willow yacht sydney to hobart

Race record in sight for leaders in Sydney to Hobart yacht race

Andoo comanche is on track to reach the finish line on wednesday evening with a time that is more than two hours faster than the current race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds..

Andoo Comanche is on track to potentially set a new record. The time to beat is one day, nine hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi

• In the first few minutes of the race, boats nearly collided.
• The first vessel to retire was Avalanche, a couple of hours into the race.
• There is the potential for the race record to be broken with the favourable wind conditions.

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Jim Cooney Announces New Sponsor, Willow, for 2020 Rolex Sydney Hobart

Article by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Following his 2019 line honours victory in  Comanche , Jim Cooney returns for the 76th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to skipper a familiar boat with a new name.

Cooney has renamed his Volvo 70, previously known as  Maserati  to  Willow,  after the Australian Technology Company of which he became a Board Member in 2019.

Cooney purchased the yacht in 2016, from legendary sailor Italian Giovanni Soldini and finished sixth on line and seventh overall in the 2016 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Cooney then owned  Comanche  for three years, taking line honours and setting the race record in 2017 then placing 3rd in 2018. Cooney now resumes command, along with Cooney family members Samantha, James and Douglas who will race south for the first time. The crew also includes a star cast including Kiwis Stu Bannatyne and Daryl Wislang and ex-Australian Ironman Ky Hurst.

“I am super excited to be back on the Volvo 70 this year, it’s a great boat in all conditions” said the Sydney Yachtsman Cooney. “The change of name represents a refreshed and dynamic approach and we have worked hard on improvements to the boat in the off season. With Willow taking on the two super maxis this year, we are really focussed on extracting the best out of the boat and fighting for the win.”

The new Willow name comes from a global technology company based in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 2017, the company offers a software solution for owners and operators of real assets (buildings and infrastructure). Its core offering is building digital “twins” of physical assets and these intelligent digital copies allow owners to track and visualise real-time and historical data about a building’s performance (energy usage or maintenance) and occupants/users (how many people use certain rooms and when) or for rail, predict and repair faults in railway equipment before they become critical issues.  

“Through our technology, Willow is digitising the built world and modernising industries that have historically been slow to adopt change” said CEO and CO-Founder, Joshua Ridley. “As a company we’ve also sought to push the envelope and we couldn’t be more thrilled about the partnership with Jim.”

Willow’s technology has received global interest from technology heavyweights Microsoft and is being applied to real assets including commercial offices, corporate campuses, rail, road, and mining infrastructure. Willow appointed Jim Cooney to the board along with the former CEO of Macquarie, Nicholas Moore as Chairman in 2019.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Latest updates and live boat cam coverage

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ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE: TENACITY CONQUERS ALL

Hobart, 31 December 2023 –  The 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will go down in history as a relentlessly demanding test of determination, as well as physical and mental resilience. The record will highlight a tooth and nail fight to the finish for Line Honours, and a Tasmanian boat joining the select few to have achieved two overall wins in the event’s near eight decades. Organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Rolex has partnered the iconic offshore challenge since 2002.

For both the overall winner, Philip Turner’s 66 ft (20-metre) Alive , and the 100 ft (30.5 m) line honours victor, Christian Beck’s LawConnect, tactical skill and awareness was a major factor alongside sheer endurance. This was especially so in the River Derwent, on the final approach to Hobart, where the fates of many fatigued crews were finally decided. The unwavering tenacity of offshore sailors and their capacity  to summon their deepest reserves all the way to the finish, has been a common theme throughout Rolex’s near 70-year relationship with yachting. A fleet of 103 yachts had signed up for the renowned 628-nautical mile undertaking, ranging from fully professional maxi racers to more Corinthian crews, and including some 18 two-handed boats. Departing Sydney Harbour on 26 December under mainly sunny skies and accompanied by the usual throng of enthusiastic onlookers, an uncertain and unsettled weather outlook ramped up the already high stakes of this notorious course. The presence of low pressure over the New South Wales coast and the ominous threat of troughs was fair warning of what was to follow. Rapidly developing thunderstorms, lightning, intense rain squalls and winds erratic in strength and direction enveloped the fleet during the first 24 hours of racing. A south westerly then moved in, leaving the bulk of the yachts heading across Bass Strait and down the coast of Tasmania in upwind conditions that would turn very heavy, with a total of 16 crews forced to retire over the course of the race.

