may be its biggest threat.   “Under the right circumstances, if all goes well, it’s in with a chance,” Torvaldsen said. “But I have to admit … we just cannot be as well prepared as the guys who’ve been spending the last year or two tuning and testing their boats.”   Marc Michel, owner of the Kiwi two-handed Dehler 30OD,  Niksen , said their boat is as well prepared as it can be. He and co-skipper, Logan Fraser, sailed it from New Zealand to Sydney for the race.   Launched two years ago and now with 5,0000 sea miles of racing to its record,  Niksen  also sailed in the CYCA’s recent Cabbage Tree Island Race.   Michel, as with most skippers, said the priority will be to finish first in the Two-Handed division and then see how they place overall in that division before assessing their overall prospects in the open fleet.   “We have to focus first on the two-handed division. For anyone who finishes, let alone place, that is an enormous achievement,” Michel said.

Written by Rupert Guinness | RSHYR Media

Internationally, the race will be available through YouTube on  CYCATV  or on Facebook  Rolex Sydney Hobart page .  For the full list of entries and more information about the race, visit  rolexsydneyhobart.com .

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'Can't do that': Protest flag waved as drama engulfs start of 2023 Sydney to Hobart race

The start of this year's iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race included a dose of controversy, with reigning champion Andoo Comanche involved in an incident with a rival supermaxi.

On a gloomy day in the harbour city, last year's victor almost collided with Scallywag just minutes after the race began, with Andoo Comanche opting to raise the protest flag.

The crew claimed the rival boat forced them to avert their path to avoid a collision and decided to lodge a protest with the officials.

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"It's a classic port-and-starboard," Andoo Comanche master Iain Murray told the broadcast on Tuesday.

"That's too close. You can't do that with 100-footers."

Scallywag could complete a 720-degree penalty turn near Bondi, exonerating herself in the process and avoiding a potential showdown with the judges at the finishing line.

While the drama unfolded, LawConnect took an early lead despite an issue with a problematic headsail.

The conditions in Sydney were erratic earlier in the day, with thunderstorms around the harbour at midday, but the rain had passed by the time the ships set sail at 1pm.

The forecast for the next 48 hours aren't pretty viewing, with Murray admitting potential thunder and lightning could be worrisome for Andoo Comanche.

"We don't like thunderstorms ... we get wet but it's also very volatile for the wind," he said.

"These big 100-footers, you have big sails and little sails and changing them is quite a process so you have to be well ahead of the curve and plan for it.

"It's not like a little boat where it's just bang, change the sails. It's a half-hour mission to rig the boat for whatever you get.

"These volatile conditions are really testing for the big boats."

The line-honours winner should sail into Hobart harbour some time on Thursday.

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Watch as two of the world’s. Andoo comanche’s was just 51 seconds behind.

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The race will depart from nielsen park in sydney harbor and takes the international fleet more than 1100 kilometers ( approximately 630 nautical miles) to arrive at the finish line.

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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!