super maxi yachts sydney to hobart 2023

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

Maxis jockey for position at the start in Sydney Harbour. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex

The Rolex Sydney Hobart race is one of the most famous yacht races in the world hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania starting in Sydney, New South Wales, on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania.

The Sydney Hobart is considered one of the big 600 milers and is a key offshore race in the calendar for any number of big boat campaigns, sitting alongside other races of a similar length including the Fastnet Race , The Caribbean 600 and the Middle Sea Race .

The inaugural edition of the 630 nautical mile race in 1945 had nine starters. John Illingworth’s Rani , built at Speers Point was the winner, taking six days, 14 hours and 22 minutes.

Records fell for many years in the early days of the race, but in 1975 Kialoa from the United States set a new course record that would stand for fully 21 years before being beaten by the German yacht Morning Glory in 1996, and then only by a dramatic 29 minutes.

The race record now stands at 1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds and was set by the 100ft super-maxi Comanche in 2017.

Comanche is one of only a handful of yachts to have taken line honours in the race on multiple occasions, having now crossed the finish line into Hobart first on three separate occasions.

But the boat most associated with race wins is another super-maxi, Wild Oats XI which has won the race a hugely impressive nine times, including a four race winning streak between 2004-2008.

The Sydney Hobart is renowned for tough weather, with the Bass Strait, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean immediately to its east often experiencing high winds and difficult seas.

Even though the race is held in the Australian summer, southerly buster storms often make the it cold, bumpy, and very challenging for the crew. It is typical for a considerable number of yachts to retire, often at Eden on the New South Wales south coast, the last sheltered harbour before Flinders Island.

The 1998 Sydney Hobart was marred by tragedy when, during an exceptionally strong storm (which had similar strength winds to a lower-category hurricane), five boats sank and six people died.

Of the 115 boats that started, only 44 made it to Hobart. As a result, the crew eligibility rules were tightened, requiring a higher minimum age and experience.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Race winner decided by 51 seconds

• December 27, 2023

Law Connect has won the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race line honours, after the closest finish in over 40 years, which ended in a gybe-for-gybe battle up the Derwent River…

Rolex Sydney Hobart: How to win the legendary race

• December 21, 2023

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race stands as a pinnacle of offshore yacht racing. Its reputation as the hardest of the classic offshore races is well deserved. Compared to the…

Sydney Hobart Race Hotels and accommodation

• February 28, 2023

We have selected some fabulous Sydney Hobart Race Hotels and take in the race atmosphere and a bit of the city life too. Sydney is a wonderful place to head…

Wins for Andoo Comanche and Celestial in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

• January 3, 2023

The 77th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race started on 26 December, its traditional Boxing Day slot and once again hundreds of thousands of people crowded the shores of Sydney Harbour,…

How to follow the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

• December 19, 2022

Sydney sailors are counting down the days – not until December 25, but the 26, for the much-anticipated Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The blue riband offshore classic was cancelled for…

Brutal first night conditions sees a quarter of Rolex Sydney-Hobart fleet retire

• December 27, 2021

The Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race got off to a spectacular start on Boxing Day, 26 December, 2021, but tough conditions have seen the fleet greatly reduced after a day of racing.…

20 weird and wonderful facts about the famous Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

• December 24, 2021

10 Key facts from the 69 year history of the Sydney Hobart Race

Sydney-Hobart Race set for tricky Boxing Day start: how to follow

• December 22, 2021

Sydney sailors are counting down the days – not until December 25, but the 26, for the much-anticipated return of the famous Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. The blue riband offshore classic…

Battling to Hobart: Memories of the Sydney Hobart

• April 19, 2021

Discovering Andrew Wilson has been the sort of exciting surprise that comes with editing a column like Great Seamanship. Andrew is a photographer working in Tasmania. He knows yacht and…

1998 Sydney Hobart: Extract from The Proving Ground by G Bruce Knecht

• April 20, 2020

Along with the 1979 Fastnet Race, the 1998 Sydney Hobart has become a byword for disaster at sea. Unless a writer was actually on board one of the boats and…

Black Jack 100: On board the light airs supermaxi chasing Sydney Hobart glory

• November 26, 2019

“I always told Peter you never want to buy a 100-footer and eventually he ignored me. But now we’re all pretty happy that we’re here!” The words of Mark Bradford,…

