yacht race sydney

• AMERICA'S CUP
• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

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

Related Articles

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

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.”

• Skip to content
• Skip to footer

• Français

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE: DEFINED BY AN INTREPID SPIRIT AND CAMARADERIE

Geneva, 23 December 2021 - The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race holds a towering status in the world of sailing. It captures the attention of a nation and enjoys a glowing international reputation that has long transcended the traditional boundaries of the sport. Rolex has partnered this legendary competition and its organizers, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), since 2002.

Over its three-quarters of a century history, the race has provided a platform for human achievement and endeavour, qualities that align with Rolex's core philosophy and which underpin the Swiss watchmaker's more than 60-year involvement in yachting. The 76th edition is scheduled for the traditional lunchtime start on 26 December, with a fleet of more than 90 yachts expected to take on the famous 628-nautical mile (1,010 kilometres) course.

Some 60,000 sailors and 7,000 yachts have taken part in the race since its inception in 1945. From its beginnings, competitors have been drawn to the scale and unpredictability of the challenge, and to the demands on their skills in both preparing and handling their yacht.

After a spectacular departure from Sydney Harbour, the fleet heads south along the New South Wales coast of the Tasman Sea before crossing Bass Strait to tackle the east coast of Tasmania, Storm Bay and the final 12-nm (22 km) stretch in the often decisive, and sometimes cruel, Derwent River, before finishing in Hobart. Most entrants spend four to five days at sea. Watch systems and resources need to be managed assiduously. To negotiate the testing conditions requires willpower, experience and intuition.

Sir Ben Ainslie, a Rolex Testimonee, four-time Olympic gold medallist and helm of the Great Britain SailGP Team, is a past competitor and says: The experience gave me a real appreciation of the sailing prowess and camaraderie inherent in offshore racing, especially within the Corinthian boats taking two or three times as long and being not quite as comfortable as the maxis. A neat part of these races is the fact that handicap means, whatever the size of boat, everyone has a chance to win. The weather plays a part but smaller amateur-sailed boats often win against the professionals.

Winning the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race overall after time correction and securing the coveted Tattersall Cup guarantees a place in yachting folklore. Matt Allen's Ichi Ban has won two of the past three editions, in 2017 and 2019. Should the Australian boat emerge victorious again, she will join two of the race's most celebrated names, Freya (1963, 1964, 1965) and Love & War (1974, 1978, 2006), on three victories.

Beyond the competition to win overall, the consistent presence of some of the world's most impressive 100-foot (30.5 metre) Maxi yachts has produced epic contests in the battle to be first across the finish line. The race record currently stands at 33 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set by  Comanche  in 2017. Arriving in Hobart inside two days, a marker first set in 1999, has been achieved in each of the past four editions.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart attracts both professional and Corinthian sailors. Leaders from the political, business and entertainment worlds, as well as stars from other sports, have been drawn to participate. This all adds to the race’s appeal, which is already bolstered by a distinctive position in the sailing calendar and the pioneering feats of those who have confronted its many obstacles over the years. Matt Allen, a former Commodore of the CYCA, spent decades trying to win the event as a skipper. His story is one of persistence, of the time it can take to acquire the experience and knowledge to succeed. Having completed his 30th race to Hobart in 2019, he remarked:

“Over the years, I’ve seen amazing boats participate but it’s actually the people that  make this race and ocean racing what they are.”

Intrepid human spirit lies at the heart of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race’s creation and remains its foundation today. Rolex is proud to support a sporting contest that mirrors the brand’s own Perpetual spirit: humbly adapting to the elements, constantly seeking to improve and summoning one’s deepest resources.

A NATURAL AND SUPPORTIVE PARTNER 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, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

Contact details

Virginie Chevailler

Giles Pearman

Related News

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race

The Race to Auckland has STARTED...

Early bird entry discount enter before 11 october 2024, sydney to auckland ocean race 2025, the race of a lifetime.

Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) together with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club (RAYC) invite competitors to participate in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025, 11 October .

A dramatic and compelling ocean (and we mean ‘ocean’) racecourse has been shoe-horned into the start of next year’s busy Spring / Summer sailing season.

