Entries for the 78th annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race have closed, and the lineup of 120 boats is one of the most diverse in years.
The 628 nautical mile race, set to start on St. Stephen's Day, December 26th, on Sydney Harbour, has attracted entries from around the world, including ten international teams from New Zealand, Hong Kong, New Caledonia, the United States, France, Germany, and Ireland.
As Afloat reported previously, Kinsale duo Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt who have been such a potent force double-handed force in Irish offshore races are among the line-up.
The Australian contingent is made up of 110 boats hailing from six states, with New South Wales accounting for the majority of entries with 64, followed by Queensland with 20, Victoria with 16, Tasmania with 7, South Australia with 1, and Western Australia with 2.
The boats range in size from the smallest, two diminutive 30-foot two-handed entries, to the four maxi 100-footers: Andoo Comanche, Law Connect, SHK Scallywag, and Wild Thing 100 (formerly the Botin 80 Stefan Racing). The John H Illingworth Challenge Cup for Line Honours victory will be hotly contested by these larger boats who have all featured in recent years.
The oldest boat in the fleet is Ena Ladd’s Colin Archer-designed double-ender Christina, built in 1932. Meanwhile, four boats were built in the 1970s: the ubiquitous Victorian entry Bacardi, first all-female two-handed entrant in 2022, Currawong, three-time Overall winner Love & War, and Queensland’s Son of a Son. A further 27 were launched in the last century.
21 boats will be competing two-handed, making up 17.5% of the fleet. This number is testament to the growing interest and standard of competition in the division across Australia and around the world.
The Tattersall Cup, one of the most prestigious prizes in sailing, will be awarded to the winner of the IRC division, with 96 boats competing. 24 boats will be competing under PHS Handicap.
With only two more races scheduled in the 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore and the 2023 Australian Maxi Championship (1-5 December) ahead of Boxing Day, it will be a busy two months of training and fine-tuning of boats and crews to prepare for what is traditionally one of the most challenging yacht races in the world.
“The 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart promises to deliver another enthralling spectacle for both sailing aficionados and the general public alike. As one of the most watched sports over the Australian summer, and with worldwide interest and coverage of the race continuing to grow each year through the support of media and broadcast partners, the race is truly one of the highlights of the international sailing calendar,” said CYCA Commodore Arthur Lane.
View the full fleet here
