Tickets are now on sale for the official Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race Spectator Vessel, which this year will once again be luxury superyacht, The Jackson.
It is the only spectator vessel to be allowed within the Sydney Harbour exclusion zone & to be precisely on the start line.
Public access on The Jackson is only to the main deck, which has 270-degree views, with the mid & top decks reserved for private functions. Apart from the race, The Jackson‘s main deck includes gourmet canapés, substantial snacks, premium beverages, a 5-meter light-emitting diode screen of the official television broadcast, tables & plush seating (the latter 2 are not at the front of the main deck). Official event merchandise will also be available for purchase on board.
New for 2025 is an optional complimentary transfer by Fast Ferry to the Sydney Race Village at Rushcutters Bay on return to King Street Wharf as well as a possible optional free ticket to the Hunter Rescue Helicopter Charity Ball.
The Jackson departs from King Street Wharf 2.75 hours before the race start, returning 2 hours after the race start. Boarding begins half an hour prior to departure from King Street Wharf.
Tickets are $399 per person (a $9 increase on 2024) & are available here.
If sold out, a waiting list will become available to join & tickets may also be offered for resale. Both can be accessed here.
So far, over 62 entries have been received for the 80th anniversary of the Great Race South including 1st Light & The Gaffer.
Also, Blue Water Pointscore entries have also opened!
This announcement was made on July 22.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2025 – its 80th anniversary – begins at 1pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on the 26th of December, Boxing Day.
This post has been updated to include the Final Report’s addendum, which was published on the 13th of August.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race has published, in full, a review into 3 incidents that happened during the previous race, which resulted in 2 fatalities & a man swept overboard.
The 2 fatalities occurred between 10:30pm on Boxing Day (26th December) & 2:16am on the 27th December on 2 separate yachts (Flying Fish Arctos & Bowline). The former, Roy Quadon, involved a head injury from a boom strike while the latter, Nick Smith, a 2-leg Clipper Round the World Yacht Race sailor’s chest was compressed against the port mainsail winch. The man swept overboard, at 3:07am, was Luke Watkins, the Boat Captain from Porco Rosso. Also, at 10:16pm last Boxing Day, Quetzalcoatl reported a boom striking a crew member causing a significant but non-fatal head injury. This earlier incident likely led to media reporting that both fatalities involved boom strikes to the head.
A 3-person Review Committee was set up to review the 2 fatalities & the man overboard (MOB) incident. On the Committee was Adrienne Cahalan, Dave Jordan & as chair, Chris Oxenbould. All 3 have raced at some point in their lives in the Sydney-Hobart.
Whilst it was claimed to be an independent review, the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA), the primary race organiser, provided resources to the Review Committee including data and stakeholder access, a budget & administrative support. During the Review Committee’s existence, the Chair was definitely a member of the CYCA but while Adrienne Cahalan definitely wasn’t, it couldn’t be determined with certainty whether Dave Jordan was a member of the CYCA or whether all were members of the Royal Yacht Club Of Tasmania, who are the other race organiser.
Of note, their report reveals 1 of the fatalities wasn’t due to a head injury from boom strikes & that there were no broken or dislocated shoulders as initially reported. All 3 yachts suffered a ‘crash gybe’ – an uncontrolled manoeuvre when the stern is passed through the wind (which in Flying Fish Arctos‘ case was, at the time, ~51km/h, while in the other 2, were in gales) & causing the mainsail to flick violently, with a great deal of force, from 1 side of the boat to the other. All 3 crash gybes happened around a change of watch, even though all 3 had staggered crew changes. In Flying Fish Arctos‘ case, the crash gybe caused the boom to fatally strike Roy Quadon, who was standing & who “must have been out of his normal position”. In Bowline‘s case, Nick Smith, who was on their knees, was caught in the mainsail’s bight (the curved section or slack part between 2 ends of a line when it is not under tension) & they were thrown with their chest fatally forced and compressed against the port mainsail winch. In Porco Rosso‘s case, the canting keel canted 80% to starboard, causing Luke Watkins to be underwater, held by a Spinlock Performance Safety Line 3 Clip Stretch DW-STR/03/C & other lifelines but wedged between the top lifeline, a stanchion & a safety rail protecting the front and side of the starboard steering wheel, restricting his movement except to the boat end of the Spinlock Performance Safety Line 3 Clip Stretch DW-STR/03/C, which, while feeling he was on his last breath, he used to pull himself up to the boat’s windward side to release the Spinlock custom clip from the jackstay & thus, the Spinlock Performance Safety Line 3 Clip Stretch DW-STR/03/C. His lifejacket had also automatically inflated, the buoyancy of which assisted in freeing him from the other lifelines & the safety rail, releasing himself from the boat & thus, saving his life. Porco Rosso‘s crew later identified that the deck jackstays might be better positioned closer to the yacht’s centreline (they were positioned at the hull’s top edge) & short tethers should be used whenever possible. After seeing the yacht sail into the distance, Luke Watkins activated his Personal Location Beacon (PLB) but against training, didn’t pause before activating his Automatic Identification System (AIS) beacon. While in the water, he put on his spray hood, but it fogged up after 30 seconds & so he removed it. After his rescue, Porco Rosso‘s crew identified that the MOB throw line should be incorporated with reflective tape or strands, that a combined white flashing masthead lantern should have been switched on & that intracrew communications could be improved by point-to-point communication between the helm and the navigation station. Whilst not formally stated in their recommendations, the Review Committee says individual crew members should taking into account their yacht & its situation peculiarity when deciding whether to use an in-built Harness Release System (HRS) mechanism.