The race will start in Sydney Harbour on 11 October 2025 and finish in Auckland Harbour.  This challenging trans-Tasman 1,250nm Category 1 race is open to offshore cruising and racing yachts, Two-Handed Yachts, superyachts and ocean racing multihulls. 

Follow the Fleet Live

I think it’s going to be a premier race, the longest (from Australia) and an international race. This is the first time anyone gets to do it, so there should be quite a bit of interest and a strong fleet Mark Griffith, DK46, The Old School Racing

The Alfreds have been so helpful. I had a call to see if I needed any help. You don’t get much of that these days. To have internal support makes you feel connected. Sibby Ilzhofer, Cookson 47, Dare Devil

RPAYC’s Robert McClelland explains the race’s communications have been simplified for the 1250 nautical mile race: “Satellite phones, AIS and trackers on each boat, no time-consuming skeds. This follows the Club’s successful Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race , which is run on the same basis.”

The other joy for competitors is that the Sydney to Auckland into New Zealand Ocean Race has been timed to allow prospective competitors to compete on the northern circuit in Queensland beforehand and to be back in Australia in time for the Rolex Sydney Hobart and Melbourne to Hobart yacht races.

Alternatively, entrants can stay on in New Zealand and take advantage of the famous Coastal Classic held in late October. There is also the Bay of Islands Sailing Week in late January 2025 to consider and  Auckland to Noumea  – not to mention the scenic cruising opportunities.

The Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race is open to fully crewed racing and cruising yachts, two-handed yachts, superyachts and ocean-going multihulls. It is the longest race originating from Australia open to a variety of yacht classes.

Early Bird discount Entry Fee closes 11 October 2024.

Standard entries for the Category 1 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, to be held by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Association with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club in New Zealand, close on 11 September 2025.

Royal Akarana Yacht Club – The Home of Blue Water Sailing

The Royal Akarana Yacht Club is one of New Zealand’s oldest yacht clubs and occupies a unique place in this country’s recreational sailing history.

Throughout its 127 years, it has been at the forefront of New Zealand yachting and particularly in its early years, had a huge influence on the way the sport developed in this country. Visit the club at https://rayc.co.nz/ 

Future event dates

• 2025 Race – October 11
• 2027 Race – October
• 2029 Race – October

Additional Races

• Coastal Classic Race
• Bay of Islands Sailing Week
• Auckland to Noumea
• New Caledonia GROUPAMA RACE
• Hamilton Island Race Week

Latest News

Hooligan smashing sydney to auckland-like conditions on pittwater.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Chasing titles and records in Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race 2025

Both the reigning line honours champion and overall winner of Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race are to return for

Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race – Presentation

Competitors and Club members came together to celebrate the 2023 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race at the RPAYC Clubhouse on Thursday 23 November for the

Share your experience

Competitor information, race documents, find or register as crew, auckland accomodation options, contact information.

• For more information on participating contact [email protected]
• For supporting sponsorship opportunities contact: [email protected]

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• 11 October 2024: Early Bird entry discount closes
• 11 September 2025: Entries Close (Late fee applies)
• 1 October 2025: Sailing Instructions, Entries, Divisions & Provisional Ratings Published
• 4 October 2025: Rating Deadline
• 9 October 2025: Skippers Briefing and Crew Cocktail Party (6:00pm RPAYC)
• 11 October 2025: Race Start Sydney Harbour

MEDIA RELEASES

• The Celebration Begins
• Sydney to Auckland make for the Corner
• And we are off!
• Crews countdown to the start of the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race
• Hong Kong entry in race for historic Lipton Cup
• Talk turns to Weather
• Serious Business
• Mayfair first interstate entry for the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race
• Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race, scheduled for October 2023
• First entries received for the inaugural Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race

Official Race Merchandise available through Official Partner Quality Marine Clothing

20% discount on 2023 Sydney to Auckland Merchandise

Further Information

The race has been classified by the Organising Authority an Australian Sailing Special Regulations category 1 race with the addition of the OAs own additional requirements as listed in the Notice of Race. 

This means that an entrant will need to have a Cat 1 Audit done and additionally have an Australian Sailing National Certified Auditor sign off the O.A.’s additional items.