Line Honours Although four yachts were initially tipped as contenders, the battle to be first across the line in Hobart came down to a two-horse race between 100-footers LawConnect and Andoo Comanche , with LawConnect just managing to steal ahead in the final nerve-wracking seconds, after almost two full days of stalking their opponents.

“To win line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is a dream come true, especially against Comanche because it’s such a good boat, and in a circumstance where the lead changed so much. It was an incredibly exciting experience all around.”

LawConnect ’s triumph was in fact clinched by the narrowest of margins, with the two boats just 51 seconds apart on the finish line. The second closest finish in the race’s history. The drama had commenced early for the Juan Kouyoumdjian design, as Beck explained:

“We had a great start and were first at the first mark. But when we went to furl our big masthead zero, the furling line broke and so we couldn't wrap up this massive sail. And we're coming straight towards the zone where all the spectator boats were and we couldn't tack...”

The 21-strong crew, which included four Corinthian sailors, managed to avert disaster and recovered quickly to set up a veritable match race with the defending line honours champion Andoo Comanche . Entering the Derwent three miles behind Comanche, Beck looked set to add to his tally of three second-place finishes and perennial bridesmaid status. However the river is no place for the faint of heart and often rewards those that hold their nerve and take their chances. While Beck feared the race was lost, his afterguard of Tony Mutter and Chris Nicholson – two of the southern hemisphere’s finest and most experienced ocean racing sailors – had other ideas. Working with the equally talented American navigator, Chris Lewis, they reeled in Comanche, setting up an enthralling and memorable finish as the two colossi traded tacks, gybes and ultimately the lead. Beck was quick to admit that the win was very much down to the steely resolve of his capable crewmates, whose belief and motivation was inspirational for the rest of the crew:

“The determination was from Tony Mutter and Chris Nicholson, they never give up no matter how bad it gets. They are the ones that got us over the line.”

Overall Winner Overall winner Alive previously claimed the Tattersall Cup in 2018, and had come tantalising close in 2019. In a serendipitous turn of events, their success this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Tasmanian boat to secure two wins in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. George Gibson’s Westward famously achieved consecutive victories in 1947 and 1948. Long-time skipper, Duncan Hine, was also part of the winning 2018 crew.

“Tasmanian boats have a long history in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, and to be one of those Tasmanian boats to have won, and now won it twice, is phenomenal.”

“Starting with a collection of people who have memories over the 10 or 15 races they’ve done, our navigator Adrienne Cahalan was on her 31st, you’ve got a lot of stored knowledge. Everyone in this race, all the guys could not have done any more, you didn’t even have to ask, everyone was on it.”

Gaining an all-important advantage over the main body, Alive swept towards the finish hard on the tail of the slightly bigger URM Group, with whom she had been sparring for two days. History has proved time and again that anything can happen on the Derwent , and it was arguably a close relationship with the fickle river that swung it for Alive , which represents the Derwent Sailing Squadron, by just 20 minutes on corrected time.

“In the end the Derwent is kind to people that know it, a little home advantage,” explained Hine, who also has a fair idea of the human qualities the race calls for: “Endurance, focus, and then endurance again.”

Like Cahalan, and Beck, and the hosts of sailors who return to complete this tour-de-force year after year despite the adversity and punishing roster, it seems the pain is already a distant memory and Hine is looking to future editions of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

“It’s a tough race and you can’t even really dream you could win it twice, so now I’m starting to think maybe we’ve got a third in us.” he admitted with a smile.

Former Australian yachtswoman of the year Adrienne Cahalan, navigator on Alive and now a three-time overall winner, arriving tired, cold and wet into Hobart’s Constitution Dock, did not underestimate the ingredients required for success.

“A lot has got to come together to win this race, that’s why it is so hard. The weather patterns have to be right, your equipment, your team. You get such a broad range of conditions, you have to know how hard to push or not push, and we pushed hard in this race through rough conditions.”

Having just beaten more than 100 other competitors to raise the coveted Tattersall Cup, Cahalan was clear on what an immense achievement this was.

“The Tattersall Cup is very hard to win. It took me 15 years to win it the first time. It's a really hard race because so much has to come together. So when you do win it, it does take a lot. It's something that everybody wants to do, but owners have spent years and years and never got over the line.”

