Please select your home edition
Edition
McDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 TOP

Sydney to Hobart – Last boats standing?

by Rob Kothe on 27 Dec 2015
George David's RAMBLER 88 (USA) surfing downwind - 2015 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Rolex/ Stefano Gattini http://www.rolex.com
It was a hard night for the front end of the 71st Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet.

The Super maxi thoroughbreds found the going hardest, with Wild Oats XI, Comanche and Perpetual Loyal all announcing their retirement. Comanche did a Lazarus though, calling Hobart Race Control to say they were going to head south again which they did, with a damaged daggerboard and rudder.

Two American boats lead the fleet. George David’s Rambler is now well into Bass Strait, with Comanche now second and the top Australian boat Ragamuffin third.

Here are the top ten on line honours and IRC handicap

At racetime 00:14:30 Line honors top ten

Yacht

DIV

Position

DTG

SOG

COG

Est. Elapsed
Time & Speed

1

Rambler

George David USA

  

37°28'S 151°53'E

89nm E of Green Cape

430.0

11.9

184

02:04:21:4912.0

28 Dec, 05:21:49 PM

2

Comanche

Jim & Kristy Clark USA

  

37°28'S 152°11'E

103nm E of Green Cape

436.2

11.6

184

02:10:36:2110.7

28 Dec, 11:36:21 PM

3

Ragamuffin 100

Syd Fischer NSW

  

37°15'S 152°17'E

107nm E of Green Cape

449.3

10.0

170

02:17:07:399.6

29 Dec, 06:07:39 AM

4

Maserati

Orca SRL Italy

  

37°15'S 152°51'E

134nm E of Green Cape

462.9

10.7

170

02:16:32:259.7

29 Dec, 05:32:25 AM

5

Black Jack

Mark Bradford QLD

  

36°38'S 151°35'E

70nm E of Montague Island

469.3

9.9

192

03:02:28:258.4

29 Dec, 03:28:25 PM

6

Ichi Ban

Matthew Allen NSW

  

36°46'S 152°00'E

92nm E of Montague Island

470.1

8.3

195

02:21:59:589.0

29 Dec, 10:59:58 AM

7

Chinese Whisper

Rupert Henry NSW

  

36°45'S 152°09'E

98nm E of Montague Island

473.6

9.0

187

03:02:24:348.4

29 Dec, 03:24:34 PM

8

Balance

Paul Clitheroe NSW

  

36°07'S 150°09'E

9nm NW of Montague Island

478.9

8.9

238

03:01:37:288.5

29 Dec, 02:37:28 PM

9

Primitive Cool

John Newbold VIC

  

36°03'S 150°16'E

12nm N of Montague Island

483.7

8.5

149

03:06:40:218.0

29 Dec, 07:40:21 PM

10

Triton

David Gotze & Michael Cranitch NSW

  

