Every year, on the morning of December 26, just after Christmas, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race kicks off—an event widely regarded as one of the most challenging yacht races in the world. The 628-mile course between the capitals of New South Wales and Tasmania is notorious for its extremely tough conditions.
After sailing a few miles through the harbour, the yachts enter the Tasman Sea and set their course towards Tasmania. The southern currents and frequent northerly winds transform the waters along Australia's eastern coastline into a boiling cauldron. But that’s just the warm-up. Next, the boats must cross the strait separating the mainland from Tasmania. Known as Bass Strait—or "The Paddock" by Australians—this relatively shallow body of water is infamous for its steep and towering waves, which are whipped up by cyclonic winds from the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean.
From there, the yachts head down Tasmania's eastern coast before turning westward into a fittingly named stretch of water: Storm Bay. This section is lined with towering cliffs, often shrouded in fog and battered by fierce storms. The ever-changing winds and currents here make tactical decisions particularly challenging.
The race concludes in the estuary of the Derwent River, where the port city of Hobart awaits the finishing yachts.
Although the race takes place during the Australian summer, southern storms often make it cold, turbulent, and extreme for the crews. It’s not uncommon for a significant number of yachts to withdraw, and this year was no exception: out of 104 yachts that started, only 74 made it to the finish line. Three yachts lost their masts, ten retired due to damage to rigging, sails, or steering systems, and four more withdrew because of crew injuries. Participants described the weather conditions as a chaotic mix of wind, tides, currents, and waves, creating the effect of a giant washing machine. Opinions from those who managed to finish ranged from "sporting" to "the worst I’ve ever experienced"—and these are sailors with 10 to 40 Sydney Hobart races under their belts.
Tragically, the extreme conditions led to two fatalities on the first night after the start. That night was particularly brutal, with winds reaching 30–38 knots and waves as high as 2–3 meters. Roy Quaden, a crew member aboard Flying Fish Arctos (McIntyre 55), was fatally struck on the head by the boom. Around the same time, on Bowline (Beneteau First 44.7), Nick Smith was knocked down by the mainsheet and hit his head on a winch. Despite resuscitation efforts in both cases, neither survived.
That same night, disaster was narrowly avoided aboard Porco Rosso (Cookson 50) when crew member Luke Watkins fell overboard. Fortunately, he was equipped with a personal safety beacon, enabling the team to quickly locate him in the dark waters and bring him safely back onboard.
“Imagine falling overboard in challenging conditions during the day—now think about how terrifying that would be at night!” said David Jacobs, Vice Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and one of the race organisers, as he recounted Watkins’ ordeal. “It would have been absolutely horrifying.”
The tragic events of this year’s race marked the first fatalities since 1998, highlighting the vital importance of the safety measures implemented by the organisers. Nearly three decades ago, during an exceptionally violent storm, five yachts sank and six sailors lost their lives. Of the 115 boats that started the race that year, only 44 made it to Hobart. That disaster led organisers to significantly strengthen safety standards and crew qualification requirements for the competition.
In the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, first place was claimed by the 100-foot LawConnect, helmed by Christian Beck. Designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian, the yacht completed the race in an impressive 1 day, 13 hours, 35 minutes, and 13 seconds. Less than three hours later, the overall winner crossed the finish line in Hobart. The Volvo 70-class yacht Celestial, skippered by Sam Haynes, won the prestigious Tattersall Cup. Its elapsed time was 1 day, 16 hours, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds, with a corrected handicap time of 2 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes, and 38 seconds.
Despite the outstanding performance of this year’s winners, the race record remains unbroken. The current record—1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes, and 24 seconds—was set by the 100-foot yacht Comanche in 2017. Comanche is one of the few yachts to consistently dominate the race, having crossed the finish line first in Hobart three times. However, the yacht most synonymous with success in the race is the supermaxi Wild Oats XI, which has claimed victory an incredible nine times, including a streak of four consecutive wins from 2005 to 2008.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is one of the most prestigious sailing events in the world. It is organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in partnership with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.
The race began in 1945 when nine yachts set sail from Sydney on a Christmas cruise to Tasmania. What started as a casual voyage quickly turned into a competition, with the yacht Rani, captained by John Illingworth, becoming the first champion. Rani completed the journey from Sydney to Hobart in 6 days, 14 hours, and 22 minutes. Since then, the event has grown significantly, evolving from a small local race into one of the premier events in global yachting. The race is open to both professional and amateur crews, and the inclusion of a cruising division makes it more inclusive and appealing. Participants must be at least 18 years old, but there is no upper age limit.
In 2008, two sailors over the age of 80 participated in the race. John Walker, at 86 years old, became the oldest skipper in the event’s history, retiring after completing his 25th Sydney Hobart. Sid Fischer later broke Walker’s record in 2015, competing at the age of 88 aboard his supermaxi Ragamuffin 100. The record for the most Sydney Hobart Races completed by a single sailor belongs to Sydney yachtsman Tony Cable, who participated in his 52nd race in 2018.
