The mood was relaxed but alert as maxi skippers gathered for the compulsory briefing ahead of the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Banter flowed freely, but respect across the room was clear. At the top end of the fleet, familiarity mixed with rivalry.
World-class sailors spoke lightly, yet all acknowledged the forecast could decide the race.
Conditions are expected to be unsettled and uneven. Raw speed alone may not be enough.
Two-time defending champion Christian Beck leaned into the underdog role with ease.
His LawConnect has won the last two races despite, as he put it, being outgunned.
“The Sydney Hobart is the only sport in the world where a ‘s***box’ has been winning for two years,” Beck said.
“If they race well, we’ve got no chance.”
His main rival is Master Lock Comanche, the 100-footer that holds the race record. Beck said conditions that suit LawConnect usually suit Comanche even more.
Comanche co-skipper Matt Allen rejected the underdog narrative. He said Beck’s assessment was part performance, part strategy.
“Upwind, LawConnect is a really good boat,” Allen said. “In very light air, it might even be better than us.”
Allen said last year’s mainsail failure had been addressed. Still, he warned the forecast ruled out record times.
“It’s going to come down to who manages the transitions best,” he said.
Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing 100 enters its eighth Hobart. The boat now carries a full rig but may not benefit from it.
“I’d actually be happier going back to the B rig,” Wharington said. “The conditions probably won’t suit us.”
Wild Thing 100 is the lightest of the 100-footers. That can help in flat water but hurts when seas build.
“In the bump, it’s hard for us,” Wharington said. “Light air later could help, but time may run out.”
He also pointed to SHK Scallywag 100 as a threat. Its upwind speed has proven decisive before.
Scallywag skipper David Witt remains without a Hobart win. Recent campaigns have ended early due to breakages.
“To finish first, first you must first finish,” Witt said. He believes the fleet could arrive in Hobart close together.
Adding intrigue is the return of Palm Beach XI under Mark Richards. The former Wild Oats XI returns after three years away.
Almost every component has been modified. Reliability, however, remains the priority.
“We’ve only sailed twice,” Richards said. “But we’ve got a very experienced team.”
Beyond tactics, the briefing highlighted long-standing friendships. Rivalry, skippers said, is brief and situational.
“On Boxing Day at one, we won’t be such good mates,” Allen said.
“Apart from that, we are.”
For Beck, this race carries personal significance. He will sail with his 18-year-old son, Indy.
“It’s a dream come true,” Beck said. “He’s wanted to do this since he was 10.”
As the fleet prepares to leave Sydney Heads, there is no clear favourite.
Only shifting weather, fine margins and shared uncertainty.
Read more on the Sydney Hobart Race website here
