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KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix – Sydney 2023

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Every day, 4pm to 6pm Saturday 18 February 2023 to Sunday 19 February 2023

Witness the world's best sailing athletes from nine nations battle it out at electrifying speeds in flying F50 foiling catamarans on one of the world’s best harbours for Season 3 of SailGP.

The most exciting racing on water, KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix takes place over the weekend of 18-19 February 2023 showcasing the best Sydney Harbour has to offer. 

Choose from a range of free and ticketed spectator experiences both on and off-water. Be front row on Genesis Island in the middle of the harbour to experience the drama, excitement and glamour. Go behind-the-scenes with an exclusive tour of the 'pit lane garages' where athletes and shore teams prepare one of the world’s fastest sail racing boats, the high tech F50. Away from the racing, the SailGP Village at Barangaroo offers exciting programming for fans. There is something for everyone!

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• 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!

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

Since its beginning in 1945, the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has become one of the pinnacles for sailing competitors, with the event being a test of skill, teamwork, nautical engineering and tactics — with weather providing the wild card.

If you know what to look for, the race can be an enjoyable experience.

Here are some tips for getting the best out of it.

When does it start?

About 111 boats ranging from the supermaxis (longer than 20 metres) to smaller 30-footers (9 metres) will be ready to go at 1pm AEDT Boxing Day on Sydney Harbour.

The start is arguably one of the greatest spectacles in modern sport.

Once the starting cannon is fired, all teams will be gunning for The Heads and into the open water of the South Pacific, with competitors surrounded by all manner of craft.

Watch as boats come perilously close to the supermaxis.

The fleet then begins to make its way down the east coast of Australia to Hobart, a distance of approximately 630 nautical miles (1,166 kilometres).

What are they racing for?

It isn't money. Yes, you read that correctly — there is no prize money for the winners. 

Instead, they race for trophies in a number of categories , the main events for casual observers being Line Honours and Overall.

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 4 days, 10 hours, and 17 minutes.

This was after a protest against Celestial was upheld. Celestial was handed a 40-minute time penalty for not manning their radio for a 90-minute period, during which officials were trying to contact the team.

The reigning line honours winner is Black Jack, winning in two days, 12 hours, and 37 minutes in 2021. 

How can I watch it?

Race sponsor Rolex says the race can be watched on the Seven Network. 

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

ABC TV will also provide updates throughout the event.

For those who can't watch the live broadcast of the start of the race on their TV, Seven will have a stream of the race.

You can also watch vision from the event on the Sydney to Hobart yacht race website .

If you are in Sydney and on the water, spectators who wish to watch the start but not follow the fleet are advised to 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".

According to organisers, 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".

How can I follow the boats online?

You can follow the race on an online tracker , which shows the positions of yachts as they move south.

The locations of yachts are transmitted by a GPS device on each vessel. 

As the race goes on, you can see the course charted by crews — unless of course the boat's GPS device gets switched off, rendering it invisible to spectators and other competitors — an accusation that was levelled at Wild Oats XI in 2018 by the owner of Black Jack.

What should I look out for?

The weather forecast is for northerly winds in the harbour for Monday's start, which will favour the bigger boats. They will push hard to get out of the harbour.

Barring disaster, the Line Honours winner will almost certainly be one of the four super maxis.

LawConnect (formerly Perpetual LOYAL, formerly Investec LOYAL, formerly InfoTrack) set a new record in 2016 when it crossed the line in one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 12 seconds, a time since bettered by Comanche the next year.

Black Jack (Formerly Alfa Romeo II) has a strong Sydney to Hobart history and is the reigning Line Honours champion. It's had a strong 2022 already, taking line, record, and overall wins in the Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race. Black Jack has a strong rivalry with Wild Oats XI as it was the first boat to break Wild Oats' race record in 2009.