Internationally renowned as one of the most arduous rites of passage in ocean sailing, a historic offshore challenge that has captivated professional and Corinthian sailors alike since 1945, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race represents a cornerstone of Rolex’s association with world-class yachting endeavours. On a course so challenging that finishing is considered an achievement in itself, the pursuit of excellence, precision, and team spirit shine through, echoing the Swiss watchmaker’s enduring ethos.

ROLEX AND YACHTING Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships  with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Royal Malta Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

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Comanche backed to defend sydney to hobart crown in any weather.

Sydney Hobart race set to sail

Skipper John Winning Jr is backing Andoo Comanche to defend her line honours title in any conditions as the Rolex Sydney to Hobart ’s weather forecast remains unpredictable.

On Christmas Eve, the Bureau of Meteorology said uncertainty remained as to wind, waves and weather from Boxing Day after revealing an unusually vague long-range forecast on Monday.

The position of a trough and low-pressure system moving south-east on Tuesday and Wednesday is set to dictate conditions. More clarity is expected early on December 26.

The four 100ft supermaxi yachts may have to contend with stormy conditions from late Tuesday into Wednesday, with showers, gusts and hail all possible for the far-south NSW Coast and Bass Strait.

“Pack another set of thermal gear. It’ll be cold,” said SHK Scallywag skipper David Witt.

The forecast has changed throughout the week, leaving crews to suggest that having an adaptable navigator on board could be a game-changer.

“For us, it’s about trusting each person’s role on the boat,” Winning said.

“We back our boat in any conditions to win the race, whether it’s upwind, downwind, light wind, reaching or whatever it is.

“Obviously we’d like conditions that would see us get there as fast as possible.

“But if it is that we’re out there for 48-plus hours, then we still think our boat is fast in all conditions and we’ve proven that in previous races.”

Last year, Comanche stormed to Constitution Dock in one day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds - the second-fastest time for any line honours winner in Hobart history.

Winning’s boat thrived in heavy, downwind conditions in 2022 but the skipper said a line honours win in last year’s Brisbane to Hamilton Island race proved she could stick it in lighter weather.

“We had an edge in the other conditions, when it was a bit windier or reaching. We put distance on (the other supermaxis) a lot faster than they put distance on us in the light,” he said.

“That gave us a lot of confidence.

“We think we’re the fastest boat downwind in wind and we think we can hang in there in the light as well as anyone.

“Certainly it’s not going to be three knots the whole way to Hobart.”

LawConnect, runner-up for line honours in the last three Hobarts, looms as Comanche’s biggest threat to clinching back-to-back John H Illingworth Challenge Cups.

The boat’s crew will hope their dominance of this month’s Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour can translate to a fast start out of the Heads on Boxing Day.

LawConnect, formerly known as InfoTrack and Perpetual Loyal, is particularly strong upwind.

“If we could get that all the way, that’d be awesome,” said sailing master Tony Mutter.

LawConnect won’t shy away from the rough conditions that could come with the predicted low pressure system.

“We actually prefer it, the more tactical it is, the better for us, we feel,” Mutter said.

“We kind of need that to be a thing for us to have a chance to win.”

How to watch

The Rolex Sydney to Hobart will be on Seven and 7plus from 12:30pm AEDT on Boxing Day.

The race officially starts at 1pm AEDT with the traditional firing of a starting canon at Sydney Harbour.

Sydney to Hobart fleet

103 yachts have confirmed their participation for this year’s race. The full list of entrants can be found here .

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race — how to watch and what to look for

From its beginning in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race remains one of the pinnacles for sailing competitors.

Dismissed by some as "rich people and their toy boats", the race is actually a gruelling test of skill, teamwork and boat design — with the weather thrown into the mix. 

If you know what to look for, the S2H can be an enjoyable experience, so here are some tips as to getting the best out of it.

When does it start?

Around 90 boats ranging from 100ft Super Maxis to smaller 30 footers will be ready to go at 1pm AEDT on Sydney Harbour, Boxing Day.

Even though the race fleet will be fewer in numbers due to COVID (more on that later), there will still be a gazillion sails — competitors, officials, media and spectators — running around the water ahead of the firing of the starting cannon.

