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Hobart Heroes

Home About The Race People Hobart Heroes

To 'do a Hobart' is the goal of many yachties, but there's a diehard group of 'Hobart Heroes' who come back year after year to take on the blue water classic, notching up 25 or more races over the decades.

Tony Cable holds the record for the most number of Sydney Hobarts (53 in 2019)
Dockside ambiance in Sydney
Syd Fischer, Bruce Gould, Tony Ellis and Bill Ratcliff - all of whom have completed 40 plus Hobarts

Over 140 yachtsmen and yachtswomen have competed in 25 or more Sydney Hobarts, with 5 reaching the 50 races milestone and a further 12 reaching the 40 races milestone.

Each person has their name engraved on the beautiful Huon Pine map of Tasmania that celebrates reaching the 25 Hobart milestone - it hangs in the foyer of the Coasters Retreat at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney.

The original honour board was carved by prisoners at Risdon Prison in Tasmania, and a second one was commissioned in 2011.

The list of 'Hobart Heroes' up to and including 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is:

  • Tony Ellis (NSW) - 54 since 1963 (1 overall win, 2 line honours)
  • Tony Cable (NSW) - 52 since 1961 (1 overall win, 2 line honours)
  • Colin Wildman (NSW) - 51 since 1963 (1 overall win, 1 line honours)
  • Bill Ratcliff (NSW) - 50 since 1963
  • Lindsay May (NSW) - 50 consecutive since 1973 (3 overall wins, 1 line honours)
  • Syd Fischer (NSW, dec) - 47 since 1962 (1 overall win, 2 line honours)
  • David Kellett (NSW) - 47 since 1968 (1 overall win, 2 line honours)
  • Bruce Gould (NSW) - 46 since 1963 (2 overall wins, 2 line honours)
  • Michael Spies (NSW) - 46 since 1976 (1 overall win, 1 line honours)
  • John 'The Fish' Bennetto (TAS, dec) - 44 since 1947 (1 overall win, 1 line honours)
  • Lou Abrahams (VIC, dec) - 44 since 1963 (2 overall wins)
  • Bruce Taylor (VIC) - 43 since 1980
  • Mike Green (NSW) - 43 since 1977 (3 overall wins, 1 line honours)
  • Ed Psaltis (NSW) - 42 since 1979 (1 overall win)
  • Kingsley Piesse (VIC) - 41 since 1983
  • Richard 'Sighty' Hammond (NSW, dec) - 40 since 1952 (2 overall wins, 2 line honours)
  • Bernie Case (VIC) - 40 since 1962 (1 line honours)

Leading Yachtswomen

Yachtswomen have been sailing in the Sydney Hobart since the very early days of the bluewater classic, with three already past the 25 race milestone:

  • Adrienne Cahalan (NSW) - 32 since 1984 (3 overall wins, 6 line honours)
  • Felicity Nelson (NSW) - 28 since 1987
  • Vanessa Dudley (NSW) - 25 since 1984