Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Breaking News

Eight Bells Peter Packer, OAM

Sat, 12 May 2012 14:55:00 +1000

Peter Packer, OAM, founder of a Western Australian dynasty of ocean racing yachtsmen and the first WA yachtsman to win the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, has died while holidaying in Rome, aged 86.

Trophy presentation brings Rolex Sydney Hobart to a close

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 16:03:00 +1000

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race came to a conclusion on January 1 at the Royal Club of Tasmania, where the Official Prize Giving took place.

Victory on the 14th Attempt

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +1000

The 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was notable for an unexpected winner of the coveted line honours trophy, a worthy overall winner and a slow passage home for the smaller boats.

Maluka wins battle to be last in for New Year

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:43:00 +1000

Three of the Langman family shared the honour of sailing the last boat to the finish line in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, crossing the finish line at 4.48pm late this afternoon in the time of five days 3hr 48min 22sec.

Last Female skipper docks in her home port

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:12:00 +1000

The skipper of Natelle Two, Hobart's Laura Roper, was glad to have the support of her father and brother as part of her crew in her first Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Optimus Knee Deep in success

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:47:00 +1000

The race was on for the two Western Australian entrants in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race yesterday as they were racing neck and neck and only to finish less than a minute apart from each other.

Merit pays respect where it is due

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:03:00 +1000

It was a mixed race for the crew of the Volvo 60 Merit, which arrived in Hobart safe and jubilant after a special Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race dedication in Sydney, as the crew decided to make the race a tribute to noted Tasmanian maritime figure and avid sailor Nick Wells, who died in November.

Clitheroe's 'Balanced' view of the Rolex Sydney Hobart

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:57:00 +1000

Arriving within minutes of five other yachts, Beneteau 45 Balance finished this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race after a contest full of patchy weather.

All yachts expected in for New Year

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:31:00 +1000

As Greg Zyner and Morgan Rogers, respectively the owners of the yachts Copernicus and Wave Sweeper, threw the mooring lines to Constitution Dock well-wishers between 6.50am and 7.50am this morning in Hobart, 12 yachts still remained at sea in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Honours For Ainsworth on 14th Attempt

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:45:00 +1000

With the wind fading for the smaller boats, so this morning (local time) Stephen Ainsworth's Loki was announced the handicap winner of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

They came - they saw - they conquered - so they dunked Jessica

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:21:00 +1000

Round the world yachtswoman Jessica Watson and her crew of "juniors" aboard the Sydney 38 Ella Bache crossed the finish line in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race at 3.12pm today - the youngest-ever crew to compete in the race - all are under 21.

"Nothing accidental" about Loki's win

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:46:00 +1000

It took Sydney-based Stephen Ainsworth 14 years to claim the elusive Tattersall's Cup, and as he put it so succinctly, "it was a big box to tick".

Humour in the doldrums

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:39:00 +1000

A windless night off the Tasmanian south-east coast destroyed all prospects of Roger Hickman's Wild Rose reaching Hobart in time to displace Stephen Ainsworth's Loki as the overall winner of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Loki declared overall winner of Rolex Sydney Hobart

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:26:00 +1000

This morning at 8.40am Stephen Ainsworth's Loki was declared the overall winner of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the race he has been trying to win for 13 years finally coming to fruition on his 14th try.

Final Jockeying to Determine Handicap Winner

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:50:00 +1000

With the line honours podium decided in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, focus now shifts to the handicap race under IRC for the Tattersall's Cup.

The first Tasmanian boat now on the prowl

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:55:00 +1000

Perhaps the most popular arrival in Hobart today was Tony Lyall's Cougar II, the first Tasmanian boat to finish the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Can Loki shake off the competition to win Rolex Sydney Hobart?

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:29:00 +1000

Throughout the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, two yachts names have kept appearing at the top of the overall standings - Loki and Wild Rose - and now it looks likely the two will replicate the thrilling line honours battle between Investec Loyal and Wild Oats XI, as they battle to win the Tattersall's Cup.

