Fleet of 90 nominated for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2007

• NEWS
• 02 Nov, 2007 04:52:00 PM

Fleet of 90 nominated for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2007

Once again the heavier classic yachts from a bygone era of boat building will line up with the sleek and modern at 1pm on Wednesday 26 December when the iconic yacht race will showcase Sydney Harbour to the world for the 63rd time.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is delighted to announce a larger than anticipated fleet of 90 yachts has been nominated for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2007, Australia’s premier bluewater event.

Once again the heavier classic yachts from a bygone era of boat building will line up with the sleek and modern at 1pm on Wednesday 26 December when the start of the iconic yacht race will showcase Sydney Harbour to the world for the 63rd time.

“I am delighted with the number of applications to enter the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2007,” said CYCA Vice Commodore and sailing committee chairman Garry Linacre this afternoon.

“We have a very high quality of applications across the divisional bands and this will lead to excellent racing.

“To have seven states and territories of Australia represented is a great feature of the race, and the event’s international flavour and reputation is enhanced considerably by the nine visiting competitors, including six from Great Britain and the first ever application for entry from Mexico.

"We are definitely off on the right foot for a fantastic 2007 race,” Vice Commdore Linacre added.

One of the stand out features of this year's line up is the number of international entries, in particular the six UK entries, the largest British contingent in recent times.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart 2007 fleet will represent the USA, UK, New Zealand and Mexico as well as every Australian state and the ACT.

The first lead up regatta to the Boxing Day start will be the Rolex Trophy One Design Series from 7-9 December followed by the spectacular SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday 11 December and finally, the Rolex Trophy Rating Series, an exciting preview to the handicap form guide for the Rolex Sydney Hobart, from 13-16 December.

For the 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart, a fleet of 87 yachts applied to enter, 78 made it to the start line on Boxing Day and 69 crossed the finish line off Hobart’s historic Battery Point having completed the gruelling 628 nautical mile course.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2007 will be officially launched at the organising club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, on the morning of Tuesday 13 November 2007 at 10.30am. - Lisa Ratcliff

To view the list of yachts applied to enter go to http://rolexsydneyhobart.com//yachts.asp?key=526

Official website www.rolexsydneyhobart.com