The southern hemisphere’s most famous regatta celebrates its 80th edition with an impressive field of 142 boats including six 30.5 meter long colossi anticipating an epic battle for victory in real time.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart … It is the living history of ocean navigation. Its origins date back to 1945, when a chance invitation to join a cruise between Sydney and Hobart received a response from British naval captain John Illingworth that still resonates in the then recently opened Cruising Yacht Club of Australia: “I will, if you make a regatta of it.” On December 26, she will celebrate her 80th outing, establishing herself as a global icon and sporting institution in Australia. Sponsored by Rolex since 2002, the event constitutes the cornerstone of the Swiss watchmaker’s seven decades of association with the world of sailing.
The 80 Rolex Sydney Hobart will bring together 142 boats, a diverse fleet of monohulls ranging from new to more than 30 meters long, from the latest generation racing cars to century-old classics like the Maritimo Katwinchar (from 1904), with professional and amateur crews. They face the legendary 628 nautical mile (1,163 kilometer) course which tests not only the participants’ seamanship, but also their physical and mental resistance, their resilience,… and their luck. During the last edition, two crew members lost their lives in the middle of a hellish first night.
Pure speed
On a sporting level, the first mystery to be clarified is the identity of the fastest boat to complete the course: the real-time champion, who receives the John H. Illingworth Challenge Cup and a commemorative Rolex. It is a Champions League reserved for the most powerful boats, and which this year announces an epic battle between six colossi 100 feet long (30.5 meters): LawConnect (the fastest of the last two editions), Master Lock Comanche (which, like LDV Comanche, set the record in 2017 in 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds), SHK Scallywag 100 (second in the Rolex Fastnet Race in August and winner of the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October), Wild Thing 100, Maritimo 100 and Palm Beach
There are no favorites
The best in IRC compensated time receives the Tattersall Cup and an engraved Rolex in recognition of a merit which takes into account neither the size of the boat nor the reputation of its crew: It is the best sailed boat, the one which outperforms its competitors whatever the conditions. In this league, everyone is competing. Throughout history, they have won from 9.2 meter sailboats (Screw Loose in 1979 and Zeus II in 1981) to maxis over 30 (Wild Oats XI in 2005 and 2012). In recent editions, the absolute title corresponded to two boats of 15.9 meters (the TP52 Ichi Ban in 2019 and 2021, and Celestial in 2022), one of 22 meters (Alive in 2018 and 2023) and one of 21.5 meters (Celestial V70 in 2024).
The Spaniards have options for victory
Once again, the presence of Spaniards in the most powerful projects confirms the enormous quality of our sailors. The Cantabrian archer Antonio Ñeti Cuervas-Mons and the Catalan sailor Joan Vila will be part of the team for the 27 meter Juan K Lucky (the fastest of the last Caribbean 600 and RORC Transatlantic Race); the Canaries Carlos Hernández and Sinbad Quiroga will repeat in the Law Connect (with which they won the last two editions); and the Cantabrian Pablo Arrarte returns aboard the almighty Master Lock Comanche. The Galician Pablo Torrado makes his debut with the defender of the absolute title: the Celestial V70 of Sam Haynes. And the Cantabrian Pablo Santurde does it in the A Two category at the Mistral.
The 80 Rolex Sydney Hobart begins on December 26 at 1:00 p.m. (local time, 3:00 a.m. in mainland Spain).
An unpredictable journey
After leaving Sydney Bay, the fleet heads south parallel to the coast of New South Wales and towards the shallow Bass Strait, the dreaded stretch that separates Australia from the island of Tasmania where it is common to encounter the less friendly side of the Antarctic Ocean. On the final approach to Hobart, the journey up the Derwent River involves crossing a minefield of calm and currents that often decide the race.
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