Once the race is on, it's a bolt to The Heads and into the open water of the South Pacific.

The fleet then begins to make its way down the east coast of Australia to Hobart.

How can I watch it?

The Seven Network, through 7Mate, will broadcast the start of the race live around Australia. Their coverage starts at 12:30pm (AEDT).

ABC TV will also be following the fleet down the eastern seaboard and provide all the in-race news footage that is used by the various Australian and International news networks.

For those who can't get to watch the live broadcast of the start of the race on the Seven Network across Australia, Seven West Media will webcast the program.

You can also watch a webcast of the live broadcast on the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website .

If you are in Sydney and on the water, sponsor Rolex advises "if you only plan on watching the start, and don't wish to follow the fleet, then stick to the western side of the harbour".

Good vantage points for spectator boats include "Taylors Bay, Chowder Bay, Obelisk Bay and North Head on the west and Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Camp Cove and South Head to the east".

Rolex says the harbour will be "very crowded and traffic can be chaotic, so stay alert, follow the advice of race officials and remember to keep well clear of the exclusion zone between 12pm and 2pm".

Rolex also notes the "Clearview glass boat is the only public spectator vessel permitted within the Sydney Harbour exclusion zone".

How can I follow the boats online?

The race sponsor Rolex has a tracker on their website , which plots the course of yachts as they move south.

The position of yachts is transmitted by a GPS device on each vessel. You can follow your favourite boats easily by clicking on the heart symbol.

As the race goes on, you can see the course charted by crews and marvel at how each team plots and schemes their way to the finish.

Unless of course the boat's GPS device gets switched off, rendering it invisible to spectators and other competitors — an accusation which was levelled at Wild Oats XI in 2018 by the owner of Black Jack.

Skulduggery on the high seas! We told you it could be fun.

What should I look out for?

Apart from GPS shenanigans, the wild card is always the weather.

All jokes aside, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is taken seriously for good reason — people have died when the seas get rough.

The 1998 race has gone down in history as a maritime disaster that cost lives and changed marine forecasting practice .

Six sailors died, five yachts sank, more than 60 yachts retired and 55 participants had to be rescued by helicopter.

In 2015, a squall hit the fleet off the News South Wales coast, ending the race for 29 competitors.

Even in calm conditions, boats under stress break stuff and crews retire for a host of reasons.

In 2016, a slew of boats had to call it quits due to shredded sails and steering problems.

Then there are the underdog v supermaxi battles which pit the hopefuls against the cashed-up crews.

As race sponsor Rolex says, the race is made up from "weekend club sailors to professionals from the America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race circuits".

Lots to watch out for!

When does the race finish?

With the very fast boats (Wild Oats XI, Comanche) not in this year's race, the lines honours winner is likely to come in around 48 hours after the start — noonish or thereabouts on Tuesday, December 28, but who knows what part the weather might play.

It is also important to note there are two prizes at stake in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race .

The finish line proper is 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometres) up the Derwent River off Battery Point, where a cannon signals the first across the line.

The reigning line honours victor is Comanche. It won in a time of 1 day, 18 hours and 30 minutes in 2019.

The first yacht across the line wins the JH Illingworth Trophy, but the overall winner on handicap wins the Tattersalls Cup.

The overall victory is considered the major prize for sailors and a testament to skill and tactics.

Most of the time, handicap honours are won by a smaller, slower boat, which outdoes its larger opposition when time is adjusted for size and other factors.

The reigning overall winner is Ichi Ban. It finished in 3 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes in 2019.

As a result of the pandemic, the 2021 fleet will be smaller than previous years due to a lack of international entrants, and other flow-on effects.

Good luck to all racers!

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Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect takes lead from Scallywag after flurry of late withdrawals

Vamp, Protagonist and Willow withdraw after crew members test positive to Covid, while Min River owner pulls out after injuring hand

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LawConnect has capitalised on a sail issue for supermaxi rival SHK Scallywag to take over the lead early in the Sydney to Hobart race.

Hong Kong boat Scallywag, skippered by David Witt, was first out of Sydney Heads following the 1pm start on Sydney Harbour, followed by big rivals Black Jack and LawConnect in conditions of close to 15 knots.

However her time in front was brief as she had problems with her headsail after rounding the sea mark a few minutes later and put up a storm jib.