• Download at Category 1 Audit requirements form here (from 1 July, 2025)
• Stability Declaration Form
• Communication Equipment Form
• Sat Phone Declaration
• Hull Construction World Sailing Structural Plan Review requirement information
• Australian Sailing Special Regulations Information

RPAYC : Berths for competing boats may be available at RPAYC for a discounted rate in the build-up to the Race. For more details on berthing at the RPAYC and alternative berthing in Pittwater and Sydney, please contact the RPAYC. [email protected]

AUCKLAND : Berthing will be provided on arrival in Auckland at Jellicoe Harbour at the Wynyard berths.

Berths have access to power (63 and/or 125 amp 3-phase) and water, plug-in internet and black water pump out.

These are med-style mooring berths suiting vessels 30 – 50m in length, alongside berthage depending on size and number of vessels is also available.

The Race Committee will direct boats to their temporary berth. Boats planning to stay on in Auckland or New Zealand should contact Via Duct Marine to make arrangements. It is a condition of Entry that boats must moor in accordance with the directions of the Via Duct Marina Manager. 

Australian Registration

Guide to registering your ship on the Australian General Shipping Register

Under the Shipping Registration Act 1981 (the Act), all Australian owned or operated ships, 24 metres and over in tonnage length, and capable of navigating the high seas, must be registered. Any ship sailing to a foreign port must also be registered, regardless of size. All other craft, including Government ships, fishing and pleasure craft need not be registered, but may be if the owners desire.

https://www.amsa.gov.au/guide-registering-your-ship-australian-general-shipping-register  

Apply for a temporary pass for yacht races, rallies, and sailing overseas

https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/ship-registration/registration-yachts-cruisers-and-fishing-boats/apply-temporary

Custom requirements are applicable to all crew and boats. RPAYC has arranged for the Australian Boarder Force to conduct Custom Clearances at CYCA and MHYC.

New Zealand Customs

Competitors are reminded that it is their sole responsibility to ensure that they clear out through customs in Australia and clear customs into New Zealand on arrival. NewZealand Entry and Visa requirements may be applicable to you. NewZealand Custom Officers will meet Competiors on arrival to Auckland on berthing at the Auckland ViaDuct Berths.

For more information on the requirements for entering New Zealand by Yacht and for the New Zealand Customs Service, Yacht Pack see:  https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/travel-to-and-from-nz/yachts/

Australian Border Force

View Departure & Entry requirements here: https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-and-leaving-by-sea

A crew register is available for the race hosted by MySailTeam .

• Follow this link to find crew for your boat and or register as crew. 

Pack & Send in Mona Vale

They will meet you at the RPAYC on Thursday 5th October from 1500hrs – before the skippers briefing and collect bags and gear.  Packing crew bags between you is recommended. Sails and heavy bulky gear we suggest chatting to them about the costs ahead of Thursday.

Pricing of a bag/box depends on its destination and on its volume or weight.

Approximate estimations heading to New Zealand.

Box Dimension | Weight | Cost of Freight 46 x43 x 64 CMS 25kgs $300 46 x 43 x 50 CMS 20kgs $250 46 x 43 x 35 CMS 15kgs $205 Pack & Send can tailormade box sizes to any size according to customer preferences.

Safety and Survival at Sea & other Crew qualifications

Several companies offer Crew Training certification:

Ocean Boardroom

Pacific Sailing School

Marine Safety Works

Several companies can lease equipment to yacht owners as required for the race, e.g. Satelight phones, Liferafts, PLBs.

The Place to Buy, Hire or Rent a Satellite Phone – EPIRBhire Thuraya Iridium Inmarsat

Great Circle Lift Rafts

Great Circle Life Rafts Hire

Sail Exchange

https://www.sailexchange.com.au/personal-safety-equipment/rental-gear/life-rafts-rental.html

Bettina Crafoord | Mobile – 0418 866 333

www.sailexchange.com

The race of a lifetime will draw the attention of an international and nationwide audience. 

To be part of this event contact the Organising Authority at [email protected] for a prospectus. 

Share the event!

