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Seeing double in the Rolex Sydney Hobart

Home 2025 Seeing double in the Rolex Sydney Hobart

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Competitors in the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race may think they’re seeing double as they come across the Akilaria RC2 yacht Titlespace Yeah Baby at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

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At the helm of Titlespace Yeah Baby are identical twins Marc and Louis Ryckmans, sailors and lawyers who have spent much of their lives navigating demanding environments, one defined by ocean swells, the other by legal precision.

Marc Ryckmans (grey shirt) and Louis Ryckmans (white shirt) with their crew after they won the 2024 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Race Overall.

They are combining another offshore campaign with a broader initiative that links the 628-mile course to support for vulnerable children. 

Titlespace Yeah Baby (formerly Voltstar Yeah Baby) leaving Sydney Heads - CYCA/Salty Dingo pic.

The initiative, titled Homeward Bound - 628 Miles to Home, connects each nautical mile of the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart with the provision of safe shelter and care for children supported through programs delivered by the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation.  
 
The project is designed to use the profile, storytelling power, and reach of the Sydney Hobart to raise awareness of Blue Dragon’s work. 

For the Ryckmans brothers, the project runs alongside a campaign grounded first and foremost in seamanship and respect for the race.  
 
Sailing Titlespace Yeah Baby, Louis and Marc return to a course they know well, having competed multiple times across varying conditions.  

 

The 2024 Sydney Hobart fleet leaving the heads - ROLEX/Andrea Francolini pic.

Their Sydney Hobart history includes strong results as well as setbacks, including a forced retirement in 2022 after being struck by a sunfish, an incident that reinforces the race’s unpredictability. 

“The Hobart always tests preparation, patience, and judgement,” said Louis Ryckmans. 

An older photo of Louis and Marc wearing their CYCA fleece jumpers.

“You approach it knowing things will break, conditions will change, and you’ll need to adapt. Linking the miles we sail to something that helps others, gives the campaign an added sense of purpose, but the fundamentals of the race never change.” 
 
Marc Ryckmans said the initiative provides an additional layer of meaning without altering the crew’s focus. 

A Queensland sunset for Titlespace Yeah Baby - CYCA/Ashley Dart pic.

“Our priority is to sail the boat well and get through the course safely,” he said.  
 
“At the same time, it’s motivating to know that what we’re doing offshore is connected to something that has a real impact beyond the race itself.” 
 
The Homeward Bound project is being delivered in partnership with Titlespace, an Australian digital conveyancing law firm.  
 
The initiative was developed with the Ryckmans brothers, with Titlespace providing coordination support, promotion, and a public online platform to track progress and facilitate donations. 

A Queensland sunset for Titlespace Yeah Baby - CYCA/Ashley Dart pic.

The project is not structured as a standalone fundraising campaign. Instead, it is linked to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, using the event’s profile to highlight the work of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Supporters can follow the project during the race, access information about the foundation’s programs, and choose to donate at: www.bluedragon.org