Investec Loyal Crowned Line Honours Winner

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:48:00 +1000

Following a three hour hearing at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania before the International Jury, the Race Committee's protest against Investec Loyal was dismissed and Anthony Bell and the crew of his 100ft maxi were finally declared the line honours victors in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Investec Loyal declared line honours winner of Rolex Sydney Hobart

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:26:00 +1000

Investec Loyal is now officially the line honours winner of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race after the protest against her by the Race Committee was dismissed by the International Jury.

Is Victoire appropriately named?

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +1000

The Sydney yacht Victoire is the new leader on handicap in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as attention today turns to the overall winner of the race and also to the protest room for a decision on whether Investec Loyal's line honours win yesterday stands.

Fickle Derwent River may decide outright winner

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:56:00 +1000

While the battle for line honours has moved from the water to the committee room, at sea the race for the coveted Tattersall's Cup, awarded to the handicap winner, is still very much a contest between crews, boats and the elements. And the elements, or more precisely, the wind on the Derwent River may yet be the final arbiter.

Investec Loyal's line honours win under protest in the Rolex Sydney Hobart

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:42:00 +1000

Investec Loyal's line honours win is under threat following a protest by the Race Committee of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race this evening.

Investec Loyal wins close finish, but...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:25:00 +1000

Anthony Bell's Sydney super maxi Investec Loyal is the provisional line honours winner of the 67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race after one of the closest finishes in the race's history. She crossed the line just three minutes and eight seconds ahead of five-time line honours winner Wild Oats XI.

Doozy at the front, oozing just behind

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:42:00 +1000

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours contest is shaping up to be a doozy and Wild Oats XI's co-navigator Ian Burns believes overtaking opportunities may present themselves to Investec Loyal all the way to finish of this epic 628 nautical mile race.

Maxi Boat Match Race

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:48:00 +1000

Wild Oats XI's position as the fastest boat in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was being severely tested last night when at the 20:00 sched (local time, 09:00 UTC), Anthony Bell's maxi Investec Loyal overhauled the five time line honours winner.

The race is well and truly on in the Rolex Sydney Hobart

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:58:00 +1000

Investec Loyal is clinging to a 1.8 nautical mile lead over Wild Oats XI as the two super maxi's play cat and mouse down the Tasmanian coast in light and fickle northerly breeze this morning.

Make or Break Night Ahead

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:40:00 +1000

At 1640 local time (0540 UTC) the leading maxi boats in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race were just over half way across Bass Strait, having spent the day making reasonable progress in southwesterly winds that have been slowly dropping off from the 30 knots they saw last night and into this morning.

The night chess game

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:46:00 +1000

The two leading maxis in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, Investec Loyal and five-times line honours winner Wild Oats XI were engaged in a fascinating match race 90 miles east of Flinders Island late tonight.

Former Overall Winner and Youngest Skipper Retire

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:27:00 +1000

Matthew Percy's Beneteau 44.7 Alacrity and Chris Bowling's Davidson 34 Illusion are the two latest retirements from the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Cat and mouse as Investec Loyal closes the gap on race leader

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:17:00 +1000

Though the two leading boats in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race are separated by 10 nautical miles tonight as they close on Flinders Island at the eastern end of Bass Strait, an epic match race develops between them.

Big boats move into top handicap places, Wild Thing retires

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:56:00 +1000

Bob Oatley's super maxi Wild Oats XI still leads the Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet and moved into first place on handicap as conditions started to take their toll late this morning. As the day wears on and the winds ease however, they will struggle to maintain pace.

Into Bass Strait

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +1000

At 11:00 local (midnight UTC ), Wild Oats XI was leading the drive south in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. She was just setting out to cross Bass Strait with Anthony Bell's Investec Loyal 11 miles astern. These two have now broken away from the fleet with Peter Millard's Lahana third, 39 miles off the lead.

Big southerly and only one retirement in Rolex Sydney Hobart

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:34:00 +1000

Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI continues to lead the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet early this morning; Mark Richards has skippered the super maxi to a 10 nautical mile advantage over Anthony Bell's Investec Loyal in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's annual blue water classic after sailing in rough southerly winds overnight.