Andoo Comanche is the hot favourite for line honours this year. It has already defeated Black Jack in the Sydney to Gold Coast race this year and has won the inaugural Tollgate Islands race. It beat Wild Oats for line honours in 2017, setting a race record in the process, but only after a controversial protest . 

Hamilton Island Wild Oats XI is the most famous boat in the race but has not participated since 2019 due to COVID. Veteran skipper Mark Richards will once again be at the helm and will be hoping to improve on the 3rd place finish in 2019. 

The favourites for the handicap trophy are Alive, URM Group, Moneypenny and Stefan Racing, with last year's winner, Ichi Ban, not participating.

This year there is also a number of crews made up of father-daughter or father-son teams.

The yacht race is taken seriously for good reason — people have died when the weather has turned bad.

In 1998, six sailors died, five yachts sank, more than 60 yachts retired and 55 sailors 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.

When does the race finish?

The lines honours winner is likely to come in around 48 hours after the start, but this is very much dependent on the weather —  especially in the 22.2-kilometre final stretch up the Derwent River.

This is when the wind can drop away and it becomes an agonisingly slow crawl , with every trick in the book pulled out to speed the progress up the glassy waterway.

In 2021, Black Jack crossed the line at 1:37am on December 29, followed by LawConnect at 4:11am and SHK Scallywag about 20 minutes after that.

In 2019, Comanche came in at a more reasonable time of 7:30am on December 28, with InfoTrack about 45 minutes later.

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Never understood the sydney to hobart here's how to enjoy it without getting your toes wet.

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Rolex Sydney Hobart: How to win the legendary race

• December 21, 2023

World and European Championship-winning professional navigator, Tom Cheney, gives his advice on how to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart race

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race stands as a pinnacle of offshore yacht racing. Its reputation as the hardest of the classic offshore races is well deserved. Compared to the northern hemisphere 600-milers, for example the Fastnet and Middle Sea Races , the 628-mile Sydney Hobart is much more remote. Once out of Sydney Harbour, you quickly lose mobile phone signal and are left feeling isolated from the rest of the world, something which feels quite alien to most of us in 2023.

The New South Wales coast offers relatively few safe havens should you need to retire from the race, though this is nothing compared to the sense of exposure sailing in the Bass Strait. A fetch of thousands of miles of Southern Ocean and chilling sea temperatures create some of the most challenging conditions that many of us will ever experience. It’s easy to see why this race has significantly stricter safety regulations than its northern hemisphere equivalents.

Huge spectator fleets, and three start lines, make for a challenging but spectacular send off for competitors in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Exiting the Heads

The race begins with a true spectacle in Sydney Harbour, where hundreds of Australians gather to watch the start in a now well-established Boxing Day tradition. Television news helicopters, a packed spectator fleet and some key exclusion zones add to the excitement as you make your way out of the iconic Sydney Heads. Unlike many other big races the whole fleet starts at the same time, but spread across three staggered start lines. In order to make the race the same 628-mile length for everyone, the first two turning marks differ depending on your starting group (an extra complexity for the navigator!).

Typically the fleet starts in a north-easterly breeze, which means a fairly square beat to the first mark. The separate starting areas do help to ease the traffic a little for the smaller boats, but keeping a clean lane is paramount as you bounce off the marked spectator boundaries. After mark one, reaching for just over a mile out through the Heads can be a tussle, with plenty of boats still in close proximity. Sea state builds as you leave the harbour and there’s not long to prepare for what is usually (initially) a VMG downwind leg down the New South Wales coast.

Choosing how to negotiate the East Australian Current is the first major decision for navigators.

New South Wales coast

After the excitement of leaving Sydney Harbour, navigators now encounter their first major decision point: choosing the route south through the East Australian Current (EAC) and anticipating any cold fronts that may be moving north-east up the course.

