Please select your home edition
Edition
Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 LEADERBOARD

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart - Entries close with 120 teams

by RSHYR Media 29 Oct 2023 16:08 AEDT 26 December 2023
Start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2022 © Carlo Borlenghi | Rolex

Entries for the 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race closed on Friday and the lineup of 120 boats is one of the most open and diverse fleets in years.

The 628nm classic which starts on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, 26 December, has attracted entries from around the globe and features ten international teams - representing New Zealand (3), Hong Kong (2), New Caledonia, USA, France, Germany and Ireland.

There are 110 Australian boats hailing from six states - NSW (64), QLD (20), VIC (16), TAS (7), SA (1) and WA (2).

Boats range in size from the smallest - two diminutive 30-foot two-handed entries, Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham's Currawong 30 Currawong and Marc Michel and Logan Fraser's Dehler 30 Niksen from New Zealand - all the way up 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. Robert Williams is campaigning Sylph VI, built in 1960, which competed in the Sydney Hobart five times up until 1972 and is making its return to the Great Race after having circumnavigated the globe and spending the past five decades cruising. 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 -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.

There are 96 boats competing under IRC for the prestigious Tattersall Cup and 24 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 afficionados and 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." CYCA Commodore Arthur Lane

Visit the Rolex Sydney Hobart website to view the full fleet.

Related Articles

New Caledonian duo set sights on RSHYR
Two French sailors based in New Caledonia will take on the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race When Yann Rigal and Michel Quintin began sailing Double Handed in 2020, Rigal had his doubts. "When Michel called me and said, 'Are you in?' I was like, 'Wow, that's crazy but yes, let's go'," Rigal laughed. Posted on 11 Jun
Teams poised to settle unfinished business
80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race preparations are well underway While the start of the 80th anniversary Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is still some time away, preparations are already well under way at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA). Posted on 14 Mar
80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race entries open
A fleet of over 120 yachts expected to compete in the milestone event The 80th anniversary of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is expected to attract huge interest from sailors from Australia and around the globe, all eager to participate in the milestone event. Posted on 12 Mar
80th Rolex Sydney Hobart entries to open soon
Promising to be a spectacular edition of the race The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is thrilled to announce that entries for the milestone 80th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will open in the coming weeks. Posted on 14 Feb
RSHYR 2024 | 50 feet and below start videos
Start videos from the third and fourth lines Start videos from the third and fourth lines Posted on 8 Jan
RSHYR 2024 | Maxi and mini maxi start videos
Start videos from up in the chopper on Boxing Day, where the airspace is as busy as the Harbour Start videos from up in the chopper on Boxing Day for the annual Sydney Hobart race, where the airspace can get nearly as congested as Sydney Harbour itself... Posted on 7 Jan
2024 RSHYR: Fika wins PHS Double Handed
Annette and Sophie crossed the RSHYR finish line late last evening on Fika Mother and daughter, Annette Hesselmans and Sophie Snijders, crossed the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race finish line late last evening on Fika, the only one of the three female double handed crews to finish the tough 628 nautical mile race. Posted on 1 Jan
2024 RSHYR - Resilience in adversity
Competing crews confronted myriad challenges and a range of weather conditions The official prize-giving for the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race offered a poignant conclusion to an edition marked by tragedy and defined by resilience. Posted on 31 Dec 2024
RSHYR - Mountaineering skills come to the rescue
A crew member with mountaineering skills came to the rescue of Tasmanian boat A crew member with mountaineering skills came to the rescue of Tasmanian boat Tilting at Windmills as it approached the finish line of the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Monday. Posted on 31 Dec 2024
2024 RSHYR: No more dehydrated food
Kings Pier overflowed with spectators on Monday Kings Pier overflowed with spectators on Monday, all vying to get a prime view of the latest finishers in the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and among the arrivals was Double Handed entry Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth. Posted on 31 Dec 2024
Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTERExcess CatamaransBoat Books Australia FOOTER