At 6am, an announcement was made in the news that there had been 2 deaths on 2 separate yachts, 1 on each – 1 yacht of which was named as Bowline. However, it wasn’t until 8am that Bowline’s crew could make contact with their families. Whilst not formally stated in their recommendations, the Review Committee considers the major incident details public release protocols be reviewed with the New South Wales (NSW) Police in an attempt to ensure that the involved crews’ next of kin have been informed of the incident before any victims are named whenever possible. The crew of Bowline were also “hounded by the media” “unrelenting” & “it ‘stretched’ them”.
The report also found that crews were not comforted by the lack of weather forecasts broadcast as part of the radio schedule routine (sked), as done in previous editions. After the sked, a Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file with all boat positions accompanied by Bureau Of Meteorology (BOM) weather reports was sent, which yachts with low bandwidth satellite phones didn’t always receive.
The Race Operations Centre & Control Room logbooks made it clear that “communications were not perfect & that there were quite a few cases where contact could not be made with a boat” “by satellite phone voice calls & messages had to be left” instead. The report found a “lack” of experience, confidence or understanding of satellite phones & their application in the rules by the racing fleet, which resulted in “unease” in the competitors. This was evident in the need by the Sailing Manager to clarify that Starlink could be used 3 days prior to the race start. The Review Committee noted the intention of the Race Committee to review available evolving satellite phone systems & the Communications Plan, with the latter being refined.
In the Flying Fish Arctos fatality, important messages were not able to be passed on Very High Frequency (VHF) radio channel 16 (reserved for distress calls) due to a traffic jam including contact being made by a medical expert on another competing yacht (Flying Fish Arctos was in contact though with at least 5 medical experts including 3 which were their own crew members). However, the Review Committee found that both deaths were instantaneous. Bowline‘s fatality revealed that the satellite phone & charging station would have been better installed in a more central place like the navigation station (Both were installed in the aft (back) cabin as the charging station couldn’t operate in the navigation station when the satellite phone was being used). Whilst not formally stated in their recommendations, the Review Committee considered that the Race Committee should review the practical performance of low bandwidth satellite phones to confirm they have sufficient capability to meet competitor’s requirements, in particular, whether the data transfer capability provides a yacht with the ability to receive the files emailed by the Race Committee after each sked (such as the CSV boat position file & the BOM weather reports) with Australian Sailing specifying (precisely by bandwidth & data transfer rate) a minimum acceptable data transfer capability level in the Special Regulations, which the Race Committee can included in the Notice Of Race (NOR) & Sailing Instructions (SIs).
Also, up until 7am on the 27th of December, PLBs were also set off accidentally 9 times, 2 of which took 2 hours to resolve. Porco Rosso made an error, which they later identified, in not numbering off when trying to account for everyone, leading to the wrong assumption that everyone was on board & that an activated PLB as well as a MOB alarm was accidental. However, these mistakes didn’t add any delay to recovering Luke Watkins. The mistakes were realised when the PLB was associated with the sailor’s name, which the report found was “vital”. Luke Watkins was recovered 53 minutes after he released his tether. The crew of Porco Rosso also identified poor rehearsing of numbering offs prior to the race start & that luminous numbers on foul weather gears’ arms/back could be used as well as an investigation into a better interface between the AIS beacon and the boat’s receiver, which the Review Committee recommended for consideration as a subject for a widely shared webinar as part of Australian Sailing’s Sea Safety & Survival Course (SSSC).
On Porco Rosso, their Spinlock Deckvest Vito Lifejackets accidentally inflated 5 times since the race start, despite being advertised by the manufacturer as being resistant to such occurrences. The crew of Porco Rosso later identified a high level of accidentally inflated lifejackets in the wider racing fleet, which they considered should be reviewed to see if the current Special Regulations Of Australian Sailing (ASSR) requirements for lifejacket spares & lifejacket re-arming kits should be increased to 2.
Also, competitors found the race’s entry process repetitive, cumbersome, time-consuming & lacking automation and monitoring. The report found that Race Management is aware of the issue & that the CYCA Board has already approved an entry process system update. The Review Committee also said the qualifying race/ocean passage added little value given the qualification was for the yacht & not the crew.
Whilst not formally stated in their recommendations, the Review Committeesays everything Porco Rosso identified should be reviewed for inclusion as appropriate in race documentation (but was recommended for forwarding to Australian Sailing by the CYCA as stated below) & they suggested that it might also be a suitable time to review SSSC content including an expansion to include heavy weather downwind sailing. The Review Committee also said the CYCA’s recently announced Offshore Sailing Academy could expand racing education & training, possibly with endorsement by Australian Sailing & further dissemination among other offshore sailors, similar to other international race organising committee offerings, with seamanship and performance treated in the context of a major ocean race & crash gybe risk and consequences understanding furthered through formal structured sailing and sharing of real-life experiences. Whilst not formally stated in their recommendations, the Review Committee found that each yacht deserves a Downwind Sailing Risk Assessment. The Review Committee also said the practical application of boom brakes/preventers, the sail settings & the True Wind Angle selection should be left to the person in charge (PIC).