Sydney-based LawConnect, under skipper Christian Beck, seized on her rival’s misfortune to surge to the lead and put some distance between herself and the other two supermaxis by the end of the first hour.

Scallywag’s social media team reported that their yacht suffered a technical issue with its J2 foresail tack fitting.

“The team managed to successfully get the sail down safely and get the orange sail jib up in their air while they work to repair the problem,” they wrote.

It was a spinnaker start for the fleet, who were spread across four start lines and watched by a significantly smaller spectator fleet than usual.

After the supermaxis, the next boat out of the heads was Grant Wharington’s 80-footer Stefan Racing.

Race officials reported all boats made a clean start with none crossing the line prematurely.

The fleet was reduced to 88 just before the race when the 49-foot Vamp withdrew because a crew member had close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

Vamp was among five boats to withdraw in the 24 hours before the start.

Jiang Hui Lin, owner of the two-handed-division boat Min River, pulled her boat out after injuring a hand.

Protagonist also withdrew on Sunday morning after reporting a positive Covid-19 test. Two boats pulled out on Christmas Day.

The Volvo Open 70 boat Willow was withdrawn after three members of the crew returned a positive Covid test.

Quentin Stewart, the owner of the 46-foot Maverick 49, which is affiliated to the Guernsey Yacht Club, didn’t report any positive Covid tests but opted not to take any risks during the current virus outbreak and withdrew.

Skippers have been told boats must immediately retire from the race if a crew member gets a message saying they have tested positive for Covid.

Some crew were still waiting for their Covid test results in the last few hours before the start, after all were required to get a PCR test within 72 hours of setting out.

“With the co-operation of the Tasmanian government, we’ve been able to get these boats away and we are very appreciative of that,” said the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore, Noel Cornish.

“So people can go as long as they’ve had their test. They can get sailing and get their result on the way down. We need to manage if a boat gets a positive test on board.

“The idea is they would retire and we would then let the normal processes occur for somebody who arrives in Tasmania with a positive test, or if they are in New South Wales waters they can come back into Eden or head back to Sydney.

Once they arrive in Hobart crew members won’t be able to leave their boat until having a rapid antigen test and the owner completes a declaration that everyone aboard has returned a negative result.

Hearing the starting gun will be the sweetest sound for race officials and at least one prominent yachtsman, who was left devastated, shattered and hollow by the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

Maritimo skipper Michael Spies, who will compete in the race for a 44th time, said he had spent last Christmas moping at home after the race was cancelled for the first time in its history , which stretches back to 1945.

“When one o’clock eastern came around, I was home in Queensland and I don’t mind admitting it was quite devastating, probably even worse, shattering,” Spies said.

“It’s something that’s been a massive part of your life and to lose it through no fault of your own, or just external forces.

“I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s given their all participating in the race. It was a very, very, very hollow feeling.

“The sound I want to hear is the start gun go, then we’ll believe it.”

Noel Cornish, the commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, will also be happy and relieved once the fleet heads for Hobart.

“People have often asked me over the last month or so, ‘What are you looking forward to most of all?” Cornish said.

“In a normal year I would have definitely said the competitiveness of the fleet, watching those people go through the weather transitions, how the navigators are outsmarting each other and then watching the boats come up the Derwent.

“But for me this time it’s hearing that gun go at one o’clock and watching boats head to Hobart.”

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

Get to know the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet

• 08 Dec, 2022 11:12:00 AM

A strong fleet of 110 boats is entered for the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which begins on Sydney Harbour at 1pm Monday 26 December.

There are 8 international boats in the race, including entrants from Germany ( Orione ), Hong Kong ( Antipodes ), Hungary ( Cassiopeia 68 ), New Caledonia ( Eye Candy and Poulpito ), New Zealand ( Caro ), the United Kingdom ( Sunrise ) and the United States of America ( Warrior Won ). 

Four 100-foot maxis will lead the charge for Line Honours -  Andoo Comanche ,  Black Jack , Hamilton Island Wild Oats   and  LawConnect . 

Black Jack won Line Honours in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, while  Andoo Comanche  holds the race record (1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds) and  Hamilton Island Wild Oats  (formerly Wild Oats XI)  has the most Line Honours wins in race history, with nine.  