How to cope with stormy weather by top French sailor Loick Peyron

• August 17, 2017

Weather like this during the Sydney-Hobart is not a surprise for the guys who start the race. They know what to expect, and how rough it can become in the…

Aboard CQS – video tour of the 12-year-old supermaxi that became a cutting edge DSS foiler

• February 6, 2017

CQS (formerly the 90-footer Nicorette) is something of a ‘back to the future’ hybrid in the supermaxi world, sporting cutting-edge foil technology – untested on this scale of yacht to…

Third time lucky as Sydney Hobart Race record falls to supermaxi Perpetual Loyal

• December 27, 2016

A new record for Rolex Sydney Hobart Race record has been set by the supermaxi Perpetual Loyal. Owner Anthony Bell and his crew of 18 arrived in Hobart in the…

How to follow the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2016 – an easy spectator guide

• December 23, 2016

As the start of the famous Sydney Hobart draws close, we take a look at the best ways to keep up-to-date with the action… Race start time: 1pm AEST on Boxing…

Find out about the favourites for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2016

Some 90 yachts are entered for this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 72nd edition of the 628-mile classic, which starts on Boxing Day, is one of the most important…

Stunning picture highlights from the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015

• January 4, 2016

Take a tour of supermaxi Comanche, a yacht so beamy she’s called ‘the aircraft carrier’

• December 26, 2015

“The design office were told specifically by me that if this boat wasn’t the worst rated boat in history they have failed,” Dr Jim Clark said about his new raceboat.…

Wild Oats XI retires with sail damage as brutal squalls hammer Rolex Sydney Hobart Race

Gale force southerly headwinds and rough seas have been pummelling the favourites for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015 fleet and caused havoc among the leading super maxis. Eight times line…

Watch how Wild Oats XI was cut in half and rebuilt for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015

• December 22, 2015

This video by Crosbie Lorimer shows Bob Oatley’s now legendary Australian supermaxi Wild Oats XI in action earlier this month after her modifications at McConaghy Boats. They were done in preparation…

The tech millionaire who crossed first in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race is happy giving credit for the win to his crew

Topic: Sailing

Christian Beck hoisted the coveted trophy after LawConnect's win but he's giving full credit to his crew. ( Supplied: CYCA/Salty Dingo )

It's no secret that elite sailing costs money and the sleek high-tech supermaxis first up the River Derwent in the Sydney to Hobart race are financed by people with deep pockets.

This year, the battle royale pitted two millionaires against each other in a thrilling, if not almost slow motion, line honours finish.

In an ending that will be retold for years to come, Christian Beck's $1.6 million boat LawConnect claimed line honours, but the tech millionaire says he had little to do with the stellar effort.

Beck says he doesn't really come from sailing stock and is not taking credit for the win.

"To be honest, I don't actually do much on that boat. I find it performs better when I'm asleep," he says.

In a twist of history, runner-up Andoo Comanche's owner John Winning Jr was on board LawConnect when it won the race under its former name Perpetual Loyal in 2016.

The race leaders were only 51 seconds apart at the finish line. ( Supplied: CYCA   )

Winning, whose family fortune was built on an appliance business, sailed this year's edition with his father John Winning Sr and was hoping to repeat last year's line honours win on Andoo Comanche.

Although Beck was always intrigued by sailing following a couple of short stints as a child with his stepfather, he became fully enthused in his 30s.

"I was always a bit of a frustrated sailor as a kid. I didn't really come from a sailing family," he says.

The father of five spent an exhausting month in the lead-up to the Boxing Day start looking after his newborn child.

"I actually had more sleep on the boat than I did at home," he says.

He's described winning the coveted blue water classic as a dream come true but the celebrations on the Hobart docks did not go long into the night.

"The guys from Comanche were super nice but they bought me a few shots, and that knocked over early so I ended up back at the hotel," he laughed.

Beck taught himself to code and became a successful businessman. ( Supplied: CYCA/Salty Dingo )

A tech innovator by trade, Beck is a regular on the Australian Financial Review's Rich List.

He taught himself to code when his lawyer father asked him help with building software.