The report also found wearing a helmet would have been “very limited help” & “unlikely to have saved” Roy Quadon’s life.
The Review Committee made 13 formal recommendations:
the existing recommendation in the ASSR (5.01.1(b)) should be mandated so that an AIS MOB beacon & PLB should be carried by or attached to each crew member on deck with the CYCA introducing the change in the Notices Of Races from the next race & approaching Australian Sailing to make the mandate
a more automated & user-friendly race entry procedure (starting with a simple online accessible electronic checklist on what has (not) been accepted)
the lessons learnt from the MOB incident be provided to Australian Sailing for dissemination to SSSC instructors & used in the training of MOB recovery
boom brake & preventer awareness & understanding should continue in training courses but their use should be a personal choice that does not need to be regulated
the major incident details public release protocols be reviewed with the NSW Police in an attempt to ensure that the involved crews’ next of kin have been informed of the incident before any naming of the involved boats whenever practicable
an improved minimum satellite phone capability requirement definition
a list of acceptable satellite phone systems be provided
the wording associated with the passage or qualifying race in the NOR be amended to link the crew (50% including the PIC) with the entered fully crewed yacht, subject to a Race Committee special exemption application determination discretion.
the in-built HRS mechanism availability & effectiveness should be widely promulgated but the choice of incorporating an HRS lifejacket harness & tether should be left with the individual crew member
helmets should remain optional & dependent on an individual’s personal choice or boat requirement
a Heavy Weather Downwind SailingForum be convened (possibly by the CYCA with their most experienced sailors & also recorded) before the next Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
a recorded & widely disseminated communications seminar be convened before the next Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race (Among other things, to teach about the satellite communications-based framework, available weather and emergency service sourcing & that 1 uninvolved boat with a good high-quality signal VHF system and experienced disciplined operator is needed to take control of an emergency situation and that the other boats comply with their instructions including to shift to a working channel)
whenever feasible, media assistance (such as a mobile media club representative) be provided to crews when a significant incident has involved a boat
The full report can be read here, which was published on the 15th of May with the addendum published on the 13th of August.
The CYCA board considered the full findings & will implement all recommendations, as they stated they would at the time of the tragedy.
The CYCA also extended its sincere thanks to the Review Committee for their comprehensive and thoughtful work & in particular acknowledged the Chair for his leadership and commitment to improving sailing safety outcomes.
The report also noted that the Race Committee Chair plans to review in the coming months:
Roles & responsibilities
Scenario planning for the full emergency/incident range
The race start
The overarching Race Management Plan, NOR & SIs
So far, over 60 entries have been received for the 80th anniversary of the Blue Water Classic including Comanche, 4-time line honours winner, LawConnect, 2-time & current line honours winner, URM, Smuggler, Love And War, Borderline, Moneypenny & Scarlet Runner. Among these 60 entries are 8 international entries from France (2), the United States Of America, Poland, Germany, New Zealand & China including Scallywag, Bacchanal, Callisto, BNC & Poulpito.
In other news, after receiving 30 expressions of interest, entries opened on May 22 for the new Southern Cross Series with entries closing at 12pm, 1st of December. Also, 50 entries had been received for the Sydney-Gold Coast Yacht Race.
This announcement was made on June 13.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2025 – its 80th anniversary – begins at 1pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on the 26th of December, Boxing Day.
Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race organisers have announced the return of the Southern Cross Cup as a prize. As since 2019, the Southern Cross Cup will be rewarded to the best team of 3 yachts who have combined their efforts to enter the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race as either a club, state or country.
Entries Open 2 Weeks Late
Entries for the 80th Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race have also opened, 2 weeks later than expected, with the Notice Of Race (NOR) also being published.
A fleet of over 120 yachts are expected to compete across multiple divisions for the 80th anniversary race as well as a record contingent of double-handed entries.
Doctor Sam Haynes, Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) Commodore & 2-time Overall Winner of the Great Race South including last year’s on Celestial V70, looks forward to welcoming entries for the historic anniversary:
The CYCA is immensely proud to have organised the Sydney-Hobart for 80 years alongside our finishing partner, the Royal Yacht Club Of Tasmania. We encourage sailors from all over the world to join us in December to participate in this race of a lifetime.
The Rolex Sydney-Hobart has it all. It’s a destination race which provides some of the world’s most competitive racing in some of the most challenging sailing conditions, located in a stunning part of the world & it’s also a display of comradeship at its finest.
Everyone has a chance to win Overall from 100-foot maxis to 30-foot double-handed yachts. It’s a race you don’t want to miss.
Doctor Sam Haynes, CYCA Commodore & 2-time ‘Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’ Overall Winner
IRC Veterans Divisions
The NOR reveals that, for the 80th anniversary, additional International Rating Certificate divisions for Veterans & Grand Veterans will be conducted. The Grand Veterans division will be open to yachts with a launch date prior to 1976 while Veterans will be open to yachts with a launch date between 1976 & 1995.