Crewing opportunites, event enquiry.

Contact the Organisation Authority Here and also be added to the 2025 Expression of Interest group

Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race 2025

Amendment of the cyca racing calendar | psnyr & ttyr.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has announced significant changes to its racing calendar, amending the dates of the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race and the inaugural Trans-Tasman Yacht Race.

Time to race start

• 22 Jul, 2024 09:23:00 AM

Ponant | Australian Roadshows - July & August 2024

Join us in a city near you, and let us guide you in curating your next voyage in 2025 and 2026. Prepare for our exciting event - Luxury Voyages Unveiled - where we will reveal our legendary destinations and the latest experiences available.

• 13 Jun, 2024 06:29:00 PM

• 16 May, 2024 06:30:00 PM

Postponement of 2024 Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), race organiser of the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race, has, today, made an official statement regarding the upcoming race, which was scheduled to start on Saturday 25 May 2024.

• 15 May, 2024 12:00:00 PM

10 Days until the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

Less than 10 days to go until the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race charts its course!

• 14 May, 2024 04:09:00 PM

Smuggler returns to the PSNYR six feet longer and eager for a fast ride

Returning to the Ponant Sydney Noumea Yacht Race is defending champion, Smuggler. With just over 10 days before the official start of the 1,064 nautical mile ocean race, Sebastian Bohm, skipper, and owner, is feeling ready for the challenge ahead.

PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race 2018 prizegiving photographs

Photographs from Days 6 and 7 of the 2018 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Rac

Photographs from Day 5 of the PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

Photographs of the line honours winner of the 2018 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

Photographs from Day 1 of the 2018 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

An interview with Shane Kearns, skipper of Komatsu Azzurro

Interview with Sebastian Bohm, skipper of Overall Winner Smuggler

Smuggler approaching the finish

Interview with Mike Martin, skipper of Line Honours boat Frantic

TP52 Frantic at the finish of the 2018 PONANT Sydney Noumea Yacht Race

Official cyca - helly hansen merchandise.

Shop the official CYCA - Helly Hansen clothing range 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.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

• 01 Aug, 2024 10:21:00 AM

Maritimo Katwinchar – 120 year old yacht back and racing

Maritimo’s Bill Barry-Cotter has once again demonstrated his passion and dedication to all forms of boating.

• 30 Jul, 2024 10:16:00 AM

Winners Announced for the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

Twin brothers Louis and Marc Ryckmans' Voltstar Yeah Baby is the Overall Winner of the Peter Rysdyk Memorial Trophy for the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. URM Group has claimed Line Honours.

• 29 Jul, 2024 10:17:00 AM

URM Group claims Line Honours of the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race

• 27 Jul, 2024 10:19:00 AM

Start of the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race

A gentle start was delivered to those competing in the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. Fifty-one yachts assembled on the start line before the yachts crawled across Sydney Harbour and north up the Tasman Sea.

• 14 Jun, 2024 02:15:00 PM

2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race | Entries Open

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is pleased to invite eligible boats to enter 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

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

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!

Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

• About the race
• The Weather
• Race Reports

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is an event that is second only in status to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race among long ocean races conducted by the Club.

CYCA introduced the Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in 1986 as 'the great winter escape', taking advantage of the completion of the Gold Coast Seaway.  Extensive harbour works funded by the Queensland Government had opened up an all-weather entrance at the Southport bar to deep keel yachts, large pleasure craft and fishing trawlers.

Appropriately, the official starter of the inaugural Bayview Harbour Gold Coast Yacht Race was the then Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson, who fired the starting cannon to send a fleet of 83 boats north with the promise of much warmer weather.  An equally colourful character in the late Jack Rooklyn sailed his famous maxi yacht Apollo to a double victory, taking line honours and first place on corrected time.

Since then the 384 nautical mile race has attracted fleets of between 70 and 80 yachts each year, with entries coming mainly from New South Wales and Queensland, but also from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand.  In 1997, a record fleet of 84 boats took part.

Most of Australia's best-known ocean racing yachts, their skippers and crews have competed at some stage, with names like Apollo, Hammer of Queensland, Sovereign, Brindabella, Condor of Currabubula, Sydney, Wild Thing, Grundig, Wild Oats XI and Black Jack on the honour roll of Line Honours winners. 

