Rolex Sydney Hobart Race: 24hrs Update - Overall and Divisional battles

Master Lock Comanche - 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - December 27, 2025 © Andrea Francolini

It has been one day since the epic start of the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and the front of the fleet has entered Bass Strait and expect to face an increase in southerly winds and swell.

Matt Allen and James Mayo’s Master Lock Comanche continues to set the pace in the race organised by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The yacht holds a narrow lead of 4.2 nautical miles over defending Line Honours champion, Christian Beck’s LawConnect.

On this morning’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Live Show, LawConnect crew member Chris Nicholson sighed with relief as the sun rose. The yacht’s instruments did not work during the night which made it difficult for the crew on deck to know the course bearing.

In third place is SHK Scallywag 100 skippered by David Witt, closely pursued by USA entry, Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky (Juan K 27m). Lucky has delivered an impressive opening 24 hours and remains in contention for the Overall win.

Retirements

Since the 0630hrs update on Saturday 27 December, three more yachts have retired:

• Queensland entry Troubadour (Lincoln McHenry, Swan 46)
• Double Handed entry Roaring Forty (Lutra Boc Open 40), sailed by Kevin Le Poidevin and Brian Pattinson
• Rob Appleyard’s Overall contender Moneypenny (Reichel/Pugh 69)

A total of 119 yachts remain on the racecourse, including 15 Double Handed entries.

The race for the Overall win

With more than 300 nautical miles to go for current Overall leader Celestial V70, skippered by CYCA Commodore Sam Haynes, the battle for Overall victory is far from decided.

The defending champion leads the Overall standings ahead of Lucky in second and LawConnect in third.

Celestial V70 navigator Alex Nolan explained the team’s focus to RSHYR media:

“We are currently concentrating on the high-pressure [weather] system and how it moves through the racetrack. Figuring out where we need to be to have the fastest passage. We have entered the Strait and are settling into another tough slog for the rest of the day, so looking after people and the boat.”

Double handed duel intensifies

The Lombard 34 Mistral (Rupert Henry and Pablo Santurde) is under pressure in the Double Handed Division. Henry, a three-time Sydney Hobart Double Handed IRC winner with three different co-skippers, is after a fourth title.

Mistral currently sits second on both Double Handed IRC and Line Honours, just one nautical mile behind the New Caledonian JPK 10.80 BNC – my::NET/LEON (Michel Quintin and Yann Rigal). The yacht placed second Overall fully crewed yacht in the 2015 race.

Henry and Santurde are that close to BNC -my::NET/LEON (around 1 nautical mile) they can probably hear the Frenchmen talk tactics.

German yacht leads on PHS Overall

Jost Stollmann’s giant of a boat, the cruiser/racer Alithia, a Solaris 80rs, leads on PHS Overall. The German flagged yacht, sailed by an international crew, leads Gordon Smith and Stuart Byrne’s Farr 43 Wild Oats in second and Bill Barry-Cotter’s Oyster 100 Maritimo 100 in third.

Corinthian crews work their way down NSW South Coast

Damien King’s Corinthian (non-professional) crew on board the Victorian entry the Frers 61 MRV currently leads IRC Corinthian Overall. Meanwhile Peter Lowndes’ Lyons 49 Wine-Dark Sea leads PHS Corinthian Overall.

Veterans and Grand Veteran yachts prove age is just a number

Three-time Sydney Hobart Overall winner Love & War (S&S 47) leads the Grand Veterans Division for yachts launched prior to 1976. Unicoin (Farr 277), skippered by Peter Bremner, leads the Veterans Division for yachts launched between 1976 and 1995.

Redemption round in the Sydney 38 Division

After it was forced to retire from last year’s race due to rigging failure, Lisa Callaghan’s Mondo is in redemption mode. The yacht leads the Sydney 38 Division on IRC followed by Kim Jaggar’s Cinquante in second and Peter McFarlane’s Loch Sloidh 3 in third.

It is McFarlane's first Sydney Hobart. Dockside before the race start, he told RSHYR media how he planned to tackle the first 24 hours of the race.

“We'll just get through the first bit, then move on to the next phase of the race,” he said.

For more divisional standings, click here.