Entries have closed for the 80th running of the ‘Great Race South’, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with an elite fleet set to face the starter’s cannon on Boxing Day, Friday 26 December .
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has announced that a massive fleet of 142 yachts have entered the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, 38 more than faced the start line last year. It is the second biggest fleet this century behind only the 2019 race that celebrated the 75th edition of the event.
The fleet includes a host of world class yachts and sailors, all set to take on the 628 nautical mile epic alongside a 121-year-old marvel, and 13 boats from overseas including from Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, USA, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Poland.
Highlights of the entry list include:
- Last year’s Overall winner Celestial V70, skippered by CYCA Commodore Dr Sam Haynes amongst five past Overall winners (Celestial V70, Love & War, Unicoin, Wild Oats XI (now Palm Beach XI) and Wild Oats)
- 2023 and 2024 Line Honours victor, Christian Beck’s LawConnect
- Six 100ft maxis, led by LawConnect and including Master Lock Commanche (Matt Allen & James Mayo), Wild Thing 100 (Grant Wharington & Adrian Seiffert), Mark Richards’ Palm Beach XI, Bill Barry Cotter’s Iuxury cruiser Maritimo 100 and Hong Kong based international star SHK Scallywag
- Eleven female skippers, including Elizabeth Tucker leading an all female crew aboard First Light
- 20 Double Handed entries.
The start of the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be broadcast live throughout Australia on Channel Nine and globally on the race website and via the CYCA’s YouTube channel, CYCATV.