Beck owns LEAP Legal Software and founded Australian Technology Innovators.

He bought LawConnect in 2017  — a year after it had won a Sydney to Hobart title as Perpetual Loyal.

After line honours glory, Beck caught media attention when comparing this year's runner-up Andoo Comanche to his yacht — labelling it a "shitbox".

"Comanche is an awesome boat and ours is a lot worse, and the 'shitbox' term is a summary of that," he says.

"I love the boat but it was probably just trying to put it into context.

"It was a huge challenge to beat Comanche and I still can't believe it happened.

"I'm very grateful for the crew for what they did because it was them that made that all possible."

Who actually sails? Not me

Beck was given a ceremonial dip at Constitution Dock after taking line honours glory. ( Supplied: CYCA/Salty Dingo )

He says his contribution to the win goes as far as owning the boat and pulling together an outstanding crew.

In the end, he says leadership and teamwork gave LawConnect the winning edge.

"I couldn't believe how well our guys did. You had Tony Mutter steering, you had Chris Nicholson doing tactics," he says.

"You also had a lot of good crew work, if you look at the furling and unfurling, that was all flawless — it all sort of came together."

"It's important to have not only good people but have a really good teamwork form."

Christian Beck gives the thumbs up after the win. ( Supplied: CYCA/Salty Dingo )

Preparations for a Sydney-Hobart have a long build-up, with practice intensifying from early December.

"You need like a football team to run these boats, honestly, it's like 15–16 people. You've got people near full-time working on it all year," Beck says.

"There's a lot of preparation and maintenance … for a relatively short race.

"The guys that run the boat have all done Volvo Around the World ocean races and they are used to doing 5,000 miles across the Southern Ocean — for them, they just think the Sydney-Hobart is an overnighter.

"They're the guys that really run it, a guy like me I don't do much, or really anything actually. 

"If you are going to go up and change a sail in a storm in the Bass Strait at night you have to be very brave and very skilled.

"It's incredible what they do, there's no way I could do that."

Underdog full of pride

The crew of 21 on LawConnect included four non-sailing company staff who were along for the thrill.  ( ABC News: Maren Preuss )

His core crew have been sailing in Sydney to Hobarts for six years but four of the 21 crew members this year were surprise entrants, who are gifted a lifetime experience.

"What we do every year is we bring four people from our various companies along … often it's a draw in a hat," he says.

This year, they got to be a part of LawConnect's remarkable comeback, which seemed like touch-and-go for a while.

"I am very, very proud to be part of it because we are seriously the underdog," Beck says.

"We were pushing all the way, and we were taking a lot of risks to get where we looked like we lost at the end as we had for the past three years, so to come back from so far behind and win was remarkable."

Up until the finish line, LawConnect was about three nautical miles behind Andoo Comanche.

In the space of 1.5 nautical miles the lead changed about five times. 

"We didn't really think we had much of a chance but Comanche kind of got parked up into a pocket with no wind," he says.

"We could see them there and we obviously got somewhat excited when that happened.

"We had a fairly good chunk of wind come in compared to them, and then when we met them, we both had the same wind and then the tacking duel happened and that was incredibly stressful but incredibly exciting."

Sailing into the sunset

Moments after the win, Beck joked the value of LawConnect may just have gone up again, creating a good opportunity to sell.

"It was not really on sale, that was a bit of a joke. If you want to sell the boat, it would be a good day because it just beat Comanche," he says.

Beck paid $1.6 million for the supermaxi but putting a current price on it, if it were for sale, is hard.

"To build that boat again would cost you more than $20 million, even a mast would cost about $3 million to replace," he says.

"But the value is a bit dependent on how they perform and how old they are [but after winning] I'd say the value is about $2 million, is my best guess.

 "It will eventually become obsolete, we're going to keep sailing it until that happens.

"My guess it's got between two and six years … left before it becomes replaced by probably a foiling boat, and then I don't know what we will do with it."

In the meantime, he is planning to try and win more Sydney to Hobarts which, by the way, he ranks as number six in his list of lifetime achievements — after the birth of his five children.