The EAC is a surface current driven by winds over the South Pacific. Usually it is south-flowing between Sydney and Bass Strait with large gyres and meandering eddies. The flow of the EAC is ever changing, but luckily there are some good models and observations that can help you pick your way south. For routing the Australian Bureau of Meteorology has a seven-day forecast called OceanMAPS and there is also a four-hour sea surface temperature observation from IMOS which gives you a good idea of where the eddies are relative to the forecast.

The smaller yachts in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race faced a period of intense upwind sailing. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

The trick is to pick a couple of waypoints where you think the best current is going to be and then try to connect the dots. Weighing up your best shot at positive current against positioning for a front/shift is the big challenge here. As you get further south towards the entrance to the strait, you also need to consider the considerable wind bend as the prevailing westerly wind wraps around the south coast.

Bass Strait

The Bass Strait is notorious for its rough seas and volatile weather. If there’s a cold front moving north and east then pleasant, fast downwind conditions can turn into hard, cold upwind conditions very quickly. A big change in wind direction like this often means a potentially boat-breaking confused sea state. The strait can serve up some of the most challenging conditions in ocean racing, with strong westerly winds known as the ‘Roaring Forties’.

Anticipating a big change in conditions like this, and being appropriately prepared, are an absolute necessity for every boat in the race. The ECMWF and GFS global models can be used to track the big picture weather systems and for running weather routing. There is also an Australian ACCESS model, based on the UK Met Office’s Unified Model. This is not so easy to get hold of, but for those taking the race very seriously, the legendary forecaster Roger ‘Clouds’ Badham provides some GRIB file downloads to teams he is forecasting for.

Smuggler off Tasman island during the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Photo: Rolex/Andrea Francolini

Approaching Tasmania

Approaching Tasmania the race enters its tactical endgame. The coastline offers shelter and potential wind shadows, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Choosing when to head offshore for wind or inshore for shelter is often the key to this stage.

Weather in the aptly named Storm Bay can be very unpredictable. The area can be becalmed, leaving yachts stranded for hours, or it can be struck by sudden storms, particularly in the afternoon when the heat from the land can generate strong sea breezes or thunderstorms.

The fetch across the bay can build up substantial waves and the wind can accelerate around the Tasman Peninsula, creating gusty and unstable conditions.

Some of these local features are not captured by typical weather models, so keep an eye on observations and any competitors you can see ahead of you on AIS. There are some high resolution WRF weather models for Hobart available through Nick White’s Expedition navigation software that do a good job of modelling some of these local effects.

Famously fickle breezes can hamper boats in Hobart’s River Derwent at the finish. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

The final approach to Hobart is up the Derwent River, where winds can be fickle, and many a lead has been lost in these final miles. If you’re lucky then you might finish in a nice afternoon sea breeze, those less fortunate can be becalmed for hours, particularly when finishing at night or in the early hours.

Race like no other

Finishing the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is a significant achievement in itself and the reception all boats receive is unlike anywhere else. Whatever time of day, finishing teams are greeted by a cheering crowd at Constitution Dock and the Elizabeth St Pier. It’s also pretty much mandatory to stop at the Customs House pub for a debrief and to exchange stories from the great race.

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Adams 10s in close combat - Andrea Francolini, SHR pic

Condor (Super 40s) puts the foot down to stay ahead in 2023 - Andrea Francolini, MHYC pic

FarEast 28Rs offer excitement for sailors and fans alike - Andrea Francolini, MHYC pic

Performance classes competing last year - Andrea Francolini, MHYC pic

Entry opens for Sydney Harbour Regatta

Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC) welcomes all sailors to the New Year and entry into its 2024 Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, due to take place from 2-3 March 2024, with another competitive weekend of autumn racing across multiple classes and divisions.

The Notice of Race is now online where you can also enter for the 19 th  running of the largest keelboat regatta in NSW which was introduced in 2006.

New in 2024 is the inaugural FarEast 28R National Championship. A quality Australia-wide fleet exists in this fun and fast Simonis Voogd One-Design class. Excitement is the key factor. Downwind in big conditions has caused a few heart stopping moments for crews and spectators alike and there is often less than half a bowsprit between finishers in races.