Tragedy Review Update
An update has also been provided in the NOR by the CYCA regarding the review into last year’s tragedy, saying a report is expected to be provided to the CYCA’s board in May:
This review is still ongoing with a report expected to be provided to the Board in May this year.
Doctor Sam Haynes, CYCA Commodore & 2-time ‘Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’ Overall Winner
Southern Cross Series
The CYCA have also announced a new biennial Southern Cross Series. The series will feature 3 already-announced sailing races:
Cabbage Tree Island Race (Saturday the 5th of December-Monday the 7th of December 2025 – also part of the Australian Maxi Championship)
Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race (Friday the 26th of December 2025 to Saturday the 3rd of January 2026)
Trans-Tasman Yacht Race (Friday the 26th-Sunday the 29th of February 2026 – biennial race)
The NOR for this new series will be released shortly.
Entries for the 2025 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race have been announced to open on the 26th of February this year – 4 months earlier than usual due to a crowded global yachting calendar – while a Tales From The Rails dinner will be held at the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia on the 20th of February.
The 2025 edition of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race will also celebrate its 80th anniversary.
Tales From The Rails
On the 20th February at 7pm at the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA), will be the Tales From The Rails 3-hour 2-course dinner with drinks included. A panel of Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2024 sailors will be in attendance including:
George Adams Tattersall Cup winner, Celestial V70‘s sailing master, Jack Macartney,
Plum Crazy Trophy winner, Sean Langman, from Kismet,
Accomplished local navigator, Clare Costanzo, from Whisper &
Debut competitor, Emmanuella Noble, from Chancellor.
The dinner will be served alternately with the main meal either:
Barbeque beef short rib with hoisin glaze & shredded vegetable salad with sesame and wasabi dressing (dairy & gluten free)
Baked Ocean Trout with brown butter, capers & snow peas (gluten free)
The Trans-Tasman Yacht Race is a new race with a 3-day staggered start, organised in cooperation with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, beginning in Sydney & finishing in Auckland, New Zealand, via the North Island’s North Cape. The Australian Maxi Championship will, as usual, conclude with the Big Boat Challenge while the Blue Water Pointscore 2025/2026 will feature:
Sydney-Gold Coast Yacht Race (Saturday the 26th-Wednesday 30th of July 2025)
Flinders Islet Race (Saturday the 20th-Sunday the 21st of September 2025)
Tollgate Islands Race (Saturday the 17th-Monday the 20th of October 2025)
Bird Island Race (Saturday the 15th-Sunday the 16th of November 2025)
Cabbage Tree Island Race (Saturday the 5th of December-Monday the 7th of December 2025 – also part of Australian Maxi Championship)
Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race (Friday the 26th of December 2025 to Saturday the 3rd of January 2026)
All these races begin on Sydney Harbour.
More Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2025 Entry Details
With a packedyachtingcalendar this year, not just here in Oceania but globally, the early opening date for entries in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race will allow international entrants to plan their logistics & ensure their yachts are in Sydney in time for the start on the 26th of December, Boxing Day.
On the 26th of February, entries will open & the Notice Of Race will be published with entries being made online via TopYacht.
Entries will close at 5pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on Friday the 24th of October with paperwork & payment due at 5pm AEDT on Wednesday the 26th of November.
Boats with a primary launch date between 1987 & 1st July 2010 need to confirm via an American Bureau Of Shipping (ABS) Certificate or letter from the designer and builder that the proposed design and current build is to the ABS Guide For Building & Classing Offshore Yachts. Boats with an age or series date after the 1st of July 2010 need a World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations Plan Approval Certificate.
If a boat has an Offshore Racing Congress International (ORCi) Stability Index of 115 degrees minimum, the ORCi Certificate has to apply to any modifications made in the past 5 years & needs to be signed by the owner confirming all measurements are correct.
Other
Also, the Hobart Village Bar will return in 2025 with it being run by Dark Lab with suppliers, Devil’s Corner & Brown Brothers Family Winemakers. Each afternoon there will be a Happy Hour for competitors.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2025 – its 80th anniversary – begins at 1pm AEDT on the 26th of December, Boxing Day.
The last competing boat in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2024, Salt Lines, a Shipwright 70, finished at 10:04:13am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on January the 1st (New Year’s Day) in 74th position bringing the 79th edition of The Great Race South to a close after LawConnect, a custom Juan K 100, took its 3rd line honours victory at 02:35:13am AEDT on December the 28th last year, beating Celestial V70, a Volvo Open 70, by 2 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds & 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres).
It was the 31-metre yacht’s 2nd consecutive victory& 3rd ever with her maiden record-breaking victory under the name Perpetual LOYAL. She didn’t break the race record this year, which is currently a finishing date/time of December 27th at 10:15:24pm AEDT & held by Comanche, a VPLP Verdier 100, since 2017, who had to retire on the 1st night of the 2024 race due to mainsail damage.
All but 5 of the 21-person crew of LawConnect in 2023 were the same last year plus they had an additional crew member.