Beck won the race after coming second in the past three editions. ( Supplied: CYCA )

• Skip to content
• Skip to footer

• Français

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE: TENACITY CONQUERS ALL

Hobart, 31 December 2023 –  The 78th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will go down in history as a relentlessly demanding test of determination, as well as physical and mental resilience. The record will highlight a tooth and nail fight to the finish for Line Honours, and a Tasmanian boat joining the select few to have achieved two overall wins in the event’s near eight decades. Organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in conjunction with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Rolex has partnered the iconic offshore challenge since 2002.

For both the overall winner, Philip Turner’s 66 ft (20-metre) Alive , and the 100 ft (30.5 m) line honours victor, Christian Beck’s LawConnect, tactical skill and awareness was a major factor alongside sheer endurance. This was especially so in the River Derwent, on the final approach to Hobart, where the fates of many fatigued crews were finally decided. The unwavering tenacity of offshore sailors and their capacity  to summon their deepest reserves all the way to the finish, has been a common theme throughout Rolex’s near 70-year relationship with yachting. A fleet of 103 yachts had signed up for the renowned 628-nautical mile undertaking, ranging from fully professional maxi racers to more Corinthian crews, and including some 18 two-handed boats. Departing Sydney Harbour on 26 December under mainly sunny skies and accompanied by the usual throng of enthusiastic onlookers, an uncertain and unsettled weather outlook ramped up the already high stakes of this notorious course. The presence of low pressure over the New South Wales coast and the ominous threat of troughs was fair warning of what was to follow. Rapidly developing thunderstorms, lightning, intense rain squalls and winds erratic in strength and direction enveloped the fleet during the first 24 hours of racing. A south westerly then moved in, leaving the bulk of the yachts heading across Bass Strait and down the coast of Tasmania in upwind conditions that would turn very heavy, with a total of 16 crews forced to retire over the course of the race.

Line Honours Although four yachts were initially tipped as contenders, the battle to be first across the line in Hobart came down to a two-horse race between 100-footers LawConnect and Andoo Comanche , with LawConnect just managing to steal ahead in the final nerve-wracking seconds, after almost two full days of stalking their opponents.

“To win line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is a dream come true, especially against Comanche because it’s such a good boat, and in a circumstance where the lead changed so much. It was an incredibly exciting experience all around.”

LawConnect ’s triumph was in fact clinched by the narrowest of margins, with the two boats just 51 seconds apart on the finish line. The second closest finish in the race’s history. The drama had commenced early for the Juan Kouyoumdjian design, as Beck explained:

“We had a great start and were first at the first mark. But when we went to furl our big masthead zero, the furling line broke and so we couldn't wrap up this massive sail. And we're coming straight towards the zone where all the spectator boats were and we couldn't tack...”

The 21-strong crew, which included four Corinthian sailors, managed to avert disaster and recovered quickly to set up a veritable match race with the defending line honours champion Andoo Comanche . Entering the Derwent three miles behind Comanche, Beck looked set to add to his tally of three second-place finishes and perennial bridesmaid status. However the river is no place for the faint of heart and often rewards those that hold their nerve and take their chances. While Beck feared the race was lost, his afterguard of Tony Mutter and Chris Nicholson – two of the southern hemisphere’s finest and most experienced ocean racing sailors – had other ideas. Working with the equally talented American navigator, Chris Lewis, they reeled in Comanche, setting up an enthralling and memorable finish as the two colossi traded tacks, gybes and ultimately the lead. Beck was quick to admit that the win was very much down to the steely resolve of his capable crewmates, whose belief and motivation was inspirational for the rest of the crew:

“The determination was from Tony Mutter and Chris Nicholson, they never give up no matter how bad it gets. They are the ones that got us over the line.”

Overall Winner Overall winner Alive previously claimed the Tattersall Cup in 2018, and had come tantalising close in 2019. In a serendipitous turn of events, their success this year marks the 75th anniversary of the first Tasmanian boat to secure two wins in the Rolex Sydney Hobart. George Gibson’s Westward famously achieved consecutive victories in 1947 and 1948. Long-time skipper, Duncan Hine, was also part of the winning 2018 crew.

“Tasmanian boats have a long history in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, and to be one of those Tasmanian boats to have won, and now won it twice, is phenomenal.”

“Starting with a collection of people who have memories over the 10 or 15 races they’ve done, our navigator Adrienne Cahalan was on her 31st, you’ve got a lot of stored knowledge. Everyone in this race, all the guys could not have done any more, you didn’t even have to ask, everyone was on it.”

Gaining an all-important advantage over the main body, Alive swept towards the finish hard on the tail of the slightly bigger URM Group, with whom she had been sparring for two days. History has proved time and again that anything can happen on the Derwent , and it was arguably a close relationship with the fickle river that swung it for Alive , which represents the Derwent Sailing Squadron, by just 20 minutes on corrected time.

“In the end the Derwent is kind to people that know it, a little home advantage,” explained Hine, who also has a fair idea of the human qualities the race calls for: “Endurance, focus, and then endurance again.”

Like Cahalan, and Beck, and the hosts of sailors who return to complete this tour-de-force year after year despite the adversity and punishing roster, it seems the pain is already a distant memory and Hine is looking to future editions of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

“It’s a tough race and you can’t even really dream you could win it twice, so now I’m starting to think maybe we’ve got a third in us.” he admitted with a smile.

Former Australian yachtswoman of the year Adrienne Cahalan, navigator on Alive and now a three-time overall winner, arriving tired, cold and wet into Hobart’s Constitution Dock, did not underestimate the ingredients required for success.

“A lot has got to come together to win this race, that’s why it is so hard. The weather patterns have to be right, your equipment, your team. You get such a broad range of conditions, you have to know how hard to push or not push, and we pushed hard in this race through rough conditions.”

Having just beaten more than 100 other competitors to raise the coveted Tattersall Cup, Cahalan was clear on what an immense achievement this was.

“The Tattersall Cup is very hard to win. It took me 15 years to win it the first time. It's a really hard race because so much has to come together. So when you do win it, it does take a lot. It's something that everybody wants to do, but owners have spent years and years and never got over the line.”

Internationally renowned as one of the most arduous rites of passage in ocean sailing, a historic offshore challenge that has captivated professional and Corinthian sailors alike since 1945, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race represents a cornerstone of Rolex’s association with world-class yachting endeavours. On a course so challenging that finishing is considered an achievement in itself, the pursuit of excellence, precision, and team spirit shine through, echoing the Swiss watchmaker’s enduring ethos.

ROLEX AND YACHTING Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships  with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Royal Malta Yacht Club, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

Contact details

Giles Pearman

Virginie Chevailler

• AMERICA'S CUP
• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

Rolex Sydney Hobart: Finishers review - Super maxis and Mini-maxis: 0900hrs - Dec 28

Related Articles

Sydney to Hobart updates: Andoo Comanche and LawConnect poised for line honours river duel

Super Maxi Law Connect (R) and Andoo Comanche (C) during the 2023 Sydney to Hobart race. Photo / Getty Images

Supermaxi yachts Andoo Comanche and LawConnect are set for a tight tussle up the River Derwent to determine line honours in the Sydney to Hobart .

The two 100-footers were within sight of each other as they passed Tasman Island before 5am on Thursday, about 40 nautical miles from the finish line.

Last year’s winner Comanche had the advantage down Tasmania’s east coast on Wednesday night, but LawConnect - runner-up at the past three events - has made up ground.

The closest finish in Sydney to Hobart history came in 1982 when Condor of Bermuda beat Apollo by a mere seven seconds.

LawConnect, skippered and owned by Christian Beck, was first out of the heads in Sydney on Boxing Day after a dramatic start to the 628-nautical mile bluewater classic.

Comanche - the pre-race favourite - flew a protest flag, accusing fellow supermaxi SHK Scallywag of tacking too close to her as the pair made their way out.

Scallywag, which completed a protest turn as a result, was forced to retire roughly six hours into the race after breaking her bow sprit.

Eleven of the race’s starting 103-strong fleet have pulled the pin, with some reporting damage and seasickness in challenging conditions which included a thunderstorm on the first night.

LawConnect navigator Chris Lewis described the stormy seas as “wild” with 180-degree wind shifts.

Moneypenny, URM Group and Alive are in a bunch about 90 nautical miles behind the two duelling leaders, with the third remaining supermaxi Wild Thing 100 further back in sixth.

URM Group has battled jib damage and lost her code zero spinnaker.