36°01'S 150°14'E

14nm N of Montague Island

485.8

6.9

166

03:03:19:108.3

29 Dec, 04:19:10 PM

At racetime 00:14:40 IRC top ten

Yacht

DIV

Position

DTG

SOG

COG

Est. Elapsed
Time & Speed

HCAP

Est. Corrected
Time & Speed

1

Teasing Machine

Eric De Turckheim Switzerland

3

35°52'S 150°17'E

7nm S of Batemans Bay

494.8

7.7

159

03:08:05:507.8

29 Dec, 09:05:50 PM

1.169

03:21:38:016.7

30 Dec, 10:38:01 AM

2

Imagination

Robin & Annette Hawthorn NSW

3

35°41'S 150°20'E

6nm NE of Batemans Bay

505.9

8.3

248

03:12:56:237.4

30 Dec, 01:56:23 AM

1.108

03:22:06:486.7

30 Dec, 11:06:48 AM

3

Rambler

George David USA

0

37°30'S 151°53'E

89nm E of Green Cape

428.1

12.0

187

02:04:28:2912.0

28 Dec, 05:28:29 PM

1.826

03:23:49:086.6

30 Dec, 12:49:08 PM

4

Black Sheep

Derek & Martin Sheppard NSW

3

35°40'S 150°27'E

11nm NE of Batemans Bay

508.6

7.8

227

03:14:49:497.2

30 Dec, 03:49:49 AM

1.111

04:00:28:066.5

30 Dec, 01:28:06 PM

5

After Midnight

Mark & Greg Tobin NSW

3

35°43'S 150°19'E

4nm E of Batemans Bay

503.6

6.7

173

03:13:51:577.3

30 Dec, 02:51:57 AM

1.145

04:02:18:596.4

30 Dec, 03:18:59 PM

6

Merlin

David Forbes NSW

2

35°49'S 150°20'E

6nm SE of Batemans Bay

498.4

7.7

159

03:09:56:347.7

29 Dec, 10:56:34 PM

1.222

04:04:08:036.3

30 Dec, 05:08:03 PM

7

Wild Rose

Roger Hickman NSW

4

35°34'S 150°42'E

28nm S of Jervis Bay

517.1

8.4

239

04:00:05:566.5

30 Dec, 01:05:56 PM

1.048

04:04:42:426.2

30 Dec, 05:42:42 PM

8

Balance

Paul Clitheroe NSW

1

36°08'S 150°09'E

7nm NW of Montague Island

477.9

8.0

153

03:02:25:018.4

29 Dec, 03:25:01 PM

1.364

04:05:30:176.2

30 Dec, 06:30:17 PM

9

Mayfair

James Irvine QLD

4

35°34'S 150°30'E

17nm NE of Batemans Bay

515.1

7.1

147

03:22:56:376.6

30 Dec, 11:56:37 AM

1.082

04:06:43:446.1

30 Dec, 07:43:44 PM

10

Courrier Leon

Gery Trentesaux Belgium

4

35°36'S 150°44'E

30nm S of Jervis Bay

515.7

8.8

246

04:02:27:236.4

30 Dec, 03:27:23 PM

1.045

04:06:53:136.1

30 Dec, 07:53:13 PM
C-Tech 2020 Tubes 728x90 BOTTOMBarton Marine Pipe GlandsMcDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 BOTTOM

Related Articles

America's Cup: Match dates announced
The 38th America's Cup Match will begin on July 10, 2027 from Naples. The 38th America's Cup Match will begin on July 10, 2027 from Naples, and is expected to conclude by the following weekend.
Posted today at 1:27 am The Famous Project CIC update
Impossible seas, strong winds from the wrong direction, a damaged boat... There is much thinking, pondering, and mentalizing aboard the Maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT from The Famous Project CIC.
Posted on 22 Jan 505, OK & 470 Australian Nationals Days 3 & 4
The fleet woke to a scorching day with land temperatures reaching 40c After four races over the first two days, the OK Dinghy fleet took a rostered day off to go to take the customary photo selfies with the quokkas on Rottnest Island.
Posted on 22 Jan RORC Transatlantic Race overall winner declared
Olivier Magre and skippered by his son Antoine Magre on Palanad 4 take the trophy The Royal Ocean Racing Club has confirmed Mach 50 Palanad 4 (FRA), owned by RORC Member Olivier Magre and skippered by his son Antoine Magre, also a RORC Member, as the overall winner of the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race on IRC corrected time.
Posted on 22 Jan Mini Globe Race Atlantic Dash for Recife
24,000 miles of this 28,000 mile race now complete The 1,700 miles from Cape Town to Saint Helena was in classic South Atlantic trade-wind conditions—mostly moderate, occasionally unstable, and fast enough to turn the passage into a genuine match race for the front of the fleet.
Posted on 22 Jan The Ocean Race 2027 promises the ultimate test
A mammoth opening leg from Alicante to Auckland will be the longest in race history With less than a year until the start of The Ocean Race 2027, the world's top fully-crewed offshore sailing competition confirms a record-breaking opening leg that will take crews halfway around the world.
Posted on 22 Jan GLOBE40 Leg 4 Update: Two leaders neck & neck
A final twist 300 miles from the Valparaiso finish line With less than 300 miles to go to the finish in Valparaiso, the GLOBE40 seems poised to deliver a final twist in this fourth leg, a scenario only it seems to have in store.
Posted on 22 Jan 2026 WASZP MidWinters Regatta
Held at the US Sailing Center, Jensen Beach The 2026 WASZP MidWinters Regatta at the US Sailing Center at Jensen Beach set the tone for the season over the holiday weekend, offering everything foiling sailors hope for in January.
Posted on 22 Jan ILCA Under 21 World Championships 2026 day 3
Qualifying Series Complete in Lanzarote Slovenia's Luka Zabukovec has moved into the overall lead in ILCA 7, while Ginevra Caracciolo continues to assert her authority in the women's fleet at the end of the qualifying series, which gives way to the finals starting tomorrow.
Posted on 21 Jan 2026 Rolex Big Boat Series Registration Opens
This year's event also serves as the 2026 ORC North American Championship The Notice of Race is posted and registration is open for the 62nd edition of Rolex Big Boat Series, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California.
Posted on 21 Jan
This site and its contents are Copyright © 2026 Sail-World Sail-World USA and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved. Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph contact the photographer directly.
If you have any questions about advertising or editorial then please contact our team. If you encounter any technical issues then please email techsupport@sail-world.com
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy