A fleet of 107 yachts, including four 100-foot maxis, 18 double-handed entries, and eight international competitors, has been confirmed for the 81st Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, starting on St. Stephen's Day, 26th December.
Entries have closed for the 628-nautical-mile offshore classic, organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), with former line honours and overall winners among the competitors preparing for the passage from Sydney Harbour to Tasmania.
Four Maxis Set for Line Honours Contest
The battle for line honours will feature Christian Beck's LawConnect, Anthony Bell's Loyal, Mark Richards's Palm Beach XI and Grant Wharington's Wild Thing 100. Three of the four have previously won the Illingworth Challenge Cup, awarded to the first yacht to finish in Hobart.
The contenders will have an opportunity to test their preparations at the Australian Maxi Championship from 4th–8th December.
Maxi Ambitions – The 100-foot maxi Master Lock Comanche races past Tasmania's coastline during the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart. Four 100-foot maxis are entered for the 2026 line honours contest. Photo: Kurt Arrigo
Defending Champion Returns in New Yacht
Jiang Lin, who made history in 2025 as the first woman and first double-handed competitor to win the Tattersall Cup on IRC handicap, returns with French co-skipper Alexis Loison. The pair will race Lin's new JPK 10.50 Min River, seeking consecutive overall victories.
"I never set out to win the Tattersall Cup. For us, it's about doing our best, enjoying the race and having as much fun as possible," Lin said. "Just because we won last year doesn't mean we'll win it again – it's a new race and anything can happen."
Lin said she had enjoyed racing with Loison last year and hoped to recreate the experience aboard the new boat.
"This will be my sixth Rolex Sydney Hobart and having been a CYCA Member for almost ten years, this race means a lot to me."
Former Winners Strengthen Handicap Fleet
Matt Allen returns aboard Ichi Ban, the Volvo 70 previously raced as Willow and Celestial V70. The yacht won overall honours in 2024, and Allen has four Tattersall Cup victories.
Tasmania's Alive, the Reichel/Pugh 66 which won overall in 2018 and 2023, will compete with Duncan Hines at the helm and experienced navigator Adrienne Cahalan aboard.
The three-time overall winner Love & War, which finished third overall in 2025, also returns. Sean Langman's G/P42 Back 2 Black, winner of the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast race on overall handicap and an Admiral's Cup contender, joins the entry list.
Heading South – The 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet heads into open water. This year's St.Stephen's Day race has attracted 107 entries, including 18 double-handed crews and eight international yachts. Photo: Kurt Arrigo
Five TP52s, including Sebastian Bohm's Smuggler and David Doherty's Islero, formerly Caro, are expected to feature in the handicap competition.
Double-Handed Racing Continues to Grow
The 18 double-handed entries include Min River, Rupert Henry's Mistral and Jules Hall's Disko Trooper.
The fleet also includes 13 women owners or skippers, among them Elizabeth Tucker, whose First Light will compete double-handed this year.
St.Stephen's Day Start
CYCA Commodore David Jacobs said the race remained a major international offshore sailing challenge.
"The Rolex Sydney Hobart is an iconic event that showcases the very best of offshore sailing and the unique spirit of our sport," he said. "What makes this race so special is the connection between the competitors and the communities that support them."
The race will start on Sydney Harbour on 26th December, with live Australian television coverage on Channel Nine and international streaming through the official race website and CYCA's YouTube channel.