Following a successful first Australian J/99 Class Championships at the Sydney Harbour Regatta in 2023, Jules Hall will return with Disko Trooper to defend their title.

The competitive Sydney 38 One-Design class will again hold its NSW Championship as part of the SHR. Whether the determined team of Peter Byford and David Hudson (Conspiracy) can be beaten remains to be seen. MHYC’s Peter Sorensen (Advanced Philosophy) came close last year. He led into the final day, but Conspiracy accelerated to lift the title.

Joining the Sydney 38s for offshore windward-leeward races starting and finishing in the Harbour will be the Super 50 group, with a number of TP52s expected. The Open IRC divisions will race inshore this year.

“We are committed to remaining innovative in our approach to the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta. We review it each year. We continue to grow it and promote the strength of the various one-design classes and other designs in general via NSW and National Championships,” said MHYC Commodore Rob Aldis.

The Commodore will take part also, with Daguet 2, a French built Mylius 50 co-owned with Peter Byford from Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. 

Other one-design classes lining up for MHYC’s signature event include the J/70, J/24, Adams 10, Farr 40 and Etchells. All are ultra-competitive and sailed by some of Australia’s leading lights.

Add to the above the Super 30, Super 40, Performance Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker divisions, Classic Keelboats and Historic 18 foot skiffs – the classes that showcase Sydney Harbour and its famous landmarks in March each year. The Harbour is at its best when it is covered in white sails and colourful spinnakers.

More than 150 yachts are expected to take part in the 19 divisions across seven course areas on the Harbour and offshore.

“We appreciate the large number of competitors who support the event each year and show our Harbour off to its best advantage. We also thank those clubs that support us each year to hold the regatta; a huge undertaking,” Commodore Aldis said.

Those clubs that continue to support the running of the Regatta are: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, Manly Yacht Club, Royal Australian Navy Sailing Association, Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, the Sydney Flying Squadron and their skilled and committed volunteers. 

Early entries close at one minute to midnight on Wednesday 21 February, so enter now and take advantage of the Early Entry Fee.

For the Notice of Race and to enter the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, please visit:  https://www.shr.mhyc.com.au

Di Pearson/MHYC media

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Dramatic start to Sydney to Hobart yacht race with close calls and wild weather

• Fleet sets off on Boxing Day in 78th edition of bluewater classic
• Andoo Comanche takes lead with eye on back-to-back line honours
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Line honours favourite Andoo Comanche has taken the lead in the Sydney to Hobart after a dramatic start to the revered yacht race.

Comanche, the 2022 line honours winner, was travelling 28 miles off the coast of Port Kembla, south of Wollongong, when she overtook LawConnect roughly three-and-a-half hours into the race.

LawConnect, last year’s runner-up and a fellow 100-foot supermaxi, had taken an early lead out of the Sydney Heads, and later remained in hot pursuit of leader Comanche as they travelled at roughly 19 knots in northeasterly winds.

The two frontrunners have opened up a gap on third-placed supermaxi SHK Scallywag, which was about four miles behind Comanche when she passed LawConnect.

In-form 72-footer URM Group, along with Moneypenny and 2018 overall winner Alive – all contenders for handicap honours – appeared best-placed of the smaller boats.

Four hours into the race, the fleet remained at 103 boats – the same number that crossed the start line in Sydney Harbour.

Scallywag had earlier completed a 720-degree penalty turn in a bid to avoid a possible time sanction.

Accusing Scallywag of tacking too close, Comanche’s crew could be heard on broadcast coverage yelling to their rivals before formally flying a red protest flag.

The boats appeared to come within metres of each other.

The fact the incident had taken place in Sydney Harbour meant Scallywag had only a limited distance in which to complete the penalty turns, or risk receiving a time sanction on arrival in Hobart.

