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

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Rolex Sydney Hobart Website to interface with Google Earth

• 22 Dec, 2005 10:16:00 PM

Building on the world first feed for its Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in July this year, for the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race CYCA has given viewers the option to see the positions of the yachts on a map in the original Yacht Tracker application, or alternatively to view the race in Google Earth, with yacht positions and standings updated every ten minutes.

Building on the world first feed for its Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in July this year, for the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race CYCA has given viewers the option to see the positions of the yachts on a map in the original Yacht Tracker application, or alternatively to view the race in Google Earth, with yacht positions and standings updated every ten minutes.   Google Earth is a 3D interface to the planet.  It combines satellite imagery with a model that can be zoomed, spun and tilted. The application to allow on-line spectators of the race to view the boats superimposed on photographic images was developed by the CYCA's website developer partner, Massive Interactive, in conjunction with the CYCA. Adrian Wiggins, Producer at Massive Interactive, said "when Google launched the free Google Earth application earlier this year we saw the great potential for showing the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.  We at Massive hope this brings a new dimension to the race for online spectators." This new feature of the race website has been in development for the last 4 months in a co-operative endeavour between Massive and the CYCA, and has been released today.  Getting it working Download and install Google Earth Open the race feed file: cyca_rshyr_yachtrace.kml   This will install a network connection to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race site and will show yachts from just before the race start at 1:20 PM AEST on 26 December.

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!

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

• Following the Race
• Past Sydney Hobart Videos

Whatever the results of the Rolex Sydney Hobart, one thing is certain - when the race starts at 1300 AEDT on Boxing Day it will capture the imagination of sailors and spectators worldwide. As this year’s activities are being run as a COVID Safe event, we would request that spectators are mindful of social distancing requirements and join the millions of viewers who tune into the action on TV and online.

When the fleet for this year's race jostles for position on four start lines around Shark Island, you'll want to be in prime position yourself. To get the full dose of race atmosphere you need to grab a spot on North or South Head, or even join the action on the water among the colourful spectator fleet (which includes craft of all shapes and sizes from ferries to kayaks and even the odd water taxi). But if you're not lucky enough to be there in person when the starting cannon fires, don't worry - there are plenty of ways to follow the race, no matter where you are.

If you've got access to a boat then you can be on the water with the fleet for the start of the race. Spectator craft positioned in the eastern channel can watch the race begin and then follow the fleet down the harbour to the Heads and out to sea. Once underway the fleet can move fast, so if you want to catch the leaders sail through the Heads, it's advisable to get well down the harbour towards Middle Head before the start. At the Heads keep well clear of the rounding marks.

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.

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.

The Jackson  is the only public and official spectator vessel permitted within the Sydney Harbour exclusion zone for the exciting race start.

Bookings and to find out more 

On Television

The Seven Network, through 7Mate, will once again broadcast the start of the race live around Australia. 

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 home page of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race website.

If you miss the live webcast, don't worry, a replay of the start programme will be available on this site, and our friends at Seven West Media will be making a replay available shortly after the live webcast concludes and will be available for the duration of the race. 

Included on the website is the complete list of yachts entered, along with a photograph and description of each boat, a crew list, and the boat's performance data, predicted finishing time and standing for both Line Honours and Handicap Division which is updated every 10 minutes.

There's also archival data including results of past races since the first in 1945, the weather they encountered; a summary of line and overall handicap winners of those races; historical reports and statistical information; designers of those line and overall winners; and profiles of some of the race luminaries over the years.

You'll also be able to follow the event on twitter for race updates http://twitter.com/rshyr  and via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RolexSydneyHobart  

Yacht Tracker

The Yacht Tracker page allows viewers to track the entire fleet or a particular boat from start to finish. Yacht Tracker uses a specially designed tool that calculates the predicted results for each and every boat in the fleet, so you can see how each boat is performing.

Each yacht will be fitted with a tracker that will obtain a position using the GPS satellite network, and then transmit that position back to HQ using the Iridium satellite network.

Each yacht's position is then visualised on the race yacht tracker map or overlaid on Google Earth. In addition, the yacht tracker system also shows distance to finish line and progressive corrected time positions under the IRC, ORCi and PHS handicap divisions

To do this, the tracker is configured to automatically update the yacht's latitude, longitude, course over ground and speed over ground - and transmits that information via satellite to a land station.  From there, the data is transferred to the website, which shows in text and graphics each yacht's position in the fleet, its place relative to other boats and known geographic features, and the speed currently being achieved over the land, as well as the direction in which the boat is sailing.

Viewers may view the yachts on a chart through Yacht Tracker or separately on Google Earth. Line honours and progressive predicted corrected times under the IRC, PHS and ORCi handicap categories are updated every 10 minutes.

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!

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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.

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Giles Pearman

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Google Earth Blog

The amazing things about Google Earth

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in Google Earth

December 23, 2005

About Frank Taylor

Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition , and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.

• More Posts(1963)

Reader Interactions

December 26, 2005 at 7:40 am

Hi Do you know who supplies the Inmarsat D+ terminals installed onboard the yachts?

December 26, 2005 at 11:49 am

This is looking cool. 1 minute I was tracking a whale a few thousand miles away from them, now I am tracking 85 yachts 😛 I wonder if they’ll keep it switched and we can follow them on their next trips.

December 27, 2005 at 6:50 pm

It’s great application of Google Earth. Will be there anything similar also during Dakar 2006?

December 27, 2006 at 2:33 pm

I can’t see the ships anymore on Google Earth. And it is not possible to go on the Homepage of the Race. Can anybody help me where I can find the standings of the Race? Thanks!!! [email protected]

March 30, 2008 at 1:46 am

October 9, 2008 at 1:22 am

I can’t see the ships anymore on Google Earth. And it is not possible to go on the Homepage of the Race. Can anybody help me where I can find the standings of the Race? Thanks!!!

July 26, 2010 at 12:18 am

Great application of Google earth. Will use it this year for updates. cheers

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• Digital Edition

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.  

Program: Andoo Comanche wins Sydney to Hobart line honours

Program: News Specials

Andoo Comanche has triumphed in a two-boat chase down the River Derwent to take out its fourth line honours in a late-night finish to the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

The supermaxi crossed the finish line at 12:57am AEDT this morning with a time of 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds.

ABC NewsRadio's Thomas Oriti spoke to Di Pearson, the Media Manager of the Australian Sailing Team.

Image Details

Crew of Andoo Comanche celebrate their line honours win in Hobart. December 28, 2022. ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )

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