Among the chasing pack will be Philip Turner's Reichel/Pugh 66 Alive   (the 2018 Overall winner, skippered by Duncan Hine), Sean Langman's Reichel/Pugh 69 Moneypenny ,  the   Botin 80 Stefan Racing (skippered by Grant Wharington), Anthony and David Johnston's Reichel/Pugh 72  URM Group   (skippered by Marcus Ashley-Jones),   Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant's Volvo 70  Willow   (skippered by Cooney) and David Griffith's JV62 Whisper .

Moneypenny  leads the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, seven points ahead of  URM Group.

The 52-foot grand prix racing yachts are expected to again be competitive. There are 12 in total , including  Caro and Warrior Won  (winner of the 2022 RORC Caribbean 600),   as well as local contenders  Celestial (Sam Haynes), Gweilo (Matt Donald/Chris Townsend),  Quest  (Craig Neil),  Smuggler   (Sebastian Bohm) and Zen  (Gordon Ketelbey). The TP52  Ocean Crusaders J-Bird   will be sailed two-handed by Ian and Annika Thomson. 

Two-handed entrants will for the first time be eligible to win the Tattersall Cup. A total of 21 two-handed boats are preparing to race, including those that finished second and third respectively in the race's inaugural Two-Handed Division last year -  Crux   (Carlos Aydos/Peter Grayson) and  Speedwell   (Campbell Geeves/Wendy Tuck). 

Rum Rebellion   (Shane Connelly/Tony Sutton) leads the Two-Handed Division of the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore and is seventh overall. 

There are five Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300s in the two-handed fleet - Hip-Nautic (Jean-Pierre Ravanat/Drew Meincke),  Kraken 111   (Rob Gough/John Saul - the two-handed Line Honours winners in 2021 on  Sidewinder ), Sun Fast Racing (Lee Condell/Lincoln Dews),  Transcendence Crento   (Martin Cross/John Cross) and  Tumbleweed   (Graham Biehl/Nigel Nattrass).

Rupert Henry and Greg O'Shea will be highly fancied on the Lombard 34   Mistral ,  having recently become the first two-handed boat to win one of the CYCA's major races .

In the 30-50 foot range, keep an eye out for  Alegria Republic  (Rod Jones),  Ariel  (Ron Forster/Phil Damp), Chutzpah  (Bruce Taylor), Cinquante  (Kim Jaggar),  Enterprise Next Generation  (Anthony Kirke/Andrew Nuttman),  Joss  (Roberto Camacho),  Midnight Rambler  (Ed Psaltis), Sail Exchange  (Carl Crafoord/Tim Horkings), Sunrise  (Tom Kneen's 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race winner), Trouble & Strife  (Matt Williams) and  White Bay 6 Azzurro   (Shane Kearns). 

Sail Exchange leads IRC Division 2 in the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore and is sixth overall. Cinquante,   Midnight Rambler  and White Bay 6 Azzurro all finished inside the top 10 overall in the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart. 

The race will feature a Sydney 38 One Design division for the first time since 2019, with five Sydney 38s entered :  Cinquante, Eye Candy  (Thierry Leseigneur), Hasta la Vista (Jessica/Tom Grimes),  Mondo   (Lisa Callaghan/Stephen Teudt) and  Poulpito   (David Treguier). 

At 9-metres in length, Sean Langman's Ranger  Maluka ,  to be skippered by his son Peter,   is the smallest boat in the fleet. She is also the oldest, having turned 90 this year. 

Currawong ,  to be sailed two-handed by Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham, is the second smallest.

The Royal Australian Navy's Beneteau First 40  Navy One   (co-skippered by Tori Costello and Nick Greenhill) will look to retain the Oggin Cup, awarded to the first Armed Services yacht on corrected time, from the Army Sailing Club's Jarkan 925  Gun Runner   (skippered by Chris Connelly). 

Former Overall winners in the fleet include  Alive, Hamilton Island Wild Oats, Quest  and  Wild Oats (Brett Eagle) .

Andoo Comanche, Black Jack, Hamilton Island Wild Oats, Kialoa II  (Paddy and Keith Broughton) and  LawConnect are the previous Line Honours winners racing again. 

View the full list of entrants on 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

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

• Line Honours

Full Standings available approximately three hours after the start.

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!