40 Knot Upwind Forecast for the First Night

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:58:00 +1000

As is usual for its annual Boxing Day fixture, today Sydney Harbour was thick with spectator craft for the 1300 local time departure of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Smooth sailing so far in Rolex Sydney Hobart

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +1000

The 88 yachts in the Rolex Sydney Hobart are still experiencing pleasant downwind sailing conditions at 1800 hours AEDT, with up to 16 knots from the north and north-east driving the fleet southwards, but the southerly is on the way, as expected.

Wild Oats XI leads Investec Loyal out of Sydney Harbour

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +1000

Despite her electric mainsail winch failing just 11 minutes before the start of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Bob Oatley's Wild Oats XI led the rest of the 88 boat fleet through Sydney Heads.

Airlines get sailors to the Rolex Sydney Hobart on time

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:50:00 +1000

As the clock ticked away the hours this morning, time was running out for the Victorian yachtsmen trying to get into Sydney for the Rolex Sydney Hobart, but luck was on their side after thunderstorms brought airlines to a standstill last night, with the remaining sailors arriving at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia by 10.30am this morning.

First night jitters for Rolex Sydney Hobart

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 10:47:00 +1000

The 88-strong Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race fleet will kick off this afternoon in a brisk 15-20 knot nor'easterly breeze and enjoy a whale of a ride for the first few hours. But by late afternoon the southerly front that hit Melbourne yesterday will reach the race leaders and by late evening it will have worked its way through the rest of the fleet.

JBW and her crew to watch over Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet for another year

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:37:00 +1000

Each year when the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race competitors head to sea, one of the rare comforts is knowing that the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Radio Relay Vessel is accompanying them; the 'eyes and the ears' of the race until the last yacht reaches Constitution Dock in Hobart - and for two of the team, there will be a special interest in the race - their sons.

Melbourne storms play havoc with Rolex Sydney Hobart entries

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:02:00 +1000

Storms that lashed Victoria last night may cost some of the highly fancied yachts in the Rolex Sydney Hobart their chance of victory.

Tattersall's Cup chase favours the mid-size

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:09:00 +1000

Little has changed with regard to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race forecast as this year's blue water classic looks set to favour the mid-fleet for the coveted Tattersall's Cup win.

Breaking into the boy's club

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:29:00 +1000

Of the field of 88 boats competing in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart, three will be skippered by women and more will navigate and hold crew positions.

Tony Cable - 46 Rolex Sydney Hobart's - but he's not counting

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:32:00 +1000

Ask anyone connected with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia or its famous Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and you'll find most want to talk about Tony Cable coming up for a record 46th race to Hobart in December - but not him - records don't mean a thing to the yachtie who still retains an air of youthfulness.

Piece of yachting history comes to Rolex Sydney Hobart

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:11:00 +1000

In the history of ocean racing there have been signature boats, designs and events that have reverberated through the sport. Think of Windward Passage II, the first carbon fibre maxi that in one season rendered aluminium maxis obsolete and led directly to today's high tech supermaxis. The 79 Fastnet and the 98 Hobart. Or when New Zealand designer Bruce Farr first burst onto the IOR scene.

A Real American family adventure

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:58:00 +1000

Not much more than a year ago, 26 year old Walker Potts and his cousin Rives' ocean racing experience was focussed on Newport, Rhode Island and especially the annual Newport-Bermuda ocean race.

Rolex Sydney Hobart set to be a giant game of nautical chess

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:04:00 +1000

Early weather forecasts for the Rolex Sydney Hobart delivered to a panel of skippers this morning have ruled out a record run for the super maxis.

Helicopter exercise completes Wild Oats XI's preparation for the Rolex Sydney Hobart race

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:55:00 +1000

Rolex Sydney Hobart race record holder and line honours favourite, Wild Oats XI, has completed preparations for the great race with a spectacular helicopter rescue exercise on Sydney Harbour today.