In 2017, Wild Oats XI opted not to respond to a protest from Comanche early in the race and a subsequent one-hour time penalty cost her a line honours victory.

Race officials confirmed Scallywag completed the turn off the coast of Bondi Beach.

After a heavy storm cleared just before the 1pm starting gun, LawConnect led the way across the line then made the best of a change in the wind to pass the heads first.

But when a furling line snapped after LawConnect passed the first marker out of the Sydney Heads, she turned towards the spectator fleet in an attempt to correct the issue. The furling line issue has since been fixed.

The fleet is expected to encounter stormy conditions south of Jervis Bay on the NSW south coast.

Sudden and erratic wind changes, hail, rain and reduced visibility are all on the cards across the first two days of racing.

Easterly winds as strong as 35 knots are forecast for the far south coast of NSW on the night of Boxing Day and could impact the bigger boats in the fleet.

Winds are forecast to remain strong across the Bass Strait and southeast Tasmania on the morning of December 28, with storms a chance to continue affecting smaller boats.

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SailGP to return to Sydney Harbour in three-season agreement

• KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix
• Genesis joins as Official Automotive Partner of the Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney in multi-year deal

Together with the New South Wales Government, Sydney has secured the rights to host the most exciting racing on-water, SailGP, for three consecutive seasons. The championship will return to the iconic Sydney Harbour on February 18 and 19 2023, in the ninth event of SailGP Season 3.

The ten teams competing in Season 3 – including new franchises Canada and Switzerland and returning nations Australia, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States – will race on the spectacular Sydney Harbour in the league’s largest season roster to date.

The Australia Sail Grand Prix joins the ten events already announced for Season 3, with the championship having commenced in Bermuda in May this year. From there, the fleet – comprising the sport’s best athletes – will head to Chicago, Plymouth, Copenhagen, Saint-Tropez, Cádiz-Andalucía, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, New Zealand and San Francisco.

An estimated 20,000 people turned out to watch Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team Sydney Harbour in December 2021, witnessing the Australia team’s stunning performance to claim victory on home waters. Overall, the event reached 88.5 million people worldwide.

The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, will join as the Official Host Venue Partner of the Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney, in a three season deal. Together, SailGP and the NSW Government will showcase Sydney as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, with a focus on driving domestic visitor growth and expenditure.

Stuart Ayres, Minister for Tourism and Sport, said: “I am delighted we have secured the Australia Sail Grand Prix on Sydney Harbour for the next three seasons, which further demonstrates that Sydney is bouncing back to life and is well-and-truly open for business. As one of only eleven iconic locations in the global SailGP league, the Australia Sail Grand Prix will provide a significant boost to the state’s visitor economy by showcasing our spectacular Harbour City to the world. This is another incredible addition to the calendar of world-class international sporting events we are building exclusively for Sydney and the state to deliver on our goal of making NSW the events capital and premier visitor of the Asia Pacific.”

Tom Slingsby , Australia SailGP Team Driver and CEO, said: “We are stoked to be able to work with the NSW Government to secure this world class event in Australia for the next three years. Now having ten F50’s lined up and racing for the first time on Sydney Harbour is going to be a pretty incredible sight for fans and with the calibre of athletes we have on these boats in Season 3, we can expect action-packed and very close racing. We won in front of our home crowd at last year’s Sydney event and our team is laser focused on repeating that again for Australia.”

With SailGP going from strength to strength in Season 3, and returning to Sydney for the fourth time since the league’s inception, SailGP also announces an exciting partnership with Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers performance and innovation, with a focus towards a more sustainable future.

Genesis will join as Official Automotive Partner for the Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney, in a multi-year deal. Genesis supports SailGP’s purpose-led agenda for a better planet, with its commitment to becoming a 100% zero emission vehicle brand by 2030 and to pursuing carbon neutrality by 2035.