Handicap winners, overall and in divisions, have included Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race winners Indian Pacific, Wild Oats, Ragamuffin, AFR Midnight Rambler and  Sting , along with other well-known boats such as Witchcraft II, P&0 Nedlloyd , the veteran Southerly , Chutzpah, Loki  and Living Doll.   Big boats have also taken their share of handicap honours, including Apollo, Ragamuffin, Wild Thing, Ichi Ban and Grundig .

The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race marks the start of the Club's six month Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore which is regarded as an important stepping-stone for owners and crew to gain vital offshore racing experience in the lead-up to competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

CYCA will conduct the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race with the co-operation of Southport Yacht Club, which provides outstanding club and marina facilities for the visiting yachts in a relaxed semi-tropical setting. This close relationship between the two clubs continues. 

• Line Honours

Full Standings available approximately three hours after the start.

OFFICIAL CYCA - Helly Hansen MERCHANDISE

Shop the official CYCA - Helly Hansen clothing range 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.

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

By James Dunlevie

By Chris Rowbottom

Topic: Sport

The cannon sounds and they are off in the Sydney to Hobart for another year. ( Rolex/Studio Borlenghi )

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.

There are two prizes on offer for competitors, with the handicap trophy being generally regarded as being most sought-after, more so than first past the post. ( ABC News: Andrew Whittington )

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.

The crew of Ichi Ban get their feet wet in 2019. ( Supplied: STHYR/Carlo Borlenghi )

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 .

Black Jack powers along in the 2018 race. ( AAP: Mick Tsikas )

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".

The crew of InfoTrack leave Sydney and set their sights towards Hobart in the 2018 race. ( Instagram: Official Rolex Sydney Hobart )

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.

You can follow the fortunes of teams with the Sydney to Hobart yacht race tracker. ( rolexsydneyhobart.com )

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.

Wild Oats XI took out line honours in 2018 after being the subject of an unsuccessful protest. They are not competing in 2021. ( ABC News: Monte Bovill )

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.

Blackjack heads the field during the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 2018. ( AP: Rick Rycroft )

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!

The crew on Italian entry Maserati enjoying a bath during the 2015 race. ( Maserati )

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!

Winners are grinners! ( ABC News: David Robertson )

Local news:

This family refused to sell their house - until now

Maritime rescue operation launched after yacht activates distress signal off south coast of nsw.

A major maritime rescue operation is underway after a yacht that once competed in the Sydney to Hobart race found trouble off the south coast of NSW .

A distress beacon was activated from the 19m-long Spirit of Mateship, about 150km offshore from Nowra about 1pm on Monday.

The yacht is carrying two sailors.

“The vessel is believed to have sustained a mechanical issue and is taking on water,” NSW Police said.

Marine Area Command and Australian Defence Force have been notified and are racing to the ship.

Three helicopters deployed from Nowra, Wollongong and Sydney made contact with the crew “but were not able to retrieve them due to fuel considerations”, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.

An RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft and two Navy ships, HMAS Arunta and Canberra, are involved in the rescue.

“Officers are expected to rendezvous with the vessel about midnight,” police said.

There are no reports of injuries.

The Spirit of Mateship first raced in the Sydney to Hobart in 2013 and was named in honour of its crew, which was made up of injured Australian Defence Force personnel.

Stream free on

• SYDNEY, NSW
• MELBOURNE, VIC
• HOBART, TAS
• BRISBANE, QLD
• ADELAIDE, SA
• CANBERRA, ACT
• Watch the Paralympics for free here

'I like dry land now': Sailors make port in Sydney after being stranded in rough seas

The overnight rescue 

• New South Wales

Send your stories to [email protected]

Auto news : Toyota's first car mysteriously vanished.

Top Stories

Young driver dies after car smashed to pieces in horror Perth crash

After dissident writer died suddenly, doctors found this tiny ball in his leg

Aussie weapon steals 100m gold with blistering finish

Pre-poll starts today: Everything you need to know about local elections