Rating, not absolute boat speed, key to Rolex Sydney Hobart win

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:13:00 +1000

The race for line honours in the 628 nautical mile Rolex Sydney Hobart is pretty straightforward. The fastest and largest boat wins. But winning the race on handicap, the ultimate prize for every ocean racer, is a much more complex business.

Take two for Natelle Two

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:31:00 +1000

Laura Roper, one of three women skippers contesting this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart, has struck some issues during the delivery of her family boat, Hobart-based Natelle Two, to Sydney.

Ed's new, brutal stealth machine

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:47:00 +1000

Veteran Rolex Sydney Hobart addicts Ed Psaltis and Bob Thomas have always believed the exhausting marathon down the NSW coast and across eastern Bass Strait can be won and lost in the dark.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Fleet Update

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +1000

Media are advised that a fleet of 88 yachts are planning to start the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starting on Monday 26 December at 1pm AEST.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Fleet Stands at 89

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 14:44:00 +1000

Entries have now closed for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and from the original 100 applications, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has confirmed a quality international fleet of 89 yachts is being fine tuned for the Boxing Day dash south.

Kiwis hoping for outrageously good fortune in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +1000

A bunch of sailors from West Auckland have arrived in Sydney for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race aboard a boat named after a popular New Zealand TV show about a bunch of West Aucklanders.

An Absorbing Race in the Frame

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:16:00 +1000

26 December is normally a day of rest, those that celebrate Christmas wholeheartedly using the opportunity to relax from the feasting and excess. Not so the crews of the 93 yachts currently aiming to be on the start line of the 67th Rolex Sydney Hobart. Boxing Day, as the Commonwealth nations refer to the second day of Christmas, is no time to be sitting idle.

Rolex Sydney Hobart proves major drawcard

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:05:00 +1000

The 67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has once again proven itself a major drawcard among the worldwide sailing fraternity with a fleet of 96 boats anticipated on the Sydney Harbour start line on Boxing Day, 26 December.

Even 100 nominated for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 13:16:00 +1000

Australia's richest horse race has been run and won and now another summer sporting icon is on the radar with the close of applications for entry marking the start of the countdown to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

One week until Rolex Sydney Hobart applications for entry close

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:14:00 +1000

For over 66 years many yachtsmen and women have foregone Christmas celebrations to prepare for the ultimate sailing test - completing a Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - and with just one week to submit an Application for Entry to the host club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, time is running out for those wanting to take the race off their bucket list.

Roper all set to lassoo her first Rolex Sydney Hobart

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:22:00 +1000

For as long as she can remember, young Tasmanian Laura Roper has watched the spectacular Rolex Sydney Hobart finish, soaking up the excitement of Australia's preeminent yachting event as the fleet docked in Hobart and the weary sailors finally climbed out of their pungent wet weather gear.

50 footer 50th Rolex Sydney Hobart applicant for entry

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:51:00 +1000

Colin Woods' 50 footer Pretty Fly III is coincidentally the 50th applicant for entry for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart to be received by race organiser, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Eclectic Fleet and Big Names for 67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:05:00 +1000

There is less than one month until Applications for Entry close for the 67th edition of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and already there is an interesting mix of yachts and people preparing to head south to Tasmania.

67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: Notice of Race and Application for Entry Available

Thu, 1 Sep 2011 10:32:00 +1000

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, the organising authority for the 67th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and Rolex SA of Geneva, the race's naming rights sponsor, have announced the release of the Notice of Race and now invite Applications for Entry.

Supermaxi Wild Oats XI to be upgraded

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:48:00 +1000

Bob Oatley's record breaking supermaxi yacht, Wild Oats XI, is about to undergo an upgrade following news that the 30-metre long sloop is to face a powerful foreign challenger in the Rolex Sydney Hobart race later this year.

Jessica Watson Announces "Another Challenge"

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:55:00 +1000

Young Australian of the Year Jessica Watson today confirmed she will race in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and will skipper the youngest crew to ever compete in the iconic event.