Shane Connelly, skipper of retired two-handed entrant Rum Rebellion, was briefly flung overboard on Boxing Day off the NSW coast in strong winds.

There may be further challenges for crews, with a strong wind warning in place on Thursday for waters off Tasmania’s east coast.

Latest from Sport

Black caps strike early as sri lanka bat first in series opener, 'an absolute war': kiwi beaten in quest for ufc contract, liam napier: what are robertson’s likely selection shifts for the abs v wallabies, the old wives’ tales optometrists agree with – and the ones they don’t.

All the action out of Galle International Stadium.

All Whites power rankings: Ben Old and other rising stars shoot up leaderboard

Unrush Hour starts on the scenic drive to Hanmer Springs

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Has a Boat-Size Absence

Wild Oats XI, a crowd favorite that is one of the most successful yachts in the event’s history, will not compete this year pending repairs and rethinking.

By Kimball Livingston

When the hundred-foot Maxi yachts hit the starting line for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, one absence will loom as a powerful presence.

There will be no Wild Oats XI, and Wild Oats XI is more than a boat.

Speculation is inevitable when a crowd favorite is missing. The report from the boat’s skipper, Mark Richards, is straightforward, but it won’t put an end to wondering. Of the boat and its owners, Richards said: “We had a structural failure in the bow and are having that addressed. The Oatley family are re-evaluating how to progress forward in our sport and they have just decided to have a break this year while they work it out.”

That resonates because in this race, Wild Oats XI has taken line honors (first boat to cross the finish line) nine times, set records three times and, beyond that, won the hearts of Australians.

“Kids 6, 7, 8 years old know the name,” Richards said.

No one dares use the past tense in speaking of Wild Oats XI, but questions arise when a boat that is synonymous with the Sydney Hobart, and that has been rush-repaired in the past to make a race, is absent.

Last year, the boat finished fourth at the Sydney Hobart after a sail ripped underway. It was in August of this year during a race in Australia’s Whitsunday Islands that the hull failure occurred.

In 2005, Bob Oatley commissioned the build of Wild Oats XI and set the standard — the boat swept all honors in its first Sydney Hobart race, only two weeks after launch. The boat would win line honors seven more times before Oatley’s death in 2016. His son Sandy, also passionate about sailing, carried on.

“I’d love to get one more crack,” Richards said. “I guess we’ll know more next year.”

Steve Quigley got his first crack as a crewman in 2012 and felt “daunted” joining the famously accomplished crew. Then, “We were first over the finish line, we set another course record, and we won our division on handicap,” he said. “I should have retired from racing then and there, but it wasn’t until I went walking around Hobart in my team shirt, with strangers asking for autographs, that I understood that Wild Oats XI had become the people’s boat.”

What next? Richards said, “The boat is still very capable.”

Quigley, a naval architect, was part of a team responsible for a bold 2015 redesign that bought the boat some time. In Quigley’s recollection, “I was the one in the meeting who had to tell Bob, ‘You may have the fastest Maxi in the world, but if you want to keep it that way, let’s chop it in half,’” he said.

Then they chopped it twice.

To respect the 100-foot maximum limit for the Sydney Hobart race, length was removed from the stern and added in a new bow section that accommodated bigger sails. Wild Oats XI.2 proved effective across the wind range, and success continued as the boat won line honors again in 2018.

Imagining a 2024 race, Quigley said, “Given the right combination of wind strength and direction, we could find a window to win, but the newer boats have a wider window.”

Design DNA in 2023 is different from 2005. Boats are now wider, yielding stability to carry taller masts and more sail. The maximum width of Wild Oats XI, 17 feet, is 45 percent less than LawConnect, winner of the most recent lead-up regatta series and yet not the newest or widest.

Sandy Oatley did not respond to a request for comment. More than one member of his crew spoke of the team as a “family,” so any decision is charged with emotion: Do you throw money at an unlikely Wild Oats XI.3, or would it satisfy if the boat slipped into the role of sentimental favorite and long shot?

The citizens of Hobart cheer for all, but it doesn’t hurt to arrive on Wild Oats XI. Andrew Henderson, part of the crew since 2005 and a 25-race veteran, said: “Anyone who can get a boat to Hobart deserves respect. The town offers the warmest reception in Australia. All of us understand how special that is.”