Connal Yan, Head of Genesis Motors Australia, said: “Genesis Motors is thrilled to be partnering with SailGP and the New South Wales Government to bring this world class event to the iconic Sydney Harbour. This partnership represents Genesis Motors’ first foray into sailing, providing us with a great opportunity to showcase our progressive and audacious brand to a global audience.”

The Genesis and NSW Government and Destination NSW partnerships were facilitated by IMG, SailGP’s global agency for media rights, sponsorship and host venue rights.

Chris Gilbert, Managing Director of IMG Australia & New Zealand, said: “We are delighted to bring Genesis on board and extend our valued partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW. Set against the backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, SailGP offers Sydneysiders and visitors alike an unforgettable live event experience and is the perfect tourism postcard for Sydney.”

SailGP will continue to Race for the Future in Season 3, as the first climate positive sports and entertainment property it ensures its host cities share a commitment to climate action and a cleaner future. Season 3 sees the return of the world-first Impact League, tracking the positive actions teams make in terms of sustainability and inclusivity.

A range of on-water and on-land fan experiences will be on offer for the event providing Australian fans with a front row seat to witness the most technologically advanced catamarans ripping through Sydney Harbour at breathtaking speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h).

Tickets for the Australia Sail Grand Prix I Sydney will go on sale in October, 2022. For further information on fan experiences visit SailGP.com/Sydney .

Following on from the Australia team being crowned the champions of the first event in SailGP Season 3 in Bermuda last month, the team will prepare to compete in a few days at the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier on 18-19 June. Racing will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and for free on the Kayo Freebies platform in Australia.

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Two super maxis continue to lead the Sydney to Hobart race as storms hit fleet

Comanche heads down Sydney Harbour during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

Skallywag, left, and Comanche sail close during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

Sail boats enter open water after the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

Competitors race to the start line to begin the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Andrea Francolini/Rolex/CYCA via AP)

Boats compete during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

LawConnect, left, leads the fleet during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Salty Dog/CYCA via AP)

Competitors race past spectator boasts as they begin the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Andrea Francolini/Rolex/CYCA via AP)

Competitors sail through Sydney Harbour to begin the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. The 630-nautical mile race has more than 100 yachts starting in the race to the island state of Tasmania. (Andrea Francolini/Rolex/CYCA via AP)

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SYDNEY (AP) — The Sydney to Hobart fleet was reduced to 98 boats after overall honors contender Maritimo 52 was one of two retirements on a stormy first night of racing.

Rival super maxis Andoo Comanche and LawConnect remained neck-and-neck in the early hours of Wednesday as the fleet began to pass Eden on the New South Wales south coast before heading into Bass Strait.

The two favorites for line honors were some 40 miles (65 kilometers) ahead of the nearest challengers.

Race officials confirmed Maritimo had retired overnight with rigging damage, while 50-footer Sticky pulled out with electrical issues. The retirements came after line honors contender SHK Scallywag was among the three boats of the 103 starters to pull out on the first evening after the start Tuesday in Sydney harbor.

“We’re shattered, actually,” said Maritimo crew member Peter Jones. “We were trying to work a million ways around it, but at best we were going to be at 50%.”

Jones reported a southwesterly front had come through with three hours of heavy rain and high winds.

“There was as much lightning as we’d ever seen,” Jones said.

LawConnect was the first out of the harbor. The finish line of the 628-nautical mile (720-mile, 1,170-kilometer) race is at Constitution Dock in the state capital of Hobart.

The line honors record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, 24 seconds was set by Comanche in 2017, after Comanche also won last year’s race . In 2022, Comanche finished at Constitution Dock in 1 day, 11 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds — the second-fastest time behind its 2017 race record.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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Racing pathways, more information on our j24 and more witchcraft events 2024, more information on lgt crestone cyca winter series 2024, more information on  j24 states & nationals championships 24, more information on women keelboat regatta, more information on short haul 2024, more information on   twilights 24, more information on  crewing..

Women's Keelboat Regatta

From November 2023 to March 2024 , join us for a great introduction to crewing. It involves training in the morning and racing in the afternoon. Point score series with 4 Sundays on Sydney Harbour and debriefing at the host yacht club after racing. Join us Sunday morning for a freshly cooked breakfast and piping hot coffee before heading onto the water.

CYCA Spring Series

Sundays in starting July 2024 , just after the winter series, join us for the popular CYCA Spring Series. Sailed on Sydney Harbour, it is comprised of four-point score races throughout the months of August or early September. Races are a scratch start and commence at 1400hrs, allowing competitors to enjoy lunch at the CYCA, before heading out on the water to enjoy the best of the afternoon Spring breeze.

J24 Regattas

We won the J24 States on Sydney Harbour in November 23 and hope to the J24 National Championship In January 2024 again.

AS PSS J24 Sailpac competed in the J24 World Championship in Greece In September 2023.

Every year the school boats take part in many J24 Regattas:

The Gosford Classic Regatta  over the long weekend in October opens the season, followed by the Women’s Keelboat Regatta, J24 State, National, and World Championships. We also take part in many other J24 Race Events. Learn more by clicking on the link below!

CYCA Short Haul Series

Join us for the popular Short Haul Series

The Short Haul is a point-score non-spinnaker series, comprising races every second weekend over the spring and summer. Several are raced in the Harbour with a few Friday evening races, a couple of weekends, and overnight at Pittwater while the majority are sailed off Sydney Heads. Join us for a great introduction to crewing on big boats.

Twilight Series

Possibility to sail on Monday and Friday evenings from November through to March. Enjoy racing under the setting sun and enjoy a few drinks afterward! Social Sail Events We also organize Social Sail events every two months, they are the perfect opportunity to meet other PSS students and make new friends.

CYCA Winter Series

Join us for the popular Winter Series – April 2024 through to July 2024 – the best  introduction to crewing. It involves training sessions, rules & social evenings, 10 Sunday races and 3 Women’s postscore races on  Sydney Harbour, with crewing roles rotating. Join us every Sunday morning for a freshly cooked breakfast and piping hot coffee from the CYCA Club volunteers, before heading onto the water. Winter sailing on the Harbour is exciting and great fun afterwards at the Clubhouse. An average of 140 Spinnaker boats compete each Sunday in this iconic series.

Spinnaker time!

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A glimpse at our spinnaker course, asymmetrical spinnaker.

Symmetrical Spinnaker

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Spectator Cruise - Sydney - Boxing Day

Chase the front runners of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race down the coast towards Maroubra on a comfortable 24 metre catamaran.

Description

• Follow the front runners of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race down to Maroubra
• Cruise aboard a large comfortable powered catamaran (not a sailing vessel)
• Enjoy an Australian BBQ lunch with soft drinks

Setting off from Darling Harbour in a 24-metre catamaran, you will cruise through Sydney Heads and out into the ocean, following the leaders of the race down the coast to Maroubra. On board, you'll enjoy a basic Australian BBQ lunch and soft drinks as you sit back and watch the exciting on-water action. 

Experience Details

Fitness and experience.

• Very young children may find this a long time to be on a boat at sea
• Not recommended for people with pre-existing neck or back injuries
• Seasickness: This is a stable vessel however it is recommended that you speak to your pharmacist about preventative measures before you board as crew cannot provide medication 

What to Bring/Wear

• Comfortable clothes suitable to the weather on the day 
• Sunscreen 
• Confirmation email

What is Supplied

• Four hour cruise 
• Expert crew
• Basic Australian BBQ lunch 
• Soft drinks

More Information

• This experience is four hours in duration
• Available on Boxing Day (26 Dec) only
• Boarding commences at 11am for a 11:30am departure

Cancellation Policy

• Change your booking up to 48 hours before the start time of your experience
• Changes are not permitted within 48 hours of your experience
• Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience

  Available Dates

Darling Harbour (Sydney)

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