Due to the tragedy on the opening night, the informal trophy giving ceremony held when the winning line honours-yacht docks was dispensed with, with just the handing over, by the Vice-Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia, David Jacobs, of a banner declaring LawConnect as line honours winners taking place instead. Skipper, Christian Beck, was unable to attend, having rushed off the yacht immediately upon docking due to a strong bout of food poisoning, so the banner was received by the yacht’s sailing master, Tony Mutter, who presented it to the rest of the crew. The banner was then unfurled before being hoisted on the stern of LawConnect.
LawConnect: 2024 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race Line Honours Winner (crew pictured except skipper, Christian Beck) Photograph: Salty Dingo
The trophy was formally given at the Prizegiving at the Hotel Grand Chancellor’s Federation Concert Hall on the afternoon of the 31st of December by the Tasmanian Governor, Her Excellency The Honourable Barbara Baker. Christian Beck was again unable to attend, being represented by Dylan Clarke, his pit man. He was presented with the John H. Illingworth Challenge Cup & Cannon, a Rolex Yacht Master Timepiece & a replica of the Cup.
Meanwhile, in the e-race on Virtual Regatta, French user, PassTaga-PredictWind.com [ALTA] finished on the 28th of December at 10:10:53pm AEDT to win out of a field of 55,896 skippers, winning in front of 2nd place user, Jelavoile – TORC/YWCN, also of France, by 14 seconds.
Other Race News
The below news is from 4:12pm AEDT 31st of December 2024 to the end of the race at 10:04:13am AEDT on January the 1st.
Fika, a Najad 1490, was declared winner of the double-handed handicap category of Performance Handicap System (PHS) after fellow competitor, Blue Moon, an Adams 16.4, crossed the finish line at 11:23:01pm on the 31st of December (New Year’s Eve) in 72nd on line honours at a speed of 4.5 knots (8.3km/h).
With a handicap of 0.9983, Blue Moon was ranked 3rd on the double-handed PHS category with a corrected finish time & speed of 11:09:43pm at 4.8 knots (8.9km/h) while Fika‘s corrected finish date, time & speed was the 31st of December at 3:45:40pm at 5.1 knots (9.5km/h) having a handicap of 1.15 & finishing 68th on line honours at 11:44:56pm on the 30th of December at 5.9 knots (10.9km/h).
Blue Moon was sailed by Tasmanian father and son, Ken and Tristan Gourlay while Fika was sailed by Queensland mother and daughter, Annette Hesselmans & Sophie Snijders.
In 2nd place in the double-handed PHS category was Rumchaser, a J122e. With a handicap of 0.9925, they received a corrected time of 05:24:11pm, having finished 69th on line honours at 6:20:35pm on the 31st of December at 5 knots (9km/h).
The 3 other yachts in the double-handed PHS category retired. They were a Northshore 370 named Sailor Moon (auto pilot issues), a Nautor Swan 38 named Celeste (running rigging damage) & a Class 40 named Lord Jiminy (injured crew member).
NOTE: This will be our last post on the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race until 2025. For further updates including during the race, see our ‘Watch LIVE’ page.
There have been 2 deaths overnight in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race onboard the vessels Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline, both since retired & at port. The former at Jervis Bay while the latter is at Batemans Bay, both since 7am.
Bowline as it heads down the Sydney coast during the 2024 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Salty Dingo
This report of the tragedies came through at around 4:20am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
Flying Fish Arctos during the 2017 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
These are tragically the 1st deaths since the infamous 1998 race when 6 died.
The Race Committee were advised both crew members, who were general deckwork crew members, were hit by the boom during a sail change, both receiving head injuries with the Flying Fish Arctos sailor, who was a 55-year-old male from Western Australia, receiving injuries that were significant. The other sailor was a 65-year-old male from South Australia.
Flying Fish Arctos was sailing approximately 30 nautical miles (56 kilometres) east/south-east of Ulladulla while at 2.15am, Bowline was approximately the same distance east/north-east of Batemans Bay. Fellow crew members performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but they could not revive their fellow crew members. About 11.50pm, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra received a mayday from Flying Fish Arctos, who requested urgent assistance. AMSA then immediately notified New South Wales (NSW) Police Marine Area Command (MAC) of the events onboard Flying Fish Arctos & Bowline. In Flying Fish Arcto‘s case, the NSW Water Police were deployed from Port Kembla, who escorted the vessel to Jervis Bay.
The wind was a 25 knot (46.3km/h) north-easterly with 45 km/h gusts from the north, which produced a heavy swell.
At 2.15am, in Bowline‘s case, officers from the NSW Police MAC were then informed that the yacht was requesting urgent assistance & that the substantial CPR attempt was unsuccessful. In both cases, the deaths are now being dealt with by NSW Police. The NSW Police vessel, Nemesis, who was in short range of that yacht was deployed & escorted Bowline to Batemans Bay, where it was moored at Snapper Rocks. A 2nd male person was also injured on Bowline with a suspected broken or dislocated shoulder. That person was medivac onto a Police vessel & then onto an ambulance at Batemans Bay at 8:40am.
