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Double handed sailors pose a real threat

Home 2025 Double handed sailors pose a real threat

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Check the Overall standings of the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race this morning, Monday 29 December, and you may well do a double take.

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Time & Date: 29/12/2025 – 1100 hours (70 hours after the start)   

Yesterday’s standings had defending Overall champion, Sam Haynes’ Volvo 70 Celestial V70 in the number one spot, but now three of the top four Overall positions are currently filled by double handed yachts – though they are still out at sea. 

They are the Sunfast 3300 Borderline (Ian Hoddle and Andy Offord) leading, the JPK 10.80 Min River (Jin Lin and Alexis Loison) in second and the Sunfast 3300 Toucan (Edward Curry-Hyde and Lincoln Dews) in fourth. 

Fully-crewed three-time Sydney Hobart Overall winner, the S&S 47 Love & War is currently edging Toucan for third position. 

Love & War leaving Sydney Harbour - ROLEX/Andrea Francolini pic.

Celestial V70 crossed the finish line at 05:14 this morning. Its Overall position remains unconfirmed, as the rest of the fleet is still at sea.

Most of the Double Handed cohort are east of Lady Barron and Cape Barron Island (north of Tasmania), making around seven-eight knots of boat speed. 

“We’re having some good battles in the double handed fleet, back and forth with Min River and Borderline,” Toucan co-skipper Lincoln Dews said over the phone while he simultaneously trimmed the yacht. 

But with more than 200 nautical miles to go, nothing is set in stone. 

For her fifth Sydney Hobart, Min River’s Jiang Lin is joined by double handed guru – Frenchman Alexis Loison. 

Min River racing in the 2024 Sydney Hobart - CYCA/Salty Dingo pic.

Loison is no stranger to success. He has won two Rolex Fastnet Races sailing as a double handed yacht, with the most recent in August on board the JPK 1050 Leon with co-skipper Jean Pierre Kelbert. 

He was also on board Gery Trentesaux’s JPK 10.80 Courrier Leon (now BNC – my::Net) when it placed second Overall in the 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart. BNC – my::Net (Michel Quintin and Yann Rigal) leads the Double Handed Division on Line Honours. 

Whether he and Lin can claim the Overall win in the 628 nautical mile race organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, with finish partner the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, remains to be seen. 

Meanwhile, on board Borderline, Offord leads Overall in his first ever Double Handed Sydney Hobart. He is joined by another international co-skipper – Englishman Ian Hoddle. 

A “brutal” first 48 hours on board Toucan 

On board Toucan, Dews and Curry-Hyde are savouring the northerly winds after a “super tough” 48 hours. 

“It was brutal double handed,” Dews said. “Last night we were both pretty exhausted but we're going okay today.” 

Dews and Curry-Hyde on board Toucan in the 2025 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Bird Island Race - CYCA/Ashley Dart pic.

Dews and Curry-Hyde logged their best rest of the race so far. The pair experienced a full two hours of sleep each in the last 12 hours. This came as a welcome relief after night two on 27 December, when they hand steered through a 35-knot southerly for eight hours. 

“We’re feeling fresh, considering,” Dews said with a laugh. 

Dews and Curry-Hyde are prepared for a forecast 25-knot northerly later today. From a results perspective, 25 knots rates far better than a glass-out. 

Dews did raise one concern. Nearby yachts can also fly symmetrical spinnakers, while Toucan relies on an asymmetrical setup only. This may grant rivals an advantage as the fleet nears the Tasmanian coastline. 

“It’s going to be complicated tonight,” Dews said. 

Greta Quealy/RSHYR media