2019 Race Recap
/media/3440696/syho19cb_2821689.jpg)
Matt Allen's Ichi Ban, Overall Winner in 2019
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2019
The historic 75th Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was one for the record books. The fleet saw 157 yachts start the anniversary race with only three yachts retiring before the finish line.
The battle for line honours was as strong as ever with five super maxis fighting to be the first to cross the finish line at Constitution Dock. InfoTrack, Wild Oats XI, SHK Scallywag 100 and Black Jack were unable to hold off the charge from the current record-holding Comanche.
For the overall win and to claim the coveted Tattersall Cup, the competitive TP52s were at the front of the pack as competitors crossed the line. For Matt Allen and his crew on Ichi Ban, this race would see them hoist the cup for the second time in three years.
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 2019 Edition is here.
2019 Rolex Sydney Hobart - Race Documents
Protest No 1 - Quest v Envy Scooters
Race and Weather Briefings
There is a compulsory race briefing 2 days before the race and a compulsory weather briefing on the morning of the start. . Watch them here:
Weather
A light North Easterly breeze at the start developed into a hard nor’easter on the first afternoon and evening.
A light Southerly change on the far south coast of New South Wales caused the fleet to slow and many were becalmed.
The North Easterly built about the middle of the second day and developed into a fast reach and run across Bass Strait for the entire fleet; gradually swinging into the North and North West. The maxi yachts experienced good winds until Tasman Island when the breeze softened. The five leading maxi's were close together rounding Tasman Island. The lead swapped several times between Comanche, InfoTrack and SHK Scallywag. Comanche won Line Honours by 44 minutes over InfoTrack.
The competitive 60 foot and TP52 yachts carried the breeze to the finish whilst it softened for the remainder of the fleet.
The tail-enders again experienced hard South Westerly winds rounding Tasman Island.
Race reports
In recent years navigators of the overall winner have been invited to write a report on their race, including detail on the weather they experienced. After each race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's magazine Offshore contains reports and articles on the race. Read on to access them.
February/March 2020 Offshore - see pages 8 to 21
Race report - Will Oxley, Navigator, Overall Winner Ichi Ban