NSW Police said both crews, who have been offered counselling, were doing it tough and were shaken by what they have seen and had to do.
The Race Director contacted the vessels to give them support by, for example, finding out the situation and what help they needed.
All family members were yet to be contacted by 5:32am AEDT including next of kin but all were contacted by 8:30am AEDT. Western Australia Police helped in contacting the Western Australian sailor’s next of kin. NSW Police held a press conference in daylight between these hours at which point the South Australia sailor’s family had been all contacted:
At the time of the press conference, Crime Scene investigators were still on board the yachts, which were seized as evidence & will collect instrumentation data. NSW Police will also take all the data from their satellite imagery. Water Police, Far South Coast Command & Batemans Bay detectives were interviewing all crew members. These all be assessed and evaluated before 2 evidence briefs will be prepared for the Coroner, after the race has concluded.
The Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) will conduct an investigation & implement any measures recommended to prevent future similar tragedies.
A press conference, held by the CYCA’s Vice Commodore, David Jacobs, was held at the CYCA at 8:30am AEDT:
The 10am AEDT update show was cancelled. This post will be providing the update of all events up to 4pm AEDT 27th December from 2pm AEDT the day prior.
It has been a significant challenging period for search & rescue conducted by New South Wales Police but it’s also timely that I, I, I reach out to, um, other members of our rescue agencies at this time of year. Men & women of New South Wales Police are still out there with the fleet continuing south. It’s going to be a challenging night in Bass Strait. There’s big seas coming, um, but our ambulance, our marine rescue people keeping our waters safe. They need to be recognised & remembered for giving up their weekends, their days, there nights to be out there looking after our community.
Superintendent Joseph McNulty, NSW Police MAC
Other Race News
Since the race start, there have been 16 retirements including 3 dismastings reducing the fleet to 88 yachts.
At 4:10pm AEDT, Alive retired due to engine issues then at 6:20pm AEDT off Kiama, Transcendence Rudy Project was the 1st of 3 to lose her mast. Transcendence Rudy Project co-skipper, Martin Cross, said he and his son, John, who is the other skipper, were “ok & were heading to New Shellharbour for the night”. At the time, LawConnect, in 2nd place, was 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometres) in front of 3rd placer, Wild Thing 100.
At 8:14pm AEDT, Ciao Bella retired after her steering cable snapped.
Nearly simultaneously at 10:20pm AEDT, the next retirements occurred on URM Group & Philosopher. Both lost their masts. At the time URM Group was 4th in the race sailing 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) southeast of Montague Island while Philospher was 6 nautical miles (30 kilometres) east of Jervis Bay, which is where they headed to while URM Group went to Eden.
The most prominent retirement overnight then came at 12:20am with Master Lock Comanche, who was race leader at the time, 63 nautical miles (117 kilometres) off Green Cape retiring as 1 of 2 with main sail damage. It was Comanche‘s 1st retirement ever in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. LawConnect became the new race leader.
10 minutes later, Wild retired with rigging damage.
At 3:14am AEDT, 51 nautical miles (95 kilometres) south-east of Eden, onboard Porco Rosso, a 37-year-old male crew member, Luke Williams, was swept overboard. 2.31 kilometres after the incident, the Race Committee informed the yacht that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) received a satellite message from an activated personal location beacon. Porco Rosso immediately begun their search while AMSA set out a jet & Race organisers diverted a racing yacht to help while NSW Police dispatched a launch & were ready to also dispatch a helicopter from Water Police in Eden. Some racing or retired yachts diverted to assist with the search. Just after 4:14am, Porco Rosso ended up finding the person, who was cold but alive, healthy & well. They also retired & are at port in Eden.
Before 8:30am, along the New South Wales coast, there was 25 knot (46 kilometres/hour) northerly wind. The leading yachts were travelling between 25 to 30 knots (56 kilometres/hour). The sea was not unusually large. Some crew members have received minor injuries. At 8:30am the fleet hit a westerly which turned south & as they reach Tasmania, south-westerly.
I was downstairs. We were about to get the A4 off then there was a big bang & a big collapse. The mast broke 1½ metres above the deck, right above the instruments. The boys did a really good job of cutting the rig away & we are heading to Eden. We’re all pretty gutted. The boat was really lit up. We were doing really well. We were averaging 20 knots in 25 knots of breeze.
Alice Parker, ‘URM Group’ Navigator
The mast broke in 3 places – we had to cut away the top section that was in danger of damaging the hull. Shame, as we were going so well.
Martin Cross, ‘Transcendence Rudy Project’ co-skipper
The Bureau Of Meteorology has forecasted a fast start for the 2024 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.
After they leave Sydney Harbour & begin the trek down the New South Wales coast, a brisk south westerly change is forecast to come through, which for Wild Thing 100 skipper, Carl Crafoord, could be a challenge according to him.
Carl Crafoord, Wild Thing 100 Skipper at the Line Honours Contenders Press Conference Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
For Master Lock Comanche co-skipper, James Mayo, he was happy with the overall forecast. His take from it was that their strategy would be key.
Meanwhile, LawConnect skipper, Christian Beck, was relishing the forecast.
Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) Commodore, Sam Haynes, who is also racing onboard Celestial V70, which isn’t a line honours contender, said he was expecting a fast race but no records.
CYCA Commodore, Sam Haynes, at the Line Honours Contenders Press Conference Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
In other race news, the broadcast will also be hosted from North Head from 12:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) before shifting to commentators, Gordon Bray, Peter Shipway & Lisa Darmanin on Sydney Harbour for the race start.
The vendors at the Hobart Race Village have also been had some changes. Brown Brothers Family Winemakers, Devil’s Corner, Dark Lab, Orlando Plenty & Monica’s Fairy Floss are no longer going to be there while Robbie’s Woodfire Pizzas & Fried and Loaded Tasmania have been added.
Also, another yacht, Unicoin, has withdrawn, bringing the fleet to now 104 yachts.
The 2024 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race (real & virtual) begins at 1pm AEDT on the 26th of December (Boxing Day) with a live-streamed final weather briefing at 8am AEDT.
We’ll see those winds strengthening & potentially getting gale force speeds, particularly along the southern parts of the New South Wales (NSW) coast on Thursday.
(Brisk south westerly change) This will push across Bass Strait & turn more southerly on the New South Wales coast on Friday morning.
The exact time is still yet to be determined, but the model’s consistency at the moment is pretty remarkable, noting that it’s still a few days away & as we see that change come through, we could be seeing some showers and maybe even the chance of a thunderstorm.
Gabrielle Woodhouse, Bureau Of Meteorology Senior NSW Meteorologist
I think from our point of view, the harder it is, the better it is. We’ve had a crew that’s been together for 6 years. We’ve got largely the same crew. We hope our crew is our main strength. The harder it is, the more that comes to our advantage so we’re pretty happy with the forecast overall.
Christian Beck, ‘LawConnect‘ skipper
Well, it’s definitely good conditions, better than waking up on Boxing Day knowing that you’re facing a southerly.
It’s about keeping the boat in 1 piece, you know, there’s going to be some good rides & getting there safely & working through those transitions as we enter Bass Strait and getting through those best as possible.
James Mayo, ‘Master Lock Comanche‘ Co-Skipper
The forecast is pretty clear & the (prediction) down in the path of the 1st 12 hours was fantastic. I think the tricky bit will be getting further down the coast. It depends if it’s southwest or west or northwest & depends how far away we can get from the land so, we believe that we can get a little bit further out & try and use the…boats ahead of us as flags to determine how close we can get back into Tassie.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race has been given a forecast of mostly downwind.
The crew of URM Group, a Reichel/Pugh 72, are looking forward to this forecast coming true.
Owned by Anthony & David Johnston, URM Group will have, as part of its crew, 2 more brothers of theirs, uniting all 4 as part of the race.
Meanwhile, Whisper‘s skipper, David Griffith, isn’t as keen on the downwind forecast but says his crew & Whisper, a JV62, have got what it takes.
David Griffith at the International Rating Certificate Contenders Press Conference Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Ashley Dart
URM Group & Whisper are considered contenders of the International Rating Certificate handicap category, the most popular handicap category & the category whose winner is awarded The George Adams Tattersall Cup.
A major update of the weather forecast will be made on the 24th of December (Christmas Eve) at 9am when a compulsory race briefing is held for all crew members of the non-virtual race.
Meanwhile, another yacht has withdrawn bringing the fleet to 105 yachts. The yacht that withdrew was Ariel.
We’ve done a couple of boat modifications that should improve our downwind performance.
Anthony Johnston, ‘URM Group’ Skipper
I think it’s a very hot fleet. We personally prefer more shifty, dodgy sort of weather to sneak around a few of the boats but we’re feeling pretty good. The boat’s done amazing things. It’s a strong boat & we hope we’ll get through without any problems.
31-time Sydney-Hobart sailor, Peter Shipway & commentator, Gordon Bray, have been announced as the official commentators for the 2024 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race & will commentate the race start for the 1st time since 1983, which was the last & only time they commentated the race start together.
They are both friends with a deep love for sailing.
Gordon Bray, while having completed a few offshore races over the years, is a self-proclaimed “social sailor” & has been a commentator for 55 years, first covering the Great Race South in 1971 for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), completing 6 Sydney-Hobarts’ until 1984 on board the radio relay vessel. In 1984, a freak wave almost washed him overboard & then his wife, put his journeys on the radio relay vessel to an end. When the race begins this year, he will also become the only person to commentate the race start on all 4 Australian rights-holding free-to-air television broadcasters. The only channel that hasn’t held the rights has been the Special Broadcasting Service.
ABC Radio Guide, 20 December 1975 Photograph: Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) Archive
This year, he commentated the sailing for The Games Of The XXXIIIrd Olympiad: Paris 2024 for 9 Radio.
Peter Shipway grew up sailing in Sydney Harbour’s Watson Bay before becoming a crew member in the 1980 America’s CupSeries Challenge, 8 Admiral’s Cups (which is considered as the unofficial offshore racing world championship) & until 2011, 31 Sydney-Hobarts’. In the Blue Water Classic, he has been on yachts that won a combined 5 Line Honours victories, the last being Wild Oats XI & 2 main handicap category victories.
