2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart - on track for a fast start
by Steve Dettre/RSHYR media 25 Dec 2024 17:02 PST
26 December 2024
The view from south head back to the city of Sydney as the 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race gets underway © Rolex / Studio Borlenghi
A fast start to the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is still on the cards, with strong north easterly winds predicted for the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Conditions are expected to favour the big boats as they hurtle down the New South Wales coast with 30 to 35 knot winds at their backs further south.
The latest forecast from the NSW Bureau of Meteorology confirms what has been issued over the last few days, with the only modification being a slight delay in the predicted west-south-westerly change on Friday morning.
“We’re expecting winds on Sydney Harbour to be getting up to about 15 knots at 1300hrs (race start time),” said Gabrielle Woodhouse, Senior Meteorologist for the Bureau.
“And once … outside the Heads, it looks as though we'll be getting up to 18 to 20 knots. And then as you make your way further south, we'll see those winds increasing,” she said.
Woodhouse said that by this afternoon they are expecting wind speeds of 20 to 30 knots. And by the evening, particularly south of Narooma, wind speeds could approach up to 35 knots, with strong and gale force wind warnings in place along the New South Wales coast and also down through the East Gippsland coast.
Woodhouse said the forecast models have been very consistent.
“The forecast is looking very consistent, particularly for the first part of the race, where we do have those strengthening north easterly winds today,” she said.
“We'll (then) see that really abrupt west-south-westerly change move across Bass Strait in the early hours of Friday morning.
“And we'll then see that move along the New South Wales coast as a southerly approaches during the day on Friday.
“Once we see that change move through, we will continue to see some north west to south westerly winds throughout the race.”
Woodhouse said the expectation was variable winds, particularly along the eastern part of Tasmania for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 628 nautical mile race.
For the bulk of the 104-boat fleet, there is the prospect of showers by Saturday.
“There could potentially even be some low cloud developing along the east coast of Tasmania,” she said, which would reduce visibility.
Woodhouse said depending on what day and time boats arrive into Hobart, the weather is expected to be relatively cool.
“It looks as though we'll have a few showers around, but they will be fairly isolated … but the risk of thunderstorms is more likely over the water for Friday and potentially Saturday and again on New Years.”