Rolex Sydney Hobart
Entries for the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race closed on Friday and the lineup of 120 boats is one of the most open and diverse fleets in years.
The 628 nautical mile race, set to start on St. Stephen’s Day, December 26th, on Sydney Harbour, has attracted entries from around the world, including ten international teams from New Zealand, Hong Kong, New Caledonia, the United States, France, Germany, and Ireland.
The Australian contingent is made up of 110 boats hailing from six states, with New South Wales accounting for the majority of entries with 64, followed by Queensland with 20, Victoria with 16, Tasmania with 7, South Australia with 1, and Western Australia with 2.
The boats range in size from the smallest, two diminutive 30-foot two-handed entries, to the four maxi 100-footers: Andoo Comanche, Law Connect, SHK Scallywag, and Wild Thing 100 (formerly the Botin 80 Stefan Racing). The John H Illingworth Challenge Cup for Line Honours victory will be hotly contested by these larger boats who have all featured in recent years.
The oldest boat in the fleet is Ena Ladd’s Colin Archer-designed double-ender Christina, built in 1932. Meanwhile, four boats were built in the 1970s: the ubiquitous Victorian entry Bacardi, first all-female two-handed entrant in 2022, Currawong, three-time Overall winner Love & War, and Queensland’s Son of a Son. A further 27 were launched in the last century.
21 boats will be competing two-handed, making up 17.5% of the fleet. This number is testament to the growing interest and standard of competition in the division across Australia and around the world.
The Tattersall Cup, one of the most prestigious prizes in sailing, will be awarded to the winner of the IRC division, with 96 boats competing. 24 boats will be competing under PHS Handicap.
View the full fleet here