This year, however, after many years racing, he said, “I’m spending Christmas with the kids.”

• Taiwan News
• Editorial & Opinion
• Bilingual Pages

• All Front Page Taiwan News Business Editorial & Opinion Sports World News Features Bilingual Pages

Thu, Dec 28, 2023 page7

Super-maxi yachts duel it out on day 2 of sydney to hobart.

• AP, HOBART, Australia

Super-maxis Andoo Comanche and LawConnect yesterday dueled for the lead as the pair of 100-foot (30.5m) yachts separated themselves from the rest of the Sydney to Hobart fleet.

Wild weather on the first night ended any hopes of a race record, and eight of 103 starting boats had withdrawn 24 hours into the race.

Reigning line honors champion Comanche was exchanging the lead with LawConnect, runner-up at the past three events, as the pair crossed Bass Strait.

LawConnect, left, leads Andoo Comanche at the start of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in Sydney on Tuesday.

Photo: EPA-EFE

“We’ve had a little bit of everything. The wildest [weather] was literally 180-degree wind shifts,” LawConnect navigator Chris Lewis said in a video on social media.

Late yesterday afternoon, Comanche led LawConnect by about 10 nautical miles (18.52km) ahead of their expected overnight finish of the 628 nautical mile race at Constitution Dock in the Tasmanian state capital of Hobart.

Shane Connelly, skipper of two-handed yacht Rum Rebellion which retired on Tuesday night, said that he was briefly thrown overboard during a storm.

Connelly said a “micro-burst” of wind hit his yacht during a ferocious storm, throwing him off the port side. He managed to attach his tether and was lifted back on board as the yacht righted.

The skipper said he and crewmate Tony Sutton decided to retire as they were concerned he might have concussion.

“The safety drills and systems all worked and we could sort ourselves out,” he said.

Comanche and LawConnect have been clear front-runners since just out of Sydney Harbour. The pair began the trip down the New South Wales south coast at a fast clip, but have fallen off the pace of the race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set by Comanche in 2017.

“The race record is no chance,” said veteran sailor Peter Shipway, who has won the Sydney to Hobart twice on handicap and five times on line honors.

“They’d have to finish by quarter-past 10 tonight, and they are still not even halfway,” Shipway said. “We’re probably at least 24 hours, maybe 30 hours, from a finish. It could be a daylight finish.”

The highest-profile retirement has been SHK Scallywag, one of four 100-foot super-maxis jostling for line honors, which sustained a broken bow sprit and withdrew on the first evening of the race.

LawConnect was the first yacht out of the harbor.

Most Popular

F-16 block 70 jets to arrive this month, official says, taiwan-tokyo travel pass launched, chinese man captured on a rubber boat, manila pulls ship from sabina shoal, us, eu joint statement backs taiwan.

You might also like

Leverkusen looking to bounce back at Hoffenheim after unbeaten streak ends

Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to

Sydney Marathon closes in on joining the majors

If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on

Sauna masters mesmerize nude audiences at Aufguss

The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a

WADA accused of withholding information

When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later

• More Sports

‘Devastated’: Man overboard, more boats out of Sydney to Hobart

A total of nine vessels have been forced to retire from the Sydney to Hobart with one skipper revealing a “devastating” update.

Thorpe’s devastating private life revelation

Tragic detail of murdered Olympian’s funeral

’Monstrous’ bodybuilder dead at age 36

Nine casulties have now struck the Sydney to Hobart fleet.

It was announced on Wednesday morning two more yachts had been forced to retire as the fleet made its way along the NSW south coast.

Scallywag was the first big casualty of the race after the Hong Kong-based sailing team’s bow sprit — which carries the yachts biggest sails — broke just hours into the race.

Scallywag had been the early leader and was in a fight with Andoo Comanche and LawConnect before it was forced to abandon its campaign.

Two more vessels were forced to retire in the early hours of Wednesday morning with Sticky and Maritimo 52 pulling out.

Sticky was forced to pull out with electrical damage, while Maritimo 52 had damage to rigging.

Small yacht Rum Rebellion was hit by a burst of water between Cronulla and Wollongong sending the boat on its side.

