1988 Race Recap

Illusion, Overall Winner in 1988

AWA Sydney to Hobart Race 1988

Race Program

Prior to each race Cruising Yacht Club of Australia publishes a separate official race program (with details of competing boats, the results of past races and articles about the race and its participants and other important events).  The 1988 Edition is here.    

Race Documents

AWA Fortyfourth Sydney-Hobart Race 1988 Sailing Instructions, Radio Instructions and Race Entries

Weather

The race underlined the toughness of the 628 nautical mile bash race southwards, a race that brings back every yacht and yachtsman to the common denominator of sound seamanship and stout craft in big seas and strong winds.  Of the 119 starters, 38 retired, nearly half of them with broken masts or damaged rigging.

The race started in a light northerly, but 12 hours after the start a 30-40 knot southerly hit the fleet and against a 3-4 knot south-running current it kicked up boat and body-breaking seas which continued for two days and two nights.  The wind died away on the third night at sea, giving the fleet light winds for the final 200 miles, with Ragamuffin's elapsed time almost 24 hours outside the record.

Race reports

After each race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's magazine Offshore contains photo galleries, reports and articles on the race.  Read on to access them.

February/March 1989 Offshore - see pages 6 to 27, 33 to 36 and 38-39