He has since joined with Gordon Bray on YouTube to commentate other live sailing races held by the CYCA on Sydney Harbour.
On the 26th of December (Boxing Day), they will be broadcasting live from a vessel on Sydney Harbour along with other experts including Australian Olympic silver medallist, Lisa Darmanin, who will be the on-water commentator for the remainder of the race.
The broadcast of the race start on Boxing Day will begin at 12:30pm Sydney time with the race start 30 minutes later at 1pm. In Australia, it is broadcast on Channel 9 & 9Nowfor the 1st time ever.
Having started covering the race over 50 years ago, it’s almost a fatal attraction. You can’t ignore it. It is one of the great events on the Australian sporting calendar. It’s an adventure for the sailors & I think that’s what captures the imagination of the public because you just don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s so unpredictable. I’ve always loved the race because it’s about the people as well. Everyone is equal when you go out to sea & you have to perform as a team. The camaraderie you develop is like no other sport.
Peter Shipway – he’s certainly the voice of the Sydney-Hobart but for me he’s the voice of sailing here in Australia. He’s such an iconic figure. All the sailors love ‘Shippo’. Working alongside Peter is incredible because he’s a walking encyclopaedia. He eats and breathes the sport & knows every boat backwards. He steers the boat & I follow his instructions on sail trim. His ability to educate & inform the audience sets him apart. My job is to support him & keep the excitement going and make sure everyone gets a real feel for what’s happening. If we can make the viewers feel like they are there out on the water, then we will have achieved what we set out to do.
Gordon Bray, ‘Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’ 2024 Commentator
The long-range weather forecast for the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race was announced today, revealing north-easterly winds are “most likely” for the iconic start on Sydney Harbour on the 26th of December (Boxing Day) as another yacht withdraws from the race.
Higher-than-usual temperatures have also been detected along the race route.
Gabrielle Woodhouse, Senior NSW Meteorologist, Bureau Of Meteorology Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
However, according to the Bureau Of Meteorology (BOM)’s Senior New South Wales (NSW) Meteorologist, Gabrielle Woodhouse, the forecast is currently a “little bit uncertain”.
Juan Vila, Master Lock Comanche Navigator speaking at the Long Range Weather Forecast media call. Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Ashley Dart
Juan Vila, navigator for Master Lock Comanche, said the crew was “quite excited” about the forecast because depending on the weather systems’ timing, they feel that their yacht is “quite, quite strong” while Ken Gourlay, navigator for Blue Moon II, thought the forecast was “interesting”.
Father & son, Ken & Tristian Gourlay on board Blue Moon II at Berth 38 in the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia ‘A’ Marina Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Ashley Dart
However, Patrick Broughton, the navigator for Love & War, was more interested in the temperatures than the winds as they will “affect us because of the small-scale weather”.
Patrick Broughton, the navigator for Love & War, speaking at the Long-Range Weather Forecast media call. Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Ashley Dart
Meteorologists in Tasmania will also deliver daily briefings for crews until the last yacht arrives in Hobart.
Meanwhile, 6 yachts have now withdrawn from the Blue Water Classic with Millennium Falcon withdrawing on Monday, leaving a fleet of 106 yachts to battle it out.
The Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race begins at 1pm, the 26th of December (Boxing Day) on Sydney Harbour.
We’re talking more than 7 days away & currently, we’re expecting a cold front and low-pressure system to move across south-eastern Australia early next week. Depending on how quickly this system moves, it will determine what we see at race start.
Currently, the most likely scenario is that we’ll see some north-easterly winds at race start, which may pick up along the New South Wales (NSW) coast on Thursday afternoon & evening. If this system stays a little bit slower & a little bit closer towards the NSW coast, then we may end up seeing a southerly wind instead at race start.
Gabrielle Woodhouse, Senior NSW Meteorologist, Bureau Of Meteorology
In our mind is, whether the conditions will – to possibly break a record.
They (Systems) can be very important for a strategy or tactics, navigating & then there’s a current as well, waves and so forth so & you might get into Tasman Island in a very good position and then you have another race, into the finish so, there’s a lot of sections through the race & a lot of weather phenomena that can affect the strategies.
We’re going to find out & through the race.
It’s a really exciting race. It’s really complicated but that’s why it makes it very interesting for navigators.
Juan Vila, ‘Master Lock Comanche‘ Navigator
(The Long-Range Weather Forecast) It’s undefined. As Gabrielle said, the pattern is variable. It’s a long way out but we don’t see anything that’s too nasty, particularly for shorthand sailing.
We’ll be conserving our energy because it’s not a sprint. It’s a 3 or 4 day adventure so, we’ll sail with that little bit in reserve, as far as our sleep, which is a very important thing.
Ken Gourlay, ‘Blue Moon II’ Navigator
(Kismet) It’s actually incredibly light displacement, incredibly brilliant design. It looks like an aircraft down below … as far as software goes & hardware goes.
We were watching some video over the weekend on how to navigate with modern equipment.
Sean Langman, ‘Kismet’ Navigator
Sean Langman, Kismet Navigator at the Long-Range Weather Forecast Media Call Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race/Ashley Dart
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