Shane Connelly was taken overboard and was a few metres from the boat but was able to swim back to it.

“We are both well and the main thing is our systems and drills all worked well,’’ he told News Corp.

As first reported by News Corp , Arcadia on Tuesday returned to Sydney with a torn mainsail and Rum Rebellion also turned back due to an unspecified reason.

Reigning champions Andoo Comanche and LawConnect are continuing to battle for line honours as they head towards Bass Straight.

Tuesday’s retirement was a gut-punch for the Scallywag crew which had already declared the 2023 Sydney to Hobart would be its last.

News Corp reported skipper David Witt and his crew were “devastated”. The vessel has returned safely back to Sydney.

The team earlier confirmed their sad news via its social media channels.

SHK Scallywag 100 has retired from the 2023 Sydney Hobart with a broken bow sprit. The team are obviously very disappointed given the great progress we were making but thankful no one was injured & that we could safely recover. The team are making their way back to Sydney. pic.twitter.com/fuFApS3DvT — Sun Hung Kai Scallywag (@scallywaghk) December 26, 2023

The five retirements mean there are 98 entries remaining of the 103-yacht fleet that sell sail from Sydney.

Scallywag was also involved in early drama when rival Andoo Comanche flew a protest flag alleging SHK Scallywag had tacked too close as the pair exited Sydney Harbour.

Scallywag subsequently performed a 720 penalty turn to exonerate the vessel from facing a potential disqualification.

The race tracks the eastern coast of Australia southward from Sydney, crossing the Bass Strait, before continuing along the eastern coast of Tasmania and finally reaching Hobart.

Widely considered one of the most challenging yacht races in the world, teams competing in this year’s event — the 78th edition — also risk facing thunderstorms, hail and gale-force winds through the race.

The Bureau of Meteorology, whose representatives briefed the competitors ahead of the race, said there was a high degree of uncertainty for the forecasts over coming days.

With the Bass Strait crossing often the hardest part of the race, teams can expect a larger southwest swell and strong winds.

“This year there is easterly winds and easterly swell forecast, as well as thunderstorms, which will make conditions challenging on Tuesday and Wednesday. These conditions are forecast to ease from later Wednesday,” the bureau said.

Some 113 vessels will be competing in this year’s event.

The record for the race was set in 2017 by LDV Comanche, a 100ft maxi yacht, which completed the event in just over 33 hours.

RETIREMENTS IN THE 2023 SYDNEY TO HOBART

Arcadia – Retired – mainsail damage

Currawong (TH) – Retired – electrical issues

Maritimo 52 – Retired – rigging damage

Pacman (TH) – Retired – runner damage

Rum Rebellion (TH) – Retired – minor injury

SHK Scallywag – Retired – broken bowsprit

Sticky – Retired – electrical damage

Georgia Express – rigging issues

Millennium Falcon - Retired - crew illness

Tumbleweed (TH) - Retired - crew illness

Luna Blue - Retired - damaged equipment

Ian Thorpe has for the first time revealed a devastating truth about his private life and the one moment that rocked him to his core.

Devastating images from Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei’s funeral have broken hearts around the world following her barbaric murder.

A body building cult hero has died suddenly with devastating details emerging about his wife’s reaction as the tragedy unfolded.

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

WATCH | 2023 SOLAS Big Boat Challenge (Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship)

• 05 Dec, 2023 03:01:00 PM

Watch a replay of the live stream of the final race in the 2023 Raymarine Australian Maxi Championship, the much-loved SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour. Nine of the best performance racing yachts go head-to-head to determine who will be crowned champion Maxi and Mini Maxi for 2023.

Congratulations to all the divisional winners of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

PHOTOS | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

PHOTOS | Day 5 Morning - Tasman Island and Storm Bay

PHOTOS | Day 5 and Day 6 finishers

PHOTOS | Official Presentation of Tattersall Cup and Rolex Timepiece to the Overall Winner

2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - A Race for the Ages

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Rolex Daily Video Summary

VIDEO | Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2023

VIDEO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Official Prizegiving

VIDEO | Race Update - 31 December Morning

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 10

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 9

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 8

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 7

AUDIO | 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Sked 6

Official rolex sydney hobart merchandise.

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!